ANNUAL MEETING OF BURNS FEDERATION. KING'S ARMS HOTEL, HIGH STREET, DUMFRIES, 19th August, 1899. THE Annual Meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation was held here to-day, at 12 noon. Present-Provost Mackay, J. P., Kilmarnock (presiding); Wm. Wallace, LL.D., Glasgow; Wm. Freeland, Govanhill; Dr. Wm. Findlay, Glasgow; Rev. John Craig, B.D., Lanark; George Dunlop, Kilmarnock Standard; D. M'Naught, J.P., editor Burns Chronicle; Thomas Amos, M.A., Kilmarnock, and Capt. D. Sneddon, Hon. Secretary (office-bearers of the Federation); also the representatives from the following Clubs :— No. o, Kilmarnock; No. 2, Alexandria; No. 9, "Royalty." Glasgow ; No. 14, Dundee; No. 50, Stirling; No. 52, "Mechanics," Dumfries; No; 57, Thornliebank; No. 67, "Carlton," Glasgow; No. 86, "Winsome Willie," Cumnock; No. 87, Campsie; No. 92, "Jolly Beggars," Kilbowie; No. 98, Lanark; No. 101, Motherwell; No. 104, "Oak," Dumfries; No. 112, Howff," Dumfries; and Mr. Moodie, Bloemfontein, South Africa. The Hon. Secretary read the Minutes of the Annual Meeting, held at Mauchline on 30th July, 1898, and of the Committee Meeting, held at the Windsor Hotel, Glasgow, on 16th June, 1899, which were unanimously approved of. 66 Letters of apology for unavoidable absence were intimated from Peter Sturrock, President, Dr. A. Paterson, Glasgow, Robert Ford, Glasgow, and the secretaries of a number of the Clubs. Captain Sneddon, in the absence of the Hon. Treasurer, read the Statement of Accounts. The financial year was begun with a credit balance of £85, 12s. 8d., and the receipts during the twelve months were as follows:-Registration fees, of one guinea each, from ten new Clubs which had joined the Federation, 10, 10s. ; fees, of one shilling each, from 167 members who had joined, £8, 7s.; royalty on sale of Chronicle, £10, 10s. ; interest on deposit receipt, 1, 6s. 6d. The expenditure amounted to £8, 4s. Id. Of this sum, £3, 15s. 9d. was spent on telegraphic greetings to Federated Clubs on the 25th of January, and the other outlays were for printing, postages, and other expenses of management. The accounts closed with a balance of £108, 2s. Id., an increase of £22, os. 5d. on the year. The minutes embodied a revised code of rules, which had been submitted by Dr. Wm. Findlay to a sub-committee, and was recommended for approval. Dr. Findlay explained that one of the principal changes was that there would be an annual election of office-bearers, which he thought would diffuse greater interest in the work of the Federation. Mr. Gibson, Dundee, suggested that there should be some regulation for the representation of clubs in proportion to membership - remarking that when the Federation visited Dundee they had about sixty members of the local clubs present, and it would have been in their power to outvote and swamp almost any motion. The Hon. Secretary explained that although the Executive Council had always welcomed the members of local clubs at the annual general meetings, it was only the president, vice-president, and secretary of each Federated club who were entitled to vote. The revised Constitution and Rules were then unanimously adopted. Mr. M'Naught, Editor of the Burns Chronicle, gave an interesting account of his labour in getting together the material for Vol. VIII. which was issued at the beginning of January last, and urged the members present to bring the work before the committee meetings of their respective local clubs, with the view of getting every member to subscribe. He tendered his thanks to all members of the clubs and others who had sent contributions to the work, and acknowledged the warm and helpful interest taken in the Chronicle by his octogenarian friend, Dr. Adams of Glasgow, the author of "Burns's Chloris.' It was remitted to the Executive to arrange for the publication of the Ninth Volume of the Chronicle. Mr. William Freeland then submitted his motion, of which notice had been given at last Annual Meeting, and which had met with the unanimous approval of the sub-committee appointed to consider the subject--"That the Burns Federation should, in the name of the Poet, seriously consider the question of establishing in one of the Scottish Universities a Lectureship for the study of the Scottish language and of Scottish literature and history," and said that it sprang out of the objects for which the Bridgeton Burns Club was established in 1870. No aim could be more worthy of a Burns Club. After adducing many reasons for the adoption of his motion, Mr. Freeland referred to the financial aspect of the question, and pointed out that a Capital sum of at least £5000 would require to be raised, the interest from which, if properly invested, would yield sufficient to provide for the proposed Lectureship, and said that the idea of this proposed Burns Lectureship is based upon this three-fold assumption :-(1) That Scottish is a living language, and should be studied and taught in a manner to secure and maintain accuracy of form and purity of sound; (2) that Scottish literature is rich in noble writings in prose and verse, and is therefore as worthy of being investigated and taught in Universities as English or Gaelic; and (3) that Scottish history is of such vital interest that a clear knowledge of it should be held as imperative and indispensable in a sound Scottish education. Mr. Amos, Kilmarnock, and Mr. Hendry, Glasgow, having spoken to the motion, it was resolved that the whole question be remitted to the Committee to consider and report-Mr. Freeland, convener. In compliance with the new rules of the Federation, the following office-bearers for the ensuing year were unanimously elected :-President, Provost Mackay, J.P., Kilmarnock; Vice-Presidents, William Wallace, LL.D., William Freeland, Dr. William Findlay, Rev. John Craig, David Murray, M.A., B.Sc., John Kerr, B. L., James M'Culloch, Matthew Gibson, Mr. Deas, James G. Hendry, Robert Ford, Dr. Adams, James H. Kirkland, and A. B. Todd; Hon. Secretary, Captain D. Sneddon, J.P.; Hon. Treasurer, Joseph Brockie, J.P.; Editor, D. M‘Naught, J.P.; Auditors, Thomas Amos, M.A., and George Dunlop. The Chairman expressed the thanks of the Executive Council of the Federation to the secretaries and members of the local clubs for the excellent arrangements they had made for the business meeting and for the dinner and drive which was to follow. This being all the business, Provost Mackay was awarded a hearty vote of thanks for his conduct in the chair. Immediately after the business meeting the members adjourned to the dining hall, where they were joined by the ladies and a number of friends from Dumfries, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, when dinner was served by "Mine Host" of the King's Arms. Provost Glover, Dumfries, presided, and the croupiers were Provost Mackay, Kilmarnock; Dr. Findlay, Glasgow; D. M'Naught, and Philip Sulley. After the loyal and patriotic toasts, "The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns" was proposed by Dr. Wm. Wallace of the Glasgow Herald. Provost Glover proposed "Success to the Burns Federation," which was replied to by Provost Mackay. Mr. Sulley proposed the health of the Chairman, and Captain Sneddon paid a similar compliment to the croupiers. The party afterwards visited places of interest in Dumfries-Burns' Statue Town Hall-House in "Wee Vennel" where the Poet lived on his removal from Ellisland-Whitesands-Dock Park-House in Burns Street, to which the Poet removed in 1793, and where he died in 1796—— Burns Mausoleum—and had a drive via Lincluden Abbey, Ellisland, Friars' Carse, and Dalswinton. The day's proceedings were carried through with perfect smoothness, and to the enjoyment of the whole company. D. SNEDDON, Hon. Secretary. DIRECTORY OF BURNS CLUBS AND SCOTTISH SOCIETIES ON THE ROLL OF THE BURNS FEDERATION, 1900. No. O. No. I. No. 2. KILMARNOCK Burns Club. Instituted 1808. Federated LONDON Burns Club. Instituted 1868. Federated 1885. No. 3. GLASGOW Tam o' Shanter Club. Instituted 1880. Federated 1885. President, David Milne, 124 Bothwell Street; VicePresident, Charles Marshall, 68 Bath Street; Secretary, G. L. Cumming, Blythswood Drive; Committee, John Muir, Andrew Crawford, M. M'Kenzie, Samuel Palmer, Thomas Thomson, George H. Forrest, John Smith, James M'Kenzie, and ex-President G. S. Galt. No. 4. CALLANDER Burns Club. No. 5. ERCILDOUNE Burns Club. Instituted 1877. Federated 1885. Instituted 24th January, 1885. Federated 26th November, 1885. President, William Kerr, Earlston; Vice Presidents, T. Murdison and A. Nichol, Earlston; Secretary and Treasurer, Archibald Black, Aitchison's Place, Earlston; Committee, Messrs. Grieve, Wallace, Bone, Aitchison, Cameron, Douglas, Stafford, Miles, Fox, Noble, Wight, Monroe, Blackadder, and Huggans. 100 members. No. 6. ALLOA Burns Club. Federated 1885. President, George B. M'Murtrie, Ochil Street; Vice-Presidents, Alexander Reid, John Simpson, and George Burton; Treasurer, William Bringan, Coalgate; Secretary, David Hughes, Mar Place, Alloa. 30 members. No. 7. GLASGOW Thistle Burns Club. Instituted 10th March, 1882. |