Burns Clubs

[1] An emphasis on encouraging the young to take an interest in Burns is found in most clubs through poetry, singing and other competitions.

[4][5] Many clubs also have libraries that contain volumes from the many printed works relating to the bard and to Scottish poets, history and culture.

[8] A feature of most Burns Clubs are annual celebration suppers near or on the anniversary of the poet's birthday, 25 January 1759.

[11] Most clubs are run by a committee with either Presidents or chairmen as the most senior officials usually serving a one or two-year term.

Chains of Office are a distinctive feature of Burns Clubs and these may be inscribed with the names of Past Presidents.

The first Burns supper was established in around 1801, attended by Robert Aiken and the address was delivered by Hamilton Paul and within ten years many annual celebrations of the bard's life and works were taking place to the extent that the Reverend William Peebles, a target of Burns' wit, felt compelled to publish a poetical work entitled "Burnomania: the celebrity of Robert Burns considered in a Discourse addressed to all real Christians of every Denomination".

[15] By 2004 the Robert Burns World Federation alone had 400 clubs affiliated to it and these reflected a membership of approximately 60,000.

It grew rapidly in terms of members including many doctors, lawyers and professionals, in part due to its President William Freeland around 1899 being a newspaper editor.

It is a charity running a schools competition to this day and has a membership and annual dinner attendance of over 600, making it almost certainly the largest in the world.

It has attracted many politicians, judges, Lords and celebrities to speak and been the subject of an early day motion in the Houses of Parliament on the occasion of its 150th anniversary in 2020.

Its first officials were Messrs Duncan Campbell, president; William Carlile, treasurer; and Alexander Bryan, secretary.

[1][24] The club had several members who knew Burns, such as Alexander Dalziel, factor to the Earl of Glencairn at Finlaystone, Richard Brown, Burns's friend from Irvine and James Findlay, a gauger (excise) in Greenock who was married to one of the Mauchline Belles, Jean Markland.

[24] The club has held an annual celebration every year since its formation and has hosted many illustrious speakers during that time.

Barrie, Neil Munro, Lord Glenconner, Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Sir Patrick Dollan, Compton Mackenzie, Eric Linklater, Rev.

Barclay and more recently, Lord Steel of Aikwood, Baron Wallace of Tankerness and Prof. Gerard Carruthers.

The original minute of the meeting reads: "The subscribers agree hereby to form, and do now form ourselves into a Committee for the purpose of establishing a Club, or Society for Commemorating the birth of Robert Burns the Ayrshire Poet - and we agree to meet at an early day to get the preliminaries of the Club properly arranged."

; David Sillar, Bailie; William Gillies, Grain Dealer; John Peebles, Convener of Trades; James Johnston, Town Clerk; Robert Wyllie, Harbour Master; John Orr, Merchant; James Allan, Merchant (grocer); Maxwell Dick, Bookseller; William Shields, Senior, Merchant; John Fletcher, Surgeon; and Patrick Blair, Writer.

David Sillar, the first vice-president, had been a friend of Burns since his teenage years, was a member of the Tarbolton Bachelors Club, became a grocer, and finally an Irvine Council Bailie.

[7][29] Duncan McNaught was a member of the same group that set up what was to become the Robert Burns World Federation and was a president of the club.

He was a wealthy newspaper proprietor and was closely involved in the establishment of the Robert Burns World Federation based in Kilmarnock and as a result the club acquired the distinction of being 'Number 1' on the Federations list and the Kilmarnock Burns Club responded by acquiring the appellation of 'Number 0'.

On 25 January, Members and guests meet to lay a wreath at the Burns monument on Embankment, London.

It meets monthly during the winter in the cottage once owned by Robert Tannahill, Paisley's weaver poet and songwriter, founder and first secretary.

The club was founded by a group of workers at the CPR Weston Shops in the west end of the city who had gotten together to hold a Burns Supper in January 1907, and other Scottish migrants,[34] in the autumn of 1907.

Burns was exalted a companion in the Holy Royal Arch Degree in 1787 at St. Ebbe's Lodge, Eyemouth.