DUNEDIN BURNS CLUB.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10631, 28 March 1896, Page 2

DUNEDIN BURNS CLUB.

The annual meeting. of ■ the Dunedin Burns Club was held in the Choral Hall on Wednesday, and was attended by about 60 members. Mr J. B. ; Thomson (president) occupied the chair, and was supported by Messrs J. B. Thornton, S. N. Brown, and J. Scott. . , .'

The President said it was not the usual monthly meeting or "they would have seen the hall filled; bnt it was a good thing to see a small annual meeting, for it showed that everybody wag satisfied. As a motion, notice of which had been given, interfered with one clause of the report, he thought they had better dispqss of it. It was to alter rule 16—"That the committee consist of nine members, three to retire annually." There had been no difficulty about the '.three retiring annually, and the notioe of motion meant that the whole of the members of the committee retire. If the meeting bad no objection, he thought it would be as well to deal with the motion at 'once, ■■.■■'.■

Mr J. Gibson, in moving the motion, said'he did not do so with any feeling towards the committee, to whom all credit was due for the way they had managed the affairs of the club. He brought the motion forward because he thought it would increase the interest at their annual meetings. Further, it would remove from .the committee the invidious task of. turning out' three of their number. He moved—" That all office-bearers of the club be elected annually."'

Mr S. N. Brown seconded the motion, because by it they would widen the interest in the annual, meetings. He thought that rule 16 was inefficient, because it provided that three gentlemen* should retire. That meant practically that three good useful men must retire, and they : might be the three best men in the club. He thbnght the motion was.a very wise one, but was of opinion that it went top far. He did not think that the whole of the committee should be ca3l«Hipon to retire'every year,;bnt % -that half would be sufii- ; ciimt.: There was always work going forward ,that some members of the, committee should remain to carry on and initiate new members into. > ■■ '<

Dr Stbnhouse preferred Mr Gibson's motion ta tbe suggestion of Mr Brown... Som-e of the old committee 'would'always be re-elected, and it would be just as invidious for half to retire as for three. He did not think any one would bpposa Mr Gibson's motion, for every committee had felt it invidious to throw -out three of their number. ■ . >■ The motion was carried. . '.-'•' The Chairman, in moving the adoption of tha annual report, which has already been published, said he thought the secretary deserved credit foi having it placed in the hands of members as early fully 5 Ecanned''it had* told hhu "that "among the members there were. 54 Mac's, 10 of them.being M "Donalds. The clan Thomson came next—there were 10 of them,—and the Browns and Fateraons totted up well, there being eight of each. There was one member of the'committee who, though an excellent member,' had not attended any meeting because of an infirmity.' ■. There was probably not a man since the formation of the ; Burns Club who had taken a greater interest in or tried to do more for the promotion and prosperity of. the monthly meetings than Mr Andrew ■ l)a.vie. There were two ethar gentlemen to whom thoy were considerably indebited, and they were the Hon. T. Fergus and Sfr Thornton. He thought it was satisfactory to know that at the end of the year their property was a little over £6 more valuable than last year, and their monetary credit ! something like £17 better than last year, ao that" they were in the position of the Colonial Treasurer —they had got a surplus.—(LaughterJ Another tiling he wished to refer to was the bureary. The Hon. Mr Fergus bad been deputed to consult with the rector of the Higb School, but before another meeting of the comn.ittee took place little difficulties occurred, and very shortly after the rector of the High School reigned, and the matter was allowed to drift, but it hid not been lost sight of.. The committee for th'; ensuing year would be able to make a more satisfactory report on the subject than the existing one li.-xi bee» able to. Since the present account was struck £50 had been taken away from the genera! account and placed on deposit in the Savings Bank, and was now bearing interest. " ' . .'■••■'■.. Mr Gibson wished-to know what the £35 for music and furniture consisted of. He questioned the value being correct. ■ ■ s . The CiiAinatUN replied that it wrs not old music, but that a considerable amount of it had been imported from Scotland since last annual meeting. Anew cabinet had also been'got to hold the mus>c, and the whole represented an asset that could not be replaced for double the amount. . Mr J. Gibson having seconded the motion foi the adaption of the report it was carried. The following were elected office-bearers for tha ensuing year :-President. Mr J. B. Thornton; vice-presidents, Messrs J. Gibson and ,T. H. Morrison ; treasurer, Mr J. Scott; secretary, Mr W. B-owu ; and committee—the Hon.T. Fergus, Messrs J. Cooper, J. B. Thomson, J. Christie, J. Muir, J. Gillies, S. M'Donald, J. Thomson, end DrStenhoiise. . . • _ •

It was lesolved that, it be an instruction to the new committee to revise the roles and add a code of by-laws, and bring them up for consideration by a general meeting of the club; also that the names of the past presidents and vice-presidents, and new rules and by-laws be printed in the next annual report. During the evening Eongs were given by-a num. her of the members, and several complimentary votes were passed.