THE GAELIC SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14439, 4 February 1909, Page 9

THE GAELIC SOCIETY.

jhu monthly meeting of this society was Md last nigiit m the Oddfellow*' Hall •-UI.U-I, St,yet There was a large attendance. and the Chief (Mr Du«ald MTiiurson) presided. In h« iutrodiic-tory remarks lie mentioned that the ,\e w Year ceilidh 'mil been a pronounced success, and a sub-«-■'i" U wo,,ll) addal to the Widow M'Uomdd Fund. He was happy to sav that the call for snlisoriptlons 'to tins fund had b"cn warmly responded to tie had received from Mr A. C. Robertson a fine poem, w.liich that gentleman had composed in view of the 150 th anniversary of the birth of Burns. The society had reason to be proud to have as one of its number a bard of such merit; as Mr Kobortson. He then read the poem, which was much appreciated, and added 'that it was a happy coincidence that there was present in the meeting Mi- John Davidson, of Lawrence, a great grandson of 110 loss a personage than " Souter Johnnie," immortalised by Burns in "Tarn o' Shunter." Mr Datiilsop would later in the evening Sive a recitation from Tiurns's poems. Two letters were read from the Rev. D. Maclennan, M.A.. conveying inter alia his warmest thanks for the valuable presentation made to him on the occasion of his leaving Di,nediti, and mentioning, to the credit'of the young Highlanders ir Duuedm, that in the recent examination for junmr -cholarslwps three of tjiem were' well to the front, two of them being Chalmers Church hoys—namely. Xonnan M'Kenzie, who headed the list, and Norman Maclennan, who got, the fourth place.—(Cheers.) Mr Davidson prefaced his of "flic Cottars Saturday Night" by a few appropriate remarks. He remembered having seen his grandfather ("Souter Johnnie's" eon), a tall, straight man of abont 80 years of age. He (the speaker) was himself a " Sotlter." and had lived in Lawrence some 40 years. Ho was delighted to be present at the Gaelic Society's meeting, halving 1)0011 invited and cordially welcomed to the platform. Hifi recitation, although a lone one, Wits listened to v.'if.h profound attention, mid bciutr delivered with iVie correct Scotch pronunciation, was vociferously j(pplaudcd. At tlve close Mr Davidson promised lo pive "Tarn 6* Shanter" on a fyl-nro occasion. The instrumental part i} [ the programme wa« carried through by Pipe-major M'Kochnie and Pipers M'Lwin and vouni? The last-mentioned, it hemp his first appearance in the society, received special commendation for Iris good nlaying. Song-/ were Rung by Mr John Mailer, Mr I). Ma-thofon. iun., ami Mr James Turner. Misr.es Muirhead and Kil* patrick gave as a duet a specially pathetic rendering of "Yo banks and braes/' and were heariilv applauded. Messrs D. Ro*k .Alexander Cameron, ateo Mr M'Xauglil, were elected members.