GAELIC SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 5

GAELIC SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Gaelic Society was held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Stuart street, on the night of the 7th. Mr Dugald M'Lachlan occupied the chair, and there was a gocd attendance.

The Chairman, in a Gaelic address, remarked that this was now the only purely Celtic society in the Southern Hemisphere. He referred to the muscular strength of the Highland race, as manifested in " tuge-of-war " in which they had taken part, and to their moral and mental qualities, which, under the influence of education, fitted them for the exalted positions which some of them occupied in this and other lands. He further referred to the testimony of occasional visitors from other parts of the colony to the pleasure they had enjoyed in being present at some of the society's meetings in Dunedin, where they heard the old familiar tongue spoken and sung.

OFFICB-BBAEEBS.

The following office-bearers were then elected for tho ensuing year :— Chief, Rev. Dr Stuart ; president, Mr Dugald M'Lachlan; vice-presi-dents — Messrs Dan. Matheson and Dan. Munro ; secretary, MrJW. Macleod ; treasurer, Mr T.

C. Matheson ; piper, Mr John M'Kechnie ; librarian, Mr D. M'Millan ; committee — Messrs N. M'Fadyen (bard), Hon. J. M'Kenzie, D. M'Quilken, J. M'Millan, John M'Donald (Palmerston), Charles Campbell, Roderick M'Kenzie, Simon M'Donald, Colin M'Kenzie, Lachlan M'Donald, Angus Matheson, George Ritchie, Malcolm M'Donald, John M'Lennan, Murdoch M'Ritchie, and D. C. M'Donald; auditors — Messrs J. M'Millan and George Ritchie.

GENERAL. The Secretary acknowledged the courtesy of the secretary of the Burns Club in sending letters of invitation to the president and secretary of the society to attend the nexb quarterly meeting of the Burns Club, and also in sending statistics of the Gaelic-6peaking population of Scotland at the last census. The secretary read the statistics referred to, which proved most interesting. He also referred in terms of much regret to the death of Mrs M'lntosh, who had, till her removal to Chrißtchurch, about a year ago, been ab most of the meetings of the society, enlivening the proceedings by her expressive rendering of Gaelic songs. Mr William Hutchison, M.H.R., delivered a short valedictory address prior to his leaving for Wellington. In the concert which followed the singers were Mrs Campbell, Mrs Chisholm, and Miss C. M'Donald, Meßsrs Neil M'Fadyen, Lachlan M'Donald, Colin M'Kenzie, Alexander Ross, and D. Henderson. The pipes were efficiently played by Messrs J. Murray, J. M'Kechnie, and Alexander M'Rae.

Mr Dan Turner was elected a member of the society. Before the meeting closed mention was made of the approaching annual gathering.