DUNEDIN BURNS CLUB

Otago Witness, Issue 3396, 16 April 1919, Page 8

DUNEDIN BURNS CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of members of the Dunedin Burns Club was held in the Burns Hall on the 27th. Mr W. Brown presided. The Chairman said the most satisfactory feature in the report was as to the increased membership. The credit balance was another satisfactory feature. During the early years of the club it had been an unwritten law and rarely departed from, that all the items at the monthly concerts should bo (Scottish, because there were plenty of opportunities of hearing other music, and the Burns Club was for Scottish song. The Music Committee stated that there was a difficulty in having all the items Scottish. Members might help in this direction as many of them could Bing, and the committee ■would be glad to hear from them. He would liks to see the number of addresses increased. The Hallowe'en concert had been a great success —about the best they had had. They were proud of the splendid responso made to the call to arms. They deeply regretted that so many had fallen, and sympathised with the relatives who had lost their loved ones. Under the direction of Mr Armitage the choir kept- up its high standard, and had done splendid work. He moved the adoption of the report and balance sheet. Mr xi. M'Kinlay seconded the motion, and said he regarded fho balance sheet aa very satisfactory. They had hoped this year to reach a membership of 500, and had got 521 on the roll, which was a .most encouraging feature. They had a most creditable balance in hand, and that waa mainly obtained from the anniversary and Hallowe'en concerts. As to a scholarship, he did not think it was fair to go in for one until the tickets paid the expenses of the club.

■ Mr J. B. M'Ewan congratulated the club upon the successful year it had had.. He thought it was greatly to the credit of their musical friends that the high standard had been maintained. He made feeling reference to the late Mr Alexander Bain, a paft president of the club, whose term of office had marked, he thought, the" beginning of a new era in the existence of the club. As to the roll of honour, he had seen a suggestionv by Mr Malcolm, M.P., which was worth following up, and that was that a letter of thanks be sent to Scotland over the treatment accorded 'the New , Zealand and Australian boys. He hoped that the incoming office-bearers would follow up the idea. The motion was carried. The following office-bearers were ap- - pointed :—President, Mr R. M'Kinlay; vicepresidents—Messrs J. B. M'Ewan and x. J Melville; treasurer, Mr A. MMillan; secretary, Mr J. Paterson; committeeMessrs D. Auld, VV. Richardson, D. Paterson T. Gilchrist, A. M'Lcod, W. Brown, W.' J. Davidson, R. Caldow, and M. i M'Donald; auditor, Mr Jas. Brown. . The usual votes of thanks were carried.