Burns Clubs exist throughout the world to encourage and cherish the memory of

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

, to foster a love of his writings and generally to encourage an interest in the Scots Language and Literature.Greenock Burns Club
Retrieved : 2013-12-21 An emphasis on encouraging the young to take an interest in Burns is found in most clubs through poetry, singing and other competitions. Once mainly existing as 'male only' clubs in the mould of the Tarbolton 'Batchelor's Club' most now welcome women as fellow members. Ladies Burns Clubs also exist such as the 'Irvine Lasses' that was established in 1975; it has appointed several male 'Honorary Lasses'. A number of Burns Clubs hold collections of Burns' manuscripts, artefacts or memorabilia such as the

Irvine Burns Club The Irvine Burns Club, based at the Wellwood Burns Centre & Museum, was founded on 2 June 1826 and is one of the world's longest continuously active Burns Clubs. At least five personal friends of Robert Burns were among the group of local gentl ...

which holds the only surviving holograph manuscripts from the

Kilmarnock volume ''Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect'', commonly known as the Kilmarnock Edition, is a collection of poetry by Robert Burns, first printed and issued by John Wilson of Kilmarnock on 31 July 1786. It was the first published edition of Burns' w ...

of ''"Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect"'' printed and issued by John Wilson, Kilmarnock, on 31 July 1786. Many clubs also have libraries that contain volumes from the many printed works relating to the bard and to Scottish poets, history and culture. Annual wreath laying ceremonies are held to commemorate personal events such as the birth and death of the poet as well as other significant events in the Bard's life, such as the publication of the

.Westwood, Page 296 Many clubs are affiliated to the Burns Federation now known as the

Robert Burns World Federation The Robert Burns World Federation is a literary society based in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, aimed at educating the public about the life, poetry and works of the poet Robert Burns.

(RBWF) that was formed in 1885 in

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

and local associations also exist such as the Ayrshire Association of Burns ClubsHomecoming Burns Chronicle 2009, Page 258 and the Southern Scottish Counties Burns Association. A feature of most Burns Clubs are annual celebration suppers near or on the anniversary of the poet's birthday, 25 January 1759. In 1959 Glasgow alone had 25 Burns Clubs with a membership of around 4000.Mackenna, Page 51 Most Burns Clubs have an open membership; however, some are by invitation, often due to lack of space within their premises such as with the

Burns Club Atlanta The Burns Club of Atlanta, officially organized in 1896, is a Gentlemen's club, private social club and literary and cultural society commemorating the works and spirit of the 18th century national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns. In addition to h ...

, the Dumfries Burns Howff Club and the Paisley Burns Club. 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. Most Burns Clubs use rented facilities for their meetings, however at least four clubs have their own premises, the

, the Howff Club of Dumfries, the Paisley Burns Club and the Burns Club of Atlanta. In 1920 'The Burns House Club' was inaugurated at India Street in Glasgow as a central meeting place for Burns Societies. The Burns Federation of the time met here quarterly.

Titles

Most clubs are named after the settlement in which they are located such as cities or areas within cities, towns, etc. A few clubs append a Burns linked term such as Cronies, Howff, Jolly Beggars, etc. The Alamo Burns Club is named after the inn in which its first Burns Supper was heldAlamo Burns Club
Retrieved : 2014-01-03 and two

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

clubs use Burns's name.

History

The first

Burns supper A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), the author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, known as Burns Night ( sc ...

was established in around 1801, attended by

Robert Aiken Robert Aiken was one of Robert Burns's closest friends and greatest admirers. He was born in 1739 in Ayr, Scotland. His father John Aiken, was a sea captain who owned his own ships and his mother was Sarah Dalrymple, distantly related to the Dal ...

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"''.Mackay, Page 688 By 2004 the Robert Burns World Federation alone had 400 clubs affiliated to it and these reflected a membership of approximately 60,000. Irvine Burns Club - President's Chain - medallion (2)

Irvine Burns Club - President's Chain - medallion (2)

Precedence

The Greenock Burns Club is the 'Mother Club', the Dalry Burns Club claims the longest, continuous record of anniversary dinners, and the

has an unbroken history dating back to its formation on 2 June 1826. Of the twelve founding members of the Irvine Burns Club, five were known to Robert Burns, two of whom were close friends of the poet. The Paisley Burns Club went into abeyance from 1836 to 1874. Although the Burns Club of London is recorded as No.1 on the Robert Burns World Federation list the Kilmarnock Burns Club was recorded as first on the register as '0'.

Alexandria Burns Club

The Alexandria Burns' Club was formed in 1884, and was federated in 1885 as No. 2 in the Federation list. Its first officials were Messrs Duncan Campbell, president; William Carlile, treasurer; and Alexander Bryan, secretary. Monthly meetings have been held regularly since the formation of the club.

Burns Club of Atlanta

Officially organized in 1896, this Burns Club is a private social club and literary and cultural society commemorating the works of

. The club holds monthly meetings and an annual

Burns Supper A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), the author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, known as Burns Night ( sc ...

celebration on the anniversary of Burns' birthday every year since 1898. Events are held in the Atlanta Burns Cottage, which is a replica, apart from the thatched roof, of poet Robert Burns' birthplace in

Alloway Alloway ( gd, Allmhaigh, ) is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Bachope, the mason responsible for the cons ...

, built in 1909. Burns Cottage, Alloway 428032

Dalry Burns Club

Dalry Burns Club, established in 1825 at Montgomerie's Inn in Courthill Street, now the 'Turf Inn', has the longest, continuous record of Burns Suppers. Other Burns Clubs were established at an earlier date, but none can match Dalry's unbroken record of annual celebration of the life and works of Robert Burns. The club is 'Number 35' on the role of the Robert Burns World Federation, which was not established until 1884.Dalry Burns Club
Retrieved : 2013-12-21

United Burns Club of Dunfermline

The 'Haggis Club' first Burns Club in

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

, formed on 25 January 1812 and continuing until 1820. The Dunfermline Burns Club came into existence on 26 January 1820 and then in 1847 the club joined with the Junior Haggis Club to become the United Burns Club of Dunfermline.The United Dunfermline Burns Club
Retrieved : 2014-01-04

Edinburgh Burns Supper Club

The

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Burns Supper Club was formed in 1848 by Burns' friend and publisher George Thomson and is No. 22 on the Robert Burns World Federation list. Its dinners were attended by

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

and

John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. After a brief legal career ...

. It was suspended in 1986 but revived in 2007.

Greenock Burns Club

The first Burns Club, known as 'The Mother Club', was inaugurated as the Greenock Ayrshire Society, in

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

on 21 July 1801 on the 5th Anniversary of the Bard's death and the club is said to have held their and therefore the first

on 29 January 1802 in

, but in 1803 it was discovered from the Ayr Parish records that James Currie had made a mistake and the correct date of birth was 25 January 1759.Homecoming Burns Chronicle 2009, Page 269 The club had several members who knew Burns, such as Alexander Dalziel, factor to the

Earl of Glencairn Earl of Glencairn was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1488 for Alexander Cunningham, 1st Lord Kilmaurs (created 1450). The name was taken from the parish of Glencairn in Dumfriesshire so named for the Cairn Waters which run ...

at Finlaystone, Richard Brown, Burns's friend from

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...

and James Findlay, a gauger (excise) in Greenock who was married to one of the Mauchline Belles, Jean Markland.

Burns Howff Club of Dumfries

This club was formed in 1889 and joined the Robert Burns World Federation in 1899 as 'Number 112'. Meeting in the Globe Inn at

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

and named thus because this was Robert Burns' favourite Dumfries 'Howff' or pub. The club has had four active Club members as Federation President and these have been M. Henry McKerrow (1937-1943), H. George McKerrow (1961), Provost Ernest Robertson (1974) and Albert Finlayson (1978).Burns Howff Club
Retrieved : 2013-12-23 The club membership is restricted to 120 as its club room within the Globe Inn has restricted space. An extensive library of books relating to Burns and his contemporaries is also located at the Globe Inn and a number of Burns memorabilia and artefacts.Westwood, Page 128

Irvine Burns Club

The Irvine Burns Club, originally formed in the Milne's Inn (now The Crown Inn) is now based in Wellwood House, Eglinton Street, and has an unbroken history dating back to 2 June 1826. The club had twelve founding members of whom five were known to Robert Burns, and two were once his close friends. 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."'' The document is signed by John Mackenzie, M.D.;

David Sillar David Sillar (1760–1830) was a Scottish farmer, poet, grocer, schoolteacher and baillie who was a close friend of the poet Robert Burns. He died in 1830, aged 70, after a long illness, and was buried in Irvine's Old Parish Church cemetery. Hi ...

, 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. Dr John Mackenzie, was the first club president. He had been a doctor in Mauchline, attended Burns' dying father at Lochlea in 1784 and married one of the "Mauchline Belles" before moving to Irvine in the capacity of personal physician to the Earl of Eglinton and his family.

, 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.Irvine Burns club
Retrieved : 2011-12-16

Kilmarnock Number 'O' Burns Club

This club records that it was instituted in 1808 at the Angel Inn and the first President was D. Campbell of Skerrington. The club had several periods of dormancy from 1814 to 1841, 1844, 1849 to 1855, 1871 to 1877 and during the wars years of 1915 to 1919.Chalmers, Page 1 President Brown of the 'Burns Club of London' helped establish the Robert Burns World Federation in 1885 and acquired the distinction of 'Number 1' for his club, resulting in the Kilmarnock Burns Club having the 'Number 0' appellation conferred upon it at the first minuted meeting at Kilmarnock.Westwood, Page 26

Duncan McNaught Duncan McNaught LL.D., J.P., (1845 – 1 June 1925) was born in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, Alexandria, Dunbartonshire in 1845. He was the parochial school teacher at Kilmaurs in East Ayrshire from 1867 and served at the school for over fi ...

was a member of the same group that set up what was to become the

and was a president of the club.

Burns Club of London - Number 1

Th
Burns Club of London
was founded in 1868 by Colin Rae Brown, a native of

and a past President of the Greenock Burns Club. He was a wealthy newspaper proprietor and was closely involved in the establishment of the Robert Burns World Federation based in

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'. The Club meets regularly at The Caledonian Club, Belgravia, London. On 25 January, Members and guests meet to lay a wreath at the Burns monument on Embankment, London. Special celebrations are being planned for the club's 150th anniversary in 2018, including publication of the club's history by Past President, Dr Clark McGinn.

Paisley Burns Club

This club was founded in 1805 and claims to be the world's oldest formally constituted Burns Club, seemingly with the original name 'Paisley Burns' Anniversary Society'. It meets monthly during the winter in the cottage once owned by

Robert Tannahill Robert Tannahill (3 June 1774 – 17 May 1810) was a Scottish poet of labouring class origin. Known as the 'Weaver Poet', he wrote poetry in English and lyrics in Scots in the wake of Robert Burns. Life Robert Tannahill was born in Castle St ...

, Paisley's weaver poet and songwriter, founder and first secretary. The club owns its premises, donated to the Paisley Burns Club in 1933. Club membership is still all-male and is limited to 40.Paisley Burns Club
Retrieved : 2013-12-23 The club was in abeyance from 1836 to 1874.A History of Burns Clubs
Retrieved : 2014-01-04

Dundee Burns Club

The Dundee Burns Club was founded in 1860, From 1877, the club was the driving force behind the erection of

John Steell Sir John Robert Steell (Aberdeen 18 September 1804 – 15 September 1891) was a Scottish sculptor. He modelled many of the leading figures of Scottish history and culture, and is best known for a number of sculptures displayed in Edinburgh, ...

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

's Albert Square. A silk banner commissioned for the unveiling of the statue in 1880 is now held by the

McManus Gallery The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum is a Gothic Revival-style building, located in the centre of Dundee, Scotland. The building houses a museum and art gallery with a collection of fine and decorative art as well as a natural history ...

and was restored in 2012. The club has the distinction of having a specially-written pipe

reel A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the en ...

named after it, "The Dundee Burns Club", written by the celebrated Scots fiddler

James Scott Skinner James Scott Skinner (5 August 1843 – 17 March 1927) was a Scottish dancing master, violinist, fiddler and composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential fiddlers in Scottish traditional music, and was known as "the Strathspey Kin ...

Partick Burns Club

The Partick Burns Club was instituted in 1885 and has met to honour Robert Burns every January since then, with the exception of some years during the First and Second World Wars. The club was founded by the merchants, trades people and members of the

Partick Partick ( sco, Pairtick, Scottish Gaelic: ''Partaig'') is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch, to the east Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Park (across the River Kelvin), and to t ...

Burgh council and the club Presidents up to 1912 (when Partick was incorporated into greater

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

) were almost uniquely the Provosts of the Burgh. Its annual supper normally has an attendance of approx. 130, with ages ranging from nineteen to ninety.

Winnipeg Robert Burns Club

The

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Robert Burns Club was founded in 1907 and joined the Burns Federation in 1911 as #197 on the rolls and claims to be the "oldest continuously existing federated Burns Club outside the United Kingdom." The club was founded by a group of workers at the

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...

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, in the autumn of 1907. It erected a statue to Robert Burns, a replica of the George Lawson statue in

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...

, on the grounds of the

Manitoba Legislature The Legislature of Manitoba is the legislature of the province of Manitoba, Canada. Today, the legislature is made of two elements: the King of Canada in Right of Manitoba, represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, and the unicameral ...

in 1936. It annually holds its Burns Supper on 25 January.

Activities

Apart from

s and involvement with school and club based Burns Competitions for young people clubs have inter-club nights and other social activities such as the Professor Ross Roy Quiz Night held by the Ayrshire Association of Burns Clubs. Local clubs and the Robert Burns World Federation also help to maintain various Robert Burns linked sites such as the 'Trysting Tree' of

's poem ''The Soldier's Return'' at

Millmannoch Millmannoch, also once known locally as the 'Mill of Mannoch'Paterson, Page 211 or Kilmannoch, is a ruined mill and hamlet in the old Barony of Sundrum, South Ayrshire, Parish of Coylton, Scotland about a mile from Coylton and Drongan. The 'Tryst ...

and the

Highland Mary ''Highland Mary'' is a song composed in 1792 by Scottish poet Robert Burns. It is one of three works dedicated to Mary Campbell, with whom Burns was in love in the 1780s. The others, "Highland Lassie, O" and "Will Ye Go to the Indies My Mary?" ...

and Robert Burns Memorial at

Failford Failford ( sco, Failfuird) is a hamlet in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is west of Mauchline, where the Water of Fail flows into the River Ayr. History A minor ford would have been located where the Water of Fail has its confluence with the River ...

, both in Ayrshire. Clubs also raise money for charitable purposes, hold lectures, carry out original research, have ladies or Jean Armour Nights, St Andrew's Nights, Hallowe'en Nights, Annual Excursions and take part in specific local events such as the 'Marymass Events' held at

. Every year the Southern Scottish Counties Burns Association organises a service at the Brow Well to commemorate the death of

who died four days after his visit to the Brow Well on 21 July 1796.RB World Federation
Retrieved : 2013-12-23 The 'Burns Chronicle' first published by the Robert Burns World Federation in 1891 acts as a record of clubs and their activities with Burns related articles contributed by members with special editions being occasionally issued for events such as the 2009 'Homecoming'.

Links with the Freemasons

Robert Burns was initiated in Lodge St. David,

Tarbolton Tarbolton ( sco, Tarbowton) is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is near Failford, Mauchline, Ayr, and Kilmarnock. The old Fail Monastery was nearby and Robert Burns connections are strong, including the Bachelors' Club museum. Meaning o ...

in 1781, at the age of 23. Burns was elected "Depute Master" of the Lodge St. James at the age of 25. At a meeting of Lodge St. Andrew in Edinburgh in 1787 Burns was toasted by the Worshipful Grand Master. In February 1787, Burns was made the Poet Laureate of Lodge Canongate

Kilwinning Kilwinning (, sco, Kilwinnin; gd, Cill D’Fhinnein) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is on the River Garnock, north of Irvine, about southwest of Glasgow. It is known as "The Crossroads of Ayrshire". Kilwinning was also a Civil Pa ...

No. 2, Edinburgh. Burns was exalted a companion in the Holy Royal Arch Degree in 1787 at St. Ebbe's Lodge,

Eyemouth Eyemouth ( sco, Heymooth) is a small town and civil parish in Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is east of the main north–south A1 road and north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. The town's name comes from its location at th ...

. The companions even agreed to admit Burns without paying the necessary fees. When Burns moved to

, he joined Lodge St. Andrew in 1788. In 1792, he was elected Senior Warden. A strong link with Freemasonary is a feature of a number of Burns Clubs.The Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire
Retrieved 2013-12-23

References

;Notes ;Sources * Chalmers, Archibald (2009). ''Roll of Presidents of Kilmarnock No. 0 Burns Club''. Club Archives. * Mackay, James A. (1985). "The Burns Federation 1885 - 1985." Kilmarnock : The Burns Federation. * Mackay, James (2004). ''Burns. A Biography of Robert Burns''. Darvel : Alloway Publishing. . * Mackenna, James (1959). "The Homes and Haunts of Robert Burns". London : Collins. * Reid, Donald (2001). ''In the Valley of the Garnock (Beith, Dalry & Kilbirnie)''. Beith : DoE. . * Westwood, Peter J. Edit. (2010). ''Homecoming Burns Chronicle 2009''. Robert Burns World Federation.

External links

Alamo Burns Club

Alexandria Burns Club

Dalry Burns Club

Greenock Burns Club

Irvine Burns Club

Burns Club of London

Partick Burns Club

Researching the Life and Times of Robert Burns
- Researcher's site. {{DEFAULTSORT:Burns Clubs Robert Burns Literary fan clubs Scottish culture Events in Scotland Scottish traditions Canadian traditions Scottish cuisine Eating parties Clubs and societies in the United States Culture of Atlanta Organizations based in Atlanta Gentlemen's clubs in the United States