The Mauchline Burns Club History                 

Early Years: On 8 February 1923, a company of sixteen gentlemen met in the Lesser Temperance Hail for the purpose of forming a Burns Club. The meeting was called by and presided over by the late James McIntyre. In his remarks, Mr. McIntyre pointed out that Robert Burns had written much of his best work while resident in the parish of Mauchline, and, in view of that, he felt that Mauchline should have a Burns Club which would study the works of the poet as well as foster and encourage a love of his poems and songs. The meeting unanimously decided to form a club and that it should be called The Mauchline Burns Club. The first President was the late Mr. John Taylor Gibb, the Mauchline photographer, author and local historian.

Since that time, many well-known and respected members of the community have held the chair of Mauchline Burns Club. Men like the late Mr. James Dunlop, who was also the club secretary for over twenty years. Another notable President was the late Mr. J. Kevan McDowall, the prominent Glasgow Lawyer, who, as Vice President, was invited to become President in 1940, on the death of the President, Mr. Stephen Cosh. Mr. McDowall remained in office until 1946. During these war years, he failed to attend only two meetings, both times due to illness, in spite of having to travel from Glasgow in all kinds of weather during the blackout.

A notable feature of the Club meetings, — and it should be pointed out that the Club meets twice a month, from October to April — is the high standard of talks given to members. These talks cover every aspect of the Scottish culture and history.

The highlight of each session is, of course, the Annual Celebration, which is held in The Fairburn Hotel, formerly the Loudoun Arms, and even more formerly, Burns' own McClelland Arms, on 25th January. The first two dinners held by the club in 1924 and again in 1925, were both broadcast, — the first time such a thing had been done. The club has been fortunate in having speakers of note at these gatherings. In 1959, for example to commemorate the bi-centenary of the poet's birth, we were indeed honoured by having as our principal guest, Dr David Daiches, the well known authority on Burns. On this occasion, the toast list bore the names of five Past Presidents, and at least two of the founder members were present.

Several features of the Club stand out impressively. One is the continuity of members and office bearers. from 1950 to 2009 :

4 Secretaries — W Bee (195 1/1965); I Lyell (1965/2000);J Ferguson(2000/20010); A Cooper (2001 to date)
5 Directors of Music — H Lorimer, W McIntyre, A Thom , R Baillie, T Scott.
5 Treasurers — A McEwan, A MacPherson, J McWhirr, P Konopka, J Strawhorn , D Howe.

In the same period, meetings were held in Poosie Nansie's, The Loudoun Arms, The Jean Armour Restaurant, Mauchline Kilmarnock Supporters Club and back to The Loudoun(Now the Fairburn).
The Club's awareness of the Mauchline community also impresses in the range of activities promoted by members:

1986 - The Printing of Mauchline in Times Past
1988 - The Burns - Armour mock wedding
1996 - A Concert and wreath laying procession
2000 - Refurbishment of the Loudoun Spout
2002 - The highly successful Holy Fair (Annually-to date)

2005 - Burns in Mauchline top selling DVD

2007 - Cleaning of Burns' contemporaries' grave stones and accompanying explanatory leaflet.

2007 - Participation in the Flanders WW1 Scottish Memorial unveiling.

2008 - Donation of four benches to the landscaping of the Flanders Memorial.

2007/2008/ 2009 Local Calendar.

2009 - Kirkyard refurbishment with Caithness paving and enhanced lighting.

Future projects hope to include: new grave markers, plaques on historic buildings and sites; and restoration of sandstone building in Kirkyard.

The Club's greatest efforts were largely directed to the Burns House Museum, until East Ayrshire Council generously took over ownership and management.

Again our two secretaries Messrs. Bee and Lyell put great time and effort into the running of the building, while at the same time the Club raised considerable money for its support.

From 1927, when the Club donated one guinea to the regular cutting of the Kirkyard grass, this has been another other area benefiting from the Club's care of grave markers and information plan.

All these activities along with our annual programme of fortnightly meetings have accorded to us considerable status outwith Mauchline .Proof of this is in the number and variety of TV and radio broadcasts the Club has participated in, and the famous names who have been guest speakers: Dr T Honeyman, The Earl of Roseberry, Jack House, and more recently William Mc Ilvanney and Edwin Morgan.

The Homecoming Year has shown that the Club's schedule of high class events continues. A ploughing match at Mossgiel, entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the world' s largest haggis .A full weekend of Burns' Suppers , wreathe laying and ceilidh again all on Burns' own farm kept the eyes of the Burns' world firmly fixed on the Mauchline Burns Club.
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                                          Past Presidents

J. T. Gibb .   .   .   .             1923 - 24

J. MacIntyre   .   .   .           1924 - 25

N. MacCrimmon   .   .   .   1925 - 26

T. W. Stewart   .   .   .        1926 - 28

T. Findlay   .   .   .              1928 - 30

T. M. Hood   .   .   .           1930 - 32

J. Dunlop   .   .   .              1932 - 34

J. M. Irving   .   .   .             1934 - 36

R. S. Chambers   .   .   .    1936 -38

S. Cosh     .   .   .               1938 - 39

J. K. McDowall   .   .   .     1939 - 46

A. Crawford   .   .   .          1946 - 50

J. D. Cairns   .   .   .          1950 - 51

A. Hood     .   .   .              1951 - 53

W. McFarlane   .   .   .      1953 - 54

A. C. MacPherson.   .   .  1954 - 56

J. S. Johnston   .   .   .      1956 - 57

A. McDougall   .   .   .       1957 - 58

G. Dalziel   .   .   .             1958 - 59

J. C. Glennie   .   .   .       1959 - 60

H. Lorimer   .   .   .           1960 - 61

R. Pirrie     .   .   .             1961 - 62

G. Bryan     .   .   .             1962 - 63

A. Mackie   .   .   .           1963 – 65

W. Bee   .   .   .   .             1965 - 67

A. McEwan   .   .   .          1967 - 68

H. Rowe   .   .   .   .          1968 - 70

A. K. Martin   .   .   .         1970 - 72

J. Strawhorn   .   .   .        1972 - 73

H. S. Wallace   .   .   .      1973 - 75

T. Kerr   .   .   .   .              1975 - 77

J. C. Glennie   .   .   .       1977 - 78

W. M. Gray   .   .   .          1978 - 80

A. F. McIntyre   .   .   .     1980 - 82

J. Cleland   .   .   .           1982 - 84

J. Wyllie   .   .   .   .          1984 - 86

K. Blair   .   .   .   .           1986 - 88

P. Konopka   .   .   .       1988 - 90

J. D. Owens   .   .   .       1990 - 92

D. I. Lyell   .   .   .             1992 - 94

A. R. Thom   .   .   .         1994 - 96

J. Strawhorn   .   .   .       1996 - 98

G. Young   .   .   .        1998 - 2000

A. Cooper   .   .   .          2000 - 02

A. Bell   .   .   .   .             2002 - 04

J. Davidson   .   .   .       2004 - 06

J. Sutherland   .   .   .     2006 - 08

Wm Sharpe . . .             2008 -