Robert Burns World Federation
| Robert Burns World Federation | |
|---|---|
The portrait of Burns,
by Alexander Nasmyth, 1787 (detail) |
|
| Born |
25 January 1759 Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Died | 21 July 1796 (aged 37) Dumfries, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Citizenship | British |
| Literary movement | Romanticism |
The Robert Burns World Federation is a literary society based at the Dower House, Dean Castle Country Park, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. The organisation was founded in 1885 to educate the public about the life, poetry and works of the poet Robert Burns. The board of the Robert Burns World Federation (RBWF) is composed of 3 Office Bearers – a President, a Senior Vice-President, a Junior Vice-President and Convenors of heritage, literature, marketing, schools and an archivist.
In 1884 a statue to Robert Burns was unveiled in London. A group of those attending agreed to celebrate the forthcoming 1886 centenary of the printing of the "Kilmarnock Edition" by setting up a "Burns Federation". Societies in Burns' memory already existed, notably the Irvine Burns Club. Following an initial informal meeting in London early in 1885, the first formally minuted meeting was held in Kilmarnock, where the “Kilmarnock Edition” had been printed.
The minutes of the meeting of 17 July 1885 show that seventeen 'Burnsians' were present: - Colin Rae Brown, President of London Burns Club; Peter Sturrock, Provost of Kilmarnock and President of Kilmarnock Burns Club; Rev. Wm Dunnett; James McKie, Publisher; A. J. Symington; David Sneddon, Ex. President of Kilmarnock Burns Club; John Law, President of Springburn Burns Club; George Dunlop; Andrew Calderwood; R. S. Ingram; Richard Armstrong; Andrew Turnbull, Ex President of Kilmarnock Burns Club; David Aird; James McAlister; Arthur Sturrock; Thomas McCulloch and David Mackay, Secretary of Kilmarnock Burns Club.
At this 1886 meeting the proposal by the London representative that the London Burns Club should be allocated the prestigious Number 1 as the initial idea had been raised in London in 1885. When the roll was first announced, the reader started with Kilmarnock Burns Club No. 0, London Burns Club No.1 and the situation has remained this way ever since.
Provost Peter Sturrock of Kilmarnock was the first RBWF President, followed by Provost David Mackay of Kilmarnock.
In 2013 the Robert Burns World Federation had over 250 member clubs worldwide. The 1941 'Burns Chronicle and Club Directory' lists that 577 Burns Clubs had federated to that date. The first four federated clubs were - 0. Kilmarnock (1885), 1. London (1885), 2. Alexandria (1885), 3. Tam O'Shanter (1885).
The federation holds a number of Robert Burns artefacts such as the Betty Burns portrait by John Hunter of Kilmarnock and holograph letters, etc. held on the federation's behalf at the 'Burns Room' in the Mitchell Library, Glasgow. Sadly a number of Burns Clubs have ceased to function and the RBWF holds a number of chains of office from said clubs, donated to them for safe keeping.
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