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Bridgeton Burns Club MAIN
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Then let us pray that come it may,
as come it will for a' that
that sense and worth o'er a' the earth,
shall bear the gree an' that
For a' that an' a' that, it's comin' yet for
a' that
that man tae man the world o'er, shall
Brithers be for a' that.
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 Bridgeton
Burns Club
is one of the oldest and most active with a
national and international reputation. It is
reputed to be one of the largest in the
world
A shopkeeper, John Wilson invited three
of his friends to a supper prepared by
his wife in his backshop at No.13
Main Street, Bridgeton
on 25th January 1870
to celebrate the anniversary of the
birth of the bard. The initial
Anniversary Supper of the Bridgeton
Burns Club was held on 25th January 1871
in Bridgeton’s Murdoch Hall, Main
Street, (sadly now demolished). The
first President, John Wilson, in company
with a group of like
minded enthusiasts, many of whom boasted
either membership or close
association with Bridgeton Bowling Club
attended the initial anniversary supper..
From this modest
beginning the club increased in numbers and
by the turn of the century there was over
300 members!
The club has 900 plus members on the roll
and its anniversary dinner each year has an
attendance of almost 700 members and their
guests, with a waiting list for tickets.
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Bridgeton
Burns Club aims:
From the outset, the
educational ambitions of the Club were clearly
in
evidence, a commitment clearly stated in the
printed rules and objects
of the Club, the latter requiring the… "…endeavour, through
DONATION, SUBSCRIPTION and other MEANS to
establish a fund for the encouragement of the
KNOWLEDGE and CULTIVATION
of SCOTTISH LITERATURE amongst the children of
members, with a view
ultimately to found scholarships… and…
bursaries at the University, for
meritorious Pupils selected from the Bridgeton
Elementary Schools, who
shall excel in a competitive examination on a
portion of Scottish
literature previously indicated by the Club.”
To this day the
Directorship of the Bridgeton Burns Club has
not
deviated from the principle embodied in the
original and admirable
objects as testified by the programme of
events organised by the Club’s
14 strong and extremely active Board, which
meets formally each month
from September until May, but operates at sub
committee level
throughout the entire year. The Board
has also established The
Bridgeton Burns Club Fund for The Arts.
The principal aim of the
Bridgeton Burns Club in celebrating the life
and works of ROBERT BURNS is to introduce his
songs and poetry to the
young people of Glasgow
 This
is carried out by organising a competition for
the children of the schools in
the East-end of Glasgow. The schools
competition began in 1876 with just two or
three schools from the east-end, this has
developed to over 50 schools.
Hundreds of children participate in this event
and in
December 2002 an incredible 750 young people
took part!
When I was a boy in Bridgeton in the
1950's-70's this was held in Bridgeton
Public
Halls and I can still fondly remember
going there with the school...a
lasting memory. It then moved to John Street
secondary School and when that
school sadly closed the event moved to
the local secondary school, St.Mungo's
Academy in
Crownpoint Road, Bridgeton.
A number of trophies and prizes are awarded to
the winning entrants, many of
which are cherished in later life. A concert
is held in February and the various
winners perform on stage in front of an
audience of about 1000!
The club owes a great debt of gratitude to the
school teachers whose work in
helping the children prepare and then bringing
them to the event on the night,
allows the work of the club to succeed. Maybe
with this mind The Club
established its second aim......
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The second
aim is that when sufficient funds are
available, children of the East-end
schools who wish to go to University or
College to study Scottish Literature or
music and were of needy circumstances could be
awarded a bursary to help them
financially.
This scheme came to fruition in the early
1990's. The Bridgeton Burns Club Fund
for the Arts was instituted as a registered
charity. The scope has been enlarged
to include Drama and other Scottish interests.
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Glasgow's
Lord Provost's Award 2002.
The Lord Provost's Award is given each year
to mark the contribution by an
individual or an organisation to the well
being of Glasgow and its people.
The 2002 award I am delighted to tell you
was awarded to Bridgeton Burns
Club for its
contribution to the education and well being
of the children of the East-end of Glasgow.
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It is a remarkable
fact and one worthy of mention, that the Pipe
Band of the
278th Boys Brigade
Company, from Netherlee Parish Church,
Glasgow,
has entertained the Bridgeton
Burns Club's members and their guests at
their anniversary dinner since 1977.
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Bridgeton Burns
Club contact details:-
E-Mail:
admin@bridgetonburnsclub.org.uk
Bridgeton
Burns Club official
website
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old premises 23 McPhail Street, Bridgeton |
I am lover of the works of the
Bard and
annually attend and perform at half-a-dozen
Burns Suppers, I am sure my love of
his music and a love of my country was sown in
those early
Dalmarnock
Primary School
visits to Bridgeton Public
Halls.........
thank
you Bridgeton Burns Club.......webmaister.
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'Bridgeton
Burns Club'
medal from 1904
uncovered !
(
click on medal )
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John Street Senior Secondary
School photograph
Burn's choir
1946
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