24 January 2013 Burns Supper

Rotary marks Burns Supper in style A 15-year-old student at the Queen Victoria school in Dunblane confidently stepped in to pipe in the haggis at the Bridge of Allan and Dunblane Rotary Club annual Burns Supper on Thursday evening after a succession of four other pipers had been forced to drop out because of illness or last-minute family commitments. Cameron Arnott, a student in year S4, had just 40 minutes notice to ready himself for the event at the Westlands Hotel in Dunblane, which is a much-anticipated highlight in the club's calendar. Although he admitted to being nervous beforehand, Cameron carried off his duties with aplomb. Attended by more than 60 members and guests, the evening highlighted some of the multi-faceted talent of Robert Burns with a traditional mixture of music, poetry, laughter and sadness - liberally sprinkled with the inevitable light-hearted dollop of misogyny! The main players were all drawn from the club Rotarians themselves and included honorary member Eric Abell (Address to the Haggis), Graham Houston (Tam o' Shanter) and president elect Colin Strachan who delivered the Immortal Memory. Mr Strachan talked about how Burns was a man of his times, living in an evolving world with epoque-making events like the American war of independence and the French Revolution that produced influential personalities like French writer/philosopher Voltaire, whose radical ideas echoed those of Burns - and would be just as relevant in today's Scotland. He said that Burns' work was unique being written with 'precision and originality, with lines aiming for purity'. The Selkirk Grace was given by Gillian Weighton; Toast to the Lassies - Ranald Shepherd; and Reply from the Lassies - Audrey Cooper. Members of the Queen Victoria school junior minstrels - 11-year-olds in year seven, who include pupils from Nepal, Germany and Crete - provided the musical entertainment, including the Skye Boat Song and Coulter's Candy. MC was Peter Hill and 'Poosie Nancy' - Liz Balding. The event was organised by junior vice president Peter Farr, who originates from Australia and more than admirably rose to the challenge of making it a highly enjoyable evening. Vote of thanks was given by club president Iain Smith.