J. F. T. Thomson
(As given in the Burns Chronicle 1979)
As the years go on Burns Suppers are becoming more and more popular. For every Supper organised by an official Burns Club, there are scores run by all sorts of groups and associations. Whilst it is good to know that the memory of Burns is thus respected and whilst these occasions are run as fundraisers, it is clear that some guide lines are necessary for hardworking but innocent secretaries of Women’s Guilds and bowling clubs and, in some instances, for Burns Club committees. This subject concerned the Executive of the Burns Federation and, as a result of the pooling of long experience, the following outline was compiled and made available to organisations seeking advice on how to run a Burns Supper. As a means of comparison it might prove useful to readers of the Chronicle.
The duties of the Chairman are to keep the various items of the evening flowing and it must be stressed that, the function being a tribute to Robert Burns, it lies within his authority to ensure that the ‘Immortal Memory’ and its prelude are conducted in a manner suiting the dignity of the occasion. On the other hand, there is a measure of humour and light-heartedness about the toast ‘To The Lassies’ and its response. There is no need for the Chairman to act as the ‘funny’ story teller but rather to link the various toasts and readings in a manner appropriate to the occasion.
His first duty, after the ‘top table’ has been led into the assembly, is to welcome the company and to have grace said. If the Chairman or any official does this duty, a ‘grace before meal’ as composed by Burns would be suitable.
Soup, or an equivalent first course may be served and, immediately upon its conclusion, the Chairman awaits the piping in of the haggis. For this, a piper precedes the chef (or his nominee) bearing aloft the haggis. The company may stand and clap in time to the music. On reaching the appointed place at the top table, these two are joined by the reader who recites Burns’ address To A Haggis. In order that the assembled company view the occasion, all should resume their seats. At the end of the recitation, the Chairman then offers the piper, the chef and the reader a ‘guid dram’ of whisky (lemonade or orange juice, if appropriate). Following the libation, the audience usually rises once more to applaud out the piper and the chef.
Dinner then resumes and the Chairman can relax until the appropriate time for his proposing the ‘Loyal Toast’. At the conclusion of the meal, there is usually granted a short interval for the clearing of tables. Before, during or immediately after this break, the opportunity might be taken to sell copies of the Burns Chronicle, the organ of the Federation, or to make a collection for the Jean Armour Burns Houses – a monument dear to the heart of Burns where 12 wonderful old ladies are housed at Mauchline.
Following upon the meal, the Chairman introduces a singer to perform a couple of Burns songs, as a preliminary to the main toast of the evening, the ‘Immortal Memory’ of Robert Burns. This toast should normally be in a serious vein, paying tribute to the poet. There are circumstances in which a humorous toast could be made but such occasions are so rare and difficult that the ‘sermon’ type tribute is the rule. The ideal length of the principal toast is 25 minutes – a briefer time is considered sketchy and only the most gifted speakers can command the interest of a company beyond the half hour. It goes without saying that, when the ‘Immortal Memory’ is pledged, the entire company rises to drink the toast.
Following upon a mixture of songs and readings from the works
of Burns, the subsidiary toasts and their replies are given. Such
toasts are:
The Toast to the Lassies: usually a most happy and humorous toast in which the ladies are taken to task for their shortcomings, either from illustrations from Burns’s works or from local knowledge. The reply can be equally funny with man and his (drinking) mates being slated by the poorer, patient and suffering wives.
As an alternative, a toast may be drunk to ‘Bonnie Jean’, Burns’s spouse, with her fine qualities reflecting the superiority of womanhood over the socially-inclined male. On balance, this toast and its reply allow a measure of humour between the sexes but it is usual to conclude on a complimentary note to the opposite sex. Neither toast nor reply should exceed ten minutes and ideally should be timed at six minutes.
Another subsidiary toast might be that of the town in which the function is being held, especially if the Provost or Mayor is in attendance. Or, the toast may be to the association organising the Supper. This complimentary/critical speech should not exceed the ideal six minutes and the civic or other dignitary should reply suitable to the context of the toast and again within the ideal six minutes.
The speeches and replies, together with the songs and readings completed, it remains for the Chairman to tie up the proceedings. Some official might give a speech or expression of thanks to the speakers and artistes or, again, a comprehensive vote of thanks to the Chairman and Artistes but care should be taken to thank the hardworking secretary who organises the function but who is often missed out in the vote of thanks. The evening, however, would not be complete without the singing of Auld Lang Syne and it is expressly desired that the correct version be sung. A good move is to print the words on the back of the toast/menu card so that we get ‘syne’ and not the BBC ‘Zyne’ and the foreign words, ‘for the sake of’ are completely omitted.
Whether or not a dance follows the formal part of the evening is up to the make up of the particular society organising the function but it is the Chairman’s duty to keep going the Scottish flavour of the evening and to ensure that there is a balance of dignity and humour to meet the needs of the occasion.
From scenes like these, auld Scotia’s grandeur springs
That make her lov’d at home, rever’d abroad…
(The Cottar’s Saturday Night)