Back to school!!!!
The commemorative book as listed in previous blog’s ‘A Wee Kist o’ Verse’ is selling very well and being admired by all who are purchasing it. As well as awarding prizes to the best winning entries in the poetry competition, it was also agreed to award a ‘school’ prize of £250, to whom the judges voted as the best primary and secondary school’s ‘collective’ entries.
On Tuesday 8th December along with the Secretary and the Treasurer, we travelled north to Sanquhar to be greeted at the academy by the Head Teacher Mrs Barbour and Deputy Head Mr Godridge. They were ecstatic at wining the prize of the best secondary school and quickly assembled all the pupils whose poems were in the book. After a short talk on how the competition was run and that they had been awarded first prize in the secondary schools section, I presented Mrs Barbour with the certificate and the cheque. We were shown the Christmas newsletter the school had produced, with the double page centre which had all about the competition winners and the book, with details of where to purchase. We were further informed by Mrs Barbour of the schools involvement in Burns and their proposed Burns Supper in late January and her hope that the money from winning the competition would be solely to enhance pupils’ interest in Burns. After a photo shoot we were invited to show off the book and the Presidents chain to the office staff and then departed a very happy school where it was very much evident that Burns plays a big part in the education of pupils in
Wednesday 16th December the Secretary and I travelled to Castle Douglas Primary for a similar presentation ceremony. Now in their new ‘state of the art’ school we met Head Teacher Mr Niven along with the pupils who had taken part from Castle Douglas. We were shown their ‘poet’s chair’ based on the famous chair of Burns that remains proudly today in the ‘back room’ at The Globe Inn. I presented Mr Niven and the kids with their certificate and their cheque and Mr Niven announced to all the pupils they would receive a copy of the book at the Christmas assembly. Poetry is very much alive at Castle Douglas as it was at Sanquhar the week earlier.
Back to school it was then, but what a pleasure to present winning certificates and prizes to two worthy winners in what has been a great competition and adventure for the club.
The said competition and subsequent book were just part of the theme discussed when we met with Standard reporter Jackie Grant to hail what’s been a great 250th anniversary year of Burns birth and one in which the club have been very heavily involved. Ms Grant was excited to hear what events the club had hosted and presented as well as the major part it had played in the Homecoming year, not only here in
So as we head towards Christmas and entertaining at women’s rural’s and Church guilds as well as old folks parties and works nights out. I am very much reminded that Christmas comes but once a year!!! Burns is for all year round,
Here’s to 2010.
JOHN M CASKIE
PRESIDENT
BURNS HOWFF CLUB