page_title: Burns Clubs
section_title: Activities
hierarchical_section_title: Burns Clubs / Activities
caption_attribution_description: English: A memorial to John Lapraik. This monument on the north side of the River Ayr is dedicated to John Lapraik (1727-1807) a minor poet who lived on a farm here called Laigh Dalfram. He lost his money with the collapse of the Ayr Bank of Douglas Heron and Company in 1772 and had to leave his farm. There is a plaque on the cairn with the following inscription:- THIS CAIRN WAS ERECTED AD1914 BY THE LAPRIAK BURNS CLUB OF MUIRKIRK TO MARK THE SPOT WHERE STOOD THE HOUSE OF BAULD LAPRAIK THE FRIEND OF ROBERT BURNS THE POET BUT IF THE BEAST AND BRANKS BE SPARD TILL KYE BE GUAN WITHOUT THE HERD AN’ A’ THE VITTEL ON THE YARD AN’ THEEKIT RIGHT I MEAN YOUR INGLE-SIDE TO GUARD AE WINTER NIGHT
context_page_description: Burns Clubs exist throughout the world to encourage and cherish the memory of Robert Burns, to foster a love of his writings and generally to encourage an interest in the Scots Language and Literature. An emphasis on encouraging the young to take an interest in Burns is found in most clubs through poetry, singing and other competitions. Once mainly existing as 'male only' clubs in the mould of the Tarbolton 'Batchelor's Club' most now welcome women as fellow members. Ladies Burns Clubs also exist such as the 'Irvine Lasses' that was established in 1975; it has appointed several male 'Honorary Lasses'.
  A number of Burns Clubs hold collections of Burns' manuscripts, artefacts or memorabilia such as the Irvine Burns Club which holds the only surviving holograph manuscripts from the Kilmarnock volume of "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" printed and issued by John Wilson, Kilmarnock, on 31 July 1786. Many clubs also have libraries that contain volumes from the many printed works relating to the bard and to Scottish poets, history and culture.
context_section_description: Apart from Burns suppers and involvement with school and club based Burns Competitions for young people clubs have inter-club nights and other social activities such as the Professor Ross Roy Quiz Night held by the Ayrshire Association of Burns Clubs.
  Local clubs and the Robert Burns World Federation also help to maintain various Robert Burns linked sites such as the 'Trysting Tree' of Robert Burns's poem The Soldier's Return at Millmannoch and the Highland Mary and Robert Burns Memorial at Failford, both in Ayrshire.
  Clubs also raise money for charitable purposes, hold lectures, carry out original research, have ladies or Jean Armour Nights, St Andrew's Nights, Hallowe'en Nights, Annual Excursions and take part in specific local events such as the 'Marymass Events' held at Irvine.
  Every year the Southern Scottish Counties Burns Association organises a service at the Brow Well to commemorate the death of Robert Burns who died four days after his visit to the Brow Well on 21 July 1796.
  The 'Burns Chronicle' first published by the Robert Burns World Federation in 1891 acts as a record of club activities and special editions have also been issued for events such as the 2009 'Homecoming'.
caption: Memorial dedicated to John Lapraik[33] (1727-1807) poet and friend Robert Burns, who lost his money with the collapse of the Ayr Bank and had to leave his farm. The inscription on the plaque reads:  THIS CAIRN WAS ERECTED AD1914
   BY THE LAPRIAK BURNS CLUB
   OF MUIRKIRK
   TO MARK THE SPOT WHERE STOOD
   THE HOUSE OF BAULD LAPRAIK
   THE FRIEND OF ROBERT BURNS
   THE POET
   
   BUT IF THE BEAST AND BRANKS BE SPARD
   TILL KYE BE GUAN WITHOUT THE HERD
   AN’ A’ THE VITTEL ON THE YARD
   AN’ THEEKIT RIGHT
   I MEAN YOUR INGLE-SIDE TO GUARD
   AE WINTER NIGHT
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