Robbie Burns Nights

[macwilkin]

Burns Night here in Memphis is ungodly exspensive and VERY formal. I also believe that they are by invitation only.

Some Burns Suppers are by invitation only; I attend two smaller Burns Suppers that are essentially groups of friends & are by invitation only -- but remember, the first Burns Suppers were that way as well -- the first ones were small gatherings of the poets friends and a gathering of NCOs from the Argyll militia -- the large Burns Supper in the hotel ballroom or other large venue really didn't begin until the mid -19th century.

As far as expense goes, remember that Burns Suppers are generally not a cheap undertaking; besides the obvious expense of the dinner, bar, hotel waitstaff, etc. the club/society also has to pay for entertainment, especially a piper, as well as an honourarium for your Immortal Memory speaker, etc. All of this adds up, and some of the cost has to be covered in the price of tickets -- other societies use their proceeds from Burns Supper ticket sales for a local charity or a donation to the World Burns Federation or a similar "Burns cause". I've been on the organising committee of two Burns Suppers, one since 1999, and I can tell many people do not know all of the planning that goes into such an event.

In fact, I am going to our venue today for a meeting with the hotel staff to finalize preparations for our local Burns Supper on the 13th.

P1M, I'm going to 5 Burns Suppers this year, and giving the Immortal Memory at 3 of them!

Yours aye,

Todd