Our Burns Supper

Introduction

Dad thought that since we were doing a project on Robert Burns it would be fun having our own Burns Supper. So he asked Rory Young and me to organise a Burns Supper. We both thought it was an excellent idea so we agreed.

Reason for holding a Burns Supper

When Burns died, people wanted to do something to honour him and someone had the bright idea of holding a supper in his name. This was similar to the way Burns and his friends had met together in the pub where they would talk, argue and sing songs. Now these suppers are very popular and happen all over the world near or on the date of his birth, 25th January. We held ours on 24th January 1998.

Organisation

The Burns Supper was quite easy to organise because the parents helped a lot. None of us had ever organised one before so we bought a book called "Robert Burns for Beginners" by Rennie McOwan. It has a chapter on "How to do a Burns Supper".

First of all we made a guest list and decided who was going to do what.

Names    Duties
Andrew Torrance - Chairperson - welcome
Rory Young - Address to the Haggis
Joe Torrance - Toast to the Haggis
Sam Torrance - The Selkirk Grace
James Torrance - The Immortal Memory

Everyone else had to say a poem or sing a song.

The Supper

Andrew Torrance started the supper by explaining why we celebrate Burns. This was followed by a procession to bring in the haggis. Next, Rory Young did "Address to the Haggis". This is a poem describing the merits of a haggis which Robert Burns wrote:

His knife see Rustic labour dight
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch
And then O what a glorious sight
Warm reeking, rich!

At the point "An' cut up wi' ready sleight" he cut open the haggis.

After that, Joe Torrance did the "Toast to the Haggis". This is what you do after "Address to the Haggis". Someone says, "To the Haggis" and everyone else stands up and says, "To the Haggis".
Then Sam Torrance said the Selkirk Grace, a short poem that Robert Burns wrote:

Some hae meat, and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae let the Lord be thankit.
Amen

It means that we have meat, and we can eat it, so let's give thanks to the Lord.
This is always said at a Burns Supper.

Then Jimmy Torrance said the "Immortal Memory". This is a speech that every Burns Supper should have. It is a speech about the life of Robert Burns and how he liked the lassies. Jimmy's speech started by him singing songs, then he talked about Burns' life. At the end he got a big cheer.

Robert Young then did a reading of "Tam O Shanter". This is usually read or recited after the "Immortal Memory".

Rory Young and Joe Torrance did a speech called "Toast to the Lassies". Robert Burns always liked the lassies. So that's why we do a toast to them - as Robert Burns would do.

Finally, Ali Young did the reply in a similarly amusing way.