credit for this is due to the organised efforts of the Piobaireachd Society. This Society was formed close on thirty years ago. Its object is to publish pibroch in an approved manner, and to encourage performers by prizes, competitions, and also by sending out good teachers to start and conduct classes in various places in the Scottish Highlands. The War Office has now given over to the Piobaireachd Society the power to prepare and examine pipers for the post of Army Pipe Major. The War Office and all the Battalions of Highland Regiments have become subscribers to the funds of the Society; and there certainly seems to be a period of usefulness in front of it. The competitive element is still strong in this thing as in many other departments of the world's work. But as Gaels we have reason to be grateful if by any means, even through competition, a fuller knowledge of pipe music is obtained. A revival of interest in piobaireachd ought to go hand in hand with the effort to preserve the language and vocal music of our fathers.

ANNUAL MEETING

30th JANUARY, 1925

The Annual Business Meeting of the Society was held this evening. Mr James Jack presided over a good attend

ance.

The undernoted, who had been duly nominated at the last meeting of the Society, were unanimously elected members: Lieutenant Norman MacIver, 4th Cameron Highlanders; Mr Alexander Graham, 657 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow; and Mrs Ross, "The Whins," Inverness.

The Secretary and Treasurer, Mr Alexander Neil Nicolson, submitted the Report for the year 1924; also a State

ment of the Accounts of the Society for the said period. The Report was as follows:

Your Council have pleasure in submitting their Report for the year 1924. The affairs of the Society are, taken as a whole, in a satisfactory state.

Membership.-During the year the additions to the membership were 4 Life Members, 7 Honorary Members, 32 Ordinary Members, and 3 Subscribing Institutions—a total of 46, as against 43 in the previous year. This increase is, however, counterbalanced to some extent by the loss through death of 9 Members, the resignation of 5, and the deletion, owing to non-payment of membership subscriptions, of 10 Members, the total loss being 24, thus making the net increase 22. The membership at the close of the year being—1 Patron, 3 Honorary Chieftains, 39 Life Members, 120 Honorary Members, 250 Ordinary Members, 14 Subscribing Institutions, and 3 Associations exchanging publications-in all, 436, as against 414 at the end of last year. Members are again invited to co-operate with the Council in an endeavour to enlarge the membership.

Obituary. The Council record with regret the death of the undernoted Members:-Mr William Munro MacBean, LL.D., New York; Mr J. G. Mackay, J.P., M.B.E., Portree; Mr Theodore Napier, Melbourne; Mr Donald Cameron, Ardlarich, Inverness; Dr James A. Cameron, Nairn; Mr William M. Cameron, Edinburgh; Mr John Cook, Inverness; Mr John Macnab, F.E.I.S., Kilmuir, Skye; and Mr Duncan Mathieson, Inverness.

Finance.-The Financial Statement for the year is submitted herewith. The Income for the year, including the Dinner and the Concert, was £242 14s 9d. The sum of £52 2s 10d, being the balance of Life Membership subscriptions received since 1921, has been placed to credit of the Capital Account. The balances being carried forward amount to £139 9s 11d.

In view of the fact that the cost of publishing

the XXXth Volume of the Transactions has to be met at an early date, the amount on hand is small enough. Contribu-tions to the Publication Fund will be most welcome. During the year 11 Members transferred from the Ordinary Members' List, paying 5/- a year, to the Honorary List, paying 10/6 a year. These, with those transferred in the two previous years, make a total of 45, whose enlarged subscriptions help the finances considerably. If the large majority of the 250 Members paying 5/- a year would increase their subscriptions to 10/6 a year, the finances would be in a much more satisfactory position.

Transactions.—The XXXth Volume of the Transactions,. being now ready for the binders, will, we hope, be in the hands of the Members shortly.

Meetings. During the year 11 meetings of the Society and 9 meetings of the Council were held. The former showed a marked increase in the number of local members attending... This is most satisfactory. The Annual Dinner, presided over by the Chief of the Society, Sir John Lorne MacLeod, G.B.E., LL.D., was very successful. The Assembly was also presided over by the Chief, and, as a musical treat, it was most successful. Unfortunately, it was not a financial success, principally owing to the weather conditions. The Wool Fair, which in past years ensured the success of the Annual Assembly in July, is now a fast diminishing institution, while modern means of travel enable those from a distance, who still attend the market, to return to their homes: on the same day. In view of this, it is desirable to discontinue the promotion of such functions during the summermonths.

Syllabus.-The Papers read to the Society during 1924 were: The Life and Literary Labours of the Rev. Robert Kirk of Aberfoyle," by the Rev. Professor Maclean, D.D., Edinburgh; " Gaelic Names of Plants," by the Rev. A. M. MacFarlane, Lochend; "Tuatha dé Danann," by Mr F. S...

66

R. Macdonald, Zululand; "The Highland Host, 1678," by Mr William Mackay, LL.D., Inverness; "Iain Lom," by Mr Alex. MacDonald, Inverness; "S. Gall: His Life and Work," by the Rev. A. B. Scott, B.D., Helmsdale; “ Olden Days on the Aldourie Estate," by Major Fraser-Tytler, D.S.O., of Aldourie. The Papers were of a high order, and will, in due course, be published in the Transactions.

Library. The Council desire to acknowledge further contributions to the Society's Library received from Mr J. MacLeod Campbell, Captain of Saddell Castle; Mr George F. Black, Ph.D., New York; and Major T. H. Mackay Scobie, Seaforth Highlanders. Contributions of appropriate volumes to the Society's Library are invited.

Culloden. During the summer the work of restoration and repair undertaken by the Society at Culloden was completed. The subjects are now in excellent condition, and numerous letters of appreciation of the work done have been received. The total subscribed to the Culloden Fund is £550. Of that sum, £300 has been expended on the work. £250 have been invested in order to defray the expenses of future upkeep and repair. The Council, however, would like to have a sum of £500 invested in order to meet future outlays out of revenue.

Honorary Chieftains.-The Council recommend the following additions to the List of Honorary Chieftains:-Mr Malcolm MacFarlane, Elderslie, in recognition of his services to Gaelic Literature and Music; Mr Alex. MacDonald, Inverness, in recognition of his long connection with the Society and his contributions to the Transactions.

Visiting Members.-During the year we had the pleasure of visits from the following members who were on a visit to the homeland-Dr William Stewart, Invercargill, New Zealand; Mr Finlay Munro, Sydney, N.S.W., a member of the Council of the Highland Society of New South Wales; Colonel Scott, New York, a generous contributor to the

Culloden Fund; and Mr Peter J. MacBean, of Philadelphia, a member of the Council of the St Andrew's Society in that city. The latter Society is interesting itself in the Culloden Fund, and the Highland Society of New South Wales have already contributed handsomely. Mr Munro on his return to Sydney was the bearer of a message of greeting and thanks in Gaelic from this Society, to be read at the New Year's Day Gathering under the auspices of the Highland Society of New South Wales. It was a great privilege to meet these gentlemen from across the seas, and the Council will at all times be glad to welcome members and friends from a distance who may be visiting Scotland.

Chief. The Council desire to record their high appreciation of Sir John Lorne MacLeod's services to the Society as Chief during the past two years.

Constitution. As the Constitution of the Society has not been revised since the institution of the Society, the Council recommend that, at the Annual Meeting, a Committee should be appointed to draft a revised Constitution, which will be submitted to Members for their approval.

On the motion of Mr William Mackay, jun., seconded by Mr Donald Graham, M.A., the Report was unanimously approved of, and the Secretary thanked for same, and also for submitting such a satisfactory Statement of the Society's Accounts.

On the motion of ex-Treasurer Young, seconded by Mr William Mackay, jun., the Council's recommendation relative to the election of Mr Malcolm MacFarlane and Mr Alex. MacDonald as Hon. Chieftains was unanimously agreed to.

The meeting then proceeded to the election of OfficeBearers, Officials, and Council for the ensuing year. The following were unanimously elected:

Chieftains-Mr James Jack, Mr David Ross, and Mr Wm. Mackay, jun. Council-Messrs Alex. MacDonald,