William Logan, Coldstream, Kilbirnie, President.

A report of this meeting appeared in "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald", dated 30^th January, 1864, as follows:

The 39^th Anniversary of this Club was celebrated on the evening of Friday, 22^nd inst., in their usual place of meeting in Courthill Street. Mr William Logan, Coldstream, Kilbirnie occupied the chair and Mr William Logan, Parochial Schoolmaster, Dalry was Croupier. After dinner, which was served up by Mr Campbell, the new host of the Turf Inn, in excellent style, the chairman proposed in a very effective way the "Queen" and other loyal and patriotic toasts. In introducing the "Army, Navy and Volunteers", he depicted in glowing terms the bravery, the patient endurance, and heroic actions of our soldiers and sailors; applauded the volunteer movement as invaluable in having assisted a few years ago to secure the tranquility of Europe; and paid a well-merited tribute to the volunteers of Dalry, in the original verses inscribed to their respected commanding officer, Captain Paton of Hillend.

Captain Paton replied in eloquent and appropriate terms on behalf of the volunteers. The chairman then proposed the toast of the evening - "The Memory of Burns", in language chaste and beautiful, tey appreciative of the mighty genius of the immortal bard. Now and again, rich poetical imagery burst out in the midst of his oration, which was also interspersed with several quotations from the works of the great departed. The toast was received throughout with great applause and drunk to with much enthusiasm. The following toasts were afterwards proposed: "The Family of the Poet", by the Croupier, who exhibited a letter he had just received from Robert Burns Begg, the poet's nephew, and which was perused with the interest that clings around everything relating to the bard, even in the most remote way; "The Memory of Deceased Members" by Mr Brown; "The English Poets of the Old School, with the Memory of Milton", by Dr Hamilton; "Dramatic Literature, with the Memory of Shakespeare" by the Croupier; "The Modern British Poets and Professor Aytoun", by Dr Blair; "The Historians and Sir Archibald Allison", by Mr James Stirrat; "The Living Novelists and Charles Dickens", by Dr. Sloan; "The Living Song Writers and Archibald McKay", by Mr Fergusson; "The Memory of the Deceased Scottish Novelists and Sir Walter Scott", by Captain Paton. The health of the chairman was also proposed, and that of the Croupier, to both whose efforts the members were much indebted in contributing so largely to make the meeting from beginning to end a very successful and happy one. The toasts were interspersed with songs, many of which selected from the writings of Burns, were sung with great taste and feeling by Mr Longwill, the chairman, the Croupier, and several other members. It was rather a peculiar incident (and it must be of rare occurrence if it ever occurred before) to have a chairman and Croupier both rejoicing under the same name at a festive and social meeting of the sort.

William Logan, Parochial Schoolmaster, Dalry, Croupier

James White, Kilwinning

Hugh Allan, Dalry

Captain Paton, Hillend

Archibald Gray, Middleton, Dalry

Allan Loudon, Dalry

James Longwill, Hawhill

James McNair, Dalry

Hugh Morris, Dalry

David Brown, Printer, Dalry

Dr Sloan, Dalry

James Stirrat, Banker, Dalry

Dr. Blair, Dalry

David Longwill, Hawhill, Dalry

William Fergusson, Teacher, Dalry

Dr. Hamilton, Dalry

Robert Montgomerie, Dalry