"Then fill up a bumper and make it o'erflow,
And honours Masonic prepare for to throw;
May ev'ry true Brother of the Compass and Square
Have a big-belly'd bottle when harass'd with care."
—Robert Burns, No Churchman Am I

Brother Robert Burns (sometimes referred to as Rabbie Burns) is Scotland's favorite son and is regarded as the poet laureate of Freemasonry. He was born on January 25, 1759 and died on July 21, 1796. He was a prolific poet and lyricist and may be best known for writing the New Year's anthem, Auld Lang Syne, which is also frequently sung in Masonic lodges and gatherings.

The officers and brethren of Lodge Vitruvian #767 in Indianapolis cordially invite all Freemasons of any degree and their ladies to join us for our annual Robert Burns night on Tuesday, July 26th. The stated meeting will open at 7:00 P.M. at the temple of Broad Ripple Lodge located at 1716 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis. The business meeting is restricted to Master Masons, but brethren of any degree and the ladies may join us for the festive board and program scheduled to begin at 8:00 P.M. at the Snooty Fox Restaurant, 1435 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. This is just west of the intersection of 86th St. and Westfield Bl. on the south side of the street. A buffet dinner will be served and there will be a cash bar. The menu will be the classic roast beef and tatties (with a pasta dish for those so inclined), served buffet style. The price for dinner is $20 per person, and there will be a cash bar available.

Dress for the evening will be tuxedo for officers and members and tuxedo or business attire for visitors. And kilts are certainly in order.

The evening's program will commence immediately after dinner. There will be a short presentation on the life of Robert Burns, featuring Samuel Lawson (see notes below). This will be followed by the reading of several Burns poems, the toast to the laddies and the lassies, and will conclude with the seven traditional toasts. There will be pipers to provide musical entertainment.

This is always the highlight of the Lodge Vitruvian year. In past years, this celebration has been held in January near the date of Burns's birthday of January 25. In order to avoid the inclement weather that has plagued us in recent years, we have moved the date to our July stated meeting to correspond closely to the date of Burns's death on July 21. The evening is always a lighthearted affair, with plenty of good food and lots of laughs. Polish up your most bilious Scottish brogue, bring your favorite Burns poem, and join us for what promises to be another night to remember. Please send your RSVP's to James Dillman, WM at jrdill1955@yahoo.com

Program Notes:

Every traditional Burns' Dinner features some words to the immortal memory of Scotland's Ploughman Poet-Laureate, Robert Burns. This presentation will include a traditional telling of the story of certain facts and episodes of Burns' life, but with an added inclusion of a taste of his influence outside the borders of Scotland from just a few years after his death. Italian guitarist/composer Mauro Giuliani and Spaniard Fernado Sor composed solo guitar works for classical guitar based on Burns' songs, The Soldier's Return, This is No My Ain Lassie, and Ye Banks and Braes of Bonnie Doon. To conclude the presentation, all are welcome to join in singing a traditional rendering of 'Ye Banks and Braes'.

Samuel Lawson is a classical guitarist with the degree of Master of Music from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, and has recently entered the Doctor of Arts program at Ball State University. He has made his own way performing, teaching, and writing music in Indiana, South Carolina, and Pittsburgh, PA, and has toured performing classical and jazz guitar with his wife and vocalist, Rebekah, through the south-eastern U.S., parts of California and the hostels of Scotland. While studying under Brett Terrell, professor of guitar, and Dr. James Briscoe, professor of music history, at Jordan College of Music, Butler University, Samuel gained a preference for a lecture-recital format rather than a traditional recital. Recently he has also started gaining a reputation as a public speaker for the Scottish Society of Indianapolis, the Indiana Society of the Classical Guitar, and his own recital-lectures. One of these concert-lectures demonstrates parallel movements in music and visual art history, and another leans more towards his cherished Scottish heritage. He also performs on Sunday afternoons 12:30-2:30 at Barcelona Tapas restaurant in downtown Indianapolis.