Photo's - Burns Suppers - THE CALGARY BURNS CLUB

2010 Calgary Burns Supper

President: Jim Hutchens

Speaker: W.S.G. (Willie) Young

Willie was born in Ayrshire, as were his father and grandfather, who ensured that he became familiar with the works of Robert Burns from an early age, and in fact he was still a teenager when he first spoke at a Burns Supper. Since then he has been much in demand as a speaker at Burns Suppers both large and small and both in Scotland and outside. He has delivered Immortal Memories in such diverse places as Cairo, Kenya, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This would appear to be his first venture into the New World.

As well as Burns, Willie has two other passions in life - apart from his family that is. He graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Private Law and promptly joined the law firm of Brechin Tindal Oatts as an apprentice and has since risen to his present position as the Chairman.

His other passion is soccer and for fifteen years has been a top class referee, during which time he was in charge of over five hundred Scottish Senior matches, including the Scottish Cup Final, the Scottish League Cup Final and the Scottish Women's Football Association Cup Final! Before age finally caught up with him, he was on the FIFA List of International Referees and officiated in twenty seven different countries at seventy one European and World matches, including working as the fourth official at the 1999 UEFA Cup Final in Moscow.

Today in addition to his legal work, Willie makes occasional contributions to radio and television football programs. He also finds time to be a keen golfer with a (rising) handicap and is an active member of three clubs, including Prestwick St. Nicholas.

2009 Calgary Burns Supper

President: Derek Larg

Speaker: Robbie Glen

Robbie Glen is a great favourite on the after-dinner circuit, particularly in his native Scotland. He claims to have been sired by an Ayrshire man out of a Renfrewshire lady, but reared in Lanarkshire. He was educated at Hamilton Academy and Strathclyde University. He taught for one year in Blantyre before joining the Prison Service as an Assistant Governor in 1969.

Until his retirement in 1996, Robbie served as Governor/Acting Governor of several large adult and youth offender institutions in Scotland, including Cornton Vale – Scotland’s only female establishment – and the famous Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow.

In his youth he played junior football professionally, but that career was cut tragically short at an early age due - he avows - to lack of ability. He still holds the Lanarkshire Schoolboy 440 yards record, because it’s now gone metric!

Robbie is married with two daughters, the younger of whom is profoundly handicapped. Robbie developed a walking aid for her with his staff and prisoners in 1981 which is now being used in 41 hospitals and schools in Scotland to each handicapped children how to walk

2008 Calgary Burns Supper

President:Jim Hope-Ross

Speaker: Peter C. Brown

Peter joined the Bank of Scotland in 1972 and his current position is Area Director for corporate business in Edinburgh.

A keen golfer, Peter was Chairman of Glenbervie Golf Club for five years and has a handicap of 11. He is a supporter of Falkirk Football Club and goes to the games when time permits.

His reputation as an after-dinner speaker has grown considerably over the last year or two and he can regularly be seen at weekends entertaining at corporate or sporting functions throughout Scotland. He is a founding member of the Friday Night Burns Club No.1069 and regularly, during the month of January, celebrates the life of our national bard.

His ambition in life is to be the last man on earth, just to see if what all these girls said to him as a teenager was true!

He lives in Falkirk, has 3 children, a few ex-wives and a big mortgage.