Fifteenth Annual Report of the

Council of the Orkney and Zetland Association.

Extract Rule VIII.—'Every Ordinary Member shall, on admission, flay the sum of Five Shillings for the year in which he is admitted, and thereafter an Annual Subscription of Five Shillings during the Membership. Every Honorary Member shall contribute Ten Shillings Annually to the Funds of the Association, or in lieu thereof a single payment of Three Guineas. A single Payment of One Guinea shall constitute a Lady an Honorary Contributor. The Annual Subscriptions shall be payable on 1st January in each year. Donations will be received from all who are interested in promoting the objects of the Association.'

The Council beg to submit their Fifteenth Annual Report for the year ending 31st December 1884.

The number of Members on the Roll at the beginning of the year was 138. Of these four have been removed by death—viz., Rev. Dr Leask, London, Rev. W. Spark, Kirkwall, W. K. Mackay, Leith, and William Strong, Dundee; and twenty-six new Members have been enrolled during the year, viz.:—

Honorary Life Members.—Sheriff Mellis, Kirkwall; Rev. John H. Pollexfen of Cairston; T. W. Traill, C.E., R.N., London; Treasurer William Walls, Glasgow.

Honorary Member.—R. P. Gilbertson, Merchant, Glasgow.

Ordinary Members.—W. M. Anderson, R. H. Bell, yr. of Lunna, James Gibson, John Gunn, M.A., George Hourston, Councillor Heddle, Rev. Alexander Isdale, B.D., Alfred W. Johnston, James M. Johnston, Thomas Johnston, Dr R. B. Mitchell, Charles Merrylees, John Mouat, Principal Peterson, Charles M. page 4 Reid, Rev. John W. Slater, B.D., Rev. S. S. Stobbs, Weems Walls, James H. Wilson, L. H. S. White.

Honorary Lady Contributor.—Mrs Saxby.

The Rev. William Harcus has been enrolled as an Honorary Life Member in recognition of his valuable services to the Association as their first Secretary. This makes the number of members at the close of the year 161—consisting of 35 Life Members; 23 Honorary Members; 101 Ordinary Members; and 2 Lady Members.

The Income during the year has been £71, 16s. 5d., and the expenditure has been £35, 13s. 7d., leaving a credit balance on the year of £36, 2s. 10d. The Funds now amount to £406, 19s. 7d.—consisting of Capital Fund £300, including £69, 9s. raised specially for the School Bursaries, and Ordinary Fund £106, 19s. 7d. This increase is due to the subscriptions of new Members, and the donations of Hon. J. C. Dundas and Mr R. M. Smith

Abstract of Accounts, with Auditor's certificate, is appended.

The Examination papers were set by Mr John Gunn, M.A., one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, and Mr James Sime, M.A., formerly Principal of Craigmount School, Edinburgh, kindly examined the answers sent in.

In his report, Mr Sime says:—

Out of 186 pupils 53 have thus gained more than one-half of the total marks allowed for the six papers. This result is very creditable to both teachers and pupils. But it is not just to cither of them to test the excellence of the papers by slumping the Special with the Common Subjects. If the latter only be taken into account the result will be found still more creditable. Out of 186 boys and girls examined, 97, or more than one-half, have gained 50 per cent, at least of the marks (300) allowed for the papers which all were required to work—Dictation, Grammar, Geography, and Arithmetic!

In the common subjects the papers on Arithmetic are decidedly the best. Of the whole number of pupils (186), 17 have got full marks in that subject, while 56 more have got at least four-fifths. The other papers present less satisfactory results.

The four girls from Kirkwall who stand at the top of the list deserve special commendation. Only twenty marks separate the fourth in order of merit (409) from the first (429).

The Council, following Mr Sime's Report, awarded prizes to 115 pupils, as mentioned in the Prize List appended hereto.

The special thanks of the Council is due to Mr Sime for the heartiness with which he undertook the gratuitous examination of such a large number of papers.

The Syllabus proposed for 1885 is appended hereto. The Council have decided to divide the Examination for the Book Prizes into two sections—Junior and Senior, and to grant a Medal with the First Senior Prize; also that First Class Prizes will not be awarded in either division unless the Candidate has attained sixty per cent., and Second Class Prizes will not be awarded unless page 6 the Candidate has attained forty per cent, of the available number of marks.

(Messrs Reid and Rose are prosecuting their studies in Edinburgh and Aberdeen Universities respectively. Mr Eunson is a pupil teacher in the Burgh School, Kirkwall. Mr Allan gave up his bursary this year, and went into business.)

The Council consider these Bursaries of very great importance, and should like to see their number largely increased. They were founded with the object of encouraging boys from the country schools to continue their education at a higher school, with the view of competing for the Earl of Zetland's Bursaries, which have been founded for the benefit of Orkney and Zetland students in the University of Edinburgh. The Trustees of these Bursaries have been good enough to inform the Council, that they are now in a position to add an additional £500 to the foundation of 1877, and that the proceeds, amounting to between £35 and £40, will be offered for competition at Edinburgh University in October next.

The Council are anxious to do all in their power to aid boys in preparing for the competition, and for this purpose they will be glad to receive subscriptions, donations, and legacies.

The Council recommended that the Office-Bearers be as follows:—(See list prefixed.)

The Fifteenth Annual General Meeting of the Association was held at No. 5 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, on Friday, 23d January 1885. Major-General Burroughs of Veira, C.B., in the Chair.

The Secretary read the foregoing Report by the Council for the past year, and the Treasurer reported on the state of the Funds, and on the motion of Dr Clouston, seconded by Mr Gunn, the Reports were adopted unanimously.

Mr Gunn moved, and Mr Trail seconded, the election of office-bearers, as recommended in the Report, substituting Dr Clouston as a member of Council in room of Mr Sievwright, who has gone to New Zealand, and the motion was unanimously adopted.

On the motion of Mr Trail, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Major-General Burroughs for his conduct in the Chair, and the meeting terminated.

General Abstract of the Accounts of the Association for the Year 1884.