Introduction
In 2001 as a follow on from the Howff Club's Millennium Events the establishment of a Junior Burns Club was vigorously pursued. The ability to attract young Burnsians was always seen as a difficulty and, with this in mind the winners, runners-up and third place children from the Annual Burns Schools Competition were automatically made founder members of the Junior Burns Howff Club.

A close association with the Friends of Ellisland and the Ladies Burns Club No 1 has allowed the Howff Club to offer a unique continuity with Burns Clubs in the area.

The club rooms at the Globe Inn, the meeting place of the Howff Club will be used to promote an active Junior Burns Club Committee, which will be parented by members from the senior club. Ellisland Farm is to be used as the centre for functions and activities and the Ladies Burns Club, in addition to the Friends of Ellisland, offer another club through which the female members of the junior organisation may pursue an interest in the life and works of Robert Burns.

There are six primary sections and six from secondary schools in the Schools Competition, held in Dumfries and this equates to a potential thirty-six new members each year. In 2001 there were twenty-nine prizewinners who all became the founder members of the Junior Burns Howff Club and we look forward to welcoming the prizewinners from future competitions.

The Future
It is anticipated that this section on the web site will expand as the Junior Burns Howff Club develops with the formation of their committee and the organisation and running of their own St Andrews concert and Burns Supper.

The new committee will be responsible for the detailed development of this section of the website, with some assistance……..as if they will need it!

The Junior Burns Howff Club will be supported by the senior club throughout its growth and it is hoped too that this connection will stir a further interest by the parents and guardians of these children to pursue an interest in the life and works of Robert Burns.

The activities held at Ellisland Farm will allow the children to have access to one of the finest centres dedicated to Burns and gain inspiration from the atmosphere that exists at the farm, for more on Ellisland Farm go to http://www.ellislandfarm.co.uk/