An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Gaidheal > Volume 49--51, January 1954--December 1956

been started or, having been started, would not
have continued long. Exactly fifty years ago
that day the Magazine was first issued, not
because there was a great demand for it but
because a few people of vision and discrimina¬
tion were convinced of the importance and
value of having a magazine. To look through
the fifty annual volumes already published,
was to be grateful to those pioneers. Long after
An Comunn itself ceased to exist, the volumes
of the Magazine would survive to convey to
future generations a fairly complete record of
Gaelic literary activity in the first half of the
20th century. The Magazine had never in its
whole history paid its way. There had always
been a deficit. Certainly the deficit was much
larger now, because production costs had risen
enormously. It was the case that the circula¬
tion had fallen, but it had to be remembered
that until a few years ago the Magazine used
to be sent free and post free to all members,
whether they wanted it or not, until the fan¬
tastic situation arose when each member,
paying 5/- yearly, got the Magazine free at a
cost of 12/- per year to An Comunn, so that
each new member meant a net loss of 7/- per
annum! It was in face of that situation that the
free issue had ceased, but out of the over three
thousand members of An Comunn, and the
many more thousands of branch members and
members of affiliated societies, only about
400 bothered to buy the Magazine. Five years
ago a determined effort was made, by intro¬
ducing a new style of format, illustrations, etc.,
to make the Magazine more attractive and to
get branches and societies to aid in the selling
of it, but that experiment had to be abandoned.
With regard to the contents of the Magazine,
there were now fewer Gaelic writers of the
calibre of those who had been contributing to it
in earlier years. In the last few years we had
lost a number of valued contributors by death.
If the motion was really meant to be an attack
upon the Editor, then three things ought to be
said: it is not necessary to destroy a magazine
in order to get rid of the editor; the present
editor, like some of his predecessors, undertook
the task with some reluctance and was willing
to relinquish it at any time if that were con¬
sidered desirable; if, however, the motion
was aimed at the editor, then the straight¬
forward thing was to say so and to specify
wherein the editor’s work was unsatisfactory.
The £250 deficit on the Magazine represented
a subsidy of l|d per month from the 3,400
members of An Comunn. The situation was
certainly not satisfactory, but to drop the
magazine altogether was not the way to deal
with it.
Mr. Maclean, replying to the debate, said he
did not intend his motion to be regarded as an
attack on the editor.
On a vote being taken, the motion was
overwhelmingly defeated.
At the conclusion of the meeting the
Executive Council met to reconstitute the
Standing Committee.
Hod Prize List
LITERARY COMPETITIONS
(Figures in brackets after names indicate marks. Where
three numbers are given , first is Gaelic mark, second
is Music mark, and third is total.—Editor.)
Adjudicators:—Donald Grant, M.A.; Lachlan
Mackinnon, M.A., F.E.I.S.; John A. MacDonald,
M.A.; Donald Thomson, M.A., F.E.I.S.; Finlay
J. MacDonald, Miss Annie I. MacMillan, M.A., Miss
Mary L. Ffogg, L.R.A.M., Rev. T. M. Murchison,
M.A.
Junior Section
Group “ A ’ ’--Book prizes for proficiency in Gaelic.
Awarded to pupils in the following schools—Back
Public, Bellahouston Senior Secondary, Cornaigmore
Junior Secondary, Dingwall Academy, Fort William
Senior Secondary, Lionel Junior Secondary, Lurebost
Junior Secondary, Oban High School, Portree Senior
Secondary, Inverness Royal Academy, Sir Edward
Scott Junior Secondary, Nicolson Institute, Woodside
Senior Secondary.
Group “D”--Special competition: Gaelic essay
on the life of Joshua (Prizes presented by the late
Mrs Stewart, Simla). Boys—1, John Macdonald;
2, Kenneth MacPhee. Girls—1, Chrissie Macdonald ;
2, Mary C. MacAskill.
(All pupils of Sir Edward Scott Junior Secondary
School, Harris.)
Senior Section
Silver Cup (presented by the Earl and Countess of
Cassillis, awarded to prize-winner gaining highest
aggregate marks in stated competitions)—Mrs. Mary
I. Millar, Kingussie.
Gold Medal (presented by Miss Miliar-Weir,
Alexandria), awarded to the prize-winner with highest
aggregate marks in stated competitions (former
winners debarred)—Mrs. Katherine Douglas, Kilmuir.
Poem on any subject (Prize of £5, along with
Bardic Crown and Bardic Scroll, and retention for
one year of the Ailsa Trophy)—1, John Morrison,
Kersavagh, North Uist; 2, Iain M. Moffat t-Pender,
Glasgow.
Short Story (not exceeding 600 words) (Hugh
MacCorquodale (Fingal) Memorial Prize of £3)—
Mrs. Johan Macleod, Glasgow.
Story (extending to 2,000 words or more) (Prize of
£5 from Gaelic Society of Glasgow)—Mrs. Mary I.
Millar.
One-Act Play (Prize of £10, including “Founders’
Memorial Prize” presented by Ceilidh nan Gaidheal)
Iain M. Moffatt-Pender.
Essay on any subject (“Major Charles John Munro
of Fyrish Bequest Prize”)—Christina Macleod, Cupar .
Three original songs for children (Robert Mac¬
Millan Prizes)—Mrs. Katherine Douglas.