THE LIFEBOAT.MAY, 1928.] THE LIFEBOAT. 51 year they represen a exceptionalln t y brilliant grou opf services. (Applause.) THE MEDALLISTS. You will hea r late or n a brief account of

THE LIFEBOAT.The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution.

VOL. XXVIL—No. 294.] MAY, 1928. [PRICE Gd.

Annual Meeting.The Prince of Wales's Presidential Address.

THE Hundred and Fourth AnnualGeneral Meeting of the Governors oithe Institution was held at the CentralHall, Westminster, on Wednesday, 28thMarch, at 3 p.m.

His Eoyal Highness the Prince ofWales, E.G., President of the Institu-tion, was in the chair, supported bymembers of the Committee of Manage-ment. He delivered his presidentialaddress, and presented medals awardedfor gallantry in rescuing life from ship-wreck during last year.

The speakers were, His Excellencythe French Ambassador, the Right Hon.Philip Snowden, M.P., Dame CarolineBridgeman, D.B.E., Sir William Milli-gan, M.D., a Vice-President of theInstitution and Chairman of the Man-chester, Salford and District Branch,Mr. Harry Hargood, O.B.E., a Vice-President of the Institution, Major SirMaurice Cameron, K.C.M.G., a memberof the Committee of Management, SirGodfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of theCommittee of Management, and Commo-dore Sir Richard Henry Williams-Bulkeley, Bt., K.C.B., R.N.R., a Vice-President of the Institution, who spokein the absence of the Hon. GeorgeColville, Deputy-Chairman of the Com-mittee of Management.

Among those who accepted theinvitation of the Committee of Manage-ment to be present were Their Excel-lencies the German Ambassador andFrau Sthamer, the American Ambas-sador and Mrs. Houghton, the ItalianAmbassador, the Belgian Ambassador,the Norwegian Minister and Mrs. Vogt,the Minister for the Netherlands, theSwedish Minister, the Danish Ministerand Countess Ahlefeldt-Laurvig; theConsuls-General for France, Italy, theNetherlands, Japan, Sweden, Finland,Siam, Latvia, Denmark, Lithuania,China, and the Kingdom of the Serbs,

Croats and Slovenes; the LadyMayoress of London, the Lord and LadyProvost of Glasgow, the Lord Mayor ofBristol, the Mayors and Mayoresses ofBermondsey, Chelsea, Fulham, Isling-ton. Lambeth, Lewisham, St. Maryle-bone, Stepney, Stoke Newington,Wandsworth, St. Albans, Great Yar-mouth, Lowestoft, Margate, Southamp-ton and South wold; the Mayors ofBethnal Green, Deptford, Hammer-smith, St. Pancras, Southwark, West-minster, Douglas (Isle of Man) andEastbourne, and the Chairman of theCromer Urban District Council.

There were present the followingVice-presidents of the Institution : theDuke of Montrose, C.B., C.V.O., V.D.,Chairman of the Scottish Life-boatCouncil, Sir William W. B. Priestley,Chairman of the Bradford and DistrictBranch, and Miss Alice Marshall; thefollowing Honorary Life Governors ofthe Institution : Mrs. Astley Roberts,President of the Eastbourne Ladies'Life-boat Guild, Mrs. Walter Beamish,Honorary Secretary and Treasurer ofthe Coventry Ladies' Life-boat Guild,Brig.-General Noel M. Lake, C.B., andM. Andre Citroen.

There were also present holders of theInstitution's Gold Badge, representa-tives of Branches and the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, members of the CentralLondon Women's Committee, repre- .sentatives of Trinity House, the Ship-wrecked Fishermen and Mariners RoyalBenevolent Society, the Seamen's Hos-pital, Greenwich, the Royal Alfred AgedMerchant Seamen's Institution, theBritish Sailors' Society, the Missions toSeamen, King George's Fund for Sailors,;he Mercantile Marine Service Associa-tion, the National Union of Seamen, theMarine Engineers' Institute, the RoyalHumane Society, the British Red CrossSociety, the St. John Ambulance Asso-

50 THE LIFEBOAT. [MAY, 1928.

ciation ; parties of Sea Scouts and GirlGuides (Sea Rangers and PowderMonkeys), and parties of cadets fromthe training ships Worcester, Arethusaand Stork.

A Message from the King.

H.R.H. THE PKINCE OF WALES :Your Excellencies, my Lords, Ladiesand Gentlemen, first of all I will readthe reply to a message which was sentto His Majesty the King :—

" Please express to the Committeeof Management of the Royal NationalLife-boat Institution assembled to-dayunder your Chairmanship my sincereappreciation of the loyal sentimentscontained in their message.

" Watching, as I do with unfailinginterest, the progress of the Institu-tion, I rejoice to know that its hightraditions have been fully maintainedduring the past year, and I congratu-late those to whom you will presentawards for gallantry and distinguishedservice.—George, R.I." (Applause.)

H.R.H. the Prince of Wales.

His Royal Highness then said:Ladies and Gentlemen, this is theHundred and Fourth Annual Meetingof one of our greatest institutions, andI am very proud indeed to be taking thechair this afternoon. The Life-boatService is one in which the very bestqualities of our race are expressed ; andexpressed not in one supreme effort as inwar, but in a constant year to year, dayand night output of heroism, enduranceand humanity.

Since my recent appointment to thathigh position as Master of the MerchantNavy and of the Fishing Fleets, I ameven prouder than before to be in thechair, because this title gives me yetanother link with this great Institution,and with its crews which are the verypick of that splendid body of men, ourfishermen. (Applause.)

It is the business, I believe, of theChairman at the Annual Meetings topresent the Report of the year's work,and ordinarily I should, I suppose,review that work. If I were to do so Ishould have no difficulty in showingthat, whether you look to the value of

the lives saved or to the material outputin the construction of new Life-boatsand Slipways, this Institution is in thehappy position of always returning ahigh rate of interest. If you look atwhat are sometimes called the invisibleassets, you have in this Institution oneof as great value as any that can beassessed in material terms. But, Ladiesand Gentlemen, may we take thatReport as read, and it will be myendeavour this afternoon, in recom-mending this Institution as worthy ofyour support, and of the support of thenation, to give it what I will call, forthe want of a better expression, somepublicity.

There are very many organisationsand institutions in this country whichare forced to make annual appeals tothe generosity of their supporters ; anda great many of these—such as ourhospitals and the other institutions andorganizations which we see every dayof our lives and which almost come intoour lives—have a more ready response jto their appeals. But with the Life-boat jInstitution it is rather different, andone of its difficulties lies in the fact that ithe work of its crews is carried out j

mostly in the darkness of a winter'snight at some remote spot on our coast;and quite often little more is heard ofthat splendid work than is containedin a short paragraph in the newspapers(and maybe only in the local news-papers) the following day. So I canunderstand why it may require someimagination to enable some people torealize what the Life-boat Servicemeans ; and in order to help us thisafternoon, the Committee of Manage-ment have brought to this AnnualGeneral Meeting, as is their custom,those Coxswains and others who haveespecially distinguished themselves dur-ing the year under review. (Applause.)Quite apart from the privilege that it isto us to see these men and to meet themface to face, there are several reasonswhy their presence here is both suitableand interesting. They come fromwidely different parts of our coast.They are typical, not of selected Crews,but of the stamp of men who are to befound in every Life-boat Crew, and this

MAY, 1928.] THE LIFEBOAT. 51

year they represent an exceptionallybrilliant group of services. (Applause.)

THE MEDALLISTS.You will hear later on a brief account

of the services in which these men haveearned their most honourable distinc-tions. I will only say here that amongthose present who are to receive theBronze Medal are the Second Coxswainand the Motor Mechanic of the St.Mary's Life-boat from the Scilly Isles, aswell as Dr. Ivers from the same Station,who rendered such valuable assistance tothose who were rescued from the Italiansteamer Isabo; and Coxswain Upcraft, ofthe Southwold Life-boat. (Applause.)

Silver Medals are awarded to CoxswainLethbridge and Mr. C. Jenkins, of St.Mary's, in the Scilly Isles, CoxswainSpurgeon, of the Lowestoft Life-boat,and Coxswain Fleming, of the GreatYarmouth and Gorleston Life-boat, thelatter of whom already holds the GoldMedal for the splendid service to theHopelyn in October, 1922, and theBronze Medal earned on anotheroccasion. (Applause.) In fact, it wouldseem as if Coxswain Fleming were acollector of medals, and wanted to havethe complete set, Gold, Silver andBronze. (Laughter and applause.)

Then we have on this occasion therare pleasure of welcoming three GoldMedallists. This is the first time thatthree Gold Medals have been awardedsince 1914, when they were given inconnection with the group of services tothe hospital ship Roltilla, when six Life-boats were launched and 85 livesrescued. (Applause.) Prior to 1914we have to go back to 1851 to find ayear in which three Gold Medals wereawarded. (Applause.)

Now let me say a word about ourGold Medallists. There are here to-daySecond Coxswain William Roberts andCaptain Owen Jones, of the Moelfre,Anglesey, Life-boat, who have earnedthe Gold Medal for the arduous exploitin which that Life-boat rescued the crewof the ketch Excel on the 27th Octoberlast. (Applause.)

COXSWAIN BLOGG.Finally, the Institution honours for

the second time Coxswain Blogg, of

Cromer. (Applause.) He is known Ican see to all of you. He already holdsthe Gold Medal, the Victoria Cross ofthe Life-boat Service, for the magnificentrescue of the crew of the Swedishsteamer Fernebo in January, 1917.Coxswain Blogg is the only man alivewho has earned the Gold Medal of theInstitution twice. (Applause.) Cox-swain Blogg's achievement is one whichconfers honour not only on himself, notonly on the splendid crew which heleads, nor even only on the NorfolkStations, which have a magnificentrecord in the annals of the Life-boatService, but on the whole Life-boatService, whose spirit he so splendidlyembodies ; and I am sure we shall alljoin in congratulating him on the uniquedistinction. (Loud Applause.)

But there is one little habit which Ifeel that Coxswain Blogg should breakhimself of ; and I am sure if there areany shipowners or marine underwritershere present they would like me tobring this to his notice. Apparently heseems to regard it as an indispensablecondition of the highest exercise of hisseamanship, at any rate in Gold Medalcases, that the vessel must break in two.(Laughter.) In the case of the Fernebo,in January, 1917, that vessel broke intwo, each part floating away and comingto rest a mile or so apart on the rocksofi Cromer, where Blogg rescued thecrew of 11 after three heroic efforts inthe Pulling Boat. In the case of theGeorgia, I notice that the vessel tookcare to follow the same procedure, andtherefore received Blogg's immediateattention. (Laughter.) I know thathe will always be ready to launch hisBoat to the assistance of any vessel indistress, and I can only suggest to himthat he should not be too particular asto the precise number of pieces intowhich the wreck divides itself.(Laughter and Applause.)

I should just like to draw your atten-tion to the way in which the serviceswhich we are honouring to-day illustratethe endurance of our Crews. TheSouthwold service lasted 13 hours, theMoelfre Pulling and Sailing Boat wasout for 17 hours, the Great Yarmouthand Gorleston Crew were working for


21 hours, and the Cromer men for 28hours. (Applause.) Since that date theRamsgate men, in the rescue of thecrew of the steam trawler Cyclone, ofBoulogne, were fighting for the lives ofthe crew for upwards of 30 hours.(Applause.)

THE WORK OF THE SERVICE.

Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, to showyou the continued and daily examplesof the work which is done by the Life-boat Crews, I should like to read arecord of service dated to-day. Thisreport has just been received from Peter-head regarding the launch of the MotorLife-boat on the 25th March during amoderate easterly gale in a heavy swell.The record runs : " Information wasreceived from the Coastguard that thetrawler Renaissance, of Aberdeen, wasashore, and the Life-boat proceeded tothe position indicated. On her way shepicked up a man clinging to an oar, andon reaching the vessel took off six othermen. It was then learned that theship's boat had been capsized whiletrying to put out an anchor, and searchwas made, but no trace of three missingmen could be found."

To return to the record of last year'swork. The Report shows that 354 liveswere rescued during the year by Life-boats and Shore-boats. Can any oneregard this as a small result, or one thatdoes not justify the building up of agreat and perfect instrument for thepurpose of saving life ? I personallyhave never had the very unpleasantexperience of being shipwrecked, and Ido not know if any of you have, butshould this ever befall me, and shouldI happen to be included in the numberof the saved, any doubt I might havehad of the justification of this organiza-tion would very quickly fly. In fact, Ishould consider that the Institution hadnever been more fortunate in itsbeneficent work than on that specialoccasion when I was saved. (Laughterand Loud Applause.) None of us can re-gard the value of human life as we wouldthat of money, because in rescuing livesfrom shipwreck we are not only savinglives which are mostly in the prime ofmanhood and restoring them to continue

to play an active and useful part in thelife of the nation, but we are oftenthereby saving homes from the ship-wreck of poverty and destitution whichinevitably follows the loss of the bread-winner.

THE VALUE AND COST OF MOTORLIFE-BOATS.

For this great purpose of saving life,it is the aim of the Institution, as it hasbeen for a century past, to provide forthe Life-boat Crews around our 5,000miles of coast the very best Life-boats,Boat-houses and Slipways which sciencecan devise and money can supply.Even a glance at the Report which youhave will show how necessary thatequipment is. You will see that some18 Motor Life-boats are actually beingbuilt or to be laid down this year : sevenMotor Life-boats are being built forEngland, six for Scotland, three forIreland, and two for Wales. That listillustrates the impartiality with whichthe Committee of Management look atthe needs of every part of the coast,because, as you will see, the needs ofScotland, Ireland and Wales, as well asthe English coast, have received thefullest consideration. Those Boats willcost from £4,500 for the smaller type,to £8,500 for a 45-foot Boat, and £12,000to £14,000 for the largest type.

You will agree that this programmerepresents a formidable enterprise, butit is part of the urgent task which theInstitution has in hand of transformingthe fleet of Pulling and Sailing Life-boats into one of Motor Life-boats.Those Boats are, of course, very muchmore costly than the Boats which theyreplace, but the wisdom of the changeis obvious, and has never been moreoverwhelmingly proved than by theReport which lies before you and by theservices which we are recognizing to-day.Except in the case of the Moelfre Life-boat, nearly all the most successfulrescues have been carried out by MotorLife-boats. The Crews of the SailingBoats are just as fine, just as brave,just as ready, but the Motor Boat canwork against wind and tide, and can getto the wreck in half or a quarter of thetime. That is why we want to replacethe Pulling and Sailing Life-boats by


Motor Life-boats wherever we can.That is why, Ladies and Gentlemen, agreat effort is needed to provide thefinancial resources required to enable

Service around our 5,000 miles of coastfor a sum which, including capitalexpenditure, amounts to less than£250,000—less than a quarter of a

By permission of}COXSWAIN HENRY BLOGG, OF CROMER.

[Pliato Press.

Awarded the Gold Medal of the Institution for the services to the Greek steamer " Pyrin " and the Swedishsteamer " Fernebo," on 9th January, 1 9 1 7 . Awarded the Second Service Clasp to his Gold Medal for the serviceto the Dutch steamer " Georgia," on 22nd Novembei, 1927. The first man since 1848 to be twice awarded this,the V.C. of the Life-boat Service, for conspicuous gallantry. Decorated by H.M. The King with the Medal

of the Order of the British Empire in 1924.

the Institution to complete its presenttask of modernizing its fleet. In makingan appeal, an appeal to the wholenation, may I point out that theInstitution is providing and main-taining the whole of the Life-boat

million pounds a year—a very smallfraction of the cost of one battleship.

AN APPEAL TO SHIPPINGCOMPANIES.

And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, Iappeal to the whole nation to help on this


magnificent and humane work. Theresponses to appeals vary according topeople's means, and may I start fromthe top and make a suggestion withreference to these new Motor Life-boatswhich are planned ? I cannot helpfeeling that there may be generouspeople, able and willing to help theInstitution, who might care to give aLife-boat which should bear their name,or possibly the name of some one dearto them. May I also make a suggestionto our great Shipping Lines ? I knowtheir wonderful seamen's charities, butmay I suggest that one or two of themmight give a Life-boat ? What prouderthing could a great Shipping Line havethan its name on one of our Life-boats ?(Applause.) It is true that the Life-boatwill not be seen by many people ; itwill not have very much publicity ; butthink what it can do ! (Applause.)

Then we come to the nation asa whole, and to the response which itcan. make to our appeal, such a responseas was made yesterday, on Life-boatDay in London. It was the greatestpossible pleasure to me to go round andsee for myself the splendid work thatwas being done by so many of thoseladies who were kind enough to standout for many hours in the rain collectingfor us. May I thank them very sincerely.(Applause.)

Those ladies belong to the Ladies'Life-boat Guild, which was establishedin 1921, and which has made splendidprogress. I have considerable experi-ence of making appeals, but, Ladies andGentlemen, or rather Gentlemen, Iknow it is not the slightest bit of goodto make an appeal if we do not enlistthe help of our women. You cannot getany distance without it. With it youcan do almost anything. (Applause.)

AN APPEAL TO THE EMPIRE.I have kept you a very long time, and

there are many more items on theagenda. May I conclude by appealingonce again, as President of this greatInstitution, for the support of the menand women of our Empire. I do appealmost strongly. The Life-boat Serviceis worthy of your support. I appealnot only as President of the Institution.

but as Master of the Merchant Navy andthe Fishing Fleets. (Loud Applause.)

I will now call upon the Chairman ofthe Committee of Management, SirGodfrey Baring, to read the list of thosenominated for the offices of President,Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, and othermembers of the Committee of Manage-ment, and Auditors for the ensuing year.

Election of Officers.SIR GODFREY BARING : In the name and on

behalf of the Committee of Management ofthe Royal National Life-boat Institution Ihereby nominate the following noblemen andgentlemen as suitable persons to fill the variousposts and offices in connexion with theInstitution during the period dating on andfrom the 28th March, 1928, until the date ofthe Annual Meeting of the Governors of theInstitution in 1929; also Messrs. Price,Waterhouse & Company as Auditors for thesame period :—

President.

H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, K.G.

Vice-Presidents.The Archbishop of Canterbury.The Duke of Atholl.The Duke of Montrose.The Duke of Portland.The Duke of Northumberland.The Marquis of Ailsa.The Marquis of Aberdeen and Temair.The Earl of Derby.The Earl of Albemarle.The Earl of Eosebery.The Earl Waldegrave.The Earl of Lonsdale.Admiral of the Fleet the Earl Jellicoe of Scapa.The Viscount Burnham.Commodore Sir Richard Henry Williams-

Bulkeley, Bt., R.N.R.Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt.Sir William Milligan.Sir W. E. B. Priestley.Mr. Harry Hargood.Miss Alice Marshall.Mr. Noel E. Peck.

Treasurer.

The Earl of Harrowby.

Other Members of the Committee ofManagement.

Mr. Charles G. Ammon, M.P.Mr. H. Arthur Baker.Rear-Admiral T. P. H. Beamish, M.P.Mr. Frederick Cavendish Bentinck.Major Sir Maurice Cameron.Captain Charles J. P. Cave.Colonel Lord William Cecil.Mr. Kenneth M. Clark.Mr. Harold D. Clayton.The Hon. George Colville.Sir John. G. Gumming.Captain the Viscount Curzon, R.N.V.R., M.P.


Commander Herbert G. Evans, R.N.R.Captain Guy Fanshawe, R.N., M.P.Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson.Mr. T. B. Gabriel.Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey.The Hon. Esmond C. Harmsworth, M.P.Commodore Sir Bertram F. Hayes, R.N.R.

(retired).Captain G. C. Holloway, R.N.R.Sir Frederick Thomas Hopkinson.Admiral Sir Thos. H. M. Jerram.Sir Woodburn Kirby.Mr. J. F. Lamb.Colonel Sir A. Henry McMahon.Commander Sir Harry Main waring, Bt.,

R.N.V.R.Mr. Algernon Maudslay.General Sir Charles Monro, Bt.Mr. Gervais S. C. Rentoul, M.P.The Rt. Hon. F. 0. Roberts, M.P.The Rt. Hon. Walter Runciman, M.P.Major-General the Rt. Hon. John E. B. Seely.The Lord Southborough.Colonel the Master of Sempill.Commander F. F. Tower, late R.N.V.R.The Viscount Tredegar.The Rt. Hon. Wm. Dudley Ward.Mr. H. Tansley Witt.

And ex-officio.The Lord Mayor of London.The Admiral Commanding Reserves.The Deputy Master of the Trinity House.The Hydrographer of the Navy.The Chairman of Lloyd's.

I should think that constitutes the mostcomprehensive and extensive unopposed returnon record. (Laughter.)

H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES : I declarethese gentlemen duly elected.

I will now call on the Secretary to read theaccount of the services for which the Medalsand other awards have been given.

St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly.The SECRETARY : Your Royal Highness,

Your Excellencies, my Lords, Ladies andGentlemen, on the afternoon of 27th Octoberan Italian steamer, Isabo, went ashore on theScilly Rock, north-west of the Isles of Scilly,in a dense fog. A heavy swell was running,and by night the wind had risen to a wholegale. Three small boats from the island ofBryher succeeded, at great danger to them-selves, in rescuing 28 men from among therocks and floating wreckage. When theMotor Life-boat from St. Mary's, four milesaway, arrived after a hazardous journeyamong the rocks in the fog, night had come,the fog was still dense, the gale was at itsheight, and the seas were breaking right overthe men in the rigging of the wreck. In thecircumstances it was hopeless to attempt arescue until daybreak, and the Life-boat stoodby all night in New Grimsby Harbour.

At dawn she put out again. It was impos-sible to anchor to windward and veer down tothe wreck, so she approached from leeward.The men who were in the rigging slid down.

As each man reached the forecastle head, he wasswept into the sea; the Life-boat closed in ; aline was thrown to thf man; he was towed outfrom among the rocks and dragged aboard.In this way three men were rescued, while afourth, who had taken refuge on a rock, swamout to the Life-boat and was picked up. Allfour men were completely exhausted, and onewas unconscious when taken on board theLife-boat.

In recognition of this very difficult service,in which great courage was shown by thecrews, both of the Life-boat and the Shore-boats, the Committee have made a number ofawards.

The members of the Life-boat Crew haveeach been awarded the Thanks of the Institu-tion inscribed on Vellum.

The Committee have awarded the BronzeMedal to DR. W. E. IVERS, of St. Mary's, who iwent out with the Life-boat in order to give j 'first aid, to the SECOND COXSWAIN JAMES T. jLETHBRIDOE, and to the MOTOR MECHANIC, : !

J. H. ROKAHR.The Silver Medal has been awarded to

COXSWAIN MATTHEW LETHBRIDGE in recog-nition not only of his courage and seamanship,but of the excellent judgment and resolutionwhich he showed in very difficult circum-stances.

Each of the members of the crews of thethree shore-boats has been awarded theThanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum.The Bronze Medal has been awarded to MR.EDWARD R. JENKINS, MR. WILLIAM E.JENKINS, and MR. ERNEST JENKINS, and theSilver Medal to MR. CHARLES JENKINS, whois present this afternoon. Mr. Charles Jenkinswas in charge of one of the three boats—amotor boat—which carried a small dinghy.This he launched, with Mr. E. R. Jenkins, andthey picked up three men from among thewreckage, each man having to be hauled inover the stern of the dinghy, and separatelybrought back to the motor boat, as thedinghy would have been swamped with morethan three occupants. As it was, the dinghyreturned half full of water. Mr. CharlesJenkins thus carried out a very hazardous andgallant exploit. (Applause.)

(H.R.H. the Prince of Wales then presentedthe Medals.)

Lowestoft, Suffolk.On the afternoon of 21st October, with a

whole gale blowing, a sailing smack, Lily ofDevon, attempted to run into LowestoftHarbour; she was caught by the tide, missedthe entrance, and was carried into shallowwater, where she bumped heavily on the sand.The seas were breaking clean over her, andher crew of three took refuge in the rigging.In two minutes the Life-boat was launched.If the men were to be rescued it must be doneat once, for the smack was being carried to-wards a concrete breakwater, not 50 yardsaway.

The Life-boat anchored and began to veerdown to the smack, but she also struck the


bottom, and was swept by heavy seas, so thather Crew were in danger of being washed outof her. She gradually got alongside. Then aheavy sea threw her under the stern of thewreck. She was badly damaged, but not outof control. The three men jumped aboardand, with all hands hauling on the cable andthe engines going full speed, she drew clear ofthe surf.

It was a service carried out with greatpromptitude and courage, and the Committeeof Management have awarded the SilverMedal to COXSWAIN ALBERT SPTJBOEON.(Applause.)

(H.R.H. the Prince of Wales then presentedthe Medal.)

Moelfre, Anglesey.On the night and early morning of 28th

October a terrible gale from the south-westwas blowing. It struck with special violenceon the coast of North Wales, and gusts of 85miles an hour were registered. On that onenight 10 Life-boats were out, four of themfrom Anglesey. One of these, the Pulling andSailing Life-boat from Moelfre, was launchedin the afternoon. She found the ketch Excelon the point of sinking. If her crew of threewere to be rescued it must be done withoutdelay, and the Life-boat rescued them by thedesperate expedient of sailing right on top ofthe water-logged ketch.

The three men were dragged on board, butthe Life-boat herself was badly damaged, herbottom being pierced by some of the deckfittings. With three holes in her, and full ofwater, with her jib blown to ribands and hermainsail split, she had to fight her way homeagainst the gale. She was out altogether 17hours. One of the rescued men died, duringthe night, of injuries. One of the Life-boat'sCrew died of exposure. The Second Coxswain,who had been at the tiller for the whole time,was completely blind for some hours after hehad landed, from the salt water, the wind, andthe terrible strain of that unrelaxed watchingthrough the whole night, while the wholeCrew were exhausted by their long and terriblestruggle.

In recognition of the conspicuous gallantryand devotion to duty shown in circumstancesof the greatest danger, the Committee ofManagement have awarded to each memberof the Crew the Bronze Medal of the Institu-tion, and to the widow of the Life-boatmanwho lost his life a pension, and an allowancefor a grandchild dependent on her. The Crewis represented at this meeting by the BOWMAN,WILLIAM WILLIAMS.

The Coxswain was absent from the Station,and the Life-boat was in charge of two men,Second-Coxswain William Roberts, and Cap-tain Owen Jones, who, though not a regularmember of the Crew, goes out with the Life-boat whenever he can. To these two men,SECOND-COXSWAIN WILLIAM ROBERTS andCAPTAIN OWEN JONES, the Committee ofManagement have granted the highest awardwhich it is in their power to bestow—theInstitution's Gold Medal. It is given only in

recognition of conspicuous courage and leader-ship in face of very grave danger, and theseare the first Gold Medals to be awarded since1922. (Loud Applause.)


Cromer, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston,and Southwold.

On 21st November a Dutch steamer,Georgia, struck on the Haisborough Sands onthe East Coast. A full gale was blowing fromthe east by south, with a very heavy sea.The Georgia broke completely in two. Theafter-part drifted away, and the men on herwere rescued by another steamer. The fore-part, with 15 men on board, remained on thesands, with great seas breaking right over thebridge, where the crew had taken shelter. Allthat night and next day the Motor Life-boatfrom Great Yarmouth and Gorleston stoodby. She fired all her lines from her line-throwing gun, and got a stout rope on boardthe wreck, but the seas snapped it. By thistime, after 20 hours, her Crew were completelyexhausted. At dusk the Life-boat put backto her Station, meaning to return to the wreckagain at daybreak.

Shortly afterwards the Motor Life-boat fromCromer, ordered out by a telegram from Head-quarters, arrived on the scene. She, too, hadbeen on service the whole of the previousnight, standing by the other half of theGeorgia, which had drifted towards Cromer,and was a grave danger to shipping, as shewas right in the fan-way.

Seeing the desperate state of the 15 men,the Cromer Coxswain did not wait to anchoror use his line-throwing gun. He chose thedesperate course of running alongside thewreck. The sea and the strong tide turnedthe Life-boat completely round, and threwher stern-first against the •wrec'k. She wasseverely damaged, but not out of control.Ropes were thrown and the 15 men jumpedinto the Life-boat. Then, for a moment, as aheavy sea carried her right on to the bulwarkof the wreck, she was in imminent danger ofbeing completely smashed, but her engineswere reversed, and before the next sea cameshe was thrown clear.

The Southwold Motor Life-boat had alsobeen called out. In the darkness she passedthe Cromer Life-boat returning. She examinedthe wreck with her searchlight, and did notleave it until certain that no one was left onboard. Had not the Cromer Life-boat alreadytaken off the men, there is no doubt that theywould have been rescued by the SouthwoldLife-boat.

In this difficult and dangerous service, inwhich all the Crews showed conspicuousendurance, gallantry and devotion, the South-wold Life-boat was out for 13 hours, the GreatYarmouth and Gorleston for 21 hours, and theCromer for 2& hours.

The Committee of Management have showntheir recognition of the exceptional characterof this service by exceptional awards.

l!y permission of] [Sports and GeneralTHE PRINCE OF WALES AND COXSWAIN BLOGG.

By permission of] [ Central News, Ltd.THE TWO WELSH GOLD MEDALLISTS.

Captain Owen Jones and Second Coxswain William Roberts, of Moelfre, Anglesey.


To COXSWAIN ERASE. TJpCRATi, of South-wold, they have awarded the Bronze Medal.

To COXSWAIN WILLIAM FLEMING, of GreatYarmouth and Gorleston, they have awardedthe Silver Medal. Coxswain Fleming alreadyholds the Bronze Medal and the Gold Medal,and on the occasion of the Centenary of theInstitution he was one of the eight GoldMedallists who were personally decorated bythe King with the Medal of the Order of theBritish Empire. Shortly after the service tothe Georgia, Coxswain Fleming distinguishedhimself by taking out his Life-boat four timesin one day, in a heavy sea, in spite of the factthat on the first of these four services he wasinjured.

To each member of the Cromer Crew theCommittee of Management have awarded theBronze Medal. The Crew is represented atthis meeting by the SECOND-COXSWAIN,GEORGE BALLS.

To COXSWAIN HENRY BLOGG the Com-mittee have awarded the highest honourpossible by conferring on him a Second ServiceClasp to the Gold Medal which he was awardedfor a very gallant service to two foreign vesselsin 1917, the Greek steamer Pyrin and theSwedish steamer Fernebo.

Coxswain Blogg, in 1924, was personallydecorated by the King with the Medal of theOrder of the British Empire.

Coxswain Blogg is the only living manwho has twice received this, the VictoriaCross of the Life-boat Service.

Only six other men in the whole history ofthe Institution have received this honourtwice for actual service, and the last occasionon which the Gold Clasp was so awarded wasin 1848. (Loud Applause.)


H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES : Ladiesand Gentlemen, I will now call on His Excel-lency the French Ambassador.

The French Ambassador.THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR (M. DE

FLEURIAU) : Your Royal Highness, YourExcellencies, my Lords, Ladies and Gentle-men, I thank Your Royal Highness for givingme to-day the opportunity of expressing thegratitude of the French nation, and particu-larly of the French seafaring men, to theRoyal National Life-boat Institution. ManyFrench ships and many French sailors havebeen helped and saved by your Life-boatsduring the last 104 years. In 1927, five Frenchvessels in distress were succoured by them, andYour Royal Highness has referred to a veryimportant service, since the beginning of thisyear, rendered to a French ship, the steamtrawler Cyclone, of Boulogne. The crew of 15of the Cyclone were saved by the Life-boatmenof Ramsgate after 30 long hours of tiringexertions. To the Life-boatmen of Ramsgate,to all the Life-boatmen of Great Britain, andto your Institution, we French owe a greatdebt. (Applause.)

We have tried as far as we could to wipe out

that debt by creating the Societe Centrale deSauvetage des Naufrages. That Society isendeavouring to pay the debt by the serviceswhich its Life-boats render to British ships.I am a member of that Society, and we havetried to do what we can. We have tried tohelp as many British ships as we can.(Applause.)

I have not the latest statistics here, but Iam proud to say that during the 60 years,beginning in 1867 and ending in the spring of1927, the French Life-boats succoured 178British ships and saved 777 sailors or pas-sengers on those ships. (Applause.) Thatis a result which I am proud to quote. If Iwere to say any more I should only be sayingwhat my colleagues who are here now couldsay of their own countries.

Your great founder, Sir William Hillary,declared that the people and vessels of everynation, whether in peace or in war, were to beequally the objects of this Institution. Hisdirections have been faithfully followed byyou, and the vessels succoured by your Life-boats during last year belonged to no less thannine nations, including your own. Sir WilliamHillary's principle is applied by those institu-tions which have been created in othercountries on your model—in the Netherlandsin 1824, in Germany in 1852, in Norway iu1854, in Sweden in 1855, in France in 1865, inRussia in 1872, in Spain in 1880, in Japan in1889, in Portugal in 1892, quite recently in

! Poland and Latvia, and only last month inIceland.

The international character of the Life-boatMovement was publicly recognized when youcelebrated your Centenary in 1924. AnInternational Life-boat Conference, to whichall countries with a Life-boat Service wereinvited, and in which nine nations participated,was held in London, and the resolutionsadopted in favour of the establishment ofLife-boat Services in all countries with a sea-board were sent to the League of Nations, andreferred by it to one of its sub-committees.In November, 1925, that Sub-Committee helda meeting in Paris, which was attended byyour Secretary, and at which it was resolvedto place the services of the Secretariat of the ;League of Nations at the disposal of the Inter- |national Life-boat Movement. The question \\will be examined within a few months at theSecond International Life-boat Conference,which is to be held in Paris, where you may beassured of a hearty welcome. Your founder,Sir William Hillary, should be very pleased |at the development of the movement heinitiated. (Applause.)

I have up to now spoken as an Ambassador,but before I move the resolution which standsin my name, perhaps I may be permitted tosay a few words in my private capacity. Ihave been brought up near the sea—in fact,I can say I have been partially brought up onthe sea. When young, I was exercised on aLife-boat of the whaler type, without rudder,with two skippers, one at each end governingwith a long oar. That boat had revolving ]seats which I found very inconvenient.


However, I had not the luck to go out inreal action on board a Life-boat. Once onlyfrom the shore I attended a Life-boat expedi-tion. Some 35 or 36 years ago at Sablesd'Olonne the Life-boat had gone out andrescued the crew of a coaster lost upon therocks at the north of the beach. When shecame back at low tide, she missed the narrowentrance to the port, and she grounded uponthe very sandy beach. The captain of theport, according to the custom of the coast ofOlonne and Re, immediately organized a chainof men holding each other by the arms,shoulder to shoulder; when it reached theLife-boat we were 140 or 150 men in the chain,which brought back safely to shore the Crewof the Life-boat and the rescued men. After-wards I asked the Coxswain of the Life-boatwhat would happen to the stranded boat ?He replied that if the boat could be taken inthe port at high tide she would be all right,because she had been carefully built upon anEnglish pattern—the pattern of your Institu-tion—and he was quite right. The good boatbuilt in France upon English plans looked nonethe worse for her adventure. (Applause.)

Since that time circumstances have led meto travel on many seas, and experience hasshown to me the truth of the axiom I had sooften heard during my youth, that one of thegreatest dangers at sea was the land. Some-times, when in dirty weather near some wildcoast of Asia or Africa, I have said to myself :" If something happens to the ship, we shallnot find here the help of the good Life-boatsof our countries and of their gallant Crews."Therefore I support this cause with all myheart, and I move the resolution which standsin my name, namely :—

" That this Meeting, fully recognizing theimportant services of the Royal NationalLife-boat Institution in its national workof life-saving, desires to record its heartyappreciation of the gallantry of the Cox-swains and Crews of the Institution's Life-boats, and gratefully to acknowledge thevaluable help rendered to the cause by theLocal Committees, Honorary Secretariesand Honorary Treasurers." (Applause.)H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES : I now call

upon Mr. Philip Snowden.

Mr. Philip Snowden.The Rt. Hon. PHILIP SNOWDEN, M.P. :

Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen, I appreciate veryhighly the honour of the invitation to secondthis resolution which has been moved in suchfelicitous terms by His Excellency the FrenchAmbassador. It is a relief to me to get awayfor a time from the turmoil of the partypolitical conflict to take part in a gatheringof this kind which is neither a class nor aparty, but a great humanitarian movement.(Applause.)

There is something in the blood of theBritish people which responds to the call ofthe sea. This Institution, the pattern of otherinstitutions in other countries, is typical of

the British race. It is national in the widestsense of the word, national in its organization,national in its support, but the presence of thedistinguished representatives of other countriesupon this platform this afternoon shows thatits work is not merely national, but inter-national. Whenever the call is seen or heard,the men of the Life-boat Service never askwhat is the race, what is the nation, or whatis the flag of the people who are needing help.It is enough for them that human beings arein need of succour. (Applause.)

There are two or three features of the workof this Institution which specially appeal tome, and I think appeal to you. The first isthat the work of the Life-boat Service typifieslabour in its noblest and highest form.(Applause.) The men of the Life-boat Serviceare humble fisher folk, they belong to whatAbraham Lincoln called the common people,the people of whom God made so manybecause he loved them. We have had casescalled to our attention this afternoon of heroiccourage on the part of these men. Some ofyou will remember that Hugh Walpole in oneof his stories put these words into the mouthof a Cornish fisherman, who is giving adviceto a little boy : " 'Tisn't life that matters.'Tis the courage we bring to it." That I amsure is the spirit that animates the men whomwe have had on this platform just now, andall the men of the Life-boat Service. (Applause.)

There is one other great lesson which I thinkwe may draw from Life-boat work : it is agreat instrument for promoting that cause towhich you, Sir, have contributed so much byyour efforts and by your eloquent appeals, Imean the cause of international peace. Thiswork brings nations together, it shows acommon humanity, it proves that the linksthat bind all the peoples of the world togetherare stronger and more lasting than the artificialbarriers which may be reared to separatepeople from people. (Applause.)

I should not be doing justice, Sir, to theresolution if I were not humbly to add myappeal to the very powerful appeal which youhave made on behalf of support for thisInstitution. It is an Institution which isentitled to our support. It is doing a greathumanitarian work. You, Sir, pointed outthat the expenses for a year's work of thisInstitution represent only a small part of thecost of a cruiser or a battleship. May I put itto you in another way ? The work of thisInstitution is carried on on an income whichis only one-fifteen-thousandth part of theaggregate of our personal incomes.

I am told that the miners, the factoryworkers, the fisherfolk themselves, the sailorsin the tramp steamers, all contribute gener-ously to this Institution ; and, therefore, thosewho are blessed with a larger abundance ofthis world's goods should, I think, make theirproportionate contribution. (Applause.)

I should like to say just one word more.The resolution before the Meeting thanks theLocal Committees, Honorary Secretaries andHonorary Treasurers of the various localbranches of the Institution for the work that


they have done, and I am quite sure that youwill desire to associate yourself with thatexpression of thanks. Sir, I heartily secondthe resolution. (Applause.)

(The Resolution was put to the Meeting andcarried unanimously.)

H.R.H. THE PKINCE OF WALES : I will nowcall upon Dame Caroline Bridgeman to movethe next resolution.

Dame Caroline BridgemanDAME GASOLINE BRIDGEMAN, D.B.E. : Your

Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, Ladies andGentlemen, I have the honour of proposing thefollowing resolution :—

" That this Meeting desires to record itssense of the deep obligation of the Institu-tion to the Ladies' Life-boat Guild and itsmany hundreds of voluntary workers for theLife-boat Cause, and its conviction of theincreasing importance of the part which theGuild is destined to play in educating publicopinion with regard to the value of the Life-boat Service, and in raising funds therefor."The position which women take in public

life in this country is well known, and it ispractically a commonplace to say that thereare hardly any new fields for them to enter,if not to conquer ; but I think perhaps it mavbe news to some, as it certainly was to me untilr.-cently, to learn the remarkable part whichwomen play in launching the Life-boats,especially on the North-east Coast of theseislands, where the population of the villagesis often so small that practically the whole ofthe man-power is needed to man the boats,and therefore the women must take, theirshare in launching them. The work of launch-ing a Life-boat is hardly less arduous than thatof manning a Life-boat. It may entail manyhours of waiting in the cold, in the wet and inthe wind; it may mean many hours ofanxious expectancy ; and we know that inmany cases these magnificent women arehelping to launch a Life-boat manned bytheir brothers, their sons and their fathers,and that they are willingly sending those mento rescue the lives of others whose only callupon them is that they are fellow men, andpossibly fellow women, in distress. I think,Ladies and Gentlemen, that heroism canhardly rise to greater heights than that.(Applause.)

I think you may like to know that only inFebruary of this year there passed away oneof the most heroic women on that coast, who,for the whole term of her life of 80 years hadlived in the little village of Cresswell. Hername was Margaret Armstrong, and forover 50 years she assisted in launching theLife-boats, and she never missed a launch.As long ago as the year 1876 she did what wasperhaps the greatest piece of work in savinglife that she had an opportunity of doing inall that 50 years. There was a wreck, and shewent the five miles along the coast to let theLife-saving Apparatus know of it. It was afrightful journey in the teeth of a full gale.

There she went with her feet bleeding, herclothes torn half off her back by the wind andthe rain, and she reached that station in acondition of such exhaustion that she col-lapsed without being able to say a word ; butthe Coast Guard knew her and knew what hermessage must be.

We cannot all be Grace Darlings, we cannotall be Margaret Armstrongs, and we cannotall emulate those splendid men we have seenhere to-day, but through the Ladies' Life-boatGuild we have a real opportunity of doingsomething, however small, however insigni-ficant, in helping on this magnificent work.(Applause.)

When we realize that we depend on ocean-borne food for practically all but seven weeksof the year, and when we realize that wedepend on our overseas trade for the life-blood of our industrial existence, I am surethere is no one living, in however small avillage, or even in the centre of a great town,who will not feel inspired, on realizing ourdependence on the sea, to do something forthis great work. (Applause.)

Your Royal Highness a few years ago saidsomething about the task of imagining in ourminds what these men go through ; and thesewere your words : " It requires a strong effortof the imagination on the part of the ordinaryman in the street to realize the services thatare carried out at some remote spot on thecoast in the darkness of a winter's night."Surely we will give rein to our imaginationwhen next on a winter's night we sit comfort-ably by the fire or turn over in our warmand comfortable beds ; and when we hear thewind rage and the windows rattle, surely wewill send up a prayer for those gallant men,and determine that next day we will do some-thing practical for those in peril on the sea.

I have groat pleasure in moving the resolu-tion. (Applause.)

H.R.H. THE PRINCE or WALES : Ladies andGentlemen, I will call on Sir William Milligan,a Vice-President of the Institution and Chair-man of the Manchester, Salford and DistrictBranch.

Sir William Milligan.SIR WILLIAM MILLIGAN, M.D. : Your Royal

Highness, Your Excellencies, Ladies andGentlemen, I have very great pleasure indeedin seconding the resolution which has been soably and so appreciatively proposed by DameCaroline Bridgeman.

The Royal National Life-boat Institutionhas a very warm corner indeed in the heartsof the people of the North of England ; andwell it may, considering the part which theNorth has played in its fortunes and vicissi-tudes. Perhaps I may take the liberty ofreminding Your Royal Highness that the firstLife-boat Station was founded at Hamburghon the coast of Northumberland in the year1786, that the first Life-boat was built andthe first permanent Life-boat Station estab-lished at Tynemouth, and that the greathistoric appeal for the preservation of lives

By permission of ]THE ANNUAL MEETING.

The Prince of Wales and Coxswain Blogg, of Cromer, standing.

[/'. <t A. J'lioto.

By permission of] [Photo Press.

MEDALLISTS OF 1927 AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.Top Row: Second Coxswain Roberts and Captain Owen Jones (Moelfre, Anglesej), Coxswain Upcraft (Southwold),Coxswain Fleming (Great Yarmouth and Gorleston). Second Coxswain Balis and Coxswain Blogg (Cramer).Bottom Row: Coxswain H. Lethbridge and Second Coxswain J. T. Lethbridge (St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly), Mr.

C. Jenkins (Bryher, Isles of Scilly), Coxswain Spurgeon (Lowestoft), Bowman Williams (Moelfre, Anglesey).


from shipwreck at sea was made by Sir WilliamHillary from his home at Douglas in the Isleof Man. Those facts connect the North ofEngland very firmly with the affairs of thisgreat and magnificent Institution. (Applause.)

In the North we have a very active organiza-tion which taps every great city and everytown. The population in the area which isrepresented by the North of England Districtis, roughly speaking, 12,760,000 people, andour contribution last year to the funds of theInstitution was £31,850. (Applause.) Thatrepresents roughly 25 per cent, of the contribu-tions made to the Institution ; and, what ismore, a very large amount of that money issecured in very small sums. I estimate thatat least 250,000 people have contributed tomate up that £31,000 odd. (Applause.)

I am here especially to thank the ladies fortheir trouble, and for their zeal in helping theInstitution, and I think you will be interestedto know that last year we had in Manchesterand Salford alone 2,000 ladies helping us inmaking our appeal. That shows how wide-spread is the desire to help the Life-boatService. We do not regard this Institution asa charity at all, for we look upon it as a publicduty to give it our help. That is the spiritwhich animates all those who are connectedwith it. (Applause.)

Without our Ladies' Guild we could notraise the money which we are raising to-day.I commend this resolution to you. I sincerelytrust that more ladies will join the Guild, andI appeal to the ladies to stimulate the zeal oftheir friends, remembering how large a sharethey -have in the success, both the presentsuccess and the future success of the Institu-tion. (Applause.)

(The Resolution was put to the Meeting andcarried unanimously.)

His ROYAL HIGHNESS : I will now call onMr. Harry Hargood to move the next resolu-tion.

Mr. HARRY HARGOOD, O.B.E. : Your RoyalHighness, Your Excellencies, Ladies andGentlemen, the resolution I have to submit toyou does not entail a speech. It is merely toenable the Committee to dispose of two oftheir Boat-houses which they no longer requirefor the purposes of the Institution. I there-fore beg to move :—

" That this Meeting do approve andratify the sale of the Life-boat Houses atSouthend-on-Sea and Yealm River, whichare no longer required for the purposes ofthe Institution."

Major SIR MAURICE CAMERON, K.C.M.G.:Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, myLords, Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot dobetter than follow the example of brevitywhich has been set by the proposer of thisprosaic resolution, which I have very greatpleasure in seconding.

(The resolution was put to the Meeting andwas carried unanimously.)

SIR GODFREY BARING : Your Royal High-ness, Your Excellencies, my Lords, Ladies andGentlemen, I have the honour to move :—

" That the hearty and respectful thanksof this Meeting be given to His RoyalHighness the Prince of Wales, K.G., forpresiding over this, the Hundred and FourthAnnual General Meeting of the RoyalNational Life-boat Institution."If I may use a strikingly novel and original

phrase, I should like to say that it requiresvery few words of mine to submit this resolu-tion for your enthusiastic acceptance.

Since the Prince of Wales has been ourPresident he has rendered countless servicesto the cause of the Life-boat Institution, ser-vices for which the Committee of Managementare deeply and profoundly grateful. May Igive, as an instance, what he has done in thelast three months ? In January His RoyalHighness attended a film representation,organized through the kindness of Mr. Citroen,who is here to-day. Yesterday, on one of themost detestable days of an English spring, hewent round for three solid hours encouragingour workers. In fact, I think the only twobright spots in a very gloomy day were firstof all His Royal Highness's considerate kind-ness, and secondly the wonderful devotion ofour women sellers. In addition to that, on thevery next day he is presiding here at ourAnnual Meeting. (Applause.)

If I may respectfully say so, we consider thePrince of Wales not only as our Royal Presi-dent, but as a wise, constant and most generousfriend. (Applause.)

His Royal Highness long since won thehearts of the countless thousands whom he hasaddressed in the cause of charity, but he hasdone something else which is very very useful.Eor many years past, on behalf of charities,he has opened the cheque books of, shall I say,even the most prudent amongst us. I hopethis afternoon that those cheque books aregoing to be in universal use, and that the postof the Institution to-morrow morning will bea record one, containing increased and evendoubled subscriptions on behalf of our cause.

Annual subscriptions are of the utmostimportance in the finances of the Institution,and I should like to remind the audience thatannual subscribers have a special privilege.The only joke that Punch ever made withregard to the Institution was when it depicteda wreck, with a Life-boat approaching it, anda gentleman, one of the wrecked passengers,clinging to the rigging of the ship and crying,"Save me first, I am an annual subscriber toyour Institution." That should be an induce-ment to every one, I am sure, to become anannual subscriber. (Laughter and Applause.)

In the long and illustrious history of thisInstitution we have had many most successfulmeetings, but I venture to say that we havenever had a more united, more enthusiasticand more successful meeting than the onewhich we are attending thia afternoon. It isYour Royal Highness's gracious presence inthe Chair which has so enormously contributed

MAY, 1928.) THE LIFEBOAT.

to the success of this meeting, and in gratitudefor your presence I have the great honour andpleasure of moving this resolution. (Applause.)

Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley.SlR KrOHABD WlLLIAMS-Bl'LKELEY, K.C.B. :

May it please Your Royal Highness, YourExcellencies, my Lords, Ladies and Gentle-men, a very few words indeed are enough fromme who have the honour of seconding thisresolution.

I am particularly delighted to have thathonour on account of the fact that I am thePresident of the Anglesea Branch of thisAssociation, and the three men from Moelfre,who have received awards for their gallantryat Your Royal Highness's hands this afternoon,are well known to me personally. They, Sir,will go away with enhanced pride from thefact that you have presented those medals tothem this afternoon, and that pride willspread from the little village of Moelfre allover the coasts of Your Royal Highness'sprincipality. I have the honour of secondingthe resolution. (Applause.)

SIR GODFREY BAKINO : I ask all those infavour to carry it by their enthusiasticapplause.

(The Resolution was carried with acclamation.)

H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES : My Lords,Ladies and Gentlemen, although I do not feelthat I deserve any thanks at all, I thank you

for the kind way in which you have acceptedthis resolution. In return, may I say how verymuch we appreciate the presence here thisafternoon of Their Excellencies the Am-bassadors of foreign countries. (Applause.)We appreciate it very much, and we take it assome recognition of what we are able to dofor some of the foreign ships that lose theirway and get wrecked on our coasts. May Ialso say that we appreciate the kindness ofM. Citroen in taking the trouble to come allthe way from Paris to attend this Meetingafter what he did for us the other day byshowing that film on our behalf.

One last word to those splendid men whomI had the privilege of decorating to-day. MayI wish them long life and many years in whichto continue doing their wonderful work, andthe very best of luck. (Applause.)

(The Meeting then terminated.)

Entertainment of the Medallists.After the meeting the Medallists were

entertained to tea at the House ofCommons by Captain the ViscountCurzon, R.N.V.R., M.P., a member ofthe Committee of Management, and inthe'evening they occupied the Royal Boxat the Coliseum, as the guests of SirOswald Stoll and the management, andwere given an enthusiastic reception.

Prince of Wales's Visit to a Life-boat Worker.AFTER the Annual Meeting, which washeld in the Central Hall, Westminster,the Prince of Wales paid a private visitto the Westminster Hospital to see MissHannah Denham, who for many yearshad been a patient in the incurableward, and who was shortly to be movedto a hospital in Eastbourne. Thoughcrippled and bedridden Miss Denhamis able to knit and for many years hasworked and collected for the Life-boatService. L~i 1926 Miss Denham was

awarded the Gold Badge of the Institu-tion, which is given only to those hono-rary workers who have done long andconspicuous service for the Institution.

The Prince thanked Miss Denhamfor all that she had done for the Life-boat cause, and our readers can imaginethe joy which our President's kindnessgave to a humble but devoted worker,who will look back on March 27th as thered letter day of her life.

Forthcoming Articles.OWING to the heavy demand on thespace in this number made by thereport of the Annual Meeting, theEssay Competition, and News fromthe Branches, it has been necessary tohold over several articles, which willappear in the next number. Thesewill include : '' The French LifeboatSociety, a historical survey," by Mr.

George F. Shee, M.A., Secretary ofthe Institution ; " The New Strom-ness Motor Life-boat" (with illustra-tions), by Captain Howard F. J.Rowley, R.N., Chief Inspector of Life-boats ; " Some Unpublished Letters ofSir William Hillary, Founder of theInstitution," by Major Evan W. H.Fyers, a member of the Council of the

THE LIFEBOAT. [MAY, 1928.

Society for Nautical Research; "ALife-boat Service in Iceland," and" The Value of a Life," this last beingan article based on independent cal-culations made by one of the leadinginsurance companies, in which the valueof the lives rescued from shipwreck iscontrasted with the cost to the Institu-tion of rescuing them.

For the same reason it has been

necessary to hold over the account ofthe reopening of the Staithes Station,the Summary of the Meetings of theCommittee of Management, the Awardsmade to Coxswains, Life-boatmen andHonorary Workers, and the report ofthe Conference of Workers in the SouthEastern District, which was held inLondon on Maich 1st. These also willappear in the next number.

Record of the Branches: 1926—1927.The 20 Branches with the highest Collection.

WE publish below a table showing thetwenty Branches which made the largestcontributions to the Institution duringthe Branch financial year ending Sep-tember 30th, 1927.

The total sum raised by these twentyBranches is £38,177. This is £3,200more than in 1926, but £2,029 less than

The first six towns are in the sameorder as in the previous year ; and ofthese six the City of London, Manches-ter and Glasgow and District all havelarger contributions. The most notice-able increase is in the case of Glasgowwhich has contributed £1,122 more thanin 1926.

Branch.

1, City of London *[ 2 Manchester and Salfordi 3 Port of Liverpool .4 Glasgow and District5 Bradford and District .6 Edinburgh, Leith and Granton

| 7 Eastbourne f8 City of Birmingham.9 Leeds

10 Bristol11 Poole, Bournemouth, etc. f12 Southampton and District13 City of Dublin14 Isle of Wight j15 Oxford16 Aberdeen17 Margate t18 Douglas {1 9 Hull a n d District . . . .20 Sunderland and District

County.Populationof Branch

area.

LondonLanes.Lanes.LanarkYorks.EdinburghSussexWarwickshireYorks.Glos.DorsetHants.DublinHants.Oxon.AberdeenshireKentIsle of ManYorks.Durham j

1,258,854955,000

1,060,000394,700512,00062,000

919,438600,000377,061146,000220,000431,000

94,00057,100

187,99746,47526,000

325,000170,000

Collection.

£9,6014,4993,6603,5121,9001,5961,4891,3191,1051,0941,0111,003

974950781779747739733685

Amountper head

0-860-920-791-150-75

0-340-440-70

1-090-54

3-291-00

0-540-96

Positionlast

year.

345697

208

1511101312

1716

* Fluctuating population, so that no calculation per head is possible.t KesidenVpopulation. Thia is greatly increased by the influx of visitors all through the season.

in 1925. A higher contribution wasneeded to be among the first twentythan in 1926. In that year the twentiethBranch raised £599. Last year it raised£685. The Institution has 960 Branches.Last year they raised approximately£102,700, so that the first twentyBranches, by raising £38,177, wereresponsible for well over a third of thetotal.

Two other towns continue to movesteadily up the list. Eastbourne wastwelfth in 1925, ninth in 1926, and isnow seventh. Poole, Bournemouth,Wimborne and Christchurch has risenfrom eighteenth in 1925 to fifteenth in1926 and eleventh in 1927. Leeds, onthe other hand has, in one year, jumpedfrom twentieth to ninth.

In the City of London with its flue-


tuating population and the big seasideresorts, where there is a great influx ofsummer visitors, any calculation is im-possible of the amount contributed perhead. Among these places where it canbe made, Oxford comes first with a con-tribution per head of just over Z\d., and

Bradford comes next with just over onepenny per head. Belfast, which was 18thin 1926, falls out of the list for the firsttime since 1922, and Salisbury and Dis-trict, which was 14th, and Worthing,which was 19th, are also no longer amongthe first twenty.

A Gallant Service at Padstow.Bronze Medal Awarded to the Coxswain.

ON llth February, with a gale blowingfrom W.N.W. and a very heavy searunning, the Norwegian steamer Taor-mina, of Oslo, with a crew of eighteen,attempted to enter Padstow Harbourwhen the tide was low. She struck onthe Doom Bar, and lay there with heavyseas breaking over her. The Institution'stug and the Life-boat Edmund Harveywere called out, but there was not enoughwater in the channel, so the smallerLife-boat, Arab, was launched and wentdown the channel under oars. She hadto cross the dangerous Ketch Bank,and this put her beam on to a nastybreaking sea, but she passed safelythrough it, anchored to windward ofthe steamer, and veered down to her.There she lay alongside, while the

steamer's crew jumped aboard her. Theoperation called for great skill, and theLife-boat was admirably handled byCoxswain W. J. Baker. The returnjourney, with the laden Life-boat, wasvery dangerous, and it was only by theskilful seamanship of the Coxswain andthe good work of the Crew at the oarsthat the Ketch Bank was crossed asecond time in safety. It added con-siderably to the merit of the rescue thatof the thirteen men who manned theLife-boat, seven had not been out onservice before.

The Institution awarded its BronzeMedal to Coxswain Baker and itsThanks inscribed on Vellum to eachmember of the Crew. They also receivedadditional monetary awards.

Bronze Medal for a Shore-boat Service.THE Bronze Medal has been awarded toThomas Boyle, of Seafield, Quilty, Co.Clare, and its Thanks inscribed on Vellumto two other men for their gallantry inrescuing three men who had lost theirboat and were marooned on MuttonIsland, about a mile from the main land.The three men went out on the evening of8th February in a small canoe to collectseaweed on the island. All the food whichthey had with them was one loaf of bread,as they intended to return the followingmorning, but a gale sprang up with avery high sea, and it was impossible forthem to cross to the mainland. Theywere without food or fire, and their onlyshelter was an old ruin. When they had

been there two days the gale increasedand their canoe was washed away andfinally driven ashore at Seafield, a com-plete wreck.

The following morning Thomas Boyleand the other two men set out to theirrescue in a canvas canoe. The gale wasstill blowing ; the seas were running veryhigh ; and the three rescuers were ingreat danger of losing their own lives.They reached the island, and gettingunder its lee, succeeded in taking offthe three men who had then been with-out food for fifty hours. When theyreached the main land again, the canoewas thrown up on the rocks, and badlydamaged, but the six men got ashore.

c 3


Life-boat Day in London.

The Prince of Wales's Tour of the Depots.

LAST year the Prince of Wales, as Presi-dent of the Institution, issued a specialappeal through the Press, for a generousresponse. This year he took a stillmore intimate part in the Day byvisiting a number of depots, and per-sonally thanking the collectors. Hespent the greater part of the afternoongoing round, accompanied by Sir GodfreyBaring, Bt., Chairman of the Committeeof Management and Mr. George F.Shee, M.A., Secretary of the Institution.He visited the depots at several of theWest End hotels, in Trafalgar Square, andat the Mansion House. He then crossedthe Thames and visited depots in Ber-mondsey, SoutKwaik and Brixton, at allof which Life-boats were stationed. Atboth Southwark and Brixton he had teawith the Mayor and Mayoress, who hadpersonally organised the Day in theirown boroughs. At a number of thedepots the Prince bought flags until,as he said, he began to feel like aChristmas tree.

Help of Mayors and Mayoresses.

In the City the Lady Mayoress, whois a member of the Central LondonWomen's Committee of the Ladies'Life-boat Guild, in Westminster, theMayor and Mayoress (who is also a mem-ber of the Women's Committee) and inthe majority of the other boroughs, theMayor or Mayoress—and in some casesboth—also gave their personal help inorganising the appeal.

The Day took place on the 27thMarch, the day before the AnnualMeeting. This early date was chosen asan experiment, in order to avoid thecompetition of the many street-appealswhich are made from the beginning ofMay onwards. It was an experimentabout the success of which many ofthose concerned had serious misgivings,and these misgivings have been justifiedby the result. The weather was whatwas to be expected in March, cold, withheavy rain during the afternoon. The

weather seriously affected the generousefforts of the Life-boat workers who, inspite of it, carried out the appeal, andthe fixing of the Day for such an earlydate undoubtedly prevented many from -collecting who would otherwise havedone so. As a result of this choice of anearly date, and of the bad weatherexperienced, the amount collected—£3,995—is £444 less than last year.

The Spirit of the Day.

The spirit in which, in spite of the badweather, the appeal was made andresponded to by the public is shownby the fact that only one case wasreported of anyone being annoyed byit, and in that case the protester—awell-dressed woman—crossed the roadin order to tell a collector that " flagsellers were a nuisance." Anotherperson also expressed indignation—anewspaper seller in Leicester Square—but he was indignant because he hadnot been asked to give. i

There are, in fact, none so poor that !they are not ready to give. Among thecontributions were pennies from an oldman who was scavenging in CoventGarden, and an old woman who wasselling matches, while a sailor gave acollector " his last lucky farthing."Another old man, who put in half acrown, told the collector that he hadpassed a dozen others who had not asked Ihim because '' he supposed he looked jtoo poor." <

Even the bad weather had its humour, !and one man who put his contributioninto the Life-boat collecting box in themiddle of a heavy fall of rain, said" If this weather goes on I shall askfor one."

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat-racetook place on the following Saturday, jNo doubt this was why one eagercollector, an Irish-woman, began bysaying, " Will you help the boat-race ? "and hurriedly corrected this to " I mean,will you buy a Life-boat ? "


LONDON LIFE-BOAT DAY.

Ey permission of}JUST IN TIME!

[Fa* I'holm.

A DIGNIFIED GIVER.Press.


The Prince of Wales's Opinion of Life-boat Days."Every Town Ought to Have a Flag-Day for the Life-boats."

THE Secretary of the Institution hadthe honour of accompanying the Princeof Wales during part of his tour of thedepots on London Life-boat Day. HisEoyal Highness asked questions aboutevery aspect of the Institution's work,technical, financial and administrative.He showed the keenest interest in hear-ing about the sources of the Institution's

revenue, and its methods of appeal.On this point he said, with great em-phasis, " Every town ought to have aflag-day for the Life-boat Service."

We feel sure that all Life-boatworkers will be glad to know this ex-pression of our President's opinion, andwill be able to make good use of it inorganising their appeals.

Life-boat Essay Competition, 1927.Presentation of Prizes in the London District.

AT the Caxton Hall, Westminster, onFriday, 20th April, the Mayor of West-minster (Mr. Jacques Abady) presidedat the presentation of the prizes won inthe Life-boat Essay Competition inLondon (consisting of schools in theLondon County Council area) in 1927.The presentations were made by theEight Hon. Lord Eustace Percy, M.P.,President of the Board of Education.

Supporting the Mayor on the platformwere the Mayoress of Westminster, SirGodfrey Baring, Bt. (Chairman of theCommittee of Management of the Insti-tution), the Hon. George Colville (De-puty Chairman of the Committee ofManagement), Mr. Shapurji Saklatvala,(M.P. for North Battersea), the LadyFlorence Pery (Deputy Chairman of theCentral London Women's Committee),and Mr. George F. Shee, M. A. (Secretaryof the Institution). In the middle of themeeting, Mr. Arthur Cranmer, the well-known baritone, sang five sea-songs,which were very much enjoyed by theaudience.

In opening the proceedings the Mayor ofWestminster said : It gives me very greatpleasure to be here this afternoon to directyour attention to the real business of themeeting, which is to call upon the Right Hon.Lord Eustace Percy, M.P., President of theBoard of Education, to present the ChallengeShield and the Certificates to the successfulcompetitors in London in the Life-boat EssayCompetition organised by the Royal NationalLife-boat Institution in 1927.

As you know, for this competition the countryis divided into six different districts. London

is one of them, and I think about 215 Londonschools competed last year, which is a satis-factory increase on the previous year. Youwill be pleased to know that the winner of theChallenge Shield is Christopher Street, of theBattersea Central School for Boys. We areall proud of any boy or girl who is successfulin such a searching competition as this is, andI am certain that those who are interested inthe particular borough he comes from, namely,Battersea, will be as proud, even prouder thanwe are.

We are grateful to Lord Eustace Percy forsparing us the time, which must be veryprecious to him as President of the Board ofEducation, one of the most important Govern-ment Departments, to come here; and inintroducing him I feel that I should say howclose is the connexion between the Institutionand his family, and how much the success ofthis wonderful Institution is due to it. Asyou are doubtless aware, this Essay Com-petition was founded by Lord Eustace Percy'sfather in 1918, when he was President of theInstitution. He was the third Duke ofNorthumberland to hold this high office, nowheld by the Prince of Wales. It was on thecoast of Northumberland that the first Life-boat Station was established, and it was thescene of the glorious exploit of that national,I might say world-renowned, heroine, GraceDarling, which will never be forgotten by boysand girls. (Applause.)

Lord Eustace Percy.After presenting the shield and other

prizes, Lord Eustace Percy said : The Mayorhas said that this was the main business ofthe afternoon, but I do not think that myaddress is at all the main business of the after-noon. I fancy that the one thought in theminds of the audience will be," how soon arewe going to get on to the Sea Songs ? " I shallnot detain you very long.

One of the difficulties in speaking about theRoyal National Life-boat Institution is that


its importance is so fully realised in thecountry, and it already has such a great name,that it is impossible to find anything new tosay about it. But I think it is worth while,even at the cost of repetition, to remind our-selves of what the situation really is. Themaintenance of the whole organization of Life-boat work round our coasts is in the hands ofthis Institution and is supported out of volun-tary funds. It is voluntary funds, voluntarywork and voluntary heroism which carries onthe whole of this great national enterprise.(Applause.)

The fact that we leave it in the hands of avoluntary organization, and that we are notonly content to leave it there, but that we are,I fancy, determined that it shall remain there,shows more than any other fact what is, Ithink, the main strength of this country, thetremendous power and efficiency of voluntaryorganization.

But there is the danger that the very suc-cess of this Institution will make people feelthat, after all, the work will go on, that thereis no danger of the work decreasing in effi-ciency, that there is no danger of it lackingmoney, and that, therefore, we can sleepquietly in our beds and leave the Institution tocarry on without our help. In fact, of course,this Institution always needs money andalways needs workers. However efficient itsorganization may be, it can always be im-proved, and it is only if the public consistently

j and continuously support it that we can main-j tain a Life-boat Service which is really worthy] of the nation and of the men who risk their

lives in life-saving round our coasts.We sitting here in this hall owe a duty to

the nation and to those whose lives maydepend upon our Life-boat Service at anymoment of the year, but we also owe perhapsa special duty to the men who man the Life-boats themselves. They have the hardestpart of the job. They have the dangerousand most responsible part of the job, and yetthey can only carry out their job if they arecontinually supported by us on whom falls,and ought to fall, the main work of providingthe funds of the voluntary organization.(Applause.)

It is because of these facts that the Life-boatEssay Competition in our schools is so valuableand so important. These are days when avery large number of people are anxious to useour school organization for pushing variousgood causes, and I have sometimes thoughtthat there was a little danger that our schoolsmight become so much the channels of propa-ganda, using propaganda in no bad sense—the channels for spreading information onvarious matters—that our school work mightbe affected. But this Essay Competition isnot of that nature. It is a competition of athoroughly educational kind. Every teacher,I am sure, wants to have his school competingin this competition, not merely because of thedesirability and the necessity of awakeninginterest in the Life-boat Service, but becauseof the purely educational value of an EssayCompetition of this kind. It is of immense

importance that children in our schoolsshould realize, through a competition of thiskind, what responsibilities rest upon thepeople of this country in the way of voluntaryorganization and voluntary work.

These are days when boys and girls in ourschools might be excused if they grew up witha kind of idea that the State and the LocalAuthority could be relied upon to provide allthings that were necessary to salvation ; thatthe State which provides the schools, or atany rate maintains them, can be relied uponto perform all the work of organization whicha nation needs. Because of that temptation,it is of immense importance that they shouldbe brought, through a competition of thiskind, to realize that this is not the case, thatsome of the most essential functions of ournational life depend entirely upon volunteerwork and volunteer organization and volunteerfunds.

It is also of immense importance that theyshould realize, through that fact, that eventhose things which appear to be in the handsof that vague abstraction called the Statereally depend upon ourselves, upon theindividual work and initiative of the individualcitizen. That is the value of a competition ofthis kind.

Finally, it is my pleasant duty to congratu-late all those who have succeeded in winningCertificates, and, above all, ChristopherStreet, who has won the Challenge Shield;to congratulate the schools and the teachersin those schools on that result, and also tocongratulate all those schools and those boysand girls who have entered for the Competition,and by entering for it, even though unsuccess-ful, have shown their interest and their keen-ness. (Applause.) I congratulate them all,and I hope that the Institution's next EssayCompetition will meet with an ever greaterresponse than the last one. In this last one Ithink nearly 1,500 schools in Great Britainand Ireland competed. I hope that manymore will compete next time, and I wish theschools and the Institution the greatest ofsuccess in this Competition and the generalwork of the Institution. (Loud Applause.)

Mr. Arthur Cranmer then sang " Sea Fever,"" Shenandoah," " The Old Superb," " RollingDown to Rio " and " Hearts of Oak," theaudience being asked to join in the choruses of" Shenandoah " and " Hearts of Oak."

Sir Godfrey Baring.Sir Godfrey Baring proposed a vote of thanks

to Lord Eustace Percy and the Mayor. Indoing so he referred to the " endless actsof kindness, support and general encourage-ment which for generations past the Institu-tion has received from Lord Eustace Percy'sfamily." He referred also to the support andencouragement which for many years theInstitution had received from the Mayors ofWestminster.

Mr. Shapurji Saklatvala, MJ>.Mr Saklatvala seconded the vote of thanks,

and in the course of his speech he said : There


are certain human instincts and certain humanqualities which we all admire and to which weall pay respect, irrespective of all differencesof opinion in matters of politics or anythinglike that. (Applause.)

The one great quality which, from timesimmemorial, human beings have all admiredis physical courage. The other great qualitywhich we all revere is the application ofphysical courage for an entirely selfless pur-pose in the succour of those who are in trouble.This Institution maintains essentially thosetwo qualities, the spirit of courage and thespirit of help to those who are in the need ofhelp regardless of the consequences that maycome to those brave men who go out to help.There is another element associated with thisafternoon's function which is also one of thegeneral qualities in human life—the spirit ofyouth. There is no doubt about it that amovement like the Life-boat Institutiondepends much on the rashness, I might say,and the fearlessness of youth, and we are gladto see that to-day's function brings to thesurface those boys and girls who from theiryouth show an appreciation of the qualitiesthat are needed by them in after life.(Applause.)

I entirely agree that this Institution mustbe voluntary. It would be impossible to have aBoard or a Minister of the State ordering life-rescues. Here a voluntary spirit and voluntarywork is absolutely essential. But I do not seewhy the State cannot be as much a volunteerin contributing funds as any other man orwoman. The State must realize that ifcitizens did not do this work voluntarily theState would have to do it. But because citizensare doing the work voluntarily it does notmean that the State should escape its obliga-tion to pay, and my suggestion is, not that theLife-boat Institution should be transformed

into one of the Departments of any of theMinisters—not even Lord Eustace Percy's—but that it should receive a voluntary contri-bution, and a substantial one, worthy of aState which has a revenue of hundreds ofmillions of pounds. We trust that in returnfor our Vote of Thanks, Lord Eustace Percywill go to the Cabinet and demand a grant forthis Institution. (Laughter and Applause.)

In returning thanks Lord Eustace Percysaid: It is a very attractive suggestion thatyou should have a large grant from the Stateto be spent entirely and wholly at your dis-cretion. I have never heard of a Governmentgrant which started off quite as generously asthat, but I have heard of Government grantsthat started off nearly as generously, and thehistory of all those grants is the same. Thestring tied to the grant, however tenuous andfairy-like a thread it is to start with, getsthicker and thicker and thicker, until the onlything that can be compared with it is the cableof an anchor, which effectually prevents theship from moving at all unless the State is kindenough to let the anchor up. There arevery few principles to which I still adhere(laughter), but one for which I do feel acertain affection is the constitutional prin-ciple of no taxation without representation,and I am afraid the Life-boat Institution isnot likely to get a Government grant withouta representative of the tax-payer very nearlyin control. No doubt Mr. Saklatvala willhave other occasions when he can urge thispolicy, and we will meet and continue thedebate on another occasion. (Laughter.)

The Mayor of Westminster also expressedhis thanks, and announced that a smallLife-boat gift would be handed to each boyand girl on leaving the hall. He then called onMr. Cranmer to lead the singing of theNational Anthem.

Duke of Northumberland's Prize Life-boat EssayCompetition, 1928.

THE subject set for the eighth Life-boat Essay Competition in ElementarySchools was " Describe the kind of manthat a good Life-boatman should be."

The number of schools taking partwas 1919, an increase on last year of427. The most gratifying feature of thecompetition was the great increase inthe number of competing schools fromthe South of England. The South wasfirst last year with 390. This year it isagain first—with 728. The North ofEngland is again second, although thenumber has fallen from 381 to 371 ;London again third with 250, as com-pared with 215, and the Midlands which

was fourth last year with 204, ties forthird place this year with 250. InScotland 144 schools competed, oneless than last year. In Ireland thenumber rose from 122 to 135, and inWales from 35 to 51.

There are still, strange to say,Education Authorities which refuse togive permission for the competitionto be held, but when the arrange-ments for the 1929 competition arebeing made, we shall hope to bring totheir notice what Lord Eustace Percy,the President of the Board of Education,said, in the speech reported elsewherein this issue about the competition.


He spoke of the fear that schools werebeing used too much for propaganda—using that word in its best sense—andhe made a special exception of the Life-boat Essay Competition. It was, hesaid, purely educational and he was surethat every teacher would want his ownschool to take part in it.

The Winning Essays.

There were no essays of outstandingmerit, and few were poor. The mostnoticeable feature of the competition,in fact, was the evenness of the essays,the great majority reaching about thesame level. This made judging difficult,particularly when it came to selectingthe best of all from among the sixwinners of the Challenge Shields. Inthe end it was decided that thespecial prize for the best essay of allhad been won by Cyril Palmer, of

[ Clint Road Council School, Liverpool,for a well-balanced and well-writtenessay. It is only right to say thatHarold Mills, of Drayton Eoad Boys'School, Portsmouth, was only justbehind him, and the other four winnersof the Challenge Shields were veryclose. Special mention should also bemade of Reginald Disney, of NewKing's Road School, Fulham. He isonly eleven years old, and, with thehandicap given for age, his essay comessecond in the London District. It hadthe merit of saying a good deal in fewwords. Most of the essays, in fact,were simply written, and no doubt theabsence of rhetorical flourishes was dueto the fact that the subject gave everywriter plenty to say.

The Phrases of the Year.

The phrase of the year comes froma London essayist, " The sea is calledthe Briton's Birthright, but it oftenproves to be his grave." AnotherLondon essayist gives, as a good mottofor a Life-boatman, " God first, otherpeople second, self last." Yet anotherwho wrote " The Life-boatman's know-ledge must be serene," deserves to bespecially mentioned for that excellentchoice of epithet, and there is somethingdelightfully sturdy and stiff about" unquoncerable."

The Qualities of the Life-boatman.

One essayist wrote that the Life-boatman " must be perfect, both men-tally and physically, and also have thedexterity of an athlete." After thatthere does not seem much more to besaid; but even those essayists who didnot ask for perfection set a very highstandard. Strict temperance was de-manded by a large number of the com-petitors. Others, again, touched on thequestion of diet, and the laws of healthgenerally, pointing out the Life-boat-man's need for regular and simple meals,no drinking between them, plenty ofexercise, and houses in which, as oneessayist wrote, " there should be plentyof fresh air and as much sunlight as theclimate we enjoy (or have to put upwith) admits."

The question of diet brings usnaturally to the question of physique.Should the Life-boatman be a heavy-weight ? On the whole, the children ofthe British Isles think that he should be.As one writes, " He must be very heavyand healthy to keep his place in theBoat." Another describes the " averageLife-boatman " as " an old bunch ofbone and muscle " ; another says thathe is usually " very fat." Others againare for the happy mean. One writesthat he must have " a cool, steadyhead on a pair of sturdy shoulders. Heneed not be a heavy junk, but a middleweight." Another gives excellentreasons for a moderate figure: "ALife-boatman must not be too fat andnot too thin ; too much flesh is a burden,and his weight would smash fragilethings if he trod on them; but a littleflesh helps to keep him warm on a coldnight."

It must not be thought that thecompetitors have discussed the physicalto the neglect of the moral and spiritualside of the Life-boatman. A fairbalance is kept between the two. Whatis most noticeable is the number ofwriters who have felt that the ability toturn out in the middle of the night isthe best proof of the courage, goodhealth and unselfishness of the Life-boatman.

As one writer excellently puts it: "ALife-boatman should always be pre-


pared to give his beauty sleep forothers." But it is not sufficient thathe should get up. " He must not beawkward with those who have calledhim." A lot seems to lie behind thatadjective.

To be cheerful and good tempered," and have a jolly face," is, in theopinion of several competitors, essential," In his weather-beaten face you shouldfind a smile which brave men alwayspossess."

Should a Life-boatman be a MarriedMan?

THAT is a question which has exercisedthe thought of a number of the writers.Some are quite certain that he should bea bachelor. " Among little things alife-boatman should not have are wivesor a child." Others are equally con-vinced that a wife is an advantage tohim, but she must be " a cheery wife,not one who moans and groans, as itmakes him miserable." Another goesso far as to say that " a good wife is themost important of all the qualifications,"but you would never guess why:" Because she can make hot tea for therescued."

Other Quaint Phrases.Here are some more quaint and original

reflections on the character of the Life-boatman :—

" A Life-boatman should not grumble,for the harder his life is, the brighterwill sparkle his crown in heaven."

" Before the Life-boat Service wasestablished millions of people yearlywent to a watery grave, unknelled, un-coffined and unknown."

" The Life-boatman should never bebrutal to his wife and children, but hehimself will get knocked about plentyof times whilst at sea."

" A Life-boatman is a monstrousspecimen of humanity and therefore hasno difficulty in passing the doctor andbecoming a trained member of thecrew."

" The Life-boatmen are mostly drawnfrom the fishing population, not somegrandly dressed fops."

" No person knows how dear life isuntil it is lost." This does not comefrom Ireland, by the way.

" For men must work and womenmust weep, and these gallant men doall this for nothing."

" Their hard, brown and horny handshave been set to tasks that the verythought of which would have made araw ' land-lubber ' quail."

" A Life-boatman should be a sea-dogto his last hair."

" The sea and all its vicissitudes mustbe as familiar to him as the kitchen is tothe cook."

" He must not be selfish and grab thebest seats."

" He must know the front of the boatfrom the back."

" Life-boatmen have very red facesand red noses because they get the verybest fresh air."

" A Life-boatman must be a tall manand have the courage of a lion whencaught in a pinch."

" He must have good teeth. Whatuse would a Life-boatman be withtoothache ? "

" He must be strong and muscular,possess great courage, a spirit of self-sacrifice and a waterproof hat."

" Courage and wit are anothertwo official things which must be in aLife-boatman's spirit."

The Winning Schools.

The Clint Road Council School,Liverpool, deserves double congratula-tions. It is the first school in Liverpoolto win the Challenge Shield for theNorth of England, and it is the firstschool in the North of England to winthe special prize for the best essay of all.

For the fourth year running theChallenge Shields have been won byschools which have not previously heldthem. In the South of England, how-ever, it has been won for the secondyear in succession by a Portsmouthschool. In the first two years of theCompetition it was won by a Southseaschool, and this record of Portsmouthand Southsea of winning a Shield infour out of the eight competitions isunequalled by any other town. Turningto counties, Staffordshire in the Mid-lands, and Hampshire in the South,have won the Shield five out of eighttimes. No other county can equal that


record, and in this year's list it will beseen that the first three names in theMidlands are from Staffordshire schools,and that the runner-up is a girl fromthe same Burslem school as the boywho has won the Shield. It will beseen too that several towns have threeprize-winners, while there are no fewerthan six Bristol schools in the Midlandslist.

Below is the list of successful com-petitors, and the essay by Cyril Palmer.He will receive a copy of the fiveguinea edition of Britain's Lifeboats,by Major A. J. Dawson, signed by thePrince of Wales, and a certificate.Each of the other five who head thelists for the districts will receive a copyof the ordinary edition of Britain'sLifeboats and a certificate. The re-

maining 202 boys and girls in the listswill each be presented with a certificate.The name of the winner in each dis-trict will be inscribed on the DistrictChallenge Shield, and the school willhold the Shield for a year. Each ofthese six schools will also receive, asa permanent record of its success, acopy of the certificate awarded to thepupil. If a shield is won three yearsrunning by the same school it becomesthe school's property.

The particulars of the next competi-tion will be sent out at the beginningof 1929, and we hope once again to havethe interest and support of the Educa-tion Authority and the teachers, forwhose invaluable help in this year'scompetition the Institution is mostgrateful.

List of Successes in the Essay Competition.

LONDON DISTRICT (County Council Area).

Xame.

Ethel Gill . .

Reginald DisneyAlma Peters .Martha BassfordWilma de la CourGeorge Daly . . . .Henry Finch .Stella McNab . . .Margaret Lawrance .

Teresa Cooper . . . .Ronald Thomas . . . .

Joan SideyMarjorie Cowen . . . .

William Perry . . . .Phyllis Wheeler . . . .Phyllis Grover . . . .

Harriet Harris . . . .Charlotte Boyce . . . .Frank Kahn .Stephen Ballard . . . .Fred Chapman . . . .Alice Harsant . . . .Sidney Usher . . . .Reginald W. M. GwynneMary Gillingham . . . .Beatrice ManzkeThomas Little . . . .Walter Offord . . . .

Age.

14

1114121414141314

1314

1011

141314

1299

131313141113141410

School.

Alexandra Orphanage, Maitland Park, Haverstock Hill,N.W. 3.

New King's Road School, Fulham, S.W. 6.Wix's Lane School, Clapham, S.W. 4.Roman Road Girls' School, Bow, E. 3.Kennington Road Girls' School, S.E. 11.Droop Street Boys' School, Paddington, W. 10.Gateforth Street Boys' School, Marylebone, N.W. 8.St. Mary's Girls' School, Hide Place, S.W. 1.Alexandra Orphanage, Maitland Park, Haverstock Hill,

N.W. 3.Hackford Road Girls' School, Brixton, S.W. 9.Stockwell Church of England School, Lingham Street,

S.W.Wix's Lane School, Clapham, S.W. 4.St. Mary Bolton's School, Gilston Road, Kensington,

S.W. 10.Fairfield Road Boys' School, Bow, E. 3.Gipsy Road Girls' School, West Norwood, S.E. 27.Sydenham Hill Road Girls' School, Rowland Grove,

Sydenham.All Saints' School, East Street, Walworth, S.E. 17.Portman Place Junior Mixed School, Bethnal Green, E. 2.Portman Place Junior Mixed School, Bethnal Green, E.2.Hoxton House Boys' School, Hoxton Street, N. 1.Droop Street Boys' School, Paddington, W. 10.Monteith Road Girls' School, Bow, E. 3.Monteith Road Boys' School, Bow, E. 3.Athelney Street Boys' School, Bellingham, S.E. 6.Bath Street Girls' School, St. Luke's B.C. 1.Bartram's School, 238, Haverstock Hill, N.W. 3.Battersea Park Road Boys' School, Forfar Road, S.W.ll.Kentish Town Church of England School, Islip Street,

N.W. 5.

74 THE LIFEBOAT. [MAY, 1928.LIST OF SUCCESSES— LONDON DISTRICT (County Council Area)— continued.

Name. : Age. i School.

Doris Walker . . . . 13 Credon Road Girls' School, Rotherhithe New Road,S.E. 16.

Josephine Thompson . . 9 Chester Road Girls' School, Highgate, N. 19.Annie Roberts . . . . 10 Dempsey Street Girls' School, Mile End. E. 1.Reginald Cooth . . . . : 11 Ashington Road Roman Catholic School, Fulham, S.W. 6.William Shanley . . . 11 Fair Street Boys' School, Rotherhithe, S.E. 1.Leonora Smith . . . . 11 The Michael Faraday Girls' School, South wark, S.E. 17. jDorothy Muhlethaler . . 14 : Gipsy Road Girls' School, West Norwood, S.E. 27. j

NORTH OF ENGLAND.

Name.

"Cyril Palmer . . . .Henry Birmingham .

Myles Carrigan . . . .Orry QuineEdith Potter . . . .

Frederick Cole . . . .Mary Griffith . . . .William Ashworth .Ernest Ellams . . . .Elizabeth ArcherGladys Ibbotson

Janey Williams . . . .Edith Bennett . . . .Jacob Musaphia . . . .

Clara Bell

Olive Tillston . . . .Robert W. Wilson . . .George Turner . . . .William Butler . . . .

Robert Henry Carine

Doreen Yates . . . .Violet Bell . . . .

Nancy Griffiths . . . .Sophie Morley . . . .

Hilda Dickinson . . . .Jessie Edith RadfordMarjorie Slee . . . .F CaruanaCharles Holroyd

* 1

Age.

131313131312

101413111413

131413

13131314131312

1413

1313

1412131212141414

'he best

School.

Clint Road Council School, Liverpool.St. John's Roman Catholic Boys' School, Salford.Gladstone Road Girls' School, Scarborough. !Sacred Heart School, Chorley, Lancashire.Demesne Road Boys' School, Douglas, Isle of Man.St. Mary's Girls' School, Everton Valley, Kirkdale,

Liverpool.New Seaham Council School, County Durham.Belsay Council School, Newcastle-on-Tyne.Fulwell Council Boys' School, Suuderland.Walton Church of England School, Liverpool.Greenside Council School, Ryton-on-Tyne.Bradfield Dungworth Church of England School, near

Sheffield.Council School, Wilmslow, Cheshire.Central Girls' School, Macclesfield, Cheshire.Marlborough Road Boys' School, Higher Broughton,

Salford.Redheugh Girls' School, Gateshead, Durham.Sugley Church of England School, Lemington-on-Tyne.Allerton Council School, Woodlesford, near Leeds." The Parade " Central School, Holylake, Cheshire.Kirkwhelpington Council School, Newcastle-on-Tyne.St. Vincent's School, Fulwood,- near Preston.Crank Hill Church of England School, Rainford, St.

Helens, Lancashire.Rushen Central School, Port St. Mary, Isle of Man." Our Lady's " Girls' School, Cavendish Street, Birken-

head.Central School, Kendal, Westmorland.St. Mary's Church of England School, Ellison Street,

Gateshead, Durham.Hunter Street Central School for Girls, Chester.Selby Abbey School, Selby, Yorkshire.St. Werburgh's School, Birkenhead, Cheshire.Carr Lane School, Low Moor, Bradford. jRoundthorn Council School, Oldham. iWatermillock School, near Penrith.St. Bede's Roman Catholic Boys' School, South Shields.Claughton Higher Grade School, Birkenhead.

essay in Great Britain and Ireland.

MIDLANDS.

Name. Age. School.

M a y Walkaden . . . .Sydney Barber . . . .

13 St. Paul's School, Dale Hall, Burslem, Staffordshire.13 ' St. Paul's School, Dale Hall, Burslem, Staffordshire.14 Grove Senior School, Hanley, Staffordshire.


LIST OF SUCCESSES— MIDLANDS — continued.

Name.

Lilian Bradshaw

William A. Tinkler . . .

Arthur Bettel . . . .Douglas Hemmings .Fred Shattock . . . .Harold Smith . . . .Alec McEwen . . . .

Albert Colley . . . .Harry A. Barker

Arthur Baker . . . .Frances J. Collison .Frederick Collett . . . .Douglas Howsley

Edna MoCollElsie BrooksKathleen Dewey

Irene Barlow . . . .Reginald F. LangleyJoseph Jesney . . . .Samuel J . Pitt . . . .Evelyn Clarke . . . .

Joyce Rosoman . . . .Evelyn Seaman . . . .

Jack Hunt

Wilfred Fell

Kathleen Vickera

Age.

14

13

1411131313

1413

1411

149

1313

141313131414131413

1313

1312121314

13

SO

School.

Bridge Street Council Girls' School, Redditch, Wor-cestershire.

Church of England Mixed School, Frisby-on-the-Wreake.Leicester.

St. Nicholas with St. Leonard's Mixed School, Bristol.Lansdowne Road Council School, Leicester.Mina Road Boys' School, Bristol.Council School, Ripley, Derbyshire.Longport Council School (Mixed Department), Burslem,

Staffordshire.St. Silas Boys' School, Bristol.Woodhouse Council Mixed School, Longton, Stoke-on-

Trent.York Street Girls' School, Hanley, Staffordshire.Breadsall Church of England School, Breadsall, Derby-

shire.Windmill Hill Senior Boys' School, Bedminster, Bristol.Ingoldmells School, near Skegness, Lincolnshire.Dudley Road Council School, Birmingham.Tansley Church of England Schools, near Matlock,

Derbyshire.Redcliffe Girls' School, Bristol.Chell Girls' School, Stoke-on-Trent.Bardon Hill Church of England School, Leicester.Bardon Hill Church of England School, Leicester.Etruria Council School, Stoke-on-Trent.Parson Street Senior Mixed School, Bedminster, Bristol.Withern Church of England School, Alford, Lincolnshire.Boys' Central School, Bilston, Staffordshire.Chilvers Coton Council Girls' School, Fitton Street,

Nuneaton, Warwickshire.St. Paul's School, Mount Pleasant, Stoke-on-Trent.Eastwood Vale Council Girls' School, Hanley, Stafford-

shire.Florence Mixed Council School, Longton, Staffordshire.St. Mary's Roman Catholic School, Glossop, Derbyshire.Eubery Council School, Birmingham.Florence Council Mixed School, Lougton, Staffordshire.Higher Council School, Church Drive, Arnold, Notting-

hamshire.Rubery Council School, Birmingham.

UTH OF ENGLAND.

Name. Age. School.

Harold Mills •Mollie Filer . . .Kathleen Ledbury .May Stevens .Alice Croucher . . . .Sidney Horton . . . .Louis Borrill .I a n A . McEwan . . . .Simeon Ridley . . . .Marjorie Welch . . . .Harry Parker

Henry L. FowellPatricia HarrisonRichard Barnes . . . .

Patricia Derrick . . . .

1313131412121414141414131414131414

Drayton Road Boys' School, Portsmouth.Coleford Council School, Coleford, Bath.St. John's Girls' School, Frome, Somerset.Church Street Girls' School, Portsmouth.Ludlow Road Girls' School, Itchen, Southampton.Hollesley Council School, Woodbridge, Suffolk.Downsell Road Boys' School, Stratford, E. 15.Christchurch Road Boys' School, Ilford, Essex.Glanville Street Central School, Plymouth.Downshall School, Seven Kings, Essex.Boys' Central School, Margate, Kent.Ashley Green School, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.Carclaze Mixed School, St. Austell, Cornwall.Stamshaw Girls' School, Portsmouth.Shinfield Church of England School, Reading.Stock Street Girls' School, PJaistow, E. 13.Padstow Council Girls' School, Padstow, Cornwall.

76

LIST OF SUCCESSES— SO

Name.

Spencer G. Worley .

Joan Pennells . . . .Constance BrownGeorge H. Southam .

Alfred Bates . . . .Charles CookJames Tolman . . . .Irene Windsor . . . .

William Mitchell . . .Edith L. Tredger . . .Iris DavyViolet ChessmanViolet Foskett . . . .Edna Foster . . . .Sidney Arnold . . . .Ivy ChissimMark North

John W . Stone . . . .

I

Name.

Helen F. F. Scott • • •Jane McCallum . . . .Winifred Hamilton .William ThomsonCatherine MoKinnonGeorge Boath . . . .Catherine Warren

Cathie Crawford . . . .Margaret Maxwell .Charles P. Menzies .

Letitia McGurk . . . .Agnes D. W. Russell . .Henrietta MaclennanJemima Turner . . . .Catherine CaffreyAlexander Moar . . . .Daniel MacGregor .Jack J . Harper . . . .Edith LogieWilliam DicksonJames Duncan . . . .Jack BossThomas Groundwater .Mary Jean BatterMartin Bruce . . . .Neil GilliesIsabella Noble . . . .Jessie McClintock . ,'Margaret Paterson .Mamie Dickson . . . .Mary Hughson . . . .David Dewar Cameron .Thomas John Anderson .Elizabeth H a y . . . .

TIUTH

Age.

14

101313

14131414

141314131413141414

14

Age.

13131412111314

141414

11131413141213131413131212131213131413 i1314121113

-IE LIFEBOAT. [MAY, i928.OF ENGLAND— continued.

School.

Seer Green Church of England School, Beaconsfield,Buckinghamshire.

Thornhill School, Wye, Kent.Sanderstead Council School, near Croydon, Surrey.Wood Street Boys' School. Wood Street, Walthamstow.

E. 17.Old Windsor School, Berkshire.East Lexham School JCinsr's Lvnn Norfolk.Exeter Road Boys' School, Exmouth, Devonshire.Chamberlayne Wood Road Girls' School, Willesden,

N.W. 10.Raglan Road Boys' Council School, Bromley, Kent.Shirley Girls' School, Bellemoor Road, Southampton.National School Dereham Norfolk.Station Road Girls' School, Egham, Surrey.Lovewell Road Girls' School, S. Lowestoft.Council School Olney Buckinghamshire.St. Andrew's Church School, Croydon, Survey.Goodmaves Girls' School Goodmaves Essex.Rectory Manor Boys' School Mitcham Road Croydon,

Surrey.Council School, Clevedon, Somerset.

SCOTLAND.

School.

Burness Public School, Sanday, Orkney.East Plean Public School, Stirlingshire.Abriachan Public School, Inverness.Sciennea Public School, Edinburgh.Furnace Public School, Argyll.North Fort Street, Edinburgh.Dalchreichart Public School, Dalchreichart, Glenmoris-

ton, Inverness-shire.Auchtergaven Public School, Bankfoot, Perthshire.Uphall Public School, West Lothian.Tynecastle Intermediate School, Macleod Street, Edin-

burgh.Roman Catholic School, Carfin, Lanarkshire.Lamington Public School, Lanarkshire.Altaudhu Public School, Achiltibuie, Garve, Ross-shire.Yetholm School, Roxburghshire.West End School, Mayne Road, Elgin.Skeld Public School, Shetland.Public School, Kinlochleven, Argyllshire.Sullom Public School, Lerwick, Shetland.East End School, Elgin, Morayshire.Rendall Public School, Orkney.Cluny Public School, By Sauchen, Aberdeenshire.Kiltearn Public School, Evanton, Ross-shire.South Walls Public School, Longhope, Orkney.Ollaberry Mixed Public School, Lerwick, Shetland.Burnhaven'Public School, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.St. Andrew's School, Rothesay, Bute.Highland Orphanage, Inverness.Knock Public School, Portwilliam, Wigtownshire.St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Girls' School, Dundee.Duthil Public School, Carr-Bridge, Inverness-shire.Firth Public School, Moss Bank, Lerwick, Shetland.Doune Public School, Doune, Perthshire.Laxfirth Public School, Brettabister, Shetland.Calderbank Primary School, Calderbank, Airdrie,

Lanarkshire.


LIST OF SUCCESSES—continued.IRELAND AND WALES.*

Name.

Maureen Clenagan .John Henry Cousins .Maureen MorrisonThomas J. BriodyDouglas Brown . . . .

Haydn Ludlow . . . .Richard Young . . . .

Norman Quinn . . . .Daniel J. MeaneyMary Davison . . . .

John J . Dooley . . . .Georgina Lester . . . .James R. Da vies.

Edward Flanagan

Betty OrielViolet FordeMajorie Higdon . . . .

Anna Elliott

Edmund Husbands .

Kathleen V. Eccleshall . .Lottie McClure . . . .

Mollie Tivenan . . . .

James B . Baker . . . .Norman Kinnear

Mary Scott . ..

Mollie McFetridge

Edward Lake . . . .

Betty Weirman . . . .Jack Mooney . . . .Charlotte Thompson

Gordon Griffiths . . . .

Age.

131414141312131213111412

141313

13

131314

14

14

1413

13141414

14

141214

141314

14

School.

Ballyellough Public Elementary School, Co. Antrim.St. Woolo's Boys' School, Newport, Monmouthshire.The Model School, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry.Clonoose National School, Ballinarry P.O., Co. Cavan.Hall Street National School, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan.Adamsdown Girls' School, Cardiff.Mixed Council School, Tonypandy, Bhondda.Trealaw Boys' School, Trealaw, Rhondda.Classdaugh National School, Newbliss Co. Monaghan.Baden Powell Street Public Elementary School, Belfast.Lacken National School, Kilmihil, Co. Clare.Aughagash Public Elementary School, Glenarm, Co.

Antrim.Cranny Boys' School, Ennis, Co. Clare.Hall Street National School, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan.Abersychan Council Schools, Ahersychan, near Ponty-

pool, Monmouthshire.Grange Public Elementary Boys' School, Kilkeel, Co.

Down.Wood Street Council School, Cardiff.Kilmore National School, Rockcorry, Co. Monaghan.Darner National (Mixed) School, St. Stephen's Green,

Dublin.Whiterock National School, Manorhamilton, Co.

Leitrim.Cockshutt Church of England School, Eliesmere, Shrop-

shire.Hope Church of England School, Minsterley, Shropshire.Rossnowlagh National School, Ballyshannon, Co.

Donegal.Kiltycreighton National School, Boyle, Co. Roscommon.

Shrewsbury Lancasterian School, Shrewsbury.Park Parade Public Elementary School, Ravenhill Road,

Belfast.Park Parade Public Elementary School, Ravenhill Road,

Belfast.Model School, Ballymena, Co. Antrim.Model School, Ballymena, Co. Antrim.The Hon. Irish Society's Boys' School, Coleraine, (Jo.

Londonderry.Lakefield Girls' School, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire.Model School, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry.Carnalbana Public Elementary School, Aughafatten

P.O., Ballymena, Co. Antrim.Mount Street Council School, Mount Street, Brecon .

Herefordshire and Shropshire are included in this area, as they are in the District of theInstitution's Organising Secretary for Ireland and Wales.

The Best Essay.By CYRIL PALMER (aged 13), of Clint Road Council Boys' School, Liverpool.

THE KIND OF MAN THAT AI remember the last gale. My thought:

confess, were of falling slates and chimneys,but to the men in our small fishing towns itmeant watchfulness and standing in readinessto venture forth to help some seafarers in dis-tress. We must remember that the work ofthe Life-boatman is voluntary, for he earns his

GOOD LIFE-BOATMAN SHOULD BE.I living in other ways ; also that the call comes

in the worst of weather, and the work ofrescue often means hours of endurance. Onlya man who possesses the spirit of self-sacrificewould remain ready to answer the call yearafter year.

It is quite possible for a brave man, who is


ready to risk his life, to be useless as a Life-boatman. In the old rowing and sailing Life-boats it was usually a great feat of enduranceto reach the wreck and return. Even in thelastest Motor Life-boat it requires a very hardyman to endure the exposure to cold, rain andsleet that is often necessary. A good Life-boatman needs to have the best of health andstrength. He must not sap his strength bydisobeying any of the laws of health.

The safety of the lives of his mates and thoseon the wreck often depend on his being quick-witted and cool when unexpected dangerlooms ahead. A good Life-boatman, then,would never dull his brain by indulging in in-toxicants. He often has to go out during thenight when good eyesight is essential. Livesmay be saved by his being quick to see andquick to act.

A Life-boatman must possess the " Sea-fever." Otherwise one night's exposure woulddamp his ardour. Fishermen make the bestLife-boatmen because they know the sea, andhaving experienced its wrath and power, theyhave the deepest sympathy for those in peril.

The Life-boatman must be clever in managinga boat in a storm, and do the right thing at theright moment by instinct.

He should be specially fitted for this, hisnoble work. He must be familiar with all life-saving appliances, and always be ready torender first aid, especially artificial respiration.He must be a practised swimmer from boy-hood and be able to stem the raging waveswith lusty strokes.

A good Life-boatman should always try tobe cheerful and so encourage his fellow Life-boatmen when all hope is fading. He must beprepared to command a boat or to carry outorders without protest or argument. Amidstrocks and mountainous waves the lives of thecrew and rescued people often depend on theinstant obedience to the Coxswain's orders.

How proud we ought to feel that there havebeen such splendid men to be found to manthe Life-boats round our five thousand milesof coast and to rescue over sixty thousandlives. They are the finest type of men, unsur-passed in courage, endurance and unselfish-ness.

Special Gifts.From a Boy of Seven.

The following letter, enclosing 3s.,from St. Edmunds, West Mersea, nearColchester, was received by the Hono-rary Secretary at Great Yarmouth andGorleston not long after the service tothe Georgia, in which the Life-boat fromthat Station played a very gallant part:

" Seeing the Life-boat on my summerholiday, and hearing of the brave deedsof the Life-boatmen, I thought I wouldlike to send my pennies to help.—FromJ. Smith, age 1\ years."

In Gratitude for the Service to the"Georgia."

The same service to the Georgiabrought from an Amsterdam merchanta subscription of a guinea, " in orderto show his personal appreciation," anda gift of £6 5s. from the officers and menof the British steamer Oilfield, sentwhen the steamer was lying at NewOrleans, in the United States of America.

Another Children's Gift.The following letter from the Church

of England School, Langton-by-Spilsby,in Lincolnshire, also deserves to bequoted in full:—

" We shall be so happy if you willaccept our small gift of five shillings and

sixpence for the Life-boat fund. Wesay a little prayer every day for thesailormen and we wish them all a very' Merrie Christmas ' and a bright andglad New Year.

" We thought perhaps you mightlike a snapshot of our little school.Will you please accept it with all ourbest wishes for Christmas and the NewYear 1

" God Bless the Life-boat." We beg to remain,

" Your tiny friends,"The Small Pupils of the Church

of England School, Langton-by-Spilsby."

" The snapshot is the idea of thechildren themselves. As a matter offact the whole letter is practicallytheirs ! "

This is the third gift received fromthis school.

From the Chaplain-in-Chief of the R.A.F.Last November the Chaplain-in-Chief

of the Royal Air Force sent a gift ofover £26, which he had collected atparade services.

From the Argyll and SutherlandHighlanders.

A gift of £50 was received at the endof last vear from the 1st Battalion of the


Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders,stationed at Cairo. In 1926 the Bat-talion sent £49, and the year before £45.Each year it heads the list of contribu-tions from the Army. In sending thegift the Adjutant wrote that thegreater part of it came from the menthemselves, and that the battalion hadtwice been shipwrecked. The firsttime was in the Abercrombie Robinson,in 1842, and the second ten yearslater, when the battalion was on boardthe famous Birkenhead, lost off SouthAfrica.

From the Readers of "The Quiver."

Last November the sum of £116 4s. Id.was sent 'by the editor of the Quiverfrom his readers. It was as long agoas 1865 that the Institution receivedthe Quiver's first gift, amounting to£627, with which a Life-boat was built,

being stationed at Margate. Threesimilar gifts were received in thesucceeding years, with the result thatQuiver Life-boats were stationed alsoat Southwold and Queenstown ; whilewith the fourth gift the Margate Life-boat was replaced by a new Boat.

Chocolate for the Life-boats.Messrs. Cadbury, Messrs. Fry, and

Messrs. Rowntree have each sent theInstitution thirty tins of chocolate.These three firms have for a number ofyears supplied, as their contributionto the Service, all the chocolate re-quired by the Life-boats for emergencyrations.

From a Lighthouse.The wife of the Lighthouse-keeper at

Flamborough Head, during last year,collected nearly £33 for the Institu-tion.

Obituary.Miss Letitia French, Honorary Secretary of the Palling Station; Mr. Charles Noden,

of Blackpool.

Miss Letitia French, Honorary Secretary ofthe Palling Station.

BY the death of Miss Letitia French, ofPalling, Suffolk, on 6th April, the In-stitution has lost a most valued helperand one who had the distinction ofhaving been, for a number of years,the only woman Honorary Secretary ofa Station. Miss French succeeded herfather on his death in 1904 at the age ofeighty, but for some time before, duringhis illness which had put an end to allhis activities, she had been HonorarySecretary in fact though not in name.The Institution has maintained a Stationat Palling since 1852, and placed a secondLife-boat there in 1870. Miss French'sfather was Honorary Secretary for 38years, and Miss French herself for 24years, so that between them they werein charge of the Station for 62 out of the76 years of its existence. During the 24years of Miss French's Honorary Secre-taryship the Life-boats were launchedon service 174 times and rescued210 lives. Miss French was presented,in 1915, with an inscribed Barometer,

recording her services and the Institu-tion's gratitude, and previous to thatshe had been given special permissionto wear the Gold Medallion, the equiva-lent of the present Gold Pendant, which,shortly before his death, had been pre-sented to her father in recognition of hislong and distinguished services.

Mr. Charles Noden, of Blackpool.By the death, on 16th April, of Mr.

Charles Noden, of Blackpool, at the ageof 82, the Institution has lost a very warmfriend and devoted worker. He was afirm advocate of the Life-boat Cause,and his cheery personality and ardententhusiasm were a great stimulus to allassociated with the Institution's workin Blackpool. On Life-boat Days, whenthe Blackpool Life-Boat is exhibited onthe Central Beach and thousands ofvisitors inspect her, Mr. Noden wouldtell graphic stories of work done bythe local Crew, and his eloquence re-sulted in showers of coppers beingthrown into the sheets. On one occa-sion, in Talbot Square, when the Salva-


tion Aimy band was accompanyingappropriate hymns on a Sunday evening,and five-minute speeches were deliveredby representative people advocating theInstitution's claims, Mr. Noden suddenlyobserved the representative of the In-stitution wearing a silk hat and invitedthe crowd to throw their money at him.His special pride was in the BlackpoolLife-boat Band, which, as is well known,comprises many members of the local

Crew. Nothing gave Mr. Noden greaterpleasure than to march at the head ofthe Band, his association with it causinghim to be universally known as " Mr.Blackpool." His death leaves the In-stitution the poorer, but the memoryof his personality will always betreasured by the Blackpool Life-boatCrew, the local Committee and allwho had the pleasure of knowinghim.

The Deputy Secretary.We have pleasure in announcing, forthe information of Honorary Secre-taries and other Life-boat workers, thatthe Deputy Secretary of the Institu-

tion, Major C. R. Satterthwaite, O.B.E.,R.E., who is on the Reserve of RegularOfficers, has been promoted to Lieu-tenant-Colonel.

News from the Branches.Presentation of Medals and Other Awards.

GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON.—On 14th March a meeting was held atthe Coliseum, Great Yarmouth, at whichthe Mayor presided, supported by Mr.A. H. Cartwright, Chairman, CouncillorMrs. A. M. Perrett, Sir Francis Vincent,Bt., and Lady Vincent, Chairman of theLadies' Life-boat Guild, Mrs. Cooper,one of the Honorary Secretaries of theGuild, and Mr. C. A. Cooper and Mr.A. D. Snell, Joint Honorary Secretariesof the Branch. The Mayor presentedCoxswain Fleming and the Crew of theMotor Life-boat with the Thanks of theInstitution inscribed on Vellum, whichhad been awarded to them for theirshare in the service to the Georgia on21st and 22nd November last. TheSilver Medal awarded to CoxswainFleming was presented to him later atthe Annual Meeting of the Institution inLondon by the Prince of Wales. CaptainE. 8. Carver, R.D., R.N.R., the DistrictInspector of Life-boats, gave an accountof the service, in which he had taken parton board the Southwold Motor Life-boat, and referred to the great privationssuffered by the Gorleston Crew, whichhad been out for 21 hours at the heightof the gale. Coxswain Fleming wascalled on for a speech and said, " You

know I don't care much about this job.My heart is good, but my tongue is notwilling at speechmaking. I do thankyou one and all for the appreciation youhave shown for us old Life-boatmen andour work. If anything comes alongagain I know we are always ready to doour best."

SOUTHWOLP (SUFFOLK).—A specialmeeting was held on 30th March at theSouthwold Cinema, with the Mayor,Councillor E. A. Allen, presiding, sup-ported by Mr. Gervais Rentoul, M.P. forLowestoft, and a member of the Com-mittee of Management of the Institution,for the purpose of presenting to Cox-swain Frank Upcraft the Thanks of theInstitution inscribed on Vellum whichaccompanied the Bronze Medal awardedto him for the service to the Georgiaon 22nd November. Coxswain Upcrafthad received the medal itself from thePrince of Wales at the Annual Meetingof the Institution two days before.The Vellum was presented by Mr.Rentoul, who congratulated the Cox-swain and his Crew on the splendidshare which they had taken in a remark-able rescue. Major E. R. Cooper, aformer Honorary Secretary of theStation, gave a short history of thelife-saving work which had been carried

O


out by the Life-boatmen of Suffolk, andCaptain E. S. Carver, R.D., R.N.R.,the District Inspector of Life-boats,who went out in the Southwold Boat onthe service to iheGeorgia, gaveanaccountof the service. He spoke in high praiseof the Crew who had gone out at mid-day, many of them leaving withouthaving a meal, and for 13 hours werebattling with the seas in bitterly coldweather.

Annual Meetings: Station Branches.BLACKPOOL.—On 26th March, Mr.

C. H. Turver, Chairman, presiding,supported by the Mayoress (Mrs. Lumb).The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £431had been collected, as compared with£502 in the previous year. CouncillorC. E. Tatham, the Honorary Secretary,thanked the Mayor and Mayoress forthe hearty help and goodwill which theyhad given to the Life-boat Crew, andMr. Turver thanked the Ladies' Life-boat Guild for their work.

BLYTH (NORTHUMBERLAND).—On 14thJanuary, Alderman G. E. Tynemouth,Chairman, presiding. The report forthe year ending 30th September, 1927,showed that £330 had been collected,as compared with £282 in the previousyear. The Chairman said that it wasclear that they had been able to arousegreat interest in the work of the Servicein Blyth, and he specially congratulatedthe Ladies' Life-boat Guild on theenergy which they had shown and theincreased amount raised.

BRIDLINGTON (YORKSHIRE).—On 7thMarch, Colonel Y. G. Lloyd-Greame,J.P., President, in the chair. Thereport for the year ending 30th Sep-tember, 1927, showed that the Life-boathad been out on two occasions, and that£273 had been collected, as comparedwith £259 in the previous year. Refer-ence was made to the special letter ofthanks which the Institution had sentto the Mayor, Alderman G. H. Gray, theHonorary Secretary of the Station, forhis courageous action at a recent service,and the meeting gave him their specialcongratulations. Reference was alsomade to the excellent work of theLadies' Life-boat Guild.

DOUGLAS (!SLE OF MAN).—On 23rdMarch, His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, Patron of the Branch, pre-siding. The report for the year ending30th September, 1927, showed that theLife-boat had been out once, and that£739 had been collected, as comparedwith £740 in the previous year.

DUBLIN.—On 5th March, Senator theRight Hon. Andrew Jameson, Chairman,presiding. At the end of 1927, of the19 Life-boats on the coast of the IrishFree State, 7 were motor-driven, andMotor Life-boats had been approved forFenit, Clogher Head, Helvick Head andYoughal, at an approximate capital cost,for the Boats alone, of nearly £30,000^During 1927 the Life-boats on the FreeState coast had been laimched on service14 times, had rescued 12 lives and saved2 vessels. The Financial Statement forthe year ending 30th September, 1927,showed that £974 had been collected,as compared with £926 in the previousyear. Although nearly £8,000 wasspent during 1927 on the maintenance ofthe Life-boat Service in Ireland the totalcontributed was under £5,000. In mov-ing the adoption of the report SenatorJameson said he hoped that theappeal of the new Governor-General tomake up as soon as possible the differencebetween the amount spent and theamount contributed would have agenerous response. Mr. John Good,T.I)., in seconding, said that Dublinought to contribute more than £1,000towards the £8,000 required. Mr. DavidBarry, President of the Chamber ofCommerce, suggested that collectingboxes should be sent to all the big cityshops. He also said that Masters ofships coming into the port did little,and he suggested that the HarbourMaster might direct attention to thematter.

EXMOUTH AND BUDLEIGH SALTERTON.—On 3rd February, Captain A. B.Grenfell, R.N., Chairman, presiding.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £218had been collected, as compared with£202 in the previous year. In pre-senting the report the Honorary Secre-tary, Captain W. H. Taylor, R.N., said


that since a Life-boat had been stationedat Exmouth he did not think the Stationhad ever asked the Institution for anycontribution towards its maintenance,and during the 13 years he had beenHonorary Secretary, in addition topaying its way, the Station had sentsomething like £600 to the general fundsof the Institution.

KINGSTOWN (DuN LAOGHAIRE).—On7th March, the Reverend J. Pirn, B.D.,presiding. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £181 had been collected, as com-pared with £179 in the previous year.Mr. H. R. Tweedy, who had resigned theChairmanship owing to ill-health, wasthanked for his services to the Branch,and Captain Fosbery Holmes, R.N., waselected in his place.

LIVERPOOL.—On 28th February, theLord Mayor (Miss Margaret Bevan),President of the Branch, in the chair,supported by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt.,Chairman of the Committee of Manage-ment of the Institution. The reportfor the year ending 30th September,1927, showed that £3,660 had beencollected as compared with £3,724 inthe previous year, and the sum collectedby the Ladies' Life-boat Guild hadincreased from £1,611 to £1,715. Thethanks of the Committee were given tothe Directors of the Canadian PacificSteamships, the Cunard S.S. Companyand the White Star Line for allowingcollections to be made among the visitorsto their vessels during Liverpool'sCivic Week. The Lord Mayor, inproposing the adoption of the report,said that the story in the report of theservice of the Moelfre Life-boat to theketch Excel on 27th October, was themost thrilling story that she had everread, and it must inspire all who read itto do everything possible to help such aService. Mr. Charles Livingston, Pre-sident of the New Brighton Station,said that he hoped to see a still largersum collected next year. Mr. S. S.Jerrett, Chairman of the New BrightonCommittee, referred to the service tothe s.s. Varand from which 42 liveswere rescued by the New BrightonMotor Life-boat, and Sir Godfrey Baring

expressed the warmest thanks of theInstitution to the Branch and Ladies'Life-boat Guild. He was particularlyglad to see that this year a Life-boatDay was to be held in Liverpool.

LYTHAM (LANCASHIRE).—On 23rdMarch, Mr. E. W. Mellor, J.P., Chair-man, presiding. The report for theyear ending 30th September, 1927,showed that £207 had been collected,as compared with £167 in the previousyear. The Officers and the Ladies'Life-boat Guild were thanked for theirservices.

NEW BRIGHTON.—On 14th February,the Chairman, Mr. S. S. Jerrett, pre-siding. The report for the year ending30th September, 1927, showed thatthe Motor Life-boat had been out ontwo occasions, and that £13 had beencollected, as compared with £23 in theprevious year.

After the meeting the annual HotPot Supper to the Crew was held. Atthis Mr. Jerrett also presided, supportedby the Mayor (Alderman Dr. McMillan)and members of the Committee. Aconcert followed the supper.

PIEL (BARROW).—On 13th January,the Mayor (Alderman C. G. B. Ellison),presiding. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £133 had been collected, as com-pared with £54 in the previous year, theincrease being largely due to the newlyconstituted Ladies' Life-boat Guild.In presenting the report Mr. J. M.Mawson, the Honorary Secretary,pointedout that it had been a momentous yearfor the Branch as a Motor Life-boathad been stationed there, and a newBoathouse had been built at a cost of£14,000. The Boat itself, costing nearly£10,000, had been provided out ofvarious legacies, but apart from thecapital expenditure the upkeep of theStation would be much more than it hadbeen. It had been about £75 a year,and the Committee appealed for moreand, if possible, increased subscriptions.

RHYL.—On 20th February, Mr. J.Pierce-Lewis, Chairman, presiding. Thereport for the year ending 30th Sep-tember, 1927, showed that £289 had


been collected, as compared with £238in the previous year.

ST. ANNE'S-ON-THE-SEA.—On 20thMarch, Mr. S. L. Stott in the chair.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £168 hadbeen collected, as compared with £151in the previous year.

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA.—On 24th Janu-ary, Alderman Sir John Francis, J.P.Chairman, presiding. The report forthe year ending 30th September, 1927,

i showed that £284 ha,d been collected,as compared with £223 in the previousyear. The resignation of Mr. J. C.Bruford, as Honorary Treasurer, was

! accepted with regret.

! SUNDERLAND AND DISTRICT.—On 13thj March, the Mayor (Alderman D. Cairns),

President of the Branch, was in thechair supported by the Mayoress.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that the Life-boat had been out on two occasions,and that £686 had been collected, ascompared with £516 in the previousyear. In presenting the report theHonorary Secretary, Captain Oliver,said that it was hardly satisfactorythat they obtained the greater part ofthe Branch's revenue from Life-boatDay, the success of which so muchdepended on the weather.

WORTHING. — On 24th February,Councillor Major-General R. E. Vaughan,C.B., presiding, in the unavoidableabsence of the Mayor. The Chairmanwas supported by the Hon. GeorgeColville, Deputy-Chairman of the Com-mittee of Management of the Institution,

I Lt.-Col. A. F. Randolph, C.M.G., D.S.O.,D.L., Chairman of the Committee, andLady Louisa Cecil, Chairman of theLadies' Life-boat Guild. The reportfor the year ending 30th September,1927, showed that £528 had beencollected, as compared with £624 in theprevious year. Mr. Colville, in thank-ing the Branch for its support, said thatWorthing was noteworthy among theStation Branches for its generous con-tribution. During the last eight yearsit had collected no less than £4,000, andhe was particularly glad to see that a

large proportion had come from annualsubscriptions. If only all towns sub-scribed as liberally as Worthing, the,Institution would find it an easy matterto raise the annual sum of £250,000required to maintain the Service.

Annual Meetings: Financial Branches.

ABEBDARE VALLEY (GLAMORGAN-SHIRE.—The first annual meeting of theBranch was held on 6th February,the High Constable, Mr. Gwilym Jones,President of the Branch, in the chair.The report showed that £8 had beencollected. The Chairman pointed outthat the continued bad state of the coalindustry had made it almost impossibleto raise funds for the most deservingof charities, but he hoped that it wouldnot be long before the Aberdare Valleywas contributing its share to the Life-boat Service.

ACTON AND CHISWICK.—On 7th Marchthe Mayor (Mr. W. G. Middleton),President of the Branch, in the chair,supported by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt.,Chairman of the Committee of Manage-ment, the Deputy Mayoress (Mrs.Orange), Mrs. H. A. Lytton. Vice-President, and Mrs. Brooke-Flatten,Honorary Secretary. The report forthe year ending 30th September, 1927,showed that £83 had been collected, ascompared with £71 in the previous year.Addresses were given by Sir GodfreyBaring and the District OrganisingSecretary, and the meeting was followedby tea and a concert.

ALDERSHOT AND DISTRICT.—On 9thJanuary, Councillor E. A. Underwood,J.P., Chairman of the Branch, presiding.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £128had been collected, as compared with£3 in the previous year. Mr. D. LlewellynGriffiths and Mr. J. Constant werethanked for their services as JointHonorary Secretaries, and Mr. Griffiths'resignation was accepted with regret.

BRADFORD.—On 24th January, theLord Mayor, President of the Branch,in the chair. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £1,900 had been collected as com-pared with £1,975 in the previous year.


In moving the adoption of the report,the Lord Mayor congratulated the cityon the remarkable contribution whichit was making to the Life-boat Service,and Sir William Priestley, Chairmanof the Branch, in seconding, said thatthe Institution gratefully recognised thegenerous help which it was receivingfrom Bradford. -

CARDIFF AND PENARTH.—On 15thFebruary, Mr. A. H. Hauaer in thechair, in the absence of the Lord Mayor(Alderman A. J. Howell), President ofthe Branch. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £264 had been collected, as com-pared with £291 in the previous year.Just after the close of the FinancialYear, another £194 was received fromthe Branch, so that it had collected,during the year £458. Mr. Hauser, onbehalf of the Lord Mayor, made aspecial appeal for the balance of £11,000needed to complete the cost of the twoMotor Life-boats at Barry Dock andThe Mumbles, presented by Glamorganto the Prince of Wales as President of theInstitution.

CITY OF LONDON.—On 29th February,the Lord Mayor (Sir Charles Batho),presiding, supported by the Hon. GeorgeColville, Deputy Chairman of the Com-mittee of Management, and AldermanHowell, Chairman of the Branch. Thereport for the year ending 30th Sep-tember, 1927, showed that £9,601 hadbeen collected, as compared with £8,972in the previous year. The Lord Mayorsaid that he had a very pleasant recol-lection of the time when he was amember of the Committee of the Branch,and he trusted that the work of theCity for the Life-boat Service would becarried on for many years to come.Alderman Howell, in moving the adop-tion of the report, spoke of the gratitudewhich the Branch felt to the Lord Mayorfor his services when he had been amember of the Committee, and saidthat he hoped that the Branch wouldgo on increasing its contribution as ithad done in 1927. He expressed thethanks of the Branch to Mr. W. B.Chapman, C.C., for making an appeal tothe textile trade, and said that he hoped

it would be continued. Mr. Colvilleseconded the motion.

COVENTRY.—The Annual Meeting ofthe Guild was held on 21st February,Mr. George F. Shee, M.A., Secretary ofthe Institution, in the chair. The re-port for the year ending 30th September,1927, showed that £54 had been col-lected, as compared with £77 in theprevious year. Mr. Shee then pre-sented to Mrs. Walter Beamish, Honor-ary Secretary and Treasurer of theLadies' Life-boat Guild, the Vellumsigned by the Prince of Wales recordingthe fact that she had been electedan Honorary Life Governor of theInstitution, an honour which was givenonly in recognition of long and exception-ally devoted service to the Institution,and which had been conferred on onlyeleven other people.

A meeting was held on the sameevening, at which Alderman A. H.Drinkwater, Chairman of the Branch,presided, and at which Mr. Shee gavean address on the work of the Institution,in the course of which he said that hewas sure that Coventry's work for theInstitution would be continued by theyounger generation, which had suchfine examples of public service at thehead of their Committee.

On 29th February, the Annual Meet-ing of the Branch was held, the Mayor(Alderman F. Lee), President of theBranch, in the chair, supported byAlderman Drinkwater and Mrs. Beamish.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £146 hadbeen collected, as compared with £342in the previous year. The reportstated that the Committee deeplyregretted that the amount collectedwas considerably less than in lecentyears, and pointed out that owing tovery bad weather the Life-boat Day hadrealised only £83, as compared with£274 in the previous year. The Mayorcongratulated the Branch on the enthu-siastic way in which its appeals werecarried out, and spoke of his satisfactionin seeing that the expenses were keptas low as possible. Alderman Drink-water referred in particular to thesplendid help given on Life-boat Day


by the City Fire Brigade, and the Dis-trict Organising Secretary pointed outthat the example of the Coventry Bri-gade had now been followed by Birming-ham.

| j DARLINGTON.—On 7th March theMayor (Councillor S. Hard wick), Pre-sident of the Branch, in the chair.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £216 hadbeen collected, as compared with £131

; in the previous year. An address oni the work of the service was given by the

District Organising Secretary, who con-gratulated the Branch on its increase.

DURHAM.—On 8th March, theMayoress (Mrs. Lynch), one of thePresidents of the Branch, in the chair,supported by the Mayor, the other

| President. The report for the year! ending 30th September, 1927, showed

that £75 had been collected, as comparedwith £84 in the previous year. Anaddress was given by the DistrictOrganising Secretary, and it was decidedthat a Life-boat Day should be held inthe summer, and a Whist Drive in theautumn.

HENLEY AND DISTRICT (OXFORD-SHIRE).—On 21st February, Lieut.-Commander P. H. Bulnois, R.N., Chair-man of the Branch, presiding. The

| report for the year ending 30th Sep-tember, 1927, showed that £123 hadbeen collected as compared with £142in the previous year. Although it hadbeen impossible to hold a Life-boat Day,subscriptions and donations had in-creased. Altogether during the fouryears of its existence the Branch hadraised £674. The chairman made aspecial appeal for an increase in thenumber of annual subscribers.

HULL AND DISTRICT.—On 30th March,Colonel Stracey Clitheroe, in the chair,in the unavoidable absence of the LordMayor (Alderman H. Dean), one of thePresidents of the Branch. The LadyMayoress, the other President, wasamong those present. The report forthe year ending 30th September, 1927,showed that £734 had been collected, ascompared with £541 in the previousyear. The Honorary Secretary, theReverend R. T. Newcombe, M.C., in

presenting the report, said that althoughHull was among the twenty bestBranches of the Institution, he thoughtthat it could do still better, as at presentthe money came from a mere handful ofpeople. An address was given by theDistrict Organising Secretary, wTho con-gratulated the Branch on its increase.

HYDE (CHESHIRE).—On 9th March,the Mayor (Councillor A. Shaw, J.P.),one of the Presidents, in the chair,supported by the Mayoress, the otherPresident of the Branch, and the ChiefConstable. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £29 had been collected, as comparedwith £33 in the previous year. Anaddress was given by the DistrictOrganising Secretary, and the Mayorsaid they must consider how to increasetheir support of a Service which wasvital to the country.

INVERNESS.—On 24th February, ex-Provost Petrie in the chair. Thereport for the year ending 30th Sep-tember, 1927, showed thaf £122 hadbeen collected, as compared with nearly£90 in the previous year. The Hono-rary Secretary, Mr. Duncan Mackintosh,in presenting the report said that themost important event of the year hadbeen the formation of the InvernessLadies' Life-boat Guild. Invernesshaving contributed a sum of over £100now had the right to representation onthe Scottish Life-boat Council, and hefelt sure that with the help of the Guildthey would have no difficulty in main-taining that right.

MACCLESFIELD (CHESHIRE).—On 19thMarch, Mr. Robert Brown, J.P., Chair-man, presiding, supported by theMayoress, one of the Presidents of theBranch. The report for the year end-ing 30th September, 1927, showed that£133 had been collected, as comparedwith £120 in the previous year. It wasannounced that Life-boat Day hadbeen arranged to take place in May,that collections would be made in themills and workshops and that the Mayorwould sign an appeal for subscriptions.

MANCHESTER, SALFORD AND DIS-TRICT.—On 27th February, the LordMayor (Mr. W. Davy), President of the

By permission of\CITY OF DUBLIN LADIES' LIFE-BOAT GUILD.

[The Irish Times.

Left to right: Senator the Rt. Hon. Andrew Jameson (Chairman, City of Dublin Branch), Her ExcellencyMrs. James McNeill, Major Arthur Whcwell (Chairman, Special Effort Committee), Mr. R. Noel Guinness

(Honorary Secretary), Mr. B. J. Newcambe (Ass-slant Secretary).

LIVERPOOL ANNUAL MEETING.Front Row, left to right: Sir Godfrey Baring,, Bt. (Chairman of the Committee of Management), TheLord Mayor of Liverpool (Miss Margaret Bsvan), Mr. Charles Livingstone (Chairman, Liverpool Com-mittee). Back Row: Mr. B. J. Kirkham (Hon. Secretary, New Brighton Station), Mr. S. S. Jerrett

(Chairman, New Brighton Station), Mr. F. Holt (Hon. Secretary, Liverpool Branch).


Branch, in the chair, supported, amongothers, by the Mayor of Salford (Mr.A. Williamson), Sir Godfrey Baring,Bt., Chairman of the Committee ofManagement, Dr. Hewlett Johnson(the Dean of Manchester), Sir WilliamMilligan, M.D., Chairman of the Branch,and Sir Edwin Stockton, J.P., HonorarySecretary. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £4,499 had been collected ascompared with £4,132 in the previousyear. Of this sum £1,006 had comefrom subscriptions and donations,£470 from works collections, over£300 from collections in places ofamusement, £742 from the collectionsorganised by the Ladies' Life-boatGuild, and £1,944 from Life-boat Day.In moving the adoption of the reportSir Godfrey Baring said that the greatsuccess of the Branch was due to thefact that it had the support of all classes.

N E W C A S T L E - O N - T Y N E . — On 9thMarch, the Deputy Lord Mayor (Dr. R.W. Simpson) presiding. The reportfor the year ending 30th September,1927, showed that £510 had been col-lected, as compared with £144 in theprevious year. Of this sum £325 hadbeen raised by Life-boat Day. Inpresenting the report the HonorarySecretary, Mr. F. J. Crawley, the ChiefConstable, said that the list of subscriberswas increasing, and welcomed Mrs.Patterson, who had previously beenHonorary Secretary of the Ladies'Life-boat Guild at Durham, and hadnow accepted the same office in New-castle. He hoped that with her helpthe work of the Guild would be greatlydeveloped. An address was given bythe District Organising Secretary, whocongratulated the Branch, and inparticular the Honorary Secretary andHonorary Treasurer, on the way inwhich the Branch's work had beenrevived.

OLDHAM.—On 22nd February, theMayor (Councillor E. H. Shorrocks),President of the Branch, in the chair.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £246 hadbeen collected, as compared with £315in the previous year. The Life-boat

Oldham, stationed at Abersoch, hadbeen out once on service during theyear. The District Organising Secre-tary thanked the Branch for its excellentwork.

OXFORD.—On 3rd February, SirMichael Sadler, K.C.S.I., Master ofUniversity College, presiding. Amongthose supporting him were the Mayor(Alderman W. M. Gray), Colonel SirHenry McMahon, G.C.M.G.. G.C.V.O.,K.C.I.E., C.S.I., and the Right Hon.F. 0. Koberts, M.P., members of theCommittee of Management of theInstitution, Miss Alice Marshall, lateHonorary Secretary of the Branch,Lieut.-Col. N. E. Swann, R.E., HonorarySecretary, and Mr. George F. Shee,M.A., Secretary of the Institution.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £781 hadbeen collected, as compared with £907in the previous year. Sir Henry Mc-Mahon, Mr. Roberts and Mr. Shee allpaid tributes to the work of the lateHonorary Secretary of the Branch,Miss Alice Marshall, who had retired atthe end of the Branch Financial Year.

PETERBOROUGH.—On 15th February,Lady Winfrey, President of the Branch,in the chair. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £100 had been collected, as com-pared with £170 in the previous year.It was announced that Mrs. Abingtonhad taken over the duties of HonorarySecretary from Miss Swallow, and thatMiss Swallow had become Vice-pre-sident.

PORTSMOUTH.—On 4th January, theMayor (Councillor F. J. Privett, J.P.),President, in the chair, supported by theMayoress, Sir Harold Pink, J.P., Chair-man of the Branch, and Mr. George F.Shee, M.A., Secretary of the Institution.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £430 hadbeen collected, as compared with £248in the previous year. An address onthe work of the Service was given byMr. Shee, and the Mayor said that theywere all determined to increase Ports-mouth's contribution which, he con-sidered, was by no means representativeof the deep interest which the city

THE LIFEBOAT. [MAY, 1928.

must necessarily feel in the Life-boatservice.

S A L T B U R N - B Y - THE - SEA (YORK-SHIRE).—On 15th March, Councillor Mrs.Marshall, J.P., Vice-president in thechair. The report for the year ending30th September, 1927, showed that £81had been collected, as compared with£69 in the previous year. It wasannounced that a Dancing Matinee andan Open-Air Whist Drive would be heldduring the summer.

SOUTHAMPTON.—On 2nd February,Mr. C. J. Sharp, J.P., Chairman of theBranch, presiding in the absence ofthe Mayor (Mrs. Foster Welch, J.P.),President, who came on later fromanother meeting. The report for theyear ending 30th September, 1927,showed that £1,003 had been collected,as compared with £916 in the previousyear. Of this sum Life-boat Dayraised £300 and the collections on theIsle of Wight Steam Packet Company'ssteamers £171. The Mayor presenteda certificate won by a Southamptongirl in the Life-boat Essay Competitionlast year, and in referring to the reportsaid that the work of the Institution wasdear to the heart of every man, womanand child in the country. An addresson the work of the service was given byCaptain Basil Hall, R.N., late DistrictInspector of Life-boats.

SOUTHPORT.—On 27th March, theMayor (Councillor J. G. Wilkinson)presiding. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £511 had been collected, as com-pared with £585 in the previous year.Of this sum £470 had been collected bythe Ladies' Life-boat Guild. The' Dis-trict Organising Secretary expressed theInstitution's thanks to the Branch andthe Guild for their work during the year.

SOUTH SHIELDS.—On 6th February,Captain Bruhn in the chair. The reportfor the year ending 30th September,1927, showed that £155 had beencollected, as compared with £225 in theprevious year. The Branch was thankedfor its work by the District OrganisingSecretary.

SOWERBY BRIDGE (YORKSHIRE).—The Annual Meeting of the Guild was

held on 21st February, Mrs. Bethunein the chair. The report for the yearending 30th September, 1927, showedthat £2 had been collected, as comparedwith £8 in the previous year. Specialefforts are to be made to increase theBranch's contribution.

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN (SPILSBY) BRANCH(LINCOLNSHIRE).—On 10th March,Colonel C. A. Swan, C.M.G., presiding.The report for the year ending 30thSeptember, 1927, showed that £60 hadbeen collected, as compared with £53in the previous year. It was decidedto hold a meeting at Alford in orderto revive the work of the Life-boatService there, and to carry out a Life-boat Day in May.

SWANSEA.—On 16th February, theMayor (Councillor T. W. Howells),President of the Branch, in the chair,supported by the Mayoress. The reportfor the year ending 30th September,1927, showed that £215 had been col-lected, as compared with £222 in theprevious year. In moving the adoptionof the report the Mayor said that thesum raised last year was much belowtheir record year, and he hoped thattheir support of the Life-boat Service,in which a great port like Swansea oughtto take a special interest, would greatlyincrease in the future.

TRURO.—On 9th February, the Mayor(Mr. R. K. Worth) presiding. The reportfor the year ending 30th September,1927, showed that £84 had been collected,as compared with £59 in the previousyear. The sum raised last year was arecord, but the report said that muchstill remained to be done and no effortwould be spared until the Branch wasraising £100 a year. An address on thework of the Service was given by theDistrict Organising Secretary.

WARRINGTON AND DISTRICT.—On23rd March, Mrs. Ralph Johnson pre-siding. The report for the year ending30th September, 1927, showed that

12 had been collected, as comparedwith £160 in the previous year. Anaddress was given by the DistrictOrganising Secretary, who congratulated;he Branch on its increase.


WREXHAM AND DISTRICT (DENBIGH-SHIRE).—On 26th February, the Mayor(Mrs. S. Edwards), President of theBranch, in the chair. The report forthe year ending 30th September, 1927,showed that £49 had been collected,as compared with £104 in the previousyear. In proposing the adoption of thereport the Mayor said that the Life-boatDay had been ruined by a 24 hours'downpour of rain, and that the decline inthe proceeds of the day from £92 to £28,accounted for the decline in the totalrevenue. It was not surprising in thesecircumstances that a smaller sum hadbeen collected, but it was surprisingthat any collectors should have beenable to work at all on such a day.

Special Meetings.

BURNLEY.—A special meeting washeld on 31st January at the residenceof the Bishop of Burnley, Dr. Henn,on the invitation of the Hon. Mrs.Henn, at which some 30 ladies werepresent, and it was unanimously decidedto reconstitute the Ladies' Life-boatGuild. The following officers wereelected, President, Mrs. Macnamara,Vice-Presidents, The Hon. Mrs. Henn,Mrs. Lancaster and the Mayoress,Honorary Treasurer, Mrs. Heap, andJoint Honorary Secretaries, Mrs. J. H.Watson and Mrs. Butler.

CAMBRIDGE.—On 26th January, MissRamsey gave an At Home at theMaster's Lodge, Magdalene College, onbehalf of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild,and entertained about 60 guests. The

•Vice-Chancellor was present and intro-duced Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., Chair-man of the Committee of Managementof the Institution, who raised enthusiasmby his speech, describing the braveryand loyalty of the crews of the Life-boats. Later a number of under-graduates sang Sea Shanties. This veryenjoyable party added many new annualsubscribers to the Branch, and realisedthe sum of £20.

DUBLIN.—Her Excellency Mrs. JamesMacNeill, wife of the Governor-Generalof the Irish Free State, presided at ameeting which was held on 2nd Aprilfor the purpose of forming a Ladies'

Life-boat Guild. Mrs. MacNeill madea special appeal, in the course of whichshe said: " Last year nearly £8,000 wasspent on the Life-boat Service in Ireland,while the amount collected was under£5,000. This state of affairs isregrettable, and I hope it will shortlybe remedied. I ask for support forthis work, as a humane and charitablework—a work of national importance;and because the gallant self-sacrificeof Irish Life-boatmen, who risk theirlives voluntarily to save others, is aninspiration we can all fully appreciate."A resolution in favour of forming aGuild was proposed by Lady Myles,seconded by Lady Walker, and carriedunanimously, and Mrs. MacNeill waselected President. A Vote of Thanks toMrs. MacNeill was proposed by SenatorAndrew Jameson, Chairman of theBranch, and seconded by Major A.Whewell, Chairman of the Special EffortCommittee. In replying Mrs. MacNeillsaid that she gladly placed any influencethat she had at the disposal of theladies of Dublin for the excellent objectsof the Guild.

BALING (MIDDLESEX).—At the invita-tion of the Mayoress a meeting was heldin the Council Chamber of the TownHall on 8th February, at which SirGodfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of theCommittee of Management of theInstitution, gave an address on thework of the Service. At the end of hisaddress he appealed to Baling to re-formthe Life-boat Branch, and to support itgenerously. The Mayoress said thatshe took a very keen interest in theInstitution, and that she had been veryglad to be present.

FARNBOROUGH (HAMPSHIRE).—On19th January a special meeting washeld at which it was unanimouslydecided to form a Farnborough Branchas distinct from the Aldershot Branch.Mr. F. C. Sandberg was elected Chairmanand the Eev. Ehys Morgan, HonorarySecretary. It was resolved to hold aLife-boat Day early in the summer.

GRIMSBY.—A special meeting of theLadies' Life-boat Guild was held on25th March, Mrs. Rudolph McKane,President, in the chair. Mrs. McKane


made a stirring appeal to all thosepresent to join the Guild, and to do allin their power to make it known through-out Grimsby. This appeal was sup-ported by the District OrganisingSecretary, who referred to the forth-coming visit to Grimsby of the Princeof Wales, the Institution's President,and said that it would be a gracefulcompliment to him if, when he came,he found a powerful Guild already inexistence. Before the meeting endedover 30 new members had joined theGuild.

HACKNEY (LONDON).—On 23rd Feb-ruary, a special meeting was held in theTown Hall at the invitation of LadyKeymer, a member of the CentralLondon Women's Committee of theLadies' Life-boat Guild, at which SirGodfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of theCommittee of Management, gave anaddress on the work of the Service.Among those present were Lady Cooper,the Rev. N. A. Lash, M.A. (Rector ofHackney), and the District OrganisingSecretary for Greater London. SirGodfrey Baring appealed to Hackneyto increase its support of the LocalBranch, and this appeal was supportedby Lady Cooper and the Rector.

IPSWICH.—A special meeting was heldon 6th February, at which the Mayor(Mr. W. Rowley Elliston) presided,and an address on the work of theInstitution was given by the Hon.George Colville, Deputy Chairman ofthe Committee of Management. TheMayor said that the people of Ipswichshould be specially generous in theirsupport of the Institution both becausethey had so much interest in shipping,and because of the very gallant workof the Life-boat Crews on the coast ofSuffolk. Mr. Colville pointed out thatno county had a finer record of rescuinglife from shipwreck, a record whichwent back many years before theInstitution itself was founded, to thedays when, in 1807, Lionel Lukin,the London coach-builder, built for theSuffolk Humane Society a sailing Life-boat which was the forerunner of thefamous Norfolk and Suffolk Life-boatof to-day. The Suffolk Stations had

rescued nearly 2,800 lives. The Institu-tion had now given rewards for therescue of over 61,000 lives, so thatSuffolk Life-boats alone had savednearly 5 per cent. Mr. Colville alsopointed out that the Ipswich Branchnow had a population of nearly 80,000,but while in the year of its foundation,1866, it had collected £66, its contribu-tion in 1927 had fallen to £17. He madean earnest appeal for an increasednumber of subscribers, the formation of aLadies' Life-boat Guild, and for per-mission for a Life-boat Day to be held.

ROYTON (LANCASHIRE).—A specialmeeting was held on 29th March, withCouncillor J. Schofield in the chair. Theobject of the meeting was to arrangefor a Life-boat Day to be held, andthere was a large attendance of ladies.Councillor Schofield gave an account ofthe work of the Institution, and theVicar, the Rev. W. Rowe, said that hehad been in Royton f or ten years, duringwhich time nothing had been done for theLife-boat Service, and he thought thatit was high time that Royton shouldtake its part in supporting this work.Mrs. Travis and Mrs. F. Schofield wereappointed Honorary Treasurer andHonorary Secretary respectively, andCommittees were formed for each of thefour wards of the town which will makeits contribution to the Institutionthrough the Oldham Branch.

TAUNTON.—A special meeting washeld on 21st February under the auspicesof the Taunton Rotary Club, with Mr.Harold Nicholson, President of the Club,in the chair, supported by Captain A. G.Warren, R.N., Honorary Secretary of theTaunton Branch. The object of themeeting was to re-organise the workof the Branch, and it was decided tohold a further meeting to discussmethods of helping the Institution. ALadies' Life-boat Guild was formed,and Mrs. Dodson, and Mrs. Winckworthwere chosen as Honorary Secretaries.

Entertainment of Crew*.

BERWICK-ON-TWEED.—The AnnualSupper for the Life-boat Crew washeld on 14th January, Commander H.Lillington, R.N., a member of the Com-


mittee, presiding, supported by CaptainGibsone, D.S.O., Honorary Secretary.The supper was followed by a concert,and each of the guests was presentedwith a tobacco-pouch, cigarettes andtobacco. Among the toasts was " TheSubscribers to the Supper and Mr.Waite," who had collected the sub-scriptions for it for nearly fifty years.

FLAMBOROUGH.—Mr. C. Hartley, amember of the Committee, and Mrs.Hartley entertained the officials of theBranch and the Crew to a dinner andsmoking concert on 4th January.

NEWHAVEN.—The Annual Dinner tothe Life-boat Crew, was held on 30thMarch. The Chairman, Mr. R. W.Dewdney (Divisional Marine Manager,Southern Railway), presided, supportedby Rear-Admiral T. P. H. Beamish, C.B.,M.P. for the Lewes Division, and amember of the Committee of Manage-ment of the Institution, Major-GeneralW. A. Watson, C.B., C.M.G., C.I.E.,President of the Local Branch of theBritish Legion, and Major T. HuntonCarter, D.S.O., Chairman of the New-haven Chamber of Commerce. Inproposing the toast of the Institution,Major-General Watson said that thespirit of the Service was that the shoresof Great Britain should be safe for thosewho approached them in friendship,under whatever flag they sailed. AdmiralBeamish who replied, and who proposedthe toast of the Crew, paid a tribute totheir courage, and said that when he wasnext at Headquarters he would tell theInstitution how keen were the peopleof Newhaven to help it in its work.

ST. ABBS (BERWICKSHIRE).—About100 guests were present at the AnnualSupper given by Miss Co we to the St.Abbs Life-boat Crew and their friendson llth January. The supper wasfollowed by a concert and dance, andMiss Cowe was warmly thanked.

SWANAGE.—On 10th February Mr.and Mrs. F. W. Pond entertained theLife-boat Crew, the Crew of the Boardof Trade Rocket Apparatus and theCrew of the Fire Brigade to Dinner.The guests numbering about 140, andamong those present were Major E. J.

Burt, President, and Mr. W. Powell,Honorary Secretary of the Branch.

Theatrical Performances.

ABERDEEN.—On 31st January and1st February, the John Knox's ParishChurch Dramatic Club gave perform-ances of Jamie Fleeman, the Laird ofUdny's Fool in aid of the Institution.

HULL.—The Annual Matinee arrangedby the Lady Mayoress, was given on22nd March at the Palace Theatre.Artistes from the various Hull theatresand the Palaise de Danse Band gener-ously gave their services, supported bythe Palace Theatre Orchestra.

PLYMOUTH.—On 3rd, 4th and 5thJanuary the Plymouth Boy Scouts gaveperformances of Captain ReginaldBerkeley's The White Chateau at theGlobe Theatre, Royal Marine Barracks.These performances contributed £80to the funds of the Branch.

On 26th, 27th and 28th January,the local Dramatic Society gave per-formances of Mrs. Dane's Defence, atthe same theatre, which contributedover £50.

WESTERHAM (KENT).—On 20thFebruary the Westerham Village Playersgave performances of The Happy Man,played by children, Slightly Mixed andFive Birds in a Cage, in aid of theInstitution. The plays were arrangedby Mrs. C. F. Lucas, and the Drill Hall,where they took place, was packed.

Religious Services.

CROMER.—Life-boat Sunday was cele-brated at Cromer on 4th March. TheVicar (the Rev. E. M. Davys) preacheda Life-boat sermon at the eveningservice and offered a special prayer forthe men of the Cromer Life-boat.

HENSTEAD (SUFFOLK).—The AnnualFisherman's Thanksgivings Services forthe Harvest of the Sea were held on 1stJanuary, at the Parish Church, thechurch being decorated with herringnets, fishing tackle, life-belts and flags.The collection at the evening servicewas given to the Lowestoft Branch ofthe Institution.(Continued on page 96.)

92 THE LIFEBOAT. [MAY! Income and Expenditure for 1927.

Lite-boats:- EXPENDITURE. t s. a. £New Life-boats for the following stations : — On account

— Aberdeen, Eastbourne, Piel (Barrow), RosslareHarbour, Southend-on-Sea, Stromness, Swanage,and Walton-on-Naze, etc 33,252 7 3

Provision of office accommodation and storage fortimber, etc., at the Building Yards . . . 755 16 1

Alterations and Repairs of Life-boats, etc. . . 6,864 10 2Payments on Maintenance of Steam Life-boat and Tug 1 ,500 6 9Consulting Naval Architect . . . . . 2 4 4 9 8Salaries and allowances of Inspectors and Surveyors

of Machinery, Surveyors of Life-boats, AssistantSurveyors, Draughtsmen, and Clerks (31 persons) . 9,381 13 5

Travelling Expenses 2,278 15 7Pensions and gratuity . . . . . . 1,150 6 10

55 4°8Life-boat Carriages and Tractors, viz. : —

New Tractors, etc. 2,997 11 5Repairs to Tractors 169 19 0Alterations and Repairs of Life-boat Carriages . . 80 15 5Tipping's Sand Plates for Carriage Wheels . . 273 15 11Salary and allowances of Assistant Surveyor of Life-

boat Carriages 301 10 7Travelling Expenses 200 14 10

1 031Life-boat Houses and Slipways, including Engineers'

charges 37,695Life-boat Stores 11,332Life-boat Storeyard at Poplar, including Taxes, Insur-

ance and Repairs 2,739 18 8Salaries and allowances of Deputy Chief Inspector

for Stores, Storekeeper and Clerks (15 persons),and Wages of Manual Workers (47 persons) . 11,584 11 11

Pensions 217 0 0Storeyard Extension Works 1,637 3 6

16 178Payments in connexion with Life-boat Stations,

such as Repainting and other Small Repairs toLife-boats, Life-boat Carriages, and Life-boatHouses, done locally, Conveyance of Boats,Carriages, Stores, Postages, etc. . . . 8,154 8 1

Salaries of Assistant Secretaries, etc., of Stations(18 persons) 250 0 0

8 110Life-boat Inspectors, Coxswains, Motor Mechanics,

Bowmen, Signalmen and Crews, etc., viz. : —Cost of Wreck Services, including Rewards to Lirc-bo.it

Crews and others, Special Rewards and Recogni-tions, Medals a n d Vellums . . . . . 5,782 2 8

Grants to men injured in the Life-boat service . . 452 6 8i Fees of Coxswains, Bowmen and Signalmen, \Vages

of Motor Mechanics, etc. . . . . .18,188 18 5Payments to Life-boat Crews and Launchers for

exercises, etc. . . . . . . . 0,077 4 7Payments to permanent Crews of Steam Life-boat

and Tug 2,181 0 11Pensions and Retiring Allowances to Coxswains,

Bowmen a n d Signalmen . . . . . 3,f!09 1 7 5Pensions and Grants to Relatives of deceased Life-

boat m e n a n d others . . . . . C 2 7 2 6Pensions to permanent Crews of Steam Life-boats . 448 12 0

37 667Salaries and allowances of Inspectors of Life-boats, and

Clerks (15 persons) 6,623 13 2Travelling Expenses of Inspectors . . . . 2,182 0 10Pensions . . 742 4 6

9 517Carried forward . . . . £180,294

, 1928.

s. d.

K Q

7 Q

13 93 5

14 1

8 1

5 2

18 615 11


1NCO.MK.

Subscriptions, Donations, etc. : - £ s. d. s. s. d.General Subscriptions to Headquarters . . . 5,683 15 4

„ „ through Station Branches . . 6,459 9 11„ „ through Financial Branches . 17,283 2 2„ Donations to Headquarters . . . . 9,985 7 10„ „ through Station Branches . . 20,313 12 8„ „ through Financial Branches . . 45,369 1 6

Contributions from Harbour Authorities towards upkeepof Life-boat Stations 1,987 18 4

Contribution Boxes (Headquarters) . . . . 4 1 5 8 6„ „ (Station Branches) . . . 3,989 9 1„ „ (Financial Branches) . . . 504 6 6

111,991 11 10

Life-boat Funds : —Civil Service Life-boat Fund, per H. A. Clark,

Esq., I.S.O., in respect of the following Life-boatEstablishments — Kingstown, Margate No. 2,Maryport, North Deal and Montrose No. 1(additional) 2,436 9 3

North Deal—Bevan Reward Fund (per the CharityCommissioners) . . . . . . 2 0 8 5 0

Northrepps Mariners' Fund, for Norfolk Life-boatStations 12 10 0

2,657 4 3

Income from Investments : —Dividends and Interest on Investments. . . . 44,570 10 6

Less Income Tax deducted . . . . 4,423 7 11

40,147 2 7

Special Purposes Trust Fund Income £ s. d.Account . . . . . 1,578 7 7

Less Transfer to Special PurposesTrust Fund (page 21) . . 385 16 6

1,192 11 1Less Transfers to Station Branch

Contributions, and FinancialBranch Contributions . . 27 1 0

1,105 10 1

Income T a x recovered . . . . . . . 0,549 6 847,861 19 4

Carried forward . . £102,510 15 5

94 THE LIFEBOAT, [MAY, 1928.

EXPENDITURE.

Brought forwardAdministration : —

One half of Salaries and allowances of Secretary, DeputySecretary, Assistant Secretary (General), and ClericalStaff (27 persons)

£ s. d.Rent, Rates, Taxes, Lighting, Heating,

Insurance, etc. . . . . 1,423 1 7 1Insurance under Workmen's Compensa-

tion, National Insurance and Unem-ployment Insurance Acts . . 074 14 1

Commissionaires and Messenger (3 persons) 5\-~> 10 0Telephone, Postages and Parcels . . f>85 8 4.

s. d. £ s. d.180,294 15 11

4,437 8 11

Less estimated amount chargeable toPublicity . . . . .

3,329 9 6

1.000 0 01,729 9 6

Pension . . . . . . . . . 4 9 13 0Stationery, Office Expenses, Printing, Books, Circulars,

Forms, etc. . . . . . . . 1,58s 9 7Auditors' Fees 271 18 9L a w Expenses . . . . . . . 78.'i 1 1 8Repairs and improvements to the House of the Institu-

tion . 30 18 38,897 9 8

Renovation o f Founder's Grave . . . . 1 0 o oPublicity at Headquarters and 960 Branches : —

One half of Salaries and allowances of Secretary, DeputySecretary, Assistant Secretary (General) and ClericalStaff (as above), and Salaries and allowances of Assis-tant Secretary (Publicity) and Typist . . . 5,347 12 11

Salaries and allowances of District Organizing Secre-taries, Clerks, etc. (27 persons) . . . . 0,174 13 11

Travelling allowances of District Organizing Secretaries 2,3(iG 10 10Annual General Meeting . . . . . . 44 11 7Advertising a n d Appeals . . . . . 0,309 10 0Stationery, Printing, Books, Circulars, Forms, Badges,

Collecting Boxes, Postages, etc. . . . . 9,131 11 6Printing and Binding the Annual Report and The

Lifeboat Journal . . . . . . . 2,072 0 2Payments in connexion with purchase and distribution

of Britain's Life-boats . . . . . . 10 7 0Salaries and Commissions of Assistant Secretaries, etc.,

o f Branches (123 persons) . . . . . 3,502 1 5 1Estimated proportion of Administration Expenses as

above 1,000 0 036,560 5 0

Total Expenditure 225,702 10 7Balance unaccounted for by a dismissed Official . . 1 (19 7 9

Balance to General Purposes Fund . . . 6,715 14 o

£232,047 12 10

MAY, 1928. THE LIFEBOAT. 95

INCOME.

£ s. d.Brought forward 162,510 15 5

Sundry Receipts :Sale of old Life-boats, Life-boat Carriages, Life-boat £ s. d.

Houses, Condemned Stores, etc. . . . 2,697 5 1Sale of The Lifeboat Journal, Advertisements, etc. . 183 31 11Sale of Britain's Life-boats 3 9 3

2,884 6 3

Ordinary Income 155,395 i s

Legacies for General Purposes 56,812 o 11

Gifts and Legacies for Special Purposes : -Income only available :—

Legacies . . . . . . . 1.507 1 8 3Special Gifts 200 0 0

Capital available :—Legacies 4,312 4 10Special Gifts 657 18 3

. 6,768 1 4

Total Receipts 228,975 3 11Less :—Transferred to Endowment Trust Fund . . 1,797 18 3

Do. Special Purposes Trust Fund . 4,970 3 16,768 1 4

Total Receipts available for General Purposes • 222,207 2 7

Transferred from Special Purposes Trust Fund for Life-boats, etc.,included in Expenditure defrayed during the year by SpecialLegacies and Donations 10,440 10 3

£232,647 12 10

NOTE.—This account comprises the receipts and disbursements of the Headquartersof the Institution for the year to 31st December, 1927, and of the Branches for theyear to 30th September, Ui£7.


New Branches and Guilds.

Meetings, for the purpose of formingnew Branches have been held at Con-way, Carnarvon (President, The Mayor) ;Coppull, Lancashire (President, Mr. F. H.Tansley) ; Barton, Yorkshire (Pre-sident, Councillor W. Hibbert) ; Flint,Flintshire (President, Mrs. J. HumphreyWilliams) ; Rawmarsh, Yorkshire (Pre-sident, Councillor W. Spick), and Roy-ston, Yorkshire (President, the Chairmanof the Council).

Meetings for the purpose of formingnew Guilds have been held at BamberBridge and Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire(President, Mrs. Tatton) : Cawthorne,Lancashire (President, Mrs. Pardoe) ;Connah's Quay and Shotton (Cheshire),(President, Mrs. Isaacs); Crigglestoneand District, Yorkshire (President, Mrs.A. H. Hobson) ; Market Drayton(Shropshire), (President, Mrs. Evan R.Davies); Millom, Cumberland (President,Mrs. Graham), and Stainland. Yorkshire(President, Mrs. Beaumont).

Special meetings have also been heldat Colne and Leeds for the purpose ofre-organising the work of the Ladies'Life-boat Guild.

Fetes, Dances, Concerts, etc.

WlCK AND AOKERGILL (CAITHNESS-SHIEE).—The chief feature of the NewYear's Day celebrations was a FancyDress Parade in which the local trades-men, Boy Scouts, Boys' Brigade andSalvation Army all took part. Itmarched through the principal streetsin the town, ending at the riverside,where Colonel Buik, Chairman of theBranch, made an appeal, and thankedthose who had organised the Parade.There were numerous collectors infancy dress, and over £90 was collected.

Whist Drives, and Dances have

been held at Aberdovey, Abergavenny,(Monmouthshire), Accrington, Alnwick,Angle, Milford Haven, Berwick, Bir-mingham, Bradford, Bridlington, Cam-forth (Lancashire), Chelmsford, Cowes,Darlington, Enmore, Ennis (Co. Clare),Exeter, Finchley (Middlesex), Fishguard,Grimsby, Halstead (Essex), Hartlepool,Hollingworth (Cheshire), King's Lynn,Ledbury (Herefordshire), Lichfield, Lin-coln, Lisburn (Co. Antrim), Montrose,Mumbles (Glamorganshire), Newport(Monmouthshire), New Mill (Yorkshire),Porthdinllaen (Carnarvonshire), Raw-marsh (Yorkshire), Rishton (Lancashire),Rugby, Rugeley (Staffordshire), SeahamHarbour (Durham), Stanwix (Cumber-land), Stockton and Thornaby (Durham),Swansea (Glamorganshire), Tuam (Co.Galway), Tunstall (Staffordshire). WestHartlepool and Workington (Cumber-land).

A Bridge Drive was held at Truro.Concerts have been given in aid

of the following Branches, Bradford-on-Avon, Bridlington, Clacton-on-Sea,Donaghadee (Co. Down), Inverness,Newport (Salop), Peterhead, Scar-borough and Walthamstow. A CinemaMatinee was given at Wellington (Salop).

American Teas have been held atBurnley and at Colne, Lancashire.

A very successful Social Evening washeld by the Rawmarsh and ParkgateBranch (Yorkshire).

Addresses to Rotary Clubs.

Life-boat Addresses have been givento the following Rotary Clubs : Bedford,by Mr. George F. Shee, M.A., Secretaryof the Institution ; Littlehampton, byMajor R. J. P. Wyatt, M.C. (DistrictOrganising Secretary for the South-East of England) ; and Montrose, byMr. Loudon R. Connell.

Notice.The next number of THE LIFEBOAT will be published in

SEPTEMBER, 1928.

When you have read this number will you kindly pass it on to a friend,unless you are keeping a complete set of the Journal ?

THE LIFEBOAT.MAY, 1928.] THE LIFEBOAT. 51 year they represen a exceptionalln t y brilliant grou opf services. (Applause.) THE MEDALLISTS. You will hea r late or n a brief account of

Documents