IN order to encourage in children a knowledge of and a pride in the work of British Life-boatmen, the Committee of Management have decided to ask for the co-operation of .the: Headmasters and Headmistresses of Elementary Schools throughout the United Kingdom in bringing before their children the humane and heroic achievements of the National Life-boat Service, which was established nearly a hundred years ago.

The late Duke of Northumberland, K.G., the then President of the Institution, placed at the disposal of the Institution a sum of £100 to be utilised in the presentation of prizes for the best Essays on " The Heroic Work of the Life-boats," written by children who are still actually attending the Senior Classes in Elementary Schools.

The Prizes are of two kinds:— (1) School Prizes—Challenge Shields.

(2) Individual Prizes—War Savings Certificates.

CHALLENGE SHIELDS. Six Challenge Shields will be offered, the Country being divided into six districts as follows :-~ 1. London (including the area of Greater London).

2. North of England (Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire and the Isle of Man).

3. Midlands (including all counties south of No. 2 area, including, as Southern limit, Lincoln, Northampton, Warwick, Worcester and Gloucestershire), t. All counties south of No. 3 area. 5. Scotland. 6. Ireland and Wales.

A CHALLENGE SHIELD will be awarded in each of the six Districts to the School which sends up the best paper. The Shield becomes the property of the School which wins it three years in succession.

WAR SAVINGS CERTIFICATES. Ten War Savings Certificates will be awarded to the writers of the ten best papers in each of the six Districts. The winners, and also twenty-five other competitors in each area, will receive Card Certificates testifying to the merit of their Essays.

THE ESSAYS ( 1. Will be open to the Senior Classes.

I 2. Will be limited to 500 words, and 3. Marks will be given for handwriting as well as matter.

In asking for the kind co-operation of Head Teachers of Elementary Schools the Committee of Management suggest that a short lesson should be given on the work of the Life-boats around the coast, based upon the " Notes for an Address on the Life-boat and its Heroic Work," a copy of which accompanies this issue of the JOURNAL. The pupils should then be asked to write an Essay on the work before leaving* the Class, thus ensuring that the work is their own.

Head Teachers are asked to select the best Essay only, and to send the same to the District Organizing Secretary of the Institution for the Area, to reach him not later than the 1st March, 1919.

The following Bales will be strictly enforced, and Essays which do not conform to them will be ineligible. The Essay must be clearly inscribed with— (1) The name; and (2) the address of the School in full; (3) the name .and age of the writer; and (4) the date when the Essay was written; (5) and must be accompanied by a formal declaration, signed by the Head Teacher, stating that the Essay has been written in School immediately after the Address, and that it is the unaided work of the writer. Not more than one Essay may be submitted from any School, except where there is a Girls' Class as well as a Boys'. In such cases alone the best Essays written by a boy and a girl respectively may be seat in, if it is thought that they are of equal merit.

No Essays received after the 1st March will be considered. The Prizes will be awarded by the Committee of Management, whose decision will be final.

The awards will be made in June, and a complete list of the Prize Winners will be sent to each School competing as soon as possible; but the work involved in the thorough examination and placing of thousands of Essays is very heavy, and it is not probable that the Lists will be ready for publication till August, when they will appear in the August issue of TEE LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL. The writer of the best paper sent in from the whole of the United Kingdom will be awarded an extra War Savings Certificate, and the Essay will appear in THE LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL, a copy being sent to each competing School.

November, 1918. GEORGE P. SHEE, Secretary of tlie Institution.

District Organizing Secretaries.

Korth of England—-E. H. JOHNSON, Esq., F.C.I.8., 30, Cross Street, Manchester.

Midlands, Wales and Ireland—H. G. SOLOMAK, Esq., F.C I.8., Newton Chambers, Cannon Street, Birmingham.

South-Sast of England—Acting Diet. Org. Sec., Mrs. STBIL K. DUBPAS, 22, Charing Cross Koad, London, W.C. 2.

Stuth-West of England—Acting Dist. Org. Sec., H. A. BRTDEN, Esq., H, Powderham Terrace, Teij?nmouth, Devon.

London—Aetino Dkt. Org. Sec., PERCIVAL S. ARRANT, Esq., 22, Charing Cross Road, London, W.C. 2.

Scotland—WILLIAM MARTIN, Esq., J.P., F.3.A. (Scot.), 34, West George Street, Glasgow.