A VERY pleasant ceremony took place in the Guild Hall, Exeter, on the 24th July, when Mr. Courtenay H. Edmonds, the Honorary Secretary of the Exeter Branch, and Mrs. Ferris Tozer, the Honorary ' Secretary of the Ladies' Auxiliary, re- ceived presentations in recognition of their long and valuable services.

In the case of Mr. Courtenay Edmonds, this gentleman has been Honorary Sec- ; retary of the Exeter Branch for over half a century, and the Committee of Management marked their appreciation of this wonderful length of service, which has seldom been exceeded in the case of Honorary Secretaries, by the presentation of a handsome silver rose bowl, suitably inscribed. This was pre- sented by the Mayor of Exeter, Sir James Owen, and Mr. Edmonds, in replying, expressed his great pleasure | at the fact that the collection in Exeter in the last completed year (1918) was the largest on record.

The Mayor also presented Mrs. Ferris Tozer with the gold brooch of the i Institution, and expressed his warm ' appreciation of the immense amount of invaluable work which that lady had given to furthering the Life- boat Cause in Exeter. Mrs. Tozer, in acknowledging the gift, suggested that women could hardly do better work than to further the efforts of the Institution in the saving of life —the lives mostly of strong, capable, skilful men.

Mr. Percival Farrant, the Organizing Secretary for the South West of Eng- land, alluded to the work of the Institution throughout the war, and the big programme of construction which was in hand.

The proceedings terminated with votes of thanks, proposed by Vice-Admiral R. W. White, Chairman of the Exeter Branch, and seconded by Alderman F. J. Widgery.