Award* to Honorary Workers.

SINCE the last number of The Life-Boat was published, the following presenta- tions/have been made to Honorary, Secretaries of Branches and to other honorary workers in recognition of their* services in the cause of the Institution:— To Miss SWALLOW, Honorary Secretary of the Peterborough Branch, the Record of Thanks and the Gold Brooch.

To The Rev. IBVINE GBAWSHAW, on his retirement after 13$ years as Honorary Secretary of the Holy Island Branch, the Thanks of the Committee of Management inscribed on Vellum.

To Miss THOMSON, Honorary Treasurer of the St. Abbs Branch, the Record of Thanks.

To Mrs. HBDLEY, Honorary Treasurer of the Middlesbrough Branch,' a framed Photo- graph with Inscription.

To 3. F. FiBNbALE, Esq., on his retirement as Honorary Secretary of the Thirsk Branch, a framed Photograph with Inscription.

To Mrs. PA.UL, Chairman of the .Ladies' Auxiliary of Loughborough, the Record of Thanks and the Gold Brooch.

To ERNEST SCOTT, Esq., on his retirement as Honorary Secretary of the Newcastle and Tynemouth Branch, an Aneroid Barometer with Inscription.

To Captain G-. B. ANDEBSON, on his retirement after 21 years as Honorary Secretary of the New Romney Branch, the Thanks of the Committee of Management inscribed on Vellum.

To Miss A. M. BAILEY, for her services as a collector in Manchester, tha Record of Thanks and the Gold Brooch.

To JAMBS HOGG, Esq., on his retirement after 21 years as Honorary Secretary of the Middlesbrough Branch, the) Record] of Thanks and the Gold Pendant.

JTo JOHN ROBBIBON, Esq., on his retirement '" after 12J years as Honorary Secretary of the Balcary Branch, the Thanks of the Committee of Management inscribed on Vellum.

To HBNBY BIKBEDL, Esq., on his retirement after ,14 years as Honorary Secretary of the Grail Branch, the Thanks of the Committee of Management inscribed on Vellum.

To Captain H. QUINTANILHA, on his retire- . ment after 19 years as Honorary Secretary of the Newton Abbot Branch, the Record of Thanks and the Gold Pendant.

V • To J. M. MEEK, Esq., on his retirement as Honorary Secretary of the Redcar Branch, the Thanks of the Committee of Manage- ment inscribed on Vellum, and a piece of Plate in recognition of the fact that he held office for no less a period than 37 years, from 1882 to December, 1919, To. C. STACK* HALT,, Esq., the Record of Thanks, the Gold Pendant, and a piece of Plate in recognition of his services to the Institution for 25 years, first, through his work for the Life-boat Saturday Fund, and later as Honorary Secretary of the Bourne- mouth Branch, a position which he still holds. .

Portsmouth arid Southsea.

A special effort is now being made to develop the Portsmouth and Southsea Branch of the Institution. Until re- cently there was a Station at Southsea, but this has been closed, for this part of the coast is well served by two other Stations—Hayling Island on the west, and Bembridge, in the Isle of "Wight, where it is proposed to station a Motor Life-boat. It is felt in Portsmouth, "however, that the financial support which it has given in the past—the amount in 1918 was £73 odd—and which is much below that given by smaller and inland towns, has been altogether unworthy of such a 'city.

Its size, its importance as a naval station and dockyard, with one of the finest harbours in the world, and, above all, its long and famous naval history —going back to the tunes when King Alfred assembled there the first English fleeti—all point to Portsmouth as a city which should understand better than any other the value of the Life-boat Service, and take the greatest pride in giving it generous support.

, With the idea of furthering this pur- pose a meeting was held in Portsmouth at the end of January, and Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., the Deputy-ChairnSan of the Institution, came down to address it. The Mayor of Portsmouth, Coun- cillor J. Timpson, J.P., presided and said that it was' not through lack of sympathy for the splendid work done by the Life-boat Service that Ports- mouth had not subscribed to it more generously in the past, but because of the many other claims made on the city, and that now that these special appeals had come to an end he -hoped to see Portsmouth take its proper place in supporting the Institution.

Influential committees have been formed. The Mayor himself is Presi- dent of the Men's Committee, and Lady Pink President of the Ladies' Auxiliary, with the Mayoress as Chairman. The new Hon. Secretary is Mr. E. S. Butler, and Mrs. Arnold Forater, who took a leading and enthusiastic part in organ- i ing the War Charities of Portsmouth, has become Hon. Secretary of the Ladies' Auxiliary.

Cambridge.

A special effort is being made to develop the Cambridge Branch, which, up to the present, has not received the same widespread and generous support that has been given to the Branch at Oxford. The President of the Cambridge Branch, the Vice - Chancellor of the University, is showing the greatest in- terest in its work, and personally ar- ranged a very successful meeting, which has just been held, in aid of the funds of the Branch. At this meeting Captain Carpenter, V.C., who commanded the Vindictive at Zeebrugge, and won the V.C., and who is now in charge of the naval students at Cambridge, very generously gave his lecture on that brilliant attack. He had" already de- livered this lecture fifty times in America, in aid of war charities, but this was the first time that it had been heard in this country. The annual meeting of the Branch is to be held on the 29th April. The Vice-Chancellor himself will preside, Sir Godf rey Baring, Bt., will represent the Committee of Management, and Lord Jellicoe has promised to come down and speak at the meeting.

Port of Liverpool.

The Annual Meeting of the Port of , Liverpool Branch was held on the 21st | January, and the chair was taken by the Lady Mayoress, in the unavoidable absence of the Lord Mayor. Among those present were Mr. H. D. Bateson, the Deputy-Chairman of the Liverpool Committee; Mr. C. Livingston, Presi- dexA of the New Brighton Committee ; Mn. W. E. Mounsey, the Honorary "Treasurer, and Mr. E. H. Garnett.

For the nine months, ending the 30th September, 1919, a sum of over £900 was raised. This was exclusive of the contribution, for the nine months, of .£750 from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board,' and of the sum collected by the Ladies' Auxiliary, which for the twelve months ending the 31st December amounted to over £1,275. This fine result is very largely due to the splendid work done by the Ladies' Auxiliary, to whom a special vote of thanks was passed.

In addition to this, the special appeal for the building of Motor Life-boats brought in a sum of over £3,600. The new Assistant Secretary, Mrs. Tilby, showed great energy and enthusiasm in organising this appeal, and in promoting the success of the financial work gener- ally. The Committee of Management have just decided to design'and supply for Liverpool a new and very powerful type of Motor Life-boat, which will be the largest hitherto contemplated, having a length of 60 feet and a speed of about 10 knots. A generous gift of £7,500 has been received by the Branch towards the cost of this boat, which will probably amount to some £15,000 or £16,000. It will take the place of .the Steam Life-boat which is stationed at New Brighton.

Worthing.

The Annual Meeting of the Worthing Branch was held on the 5th February, with Mr. H. Hargood, J.P., D.L., the President, and a member of the Com- mittee of Management, in the chair.

The Mayor and Mayoress (Alderman' J. Farquharson Whyte, J.P., and Mrs.

Why to), Colonel A. F. Randolph, C.M.G., D.S.O., Chairman of the Branch, Canon W. B. Ferris, the Rev. C. J. Hollis, and Councillor H. C. B. Bowles, Honorary Secretary of the Branch, were also present. The Branch collected £490 during 1919, and had been able to send to the general funds of the Institution the record sum of £153 19«. 4d. During the year the Committee suffered two severe losses by the death of Mr. John Roberts, for many years the energetic Honorary Secretary of the Branch, and later its Honorary Treasurer, and of Mr. E. C. Patching, J.P., a valued member of the Committee.

The Coxswain, Mr. Henry Marshall, who has recently retired, after- serving for three years as Bowman, six as Second Coxswain and twenty-one as Coxswain, was then presented by the Mayoress with the framed Certificate on Vellum and the Aneroid Barometer which, to- gether with a pension, had been awarded him by the Committee of Management in recognition of his long services. Mr.

Hargood pointed out that though the Worthing Life-boat Station, dated back nearly sixty years it had had, in all that time, only three Coxswains.

Eastbourne.

The Annual Meeting of the East- bourne Branch was held on the 6th February. The chair was taken by the Chairman of the Branch, Mr. C. A.

Leatham, J.P., and there were also present the Mayor and Mayoress (Alderman and Mrs. Duke), Mrs. Astley Roberts, President of the Ladies' Aux- iliary, and Mr. A. E. Infield, Honorary Secretary. The Branch collected over £544 during 1919, and of this sum £425 was remitted to the general funds of the Institution. The Chairman spoke of the great loss which the Branch had sustained in the death of Councillor 0. W. Bolton, C.S.I., J.P., a member of the Committee, and a firm friend and helper of the Life-boat Service.

Kingstown.

The Annual Meeting of the Kingstown Branch, where a new Motor Life-boat has just been stationed, was held on the 10th February. The chair was taken by the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. H. R. Tweedy, and there were also present the Rev. Canon John Pirn, B.D., Mr. Arthur H. Scale, and Mr.

J. H. Hargrave, Honorary Secretary.

During 1919 a sum of nearly £76 was raised. This very satisfactory result was largely due to the untiring efforts of the Ladies' Auxiliary, to whom a vote of thanks was passed. The Earl of Fitzwilliam was elected President in place of the late Marquess of Ormonde.

A Coxswain's Legacy.

Mr. Henry Stapleton, for many years Coxswain of the Bude Life-boat, has left the Institution £5 " in token of his appreciation of the value of the Institution and in memory of his association with it as Coxswain of the Bude Life-boat." Mr. Stapleton joined the Life-boat Crew nearly 60 years ago.

He became Second Coxswain in 1867 and Coxswain in 1891, serving as Coxswain for 16 years.

Such a bequest from such a man is a highly valued tribute to the work of the Institution. We do not remember any legacy of exactly the same nature, though the Institution received not long ago a legacy of £10, being, if we remember aright, the whole property of a seaman who died at sea. But it is no uncommon thing for a crew to make a present to the Institution when they receive a good sum on a salvage case.

Thus the Brixham crew recently sent £25 as a gift to the Institution on such an occasion.

Forty Years in the Plymouth Life-boat.

After serving forty years in the Plymouth Life-boat, and for eighteen of these as Coxswain, Mr. David Mumford has just retired. He joined the Life-boat crew in 1880, and eleven years later became Bowman. In 1899 he was chosen Second Coxswain, and, two years Liter, Coxswain. In recog- nition of his'long career as a Life-boat- man, the Institution has awarded him a pension and a framed Certificate record- ing his services, and at the end of January this Certificate was presented to him on behalf of the Institution by the Mayor of Plymouth, Mr. L. R.

Dunstan.

Presentation to an Irish Coxswain.

In September last a presentation was made to Mr. J. FOLAND, who for fifty years had served in the Life-boat at Newcastle, County Down, first as a member of the crew,'then for twenty- six years as Coxswain, and after he had resigned the Coxswainship for a number of years as Signalman. The presenta- tion took the form of an Illuminated Address, which recorded his services to the Life-boat cause, and was signed by Lady Mabel M. Annesley, President of the Branch, the Rev. Otway Woodward, Chairman, and Mr. Robert Hastings, J.P., the Hon. Secretary..