DOUGLAS (!SLE OF MAN).-—Life-boat Sunday was held on 5th August, on Douglas Head, and a record congrega- tion assembled. The prayers were said by the Rev. A. C. McNeal, the vicar of St. Ninian's. The lesson was read by Colonel Madoc, Honorary Secretary of the Branch, and the sermon was preached by the Bishop of Sodor and Man, who made a strong appeal for the Life-boat Cause.

GATESHEAD.—A garden fete was held on 24th July, in the grounds of the house of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Lunn. The fete, which was organized by the Mayoress of Gateshead (Miss Maccoy), who is Honorary Treasurer of the Branch, with the help of Mrs. Thubron, the Honorary Secretary, and other Life- boat workers, was the culmination of a week's efforts of a number of ladies who obtained about £60 in a house-to- house collection. All who contributed to the programme gave their services free, among them the Gateshead Cen- tral Band of the British Legion, and a company of Gateshead school children, who had recently returned from the International Exhibition of Gymnastics at Gothenburg, and who gave a number of country dances. Alderman John Thubron, in moving a vote of thanks, described the visit which he paid to the Station at Runswick Bay. After they had inspected the Life-boat and boat- house, they gave some money, to the members of the crew who had taken them over. " That money," said the Alderman, " did not go into the pockets of those poor fishermen as we had expected. It was put into the little box on the boat, to help to swell the funds of the Institution. I thought that was splendid, because it showed that those men were not only prepared to sacrifice their lives in the Bay, in trying to save life, but they were also prepared to give up money which, apparently, they could have well done with." SIDMOUTH. — A successful fete, de- scribed as Ye Olde Sidmouth Fayre, was held on 16th August, in the grounds of Sidmouth Manor. This is the third year in succession in which Colonel and Mrs. Balfour have opened their beautiful grounds to the public, in order to help the Institution, and these annual fetes have come to be regarded as an impor- tant feature of the Sidmouth season.

This year the fete was even more successful than in the two previous years, and a sum of over £240 was raised.

A rocket fired by Miss Betty Balfour was followed by the opening ceremony, which was performed by Lady Morrison- Bell. The Sidmouth Band provided the music, and there was a very long programme of attractions, in addition to the different stalls, one of which was a model Life-boat. Performances were given by the " Strolling Players " and the " Sidbury Pantomime Company," and one of the most interesting features was an aerial Derby, arranged by Mrs.

Spenee Bernard and Dr. Michelmore, in which the public competed with gas- filled balloons. In the evening the grounds were illuminated with electric fight, arranged by Mr. Edinborough, and the fete was concluded with a fire- works display. Mrs. Balfour was helped in making the arrangements by Miss Browning, the Honorary Secretary of the Sidmouth Branch, and a Committee of members of the Sidmouth Ladies' Life-boat Guild.

SOUTH CARNARVONSHIRE.—The first Annual Report of the South Carnarvon- shire Ladies' Life-boat Guild was pre- sented at a meeting on 4th August.

Dame Margaret Lloyd George, the President, was in the chair, and an address was delivered by Major-General J. E. B. Seely, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., a member of the Committee of Manage- ment. The report showed that alto- gether £180 had been collected. Of ;his sum £119 had been raised by a garden fete, arranged by Mrs. Lloyd- Evans, and £30 in subscriptions had Deen obtained by members of the Guild.

Prince of Wales' Collecting Cards had also proved very successful, a collection of £22 being made by Captain Griffiths, of Abersoch, aboard his steamer Prince, in South America. It is the intention of the Guild through the winter to have a series of whist drives, dances, and other entertainments.

WORTHING.—Triennial Life-boat Sun- day was held on 17th June. The Mayor (Alderman J. G. Denton) accompanied by members of the corporation, Mr. H. Har- good, O.B.E., D.L., J.P., Vice-President of the Institution, and Colonel Ran- dolph, C.M.G., D.S.O., Chairman of the Worthing Committee, went in proces- sion from the Town Offices to Christ Church, where the sermon was preached by the Right Rev. Dr. Southwell, Bishop of Lewes. In the course of his address the Bishop said that year in, year out, the merchant seamen faced the perils of the sea to bring home to them, very often, the necessaries of life. With all the safeguards with which ships were equipped to-day, the peril still remained, and all round the coasts the Life-boatmen kept up a ceaseless watch night and day. In their vigilance they never failed. The time had now come, however, when the Life-boat Institution was itself sending out an S 0 S—to the Empire—for help.

The Institution had not the money necessary for the fullest performance of its great work, and was therefore appealing for assistance. And it was quite right that they should be asked to help in church, because there was a deep spiritual significance in the work.

They must not forget that the saving of a body often resulted in the saving of a soul also. Many a man had been brought out of danger nearer to God.NOTICE.

Owing to lack of space reports of many meetings of Branches have been held over until the next number of THE LIFE-BOAT, which will be published in February, 1924..