CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS.

SINCE the " Centenary Celebrations " Number of The Lifeboat appeared in November last a number of other cele- brations have been held.

Cumberland.

A Whist Drive and Dance have been held at Maryport in addition to the Thanksgiving Service and Century Life- boat Day mentioned in the last issue.

Durham.

A Century Life-boat Day has been held at Gateshead-on-Tyne.

Lancashire.

Century Life-boat Days have been held at Abrams, Accrington and Wigan.

House-to-House Appeals at Atherton, Great Harwood, Ormskirk and Mossley.

Yorkshire.

A Century Life-boat Day has been held at Doncaster, and a " Mile of Pennies " at Ripon.

Staffordshire.

A Century Life-boat Day was held at Stoke-on-Trent (including Longton, Fen- ton, Stoke, Hanley, Burslem, and Tun- stall).

Essex.

A Dance has been held at Clacton-on- Sea, to which parties came from Walton, Frinton and Brightlingsea, in addition to the Thanksgiving Service and Cen- tury Life-boat Day mentioned in the last issue.

Devonshire.

Plymouth has held a Centenary Bazaar in addition to the Centenary Meeting, Thanksgiving Service, Cen- tury Life-boat Day, Ball and Life-boat Fete mentioned in the last issue.

Hope Cove held a Century Life-boat Day on the same date as the Salcombe Day reported in the November issue, and raised over £51. One of the features of the day was a race between the Salcombe and Hope Cove Life-boats.

Dorset.

Four performances of Laurence Hous- man's and Granville Barker's " Prun- ella " were given in aid of the Weymouth | Mr. Russell Thorndyke in the principal parts. During one of the performances the Ladies' Life-boat Guild presented the Branch with a barometer and clock for the new Life-boat House.

Hampshire.

A Whist Drive and Dance have been held at Basingstoke, in addition to the Centenary Meeting, the Century Life- boat Day, the Bazaar and the Mayor's Appeal mentioned in the last issue.

Oxfordshire.

A Dance has been held at Banbury in addition to the Century Life-boat Day mentioned in the last issue.

Somerset.

In addition to the Century Life-boat Day, mentioned in the last issue, a Meet- ing was held at Frome, with Lady Walde- grave in the chair, and a Ladies' Life- boat Guild was formed with Lady Mary Thynne as President.

Dumbartonshire.

A Thanksgiving Service has been held at Kirkintilloch, in addition to the Cen- tury Life-boat Day mentioned in the I last issue.

Edinburghshire.

, A Centenary Meeting was held in Edin- burgh at which the Lord Provost (Sir William Sleigh) presided, and Sheriff ! Jamieson delivered an address.

j Renfrewshire.

| Paisley has held a Century Life-boat i Day and made a collection at a Football Match, in addition to the Thanksgiving '• Service mentioned in the last issue.

I Pembrokeshire.

i A Century Life-boat Day was held at I Milford Haven.

Glamorganshire.

i Barry Dock held a Centenary Thanks- giving Service (which was not reported in the last issue of The Lifeboat) on 2nd March, the Sunday immediately preceding the Institution's birthday.

; The Service was held in the Wesleyan Church, and there was a procession through the town. Those who took part in it including members and officials of the Urban District Council, the Life- Branch, with Miss Eileen Thorndyke and j boat Committee and Crew, the Coast Guard, the Police, the Salvation Army, the Channel and Dock Pilots, officials and employees at the Docks, Boatmen, the Sea Scouts and Boy Scouts, and the St. John and Bed Cross V.A. Detach- ments. The Service was conducted by the Rev. J. Willis Benneworth, with the help of the local Chaplains of the Mission to Seamen and the British and Foreign Sailors' Society.

Wicklow.

A Century Life-boat Day was held at Wicklow.

ANNUAL MEETINGS.

ABERDEEN .—On 21 st November, 1924, Ex-Baillie Milne, Vice-President of the Branch, in the chair. During the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch raised £552 as compared with £483 in the previous year. Of this sum the Ladies' Life-boat Guild had collected £263, and Century Life-boat Day had raised £233. Both the collections of the Guild and the Day showed an increase, but annual subscriptions decreased, amounting to less then £10. The officers were re-elected, and Captain Wyness, Harbour Master, was elected to the new office of Honorary Marine Secretary, in view of the fact that from the beginning of 1925 the Institution was taking over the Life-saving work from the Harbour Commissioners.

APPLEDORE.—On 20th November, 1924, Captain the Hon. Denys Scott presiding. The report expressed the appreciation of the Station at the action of the Mayor and Corporation of Bide- f ord in attending the Centenary Thanks- giving Service on Bideford Quay, and showed that during the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch had raised £400, as compared with £340 in the pre- vious year. The Rev. J. B. White was re-elected Chairman, a post which he has held for twenty-five years, and the meeting expressed its appreciation of his long and valued services. Mr. H. C.

Whitehead was re-elected Honorary Secretary, and, in responding, said that he had recently discovered old documents with -references to the work of the Station. They showed that during ninety-five years of the ninety-nine years of the Station's existence, 251 lives had been rescued from shipwreck.

This was a record of which they could be proud ; and, in addition, the Apple- dore Station had the biggest subscription list of any Branch in Devon.

BANFF.—On 12th December, 1924, Ex-Provost Walker, the Chairman of the Branch, presiding. During the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch collected £97 as compared with £37 in the previous year. The report for the year showed that the Station was in complete working order, and it had been decided, after a year's trial, that the Life-boat should be placed permanently at Whitehills. Satisfaction was ex- pressed at the intention of the Institu- tion to provide a light Motor Life-boat for the Station.

BATH.—On llth November, 1924, Brigadier-General E. H. Molesworth, C.B., presiding. During the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch raised £352, as compared with £298 in the pre- vious year. The increase was due, the Treasurer's report stated, to the efforts of the Honorary Secretary in getting new donors and subscribers, and a vote of thanks to him was passed. The officers were re-elected, and Admiral Veale was added to the Committee, BLYTH.—On 28th November, 1924, Councillor G. Tynemouth presiding. The report showed that during 1924 the Blyth and Cambois Life-boats had been called out on service six times. The Branch had raised during the year £341, which included £204 in voluntary collec- tions from ships, as compared with £236 in the previous year, "which had included £191 from ships. The Chairman said that he thought that annual subscrip- tions might be considerably increased.

The Mayor (Alderman G. Nunn) was elected first President of the Branch, and the Committee for 1925 was elected.

BRADFORD.—On 8th December, 1924, the Lord Mayor (Mr. J. H. Palin, M.P.) presiding. During the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch collected £3,050, as compared with £2,643 in the previous year. The Lord Mayor moved the adoption of the report, and, in seconding it, Sir William Priestley, the Chairman of the Committee, said that the Branch got into touch with all the districts of Bradford and with all classes, that he had never been on a Committee which worked more smoothly.

He referred to a letter of warm appreciation which he had received from Sir Godfrey Baring, the Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Institution, and said how much the Marquess of Graham had been impressed when he represented the Committee of Management at the Alhambra Matinee. In moving a vote of thanks to the Officers and Committee of the Branch and to the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, Mr. Sutcliffe Smith mentioned the Centenary Dance, organized by Mrs. Henry Clough, which has raised £243, and the Sunday Society Lecture, arranged by Mr. House, which had raised £117. Mr. Sutclifle Smith, at the request of Sir William Priestley, presented to the Lord Mayor & model of the City of Bradford Motor Life-boat, which is stationed at Spurn, and the Lord Mayor, in accepting it, said that it would be given a place of honour in the Caitwright Hall.

BUDE.—On 13th October, 1924. The report for the year ended 30th September, 1924, stated that this was the first year that Bude had been a Financial instead of a Station Branch. With the attraction of the Life-boat gone, especially on Life-boat Day, there had been a decline in the receipts, which amounted to £155 as compared with £169 in the previous year. What the Branch wanted was more annual subscribers of 5*., and for these Admiral Nicholson, the Honorary Secretary, made a special appeal. He also pointed out that in 1923, out of the twelve Cornish Branches, only Newquay and Penzance had raised larger sums than Bude.

CKOMEB.—On 12th November, 1924, Mr. D. Davison, J.P., Chairman of the Branch, presiding, year ended 30th The report for the September, 1924, referred to the great loss which the Branch had suffered by the death of its President, the late Lord Suffield. Twelve lives had been rescued during the year, making the total for the Station 287.

During the year £350 had been raised, as compared with £457 in the previous year. A record sum of £112 had been raised on Century Life-boat Day, and the fall in the revenue was due to the fact that the new Boat-house had onlybeen open a very short time instead of the whole season, for which reason £100 less had been collected there than in the previous year. The thanks of the Committee of the Branch were expressed to Coxswain Blogg and his crew, and to Mr. Blyth. the caretaker at the old Boathouse, who had sold over 1,600 picture postcards and 528 Life-boat books. It was announced that Lord Suffield had consented to succeed his father as President, and the Officers and Committee were re-elected.

EASTBOURNE.—On 18th December, 1924, the Chairman of the Branch, Mr.

Ernest Armstrong, presiding, supported by the Mayor (Alderman Sir Charles O'Brien Harding accounts showec ;). The statement of that the year ended 30th September, 1924, had been a record for the Branch, £898 having been collected as compared with £779 in the previous year. In moving the adoption of the report, the Chairman paid a tribute to the wonderful work of Mrs.

Astley Eoberts, President of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, who had started her work for the Branch in 1895, in which year the sum collected Lad been £30 ; to her devoted helpers ; and to Mr. Mark Hookham, the Honorary Secretary of the Special Efforts, who, to their great regret, felt that the time had come for him to resign. The Chairman also dealt with criticisms of delay in launching the Life-boat on 21st October, 1924, when she rescued the crew of three from the Motor-yacht Ex-M.L. 87. Careful inquiry had been made, and the reason why the Life-boat was not launched earlier was that the yacht was not flying signals of distress. The Officers and Committee were re-elected, Sir George Lloyd, M.P., and Lady Lloyd, Mr.

J. Andrews, and Lieut.-Col, Gwynne Eoland, D.S.O., being added to the Committee.

EDINBURGH. — On 8th December, 1924, the Lord Provost (Sir Wiljiam Sleigh) presiding. During the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch collected £1,945 as compared with £1,359 in the previous year. This included £850 raised by the Century Life-boat Day—a record sum. The Lord Provost expressed his sympathy and admiration for the work of the Institution, andSheriff Jamieson moved a resolution commending the work of the Branch to the public. Sir James Wishart Thom- son, K.B.E., proposed that the meeting should record its appreciation of the services of Mr. W. A. Wyse, who, at the end of twenty-one years' service as Honorary Treasurer, was intending to resign, and announced that Mr. S. C.

Clapperton would succeed him.

LAKE DISTRICT BRANCH.—At Wind- mere, on 15th November, 1924, Mr. A. R.

Sladen, Honorary Treasurer of the Branch, presiding. During the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch raised £97, as compared with £77 in the previous year. Mr. Sladen expressed the special thanks of the Branch to Miss Hamilton who collected in Windermere, and Miss Birkett who collected in Bow- ness, and said that another collector had been obtained for Ambleside. The Organizing Secretary ioi the North of England then delivered an address on the work of the Institution during the past hundred years, and on the pressing need for Motor Life-boats. Since this meeting it has been decided to make a special effort in the Lake District to provide a Motor Liie-boat tearing its name.

OLDHAM.—On llth December, 1924, the Mayor (Alderman F. Broadbent) presiding. During the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch collected £320 as compared with £280 in the pre- vious year. While the annual subscrip- tions had fallen by £9 the Ladies' Life- boat Guild had collected £190, an in- crease of £15. A special vote of thanks was passed to the Guild for its sple"ndid efforts, and an appeal was made to men' to do something more besides giving their annual subscriptions. The Officers were re-elected.

SWANAGE.—On 31st December, 1924, Mr. Atkinson presiding. During the year ended 30th September, 1924, the Branch raised £140 as compared with £113 in the previous year. The Honor- ary Secretary, Mr. Powell, read a report of a launch of the Life-boat on 27th December, when, in tremendous seas, she went out fifteen miles to a steamer which had been in difficulties. It was decided to ask for subscriptions in order to present a framed photograph of the crew to each member of it, as a memento of this service. The Officers and Com- mittee were elected for 1925.

WEYMOUTH.—On 6th October, 1924, Captain A. Masters presiding. The report for the year ended 30th Septem- ber, 1924, referred to the reconstruction of the Boat-house and the action of the Weymouth Corporation in laying the cable and supplying the current for the electric winch free of charge. The fund for the B.oat-iouse, initiated by Mr.

Albany Ward, among the patrons of the Picture Houses and Theatres under his control, had raised £1,392 of the £3,553 which the new House and Slipway had cost, and Mr. Newbold had promised that it should be carried on. During the year £228 had been collected as compared with £174 in the previous year. A vote of thanks was passed to the members of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild for their ser- vices on Century Life-boat Day, which had raised £111, and the Committee were re-elected.

SPECIAL MEETINGS.

BRADFORD.—The annual matinee at the Alhambra which, through the kind- ness of the Managing Director, Mr.

Francis Laidlaw, has long since become one of the established features of Life- boat work in Bradford, was held on 20th November, 1924. The performance was given by the artists appearing at the Alhambra, supported by leading artists from the Hippodrome, Leeds, and the Hippodrome, Keighley. Among them | was Miss Florrie Forde, who has ij appeared at many of these matinees, and j | was some time ago awarded the Gold || Brooch of the Institution for the con- j! stant help which she has given to the ;) Life-boat cause. There was a crowded audience which included the Marquess of Graham, a Vice-President of the Institution, who represented the Com- mittee of Management, the Lord Mayor (Mr. J. H. Palin), the Lady Mayoress and Sir William H. Priestley, Chairman of the Branch. At the close of the per- formance the Marquess of Graham thanked Mr. Laidlaw, the artists and the officials of the theatre, all of whom had given their services. The total receipts, which are given to the Branch without any deduction for expenses, amounted to £383. To this was added £75 obtained from a flower stall, making £458, and an anonymous friend made up the amount to £500.

DUBLIN.—On 7th November, 1924, a special meeting was held, at which Mr. John Good, T.D., presided, for the purpose of presenting the Institution's Gold Pendant and Record of Thanks to Major Whewell in recognition of his thirty years' service to the Life-boat cause as Chairman of the Dublin Special Effort Committee. The District Organiz- ing Secretary for Ireland, Mr. H. G.

Solomon, said that Major Whewell was the first Irish worker to receive the Gold Pendant, and that largely through his energy the contributions to the Dublin Branch had risen from £400 in 1910 to £1,200 in 1924. Major Whewell, in accepting the presentation, spoke of the splendid support which he had received from the many Life-boat workers in Dublin.

FLEETWOOD.—A special meeting was held on 22nd December, 1924, at which the chair was taken by Mr. F. J. Thomp- son, J.P., supported by Lord Stanley, M.C., M.P., Lady Stanley, and Coun- cillor R. E. Mann (Chairman of the Fleet wood Urban District Council).

The purpose of the meeting was to pre- sent to Mr. John Robert Leadbetter the Certificate of Service which had been awarded to him by the Institution in recognition of the fact that he had served for forty-one years in the Fleet- wood Life-boat, during fourteen of which he had been Second Coxswain, and during fourteen and a half Cox- swain. The presentation was made by Lord Stanley, and afterwards Lady Stanley presented Badges to Members of the Fleetwood Ladies' Life-boat Guild.

MANCHESTER AND SALFORD.—On 18th November, 1924, a small party of Life-boat workers in Manchester paid a visit to the Refuge Assurance Company, at the invitation of the President of the Company's Orchestral Society, and after inspecting the buildings, attended a concert which was given by the Society in the staff dining-room while lunch was being served. The programme announced that a collection would be taken for the Life-boat Service, and the music had been specially chosen with regard to the appeal, including, among other pieces, " On the Quarter Deck " ; " The Old ' Superb,' " and " Do Shrimps make Good Mothers ? " The collection, which was then taken, amounted to over £8. 'The Refuge Orchestral Society has only been in existence ior four years, but during that time it has collected for charities, in this way, upwards of £1,400.

PLYMOUTH.—A special meeting was held on 14th November, 1924, at which Admiral John M. Hutchinson, the Chairman of the Branch, presided, for the purpose of presenting the Vellum of Thanks awarded by the Committee of Management to the late Honorary Treasurer, Captain E. Robin, in recog- nition of nearly ten years' service to the Branch. The Vellum was presented by the Mayor (Alderman W. R. Winnicot), and the District Inspector thanked Captain Robin in the name of the Committee of Management.

STOKE NEWINGTON.—A drawing-room meeting was held on 20th November, 1924, with an audience of between sixty and seventy people, at which Major Sir Maurice Cameron, K.C.M.G., a member of the Committee of Management, spoke.

During the meeting a large number of people gave in their names as subscribers, and preparations were made to form a committee and to establish a Stoke Newington Branch..