The Record of the Poole and Bournemouth Committee.

IN the article in the last issue of The Lifeboat on the Life-boat Station at : Appledore, which celebrated its centenary last summer, was given the re-markable record of the present Committee. The Chairman, Captain Prideaux-Brune, had served on it for 29 - years ; the President, the Rev. J. W. I White, for 28 years; the Honorary j Secretary, Mr. H. C. Whitehead, for 24 years ; Captain Mead for 24 years ; and i I Dr. W. A. Valentine for 23 years. That is a total of 128 years' service for five members, with an average of 25J years ; while the President, Chairman and Honorary Secretary had a total service of 81 years, with an average of 27 years.

Appledore is justly proud of this record, and on its behalf we challenged other Branches to beat it if they could.

We hardly expected any Branch to take up the challenge, but Poole and Bournemouth has done so, and its Chairman, Mr. Burden, has sent in the following record : He himself has served since 1893 (33 years); Mr. Harrie Shave, who was Honorary Secretary at Poole from 1905 to 1922, has served on the Committee since 1896 (30 years) ; Mr.

George Me William since 1898 (28 years) ; Mr. E. Whitely-Baker since 1901 (25 years) ; Mr. F. J. Bacon since 1906 (20 years).

In view of the fact that we have entered on another year since the Apple- dore challenge was made, it is only fair, for the purpose of comparison, to take off one year in each case. That gives a total for the five members, up to last year, of 131 years, and an average of 26 years. If we take the three members with longest service the total is 88 years and the average is 29 years.

Mr. Burden writes : "I claim from our respected contemporary ' a win.' " Mr. Burden is right. Poole and Bourne- mouth just has it. Does any other Branch now take up Poole and Bourne- mouth's challenge ? Mr. Burden also points out, with justi- fiable pride, that since the Station was established in 1865 the Poole and Bournemouth Life-boats have rescued 175 lives, and that in the fifteen years from 1911 to 1925 inclusive the Branch collected over £8,651.