THE District Organizing Secretary in the Midlands recently visited the school at Alderwasley, in Derbyshire, to present a certificate won by a pupil of the school in this year's essay competition ; it is a remote village of a few hundred inhabitants, and some of the children walk eight miles to and from school.

He arrived in the morning, in pouring rain, to find the playground decorated with flags, and was received with loud cheers. He was surprised to find how much the children knew about the Service in this Midlands village, so far from the sea that only one or two of them had ever seen it. Then he found that the headmistress came from Southport, and that she was greatly interested in the Institution's work.

He presented the Certificate and then was begged to stay and lecture on the Life-boats in the afternoon. This he willingly did, and it was not until several hours later that he was able to get away..