THE Scottish Life-boat Council which was set up at the Conference held in Edinburgh last January, and which it was decided should meet twice a year, held its first and preliminary meeting, at which it elected its officers, in Edinburgh on the 15th February. An account of this meeting appeared in the Lifeboat for last February. The first meeting of the fully constituted Council was held in Glasgow on the 17th May, thepukeofMontrose,C.B.,C.V.O.,V.D., Chairman, presiding, supported by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of the Committee of Management; Lady Findlay, Honorary Secretary of the Scottish Council; and Mr. George F. Shee, M.A., Secretary of the Institution. The Organizing Secretary presented a report of the work of tho Scottish District for the previous three months. She also reported that the first of the Area Conferences which it had been decided at the preliminary meeting should be held from time to time, had taken place at Dumfries on the 28th April, and that as a result two new Branches had been formed. From the experience gained at the Conference it was decided that future Area Conferences should be confined to single counties.

Honorary Secretaries of a number of Branches presented reports, and Sir Godfrey Baring, on behalf of the Committee of Management, congratulated the Council on the progress which it was making.

The second half-yearly meeting was held in Edinburgh on 27th October, the Duke of Montrose, Chairman, presiding.

The District Organizing Secretary reported that four new Branches had been formed and that special attention was being directed to the formation of Ladies' Life-boat Guilds. In this connexion the Chairman reported that arrangements were being made to hold a Reception on board the Anchor Liner Transylvania at Glasgow on the 22nd November, when the Duchess of Sutherland, President of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, had promised to inaugurate the Guild which was to be formed in Glasgow.

Reports were made by Branch delegates, many of these reports showing an increase in contributions over those of last year.

The Council received with very great regret the resignation, on account of ill-health, of Lieut.-Col. Sir James Wishart Thomson, K.B.E., its Vice- President, and it was decided to leave the nomination of his successor until the next meeting..