LAST Christmas a choir of twelve got together by the Honorary Secretary of the Branch at East Grinstead, in Sussex, went carol singing for the Lifeboats.

They wore oilskins and souwesters lent them by the Institution, and carried hurricane lamps. So successful were they that the Institution has received from them a cheque for £25. Their adventures are best described in the words of the Honorary Secretary of the Branch :—• " We warned our victims beforehand with a formal notice, to save fruitless journeys, as the houses were rather scattered. We went in three cars, parking them outside, unless the drives were very long, and walked up to the houses carrying hurricane lamps.

" We sang inside in practically every case, and if we had accepted all the offers of refreshment we should never have completed our round ! " We found a tuning-pipe invaluable, and we also found that people preferred the good old-fashioned carols to any newer ones, however attractive.

" The oilskins and sou-westers looked very businesslike, and, besides being eminently suitable for the weather we had, they aroused much interest and excitement.

" Our chief thrills were provided by the weather—one car being completely lost in the fog for half an hour ; and another time the last car had engine trouble, and we only discovered it was missing when we arrived at our destination and wanted tenors ! " At Wilden, near Southport, a party of carol-singers collected a pound for the Life-boats on Christmas Eve, and from Bedford the Institution received eight shillings and threepence collected by children who went carol singing. We hope that the example of East Grinstead, Wilden and Bedford, may be followed by other Branches next Christmas..