FIVE Inaugural Ceremonies have taken place in Scotland during the past summer, at Girvan, Port Patrick and Kirkcudbright on the West Coast, and Cromarty and Dunbar on the East Coast. At the first four of these Cere- monies the Duke of Montrose, C.B., C.V.O., V.D., Chairman of the Scottish Life-boat Council and a Vice-President of the Institution, presented the Life- boat to the Station. At 'Dunbar the presentation was made by Mr. Leonard Gow, J.P., Chairman of the Glasgow Branch and a Vice-President of the Institution.

Girvan, Ayrshire.

The Ceremony at Girvan took place on 16th May, with the Marquis of Ailsa, President of the Branch, presiding.

The new Boat is of the light self- righting type, 35 feet 6 inches long, with a 35 h.p. engine, already described in the account of the Bridlington Inaugural Ceremony. She is a gift to the Institution from Mrs. Lawrence Glen, of Glasgow, wife of the head of the Glen Shipping Line. There are now four Motor Life-boats, of which the Girvan Boat is one, guarding the approaches to the Clyde. The other three are stationed at Troon, Port Patrick and Campbeltown. Three of these Boats are gifts from citizens of Glasgow. The fourth, stationed at Campbeltown, has been named City of Glasgow, as a mark of the Institution's gratitude for the help received in recent years from the Glasgow Branch.

There has been a Life-boat Station at Girvan since 1865, and it has rescued fifty-five lives.

The Duke of Montrose, in presenting the Life-boat to the Branch, spoke of Scotland's splendid Life-boat record last year. A Scottish Coxswain had won the only Silver Medal awarded by the Institution during the year. Scotland had increased her contribution by over £12,000, or nearly 80 per cent., and Glasgow had taken the place of the City of London at the head of the Institution's Branches by contributing £13,519. The Duke appealed for a still further increase in Scotland's con- tribution to the Service, and thanked Mrs. Glen for her generous gift.

The Life-boat was received by the Marquis of Ailsa, and, after she had been described by the District Inspector of Life-boats, the Rev. R. G. Colquhoun, M.A., B.D., of Chalmers Church, Girvan, dedicated her to the glory of God and the service of mankind.

Mrs. Lawrence Glen then named the Life-boat Lily Glen, Glasgow.

A Vote of Thanks to Mrs. Lawrence Glen was proposed by Mr. Robert 0.

Roxburgh, J.P., Chairman of the Branch, and a Vote of Thanks to the President and others was proposed by Provost Lawson.

The Ceremony took place in beautiful weather in the presence of a large crowd.

The singing was led by the Girvan Pipe Band, and a guard of honour was provided by the Boy Scouts.

Port Patrick, Wigtownshire.

The Port Patrick Ceremony took place on 5th August. The new Boat is of the Watson type, 40 feet 6 inches by 11 feet 8 inches, is divided into six watertight compartments, and has 160 air-cases. She is driven by a 50 h.p.

engine, giving her a speed of over 7| knots, and she can travel 144 miles at full speed without refuelling. In rough weather she can take fifty people on board. The greater part of the cost has been defrayed out of a legacy from the late Mrs. Agnes Colquhoun, of Ibrox, Glasgow, and the remainder out of a legacy from the late Mrs. Ellen Ashton, of Walton-le-dale, Lancashire.

Port Patrick has had a Life-boat Station since 1877, and has a record of eighty-nine lives rescued from ship- wreck.

Mr. William Douglas, J.P., presided.

The Duke of Montrose presented the Life-boat to the Station, and Mr. John Begg, J.P., Chairman of the Branch, received her. The District Inspector described the Life-boat, and she was dedicated by the Rev. G. Paterson Graham, of the Parish Church, Port Patrick.

Miss Margaret Campbell McNeil, the seven-year-old grand-niece of the late Mrs. Colquhoun, then named the Life- boat J. and W.

The name chosen by Mrs. Colquhoun was James Colquhoun, and the name chosen by Mrs. Ashton was William and Ellen Ashton. The Boat has been named with the first initials of each name, and the full names are inscribed on a plate inside the Boat.

A Vote of Thanks to Miss McNeil was proposed by Major Robson, and a Vote of Thanks to the Chairman and others by Mr. James McMaster. The Duke of Montrose then presented the Certificates of Service which had been awarded to ex-Coxswain James Smith and ex- Coxswain James Hunter. The Cere- mony took place in perfect weather, and between 2,000 and 3,000 people were present. The singing was accom- panied by the Stranraer Town Band.

Kirkcudbright.

The Kirkcudbright Ceremony took place on 6th August. The weather was again perfect, and there were some 2,000 people present, including Life-boat workers from Carlisle and Maryport, as well as from neighbouring Scottish Branches.

The new Boat is of the light self- righting type, 35 feet 6 inches long, with a 35 h.p. engine, which has already been described. She has replaced another Motor Life-boat of similar type which has been at the Station since 1928, and has now been transferred to Maryport, Cumberland. The new Boat has been built out of a legacy received from the late Mrs. Eliza Helen Watson, of Bridge of Allan.

Kirkcudbright has had a Life-boat Station since 1862, and has rescued forty-six lives.

Provost Milburn presided at the Ceremony. The Duke of Montrose presented the Life-boat, and Sir Charles Hope-Dunbar, Bt., President of the Branch, accepted her.

After the District Inspector had described the Boat, the Rev. R. R. Y.

Minto, M.A., St. Mary's Church, Kirk- cudbright, dedicated her, and Mrs.

James Logan, a sister-in-law of the late Mrs. E. H. Watson, named her Morison Watson. A Vote of Thanks to Mrs.

Logan was proposed by Rear-Admiral Eustace Leatham, C.B., and a Vote of Thanks to the Chairman and others by Captain F. Wickham Weekes, the County Convener. The music for the Ceremony was provided by the Kirk- cudbright Burgh Band and the Kirkcud- bright Pipe Band.

Dunbar, Haddingtonsbire.

The Ceremony at Dunbar took place on 15th August, with the Earl of Haddington, M.C., President of the Branch, presiding. The new boat is of the Watson Cabin type, 45 feet 6 inches long, with two 40-h.p. engines, already described in the account of the Inau- gural Ceremony at Newhaven. She has been built out of a legacy from the late Mr. George Strachan, of Glasgow, and is the fifth Motor Life-boat to come to the Institution from Glasgow, the other four being stationed on the Clyde.

Dunbar is one of the oldest Life-boat Stations on the coast of Scotland. It was established in 1808 and has a record of 145 lives rescued from shipwreck and four Silver Medals awarded by the Insti- tution for gallantry.

The Motor Life-boat was presented to the Branch by Mr. Leonard Gow, J.P., Chairman of the Glasgow Branch and a Vice-President of the Institution. Mr.

Gow spoke of the work of the Institu- tion, as one of the most splendid of our charities ; of the increasing support given to the Institution by the Glasgow Branch, and of Glasgow's pride in seeing a Motor Life-boat which was the gift of a Glasgow citizen stationed at Dunbar, one of the oldest and best Stations on the coast of Scotland.

The Life-boat was dedicated by the Rev. William Brown, D.D., of the Old Church, Dunbar, and Miss Molly Strachan, a niece of the donor of the boat, then named her George and Sarah Strachan. General Sir F. R. Wingate, Bt., G.C.B., G.C.V.O., G.B.E., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., Vice-President of the Branch, proposed a Vote of Thanks to Miss Strachan.

The Countess of Haddington pre- sented to ex-Coxswain Walter Fairbairn the Certificate of Service awarded him by the Institution. For over thirty- four years he had been a Life-boat Coxswain, had taken part in the rescue of over 100 lives and had won the Institution's Silver Medal for gallantry.

Dr. Duncan Macdonald, the Chairman of the Branch, proposed a Vote of Thanks to Mr. Gow and the President.

Cromarty, Ross and Cromarty.

The Cromarty ceremony took place on 26th August, in beautiful weather and in the presence of a large audience, with Colonel Sir Hector Munro, Bt., of Foulis, Lord Lieutenant, presiding. The new Boat is of the Watson Cabin type, 45 feet 6 inches long, with two 40-h.p.

engines, as already described in the account of the Inaugural Ceremony at Newhaven. She has been built out of a legacy received from the late Dr.

James Macfee, of Auchterarder. Crom- arty's Life-boat Station was established in 1911, on the closing of the Station at Nairn. There have been eight launches on service and two lives have been rescued.

The Duke of Montrose, in presenting the new Boat to the Station, said: " Notwithstanding bad times for trade and industry, this is the first year in which we have been able to say that our Scottish Life-boats have been main- tained by money from Scottish people (applause). Up to now we have had to depend upon the charity and goodwill of England. If we can build ships in Scotland, sail ships from Scotland, if we can man ships in Scotland, surely we can save ships in Scotland by our own independent action" (loud applause).

Lady Ross of Cromarty received the Boat on behalf of the Branch, and after she had been described by the District Inspector, the Rev. George Burnett, of Cromarty, performed the ceremony of dedication.

Miss J. Macfee, a niece of the donor, then named the Life-boat James Macfee.

Provost Cowper, of Cromarty, pro- posed a Vote of Thanks to Miss Macfee, and Colonel A. F. MacKenzie, C.M.G., C.B.E., of Ord, proposed a Vote of Thanks to the Chairman and others.

Music for the ceremony was provided by the Pipe Band of the Seaforth Highlanders, and there was a guard of honour of Girl Guides and Brownies..