THE Duke of Northumberland's Life- boat Essay Competition for elementary schools has been held this year for the fourteenth time. The number of schools taking part was 2,501, an in- crease on last year of 294.

Of this total of 2,501 schools, 1,877 were English, 288 Scottish, 193 Irish and 143 Welsh. In each country there was an increase on last year. The number of essays sent in for the inter- school competition was 1,596, an increase of 233, and the number of schools which held their own competi- tions but did not send in for the inter-school was 905, an increase of sixty-one.

" Why I Admire the Life-boatman." The subject was : " Why I Admire the Life-boatman," and there is no doubt that the thousands of children who wrote essays do admire him very much. Reading about him makes one child's heart " drum against my ribs with wonder and with praise" while another is still more strongly affected, " my spine tingles and my hair stands on end." Some look forward to being life- boatmen themselves when they grow up. " Oh, to be in his retinue ! " ex- claims one writer, but another honestly confesses : " I often wish that I could be one of these brave men, but when I come to see the hardships that he has to bear more clearly, I change my mind." His " Stickability." They admire him for many things, chiefly his bravery. " He risks his life to the nearest inch of it," writes one boy. He is admired also for his " weather-beaten hands, for without these he would not do much good." Yet another essayist admires him for what is excellently called his " stick- ability." " Stickability" is clearly a moral quality, but it must go with the right physique. As one essayist says : " The life-boatman is hard as nails and tough as a cement wall. I do not think that an avalanche could hurt him." Unmoved by avalanches, he must also be ready at any moment for action.

" He must always be prepared even when he is snoring and dreaming." Virtue of Tidiness.

Tidiness is not usually thought of as a necessary quality in action, but one thoughtful writer points out its value. " Life-boatmen have to be tidy, because if the signal came in and the men in bed, up they jump, and they must know where their clothes are and not have to look about for them for a while." Not only is the life-boatman ready to go to the rescue at a moment's notice, but he goes very cheerfully— " His hobby is to save lives of strange people." " He speeds forth on his errand of mercy with as much hearty satisfaction as if he were hasting to his bridal ceremony." It is no wonder that if he goes in that spirit " the life-boat is welcomed by the shipwrecked like a golden chariot to take them home." Unselfishness is recognized as part of the life-boatman's character, and what better proof of it could one have than that " he is also ready to stay out of bed and let a rescued person sleep in it " ? He is modest as well as unselfish.

" He expects no reward, and if he loses his life expects no high-class funeral." The life-boatman's wife is not for- gotten. It is a boy writer who gal- lantly points out: " Nearly every life-boatman has a good wife, so that when he comes home from a wreck all wet and cold his wife has a great big fire and a hot cup of tea to heat him up." These great qualities are well summed up by two essayists, each in a sentence.

" The life-boatman is God-fearing and patriotic and voluntary." "He sets us a good example which if we all copied there would never be any tears in the world." The Best Essay in Great Britain and Ireland.

For the first time the prize for the best essay in Great Britain and Ireland goes to a pupil of a London school, Alfred Robinson, of Warple Way Mixed School, Wandsworth, who sent in a very well-written, well- balanced essay.

A Welsh Record.

In Wales the challenge shield was won for the third year running by Eric Channell, of Wood Memorial School, Saltney, Flintshire, who last year also tied for the prize for the best essay of all. Once before a shield has been won by the same school three years running, the Spon Street Boys' School, Coventry, 1930-1932, but this is the first tune that it has been won by the same boy. It is a remarkable achievement, and a special book will be presented to Eric Channell. The Welsh shield now becomes the property of the Wood Memorial School.

Successful Towns.

Last year the places whose schools were noticeably successful were Bristol, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Cardiff, and the Orkneys. They are all prominent again this year, as are also Stoke-on- Trent, and the Isle of Man, Bristol is easily first with no fewer than ten of the thirty-five prizes in the Midlands, including the challenge shield, which was won last year also by a Bristol school. In the same district Stoke-on- Trent schools have won six prizes. In the North-west of England, Liverpool schools have won nine and Isle of Man schools four, including the challenge shield. In the South-west, Portsmouth schools have won seven prizes; in Wales, Cardiff schools have won five; in Scotland, where the challenge shield goes to a school in the Shetlands, Orkney schools have won seven prizes.

Boys versus Girls.

No fewer than seven of the nine challenge shields have been won by boys, as well as the prize for the best essay of all. This prize has now been won eight times by girls and seven times by boys (a bo'y and a girl tying for it in 1933). In Scotland the success of the girls is very noticeable.

They have won twenty-four of the prizes, the boys winning only eleven, and they have taken the first five places in the list. The reason for this, as given by the Scottish judge, is that they kept more closely to the subject. Of the total of 315 prizes, 158 have been won by girls and 157 by boys.

The Awards.

Alfred Robinson will receive a copy of Britain's Life-boats, by Major A. J.

Dawson, inscribed by the Prince of Wales, and a certificate. Each of the other eight winners of challenge shields will receive a copy of Launch, by Major-General Lord Mottistone (Major- General Seely), coxswain of the Brooke, Isle of Wight, life-boat, inscribed by the author. The schools will hold the shields for a year and each school will also receive, as a permanent record of its success, a copy of the certificate awarded to the pupil. The other prize- winners will each receive a certificate and a copy of Launch.

The 905 schools which did not enter for the inter-school competition, and the 1,281 schools which did not win a prize in it, will each receive a certifi- cate for presentation to the writer of the best essay in the school. A special certificate and book have been awarded to Rene"e Giles, of the Maud Maxfield School for the Partially Blind, in Sheffield.

Thanks to Education Authorities, Teachers and Judges.

In view of the considerable increase in the number of competing schools the Institution feels more grateful than ever both to the Education Authorities for their kindness in giving permission for the competition to be held—and, in a number of cases, in circulating particulars of it them- selves—and to the teachers. The per- mission of the Education Authorities implies no compulsion on the teachers to carry out the competition. The Institution deeply appreciates their kindness in voluntarily undertaking this extra work, and gratefully recog- nizes the care which—as the essays show—they have given to instructing their classes about the life-boat service.

The Institution also offers its very warm thanks to the judges in the nine districts.

Below will be found the names of the nine winners of challenge shields and the best essay. The full list of winners is printed as a separate leaflet and will be sent, with a copy of this journal, to each of the schools which entered for the inter-school com- petition.

Winners of the Challenge Shields.

LONDON. — Alfred Robinson, Warple Way Mixed School, Wandsworth.

NORTH-EAST OF ENGLAND.—Leonard Garland, Old Bramhope Council School, Bramhope, near Leeds.

NORTH-WEST OF ENGLAND.—Nancy Cowley, Clothworkers' School, Peel, Isle of Man.

MIDLANDS.—Donald Jack Gould, South Street Boys' School, Bedminster, Bristol.

SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND.—Edward Rudd, Hospital Senior Boys' School, Great Yarmouth.

SOUTH-WEST OF ENGLAND.—George Baker, Grove Road Senior Boys' School, Gosport.

SCOTLAND.—C. H. Eva Jacobson, Gruting Public School, Bridge-of- Walls, Shetland.

IRELAND.—Thomas Ruddy, Christian Brothers' Schools, Westport, Co.

Mayo.

WALES.—Eric Channell, Wood Mem- orial School. Saltney, Flintshire..