THE happenings in the first six months suggest that 1961 may well, in terms of figures, be an outstanding and possibly a record year in the history of the service. During these six months the Institution's life-boats were launched on service no fewer than 357 times.

This figure is 20 greater than the number of launches for the same period in 1959, which was the busiest year the life-boat service has ever known in time of peace. 151 people were rescued during the first half of the year.

It is, of course, no novelty for record figures to be established, for year by year the general trend is for more and more calls to be made on life-boats. In themselves the figures may appear to signify little. Translated into human terms they indicate that more and more often the men who man the boats receive calls to go out to the rescue of others, calls which they invariably meet, no matter what the conditions.

Translated into terms of money these figures show clearly why it is that year after year the Institution's needs are greater. Five or six years ago the approximate annual cost of the service was three-quarters of a million pounds.

Within a year or two this figure ceased to be valid, and already for some two years calculations have had to be based on the assumption that a million pounds a year at least is the sum which has to be raised.

NEW SECRETARY APPOINTED THE new Secretary of the Institution is Mr. Stirling Whorlow, who has been a member of the Institution's staff for thirty-two years. For the past eight years he has filled the extremely res- ponsible post of Assistant Secretary, a post which carried with it also the title and functions of Establishment Officer, and much of the internal administration of the service has been his province.

The detailed knowledge of the work of the Institution which he brings with him will be invaluable to the service as a whole, and to all those who have worked closely with him in the past the appointment is an extremely popular one. During the war Mr. Whorlow served in the 3rd County of London Yeomanry, taking part in the African, Sicilian and Italian compaigns of the Eighth Army, and was twice wounded.

The appointment of a new Secretary was necessitated by the resignation because of ill-health of Lieut.-Colonel Charles Earle, D.S.O., O.B.E. Thus within a few months the Institution has been faced with the need to appoint both a new Secretary and a new Chief Inspector.

PREVIEW IN AID OF THE LIFE-BOAT SERVICE H.R.H. PRINCESS MARINA, Duchess of Kent, has graciously consented to be present at a preview in aid of the Institution of the new American musical "Do Re Mi," which is now running successfully on Broadway. It is being presented in London at the Prince of Wales Theatre by Messrs. H. M.

Tennent. Starring in "Do Re Mi" will be Max Bygraves, the Australian Maggie Fitzgibbon, Jan Winters, who appeared as Cinderella in the Jimmy Edwards pantomime at the Adelphi Theatre last Christmas, and Steve Arlen, a young singer who has compered shows in "Talk Of The Town" for more than two years. A leaflet which has been inserted in this number of The Life-boat gives details of the cost of tickets and contains an order form. As all the profits will go to the funds of the Institution, it is hoped that many of the Institution's supporters, particularly those who have some occasion to celebrate or feel they would like to entertain friends in a generous manner, will take advantage of this agreeable method of supporting the life-boat service. At the time of going to press seats are still available at all prices, but what the position will be when this number of The Life-boat appears cannot of course be foretold.

CIGARETTES FOR LIFE-BOAT CREWS As a result of a generous action on the part of Messrs. Gallaher Ltd., air-tight tins of Senior Service cigarettes will be placed on board all life-boats stationed in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the use of crews who are out at sea over long periods. These boats have been issued with two hundred cigar- ettes each, the use of which is expected to be confined to services of more than four hours in length. Small reserve stocks are also being held. A similar generous action on the part of Messrs.

P. J. Carroll & Co. Ltd. has made it possible for a corresponding arrange- ment to be made for the benefit of life- boat crews in the Irish Republic.

Another act of generosity from which the Institution is now benefiting is that of the Nestle Company, who are sup- plying free tins of condensed milk to life-boats fitted with facilities for making tea..