In his report on the past year's work at the Annual General Meeting of the Institution, which is given on page 70, Captain the Hon. V. M. Wyndham- Quin, R.N., the Chairman, described the past year as one of outstanding success in the life-boat service as a whole.

Figures showing that it was a record year for launches were quoted in the last number of THE LIFE-BOAT, and as Capt. Wyndham-Quin stated, the past year was also one in which remarkable progress was made in the technical field.

Two steel life-boats of a new yo-foot class are now undergoing evaluation trials: six new 44-foot steel life-boats are under construction: and the fleet of inshore rescue boats is being increased substantially. The Institution is also looking ahead in other fields, and a working party has been set up by the Committee of Management to investigate the possible use of hovercraft for rescue purposes.

As the Chairman's report and the accounts which appear in this number show, another record was established last year. For the first time the cost of the lifeboat service exceeded a million-and-a-half pounds. This is a formidable amount, and it is an astonishing tribute to the efforts of voluntary workers that receipts narrowly exceeded expenditure last year.

INCREASE IN SERVICES ABROAD The trend which has been noticeable in this country for some time of a steady increase in the number of calls on life-boats made year after year, has also been experienced in other countries. The North and South Holland Life-boat Society had a record year in 1964 when there were 137 launches on service.

This record was passed in 1965 when the figure was 174. Similarly the life-boats of the Life-boat Society in the German Federal Republic had a record year in 1965 when the figure for launches was 691. Belgian life-boats, which were launched 20 times in 1963 and 28 times in 1964, put out no fewer than 52 times last year. The same trend has been experienced by the United States Coast Guard, whose statistics are not really comparable with European life-boat societies as the organization comprises so many different services. In Portugal and Finland, on the other hand, there were decreases in the past year.

CIVIL SERVICE SUPPORT This year the Civil Service Life-boat Fund is celebrating the xooth anniversary of its foundation. The fund is an extraordinary example of voluntary service, which is unique of its kind. In the past 100 years the voluntary gifts of Civil Servants have provided no fewer than 35 life-boats, in addition to meeting the cost of maintaining all these boats. The 35th boat is the first of the yo-foot steel class and was named by H.R.H. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, on the 4th May. A full account of the naming ceremony will appear in the next issue of THE LIFE-BOAT.

The Civil Service Life-boat Fund was largely the creation of Charles Dibdin, an official in the Savings Bank of the General Post Office, who later became Secretary of the R.N.L.I. His name is borne by the present Walmer life-boat.

Although civil servants in all departments have contributed handsomely over the years, the General Post Office has a particularly close association with the fund. In the last war a Post Office official, Charles Barrett, virtually organized the fund single-handed, yet a reserve of £40,000 was built up to be spent when building of life-boats was resumed after the war. The new yo-foot life-boat bears his name. The present honorary secretary of the fund is Mr. F. B. Savage, Deputy Public Relations Officer of the G.P.O.

POSTERS FOR SCHOOLS A set of attractive posters has now been produced by the Institution for use in schools. They are colourful in appearance and informative in nature. One of the posters has a map of the life-boat and inshore rescue boat stations: another shows photographs of different life-boats: the third contains a detailed cut-away drawing of a 3y-foot Oakley life-boat. Six questions are asked in each poster, and the answers appear below in a detachable section. The posters can therefore be displayed with both questions and answers. Alternatively the answers can be removed and the knowledge of the pupils tested. Through the help of educational authorities between 25,000 and 30,000 posters have already been distributed to schools under the control of these authorities. They are also available on demand to all other schools.

JOHN F. KENNEDY LIFE-BOAT In the March 1964 issue of THE LIFE-BOAT it was announced that a life-boat bearing the name "John F. Kennedy" would be stationed in the Irish Republic.

No life-boat destined for Ireland was then at an advanced stage of construction, and the decision could not therefore be implemented at once. It has now been decided that one of the six 44-foot steel life-boats being built at Lowestoft, Suffolk, will be stationed at Dun Laoghaire in County Dublin, and it is this boat which will bear the Kennedy name.

VARIETY OF SUPPORT A horse named "Lifeboat" owned by Mrs. M. Spark had an exceptional run of success as a hurdler during the past winter. Every time the horse ran there was a striking shortening of the odds shortly before the race. Whether this was due to inspired information or the placing of large numbers of bets by life-boat supporters remains unexplained.

B.B.C. TELEVISION SERIAL A new television serial being launched by the B.B.C. next month will have a strong life-boat theme. The general title is "King of the River". The lifeboat connection will be established in the first of the series, which will be shown on 6th July on Channel i, from 8 o'clock to 8.50 p.m. The subject of the fifth in the series, which will be shown at the same time on 3rd August, will be a dramatic rescue by life-boat..