THE President of the R.N.L.I., the Duke of Kent, said at the 148th annual meeting at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 18th May, that the Institution rested on four great pillars, each of which was essential to its health and vigour.

First and foremost were the men who served in the life-boats, all voluntary, and who had come to receive some small but highly-prized recognition of their act of gallantry, in the form of a medal. Secondly, there were the men and women who backed up the crews and who gave long hours of voluntary service to ensure that their stations were well supported in every way.

Next, there were representatives of the many public bodies, companies and charitable trusts, and of the thousands of private individuals, who each year subscribed between them very large sums of money to enable the life-boat service to operate. Lastly, but by no means least, there were the members of the Institution's own staff headquarters and the depots elsewhere, who were no less dedicated than the voluntary workers.

Referring to the skill and persistence of the life-boat crews from many parts of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Irish Republic, who go out in conditions which seem to range from the 'really awful to the indescribable', the Duke said: 'But our service is not only a national one; it is, in fact, truly international. Last year R.N.L.I. life-boats went to the rescue of vessels from 17 overseas countries and saved the lives of 56 members of their crews.' The President recalled how, soon after taking office, someone said to him: 'I think you are very lucky. I doubt whether there exists in this country a finer collection of men and women, nor a better living example of the spirit of voluntary service throughout the world.' The Duke endorsed that opinion wholeheartedly and felt very proud to be associated with 'this great service'.

The Chairman of the R.N.L.I., Commander F. R. H. Swann, O.B.E., R.N.V.R., who paid tribute to his predecessor, Admiral Sir Wilfrid Woods, said: 'Today I am able to report on a year of outstanding success, in which I think we have every right to express both gratification and pride. The true measure of success in the life-boat service is the number of human lives saved. Last year our life-boats of different kinds saved no fewer than 1,439 people, a record figure in time of peace, and nearly 15 per cent more than the number saved the year before.

'Last year Admiral Woods gave you details of the large new boat-building programme on which the R.N.L.I. was then embarking. I am happy to say that progress has been made in this direction too. Last year we placed orders for 11 new life-boats, and at the moment there are no fewer than 21 new life-boats, either under construction or on order, in various boatbuilding yards.

'Our financial branches too have every right to be proud of their achievements last year and deserve the warmest thanks of us all. For the first time in the Institution's history the branches and guilds of the Institution raised more than £1 million and their efforts showed an increase of nearly 14 per cent, on the figure for the year before.

'More lives saved, more new boats under construction, more money raised, and of course more calls than ever on our volunteer crews.

This is the story of an expanding service. From time to time, when we decide to close a life-boat station or make some other change, there are people who refer to economies or contractions in the work of the life-boat service. In fact what is happening and has been happening for some years is the direct opposite of this.

Some nine years ago we introduced the inshore life-boat, as we now call it, experimentally, and at roughly the same time we set up a working party to make recommendations on the most effective way of providing adequate coverage for our coasts. As a result of all this we now have about 250 life-boats of different kinds in service whereas 10 years ago we had about 150. The changes which have occurred have been of several kinds. The commonest of these has been the establishment of new inshore life-boat stations.

'In many places too we have provided an inshore life-boat to supplement the conventional life-boat. At a few places, Harwich and Lochinver, for example, we have opened or re-opened conventional life-boat stations. In some places we have substituted a fast inshore life-boat for a conventional life-boat in the belief, based on detailed analysis and study, that the services required from such a station in modern circumstances will be fully provided by an inshore life-boat. At a few places, where there have in the past been life-boat stations very close to each other, we have decided to take one life-boat away and cover the area with a new type of life-boat with greater speed.

'Such changes', continued Commander Swann, 'as we introduce are made after full discussion with the other national bodies con- 310 cerned in search and rescue at sea, and in this connection I would like to make the point that we have today the closest co-operation with these bodies, in particular the Department of Trade and Industry and Her Majesty's Coastguard, the Ministry of Defence, and the Post Office. We have regular meetings through the establishment of the Governmental Search and Rescue Committee, and on the coast more and more is being done through joint training exercises and in other ways to ensure effective co-operation wherever casualties may be likely to occur.

' Yet in spite of this suggestions are sometimes made that the R.N.L.I, wants to claim some kind of monopoly of life-saving. This is not only untrue but totally contrary to our policy. In fact last year no fewer than 283 lives were saved in services by shore boats recognised by the R.N.L.I., and for four of these services we made special awards for gallantry.

'I mentioned a moment ago our new boatbuilding programme, and I would like to cite one or two examples of the kinds of boat we are building. One life-boat at present under construction is of the 70-foot class and will cost us about £180,000. In 1964 we introduced the 44-foot steel class of life-boat based on a design of the United States Coast Guard; we are building eight more of this class and two similar in design which will be 50 feet in length and will cost about £100,000. We also have boats under construction of an improved version of the well tried Oakley 37-foot self-righting class, fitted with radar and a whcclhouse, and costing nearly £60,000.' He went on: 'All this expansion means that our costs will continue to rise in real terms, and on top of this we face the effects of inflation as everybody else does. Already the service is costing us some two and a half million pounds a year, and we must raise an additional million pounds in the current year. Can we achieve this? I believe we can come near it.

'One reason for my belief is the extraordinary dedication of our voluntary workers and our supporters throughout the country, who meet one new challenge after another with success. Another is the goodwill which the service enjoys throughout the community.

A third reason stems from the very favourable changes in the last Budget relating to gifts and legacies to charity, from which in time I hope we may benefit appreciably. Having said that, however, I feel I must make the point that our reserves are disturbingly low.

If all sources of income suddenly dried up we should today have only enough money to maintain the service for about seven months, and if there were a sudden drop in stock market prices this period would be even shorter. I do not believe anything quite so dramatic will happen, but it is a sobering thought.' Saying that the challenge remained as great as ever, and that the R.N.L.I, was doing all they could to meet it, Commander Swann added: 'In 1970 we instituted a thorough examination of the whole organisation of the R.N.L.I, by a firm of management consultants, and last year we received their report. I am happy to say that the general administration of the Institution emerged very favourably from this report, but naturally a number of changes were also recommended, which we are in the process of putting into effect. One of the most important of these is the decision to place in due course the R.N.L.I.'s head office and depots under one roof in the interests of both efficiency and economy, and in addition we have already taken steps to ensure greater participation by voluntary workers in decision-making and greater de-centralisation of administrative work.

'To sum up, I may say that we have been through testing times and there are more to come. Our aim is clear—to run an efficient life-boat service—and we are doing our best to achieve this. We have a great fund of goodwill, and an incomparable network of voluntary workers. Most important of all, we have crews, both of our conventional life-boats and of our inshore life-boats, who meet every demand made on them with a courage and skill which are beyond praise', concluded Commander Swann.

The guest speaker was Coxswain Ivor Crockford, of the Tenby, Pembrokeshire, lifeboat who first joined the crew 35 years ago.

Mr. Crockford said: 'Many of the older fishermen and seamen are now finding calmer waters to sail in. I believe they are men of a breed which is unfortunately passing from this earth: prime seamen, matured in a very hard, tough school which forms character and selfreliance so that they gain that quiet confidence which is typical of many of the men it has been my pleasure and privilege to serve with.

'Then what about the youngsters coming up now that the "professionals"—if I may call them that—are falling by the wayside? I personally have no fears on this score because in Tenby—if you will forgive me for mentioning it again—we have a crowd of boys v hose average age is 27 years. I would say that they are second to none, and with a little more experience they will be not masters of their trade but, in my opinion, extra-masters. Therefore I have no fears on that score.

'I suppose it is inevitable that from time to time boats and crews are regrettably lost. With the increasing number of calls in all kinds of weather, the sea cannot always be matched.

But we who go to sea in the finest craft that money can buy and men can build are constantly reminded of .this. We know too that this is only possible by the large amount of money charitably donated and, perhaps more important still, moneys collected so diligently and valiantly by you members of the Ladies' Guild. I think that you have done a wonderful amount of work not only collecting that money, but also when I came in the hall this afternoon the first thing that struck me was the lovely array of hats! It makes it so much more colourful. So could I say, on behalf of all the men, that I want you to know quite sincerely of the gratitude of the men whom you help to send to sea? 'Now perhaps you will allow me to pay tribute to the wives of the life-boatmen. . . . On behalf of all the boys could I say to you ladies, "Thank you very much for all your love and your kindness"; you wait and you worry, and so I say on behalf of everybody, "Thank you very much indeed, and God bless you all".' 316 Coxswain Crockford moved the following resolution: 'That this meeting fully recognising the important services of the Royal National Life-boat Institution in its national work of life-saving, desires to record its hearty appreciation of the gallantry of the coxswains and crews of the Institution's life-boats, and its deep obligation to the local committees, honorary secretaries and honorary treasurers of all station branches; to all other voluntary committees and supporters and to the honorary officers and thousands of voluntary members of the financial branches and the ladies' life-boat guilds in the work of raising funds to maintain the service.' Citations were read for the following awards: Coxswain Derek Scott, B.E.M., The Mumbles —first bar to his silver medal; Crew Member John Stockford, Barmouth—silver medal; Crew Member Colin Pugh, Barmouth— silver medal; Crew Member and Honorary Medical Adviser, Dr. Robert Haworth, Barmouth—-silver medal; Crew Member John Hodder, Lyme Regis—bronze medal; Coxswain Harold Triggs, Hoylake—bronze medal; Helmsman John Burns, Tre-Arddur Bay—bronze medal; Crew Member E.

Michael Williams, Tre-Arddur Bay—bronze medal; Motor Mechanic Donald Forrest, Holyhead—bronze medal; Crew Member John Hughes, Holyhead—first bar to his bronze medal; Crew Member Gareth Ogwen-Jones, Holyhcad—bronze medal; Coxswain George Pockley, Flair borough— bronze medal; Coxswain John Fox, Shoreham Harbour—bronze medal; Staff Coxswain Robert Dennison, Life-boat 70.002 based at Kirkwall—bronze medal; Coxswain John King, Bridlington—first bar to his bronze medal; Crew Member Patrick Pile, Southwold —bronze medal, and Crew Member Martin Helmer, Soulhwold—bronze medal.

Three bars to the gold badge and 17 gold badge or equivalent awards were made to honorary workers for long and distinguished services. Of these 18 were present to receive their awards from the Duke of Kent. They were: honorary life governor—Mrs. Constance Noyce, Andover branch. Bar to the gold badge—Mrs.

Edith Else, St. Helen's guild; Mr. A. Kernick, Penlee Station branch. Gold badge or equivalent— Mr. Leslie Aplin, Exmouth station branch; Mr. Wallace Barber, Stockport crew of lifeboat auxiliaries; Mr. Guy Blampied, St. Peter Port station branch; Miss Evelyn Dobie, Dunoon guild; Mr. Percy Garon, Southend station branch; Mrs. Janet Hall, Halifax guild; Mrs. Mary Hiley, Leeds guild; Mrs.

Vera Johnson, Bognor Regis branch; Mrs.

Penelope Kavanagh, Dublin branch; Colonel Sir Basil McFarland, Londonderry branch; Miss Katharine Norrie, Kincardine convenership; Mrs. Marguerita Phillips, Tynemouth guild; Mr. John Stockley, Stockport crew of life-boat auxiliaries; Mrs. Frances Upton, Chichester branch, and Mr. Arthur Westcott-Pitt, Dunmore East Station branch.

The Secretary of the R.N.L.I., Captain Nigel Dixon, R.N., announced that the Committee of Management had decided to award the Institution's gold medal to Her Majesty's Coastguard to mark the 150th anniversary of the Coastguard's foundation. The award was made in recognition of the great service rendered by Her Majesty's Coastguard in the work of rescue, of the gallantry of many individual members of the Coastguard service, and for the close co-operation between Her Majesty's Coastguard, the Royal National Life-boat Institution and other bodies and private individuals engaged in the task of saving life at sea. The medal was presented to Lieutenant- Commander J. A. Douglas, M.B.E., R.N., Chief Inspector of Coastguard, by the Duke of Kent at the annual meeting.

Mr. Michael Vernon, a member of the Committee of Management, moved a vote of thanks..