OPERATION LIFEBOAT has been a great success judging by the various reports that have already come in. The Scouts have set about raising the money in their usual energetic way by walking, swimming, rowing, cycling, clearing up rubbish, pushing prams and various other original, amusing and useful ways.

Over £20,000 has already been received but the money is still flowing in and it will be next quarter before we see the real outcome of all the hard work that has been put into this effort. The target is £100,000 for a 44' Waveney class lifeboat.

Following on this success is another: that of the Guides, Brownies and Rangers under the good auspices of the Guide Friendship Fund. Readers will remember that the idea was to raise £5,000 for an Atlantic 21 inshore lifeboat to be named Guide Friendship, and that by the summer, so great was the response, the organisers thought it might be possible to purchase the trailer as well as the boat. In fact the Guide project has been so tremendously successful that it has not only passed the first target of £5,000 for one boat; it has now passed the second £5,000 for a second boat with yet a further £4,000 over and above that. The first Atlantic 21 is already on station at Aberdovey, where she was named Guide Friendship I at a ceremony on November 2.With the autumn upon us, knitting has certainly got under way, and 65 more events are already being planned. Reports are coming in all the time of enjoyable social money-raising knits, and the final date for the closure of this scheme has been extended to the end of March to cover the winter period.

The Appeal to Civic Heads has raised £29,832 and the International Swimmers project is over half way towards its target. The Amateur Swimming Association have collected £590.91 towards the £1,000 it hopes to raise.

Schemes under discussion at the moment include the Pay to Launch a Lifeboat project, a national plan to use foreign coins and the possibilities of pro-am golf tournaments. We might also be heading for a 'Top of the Pops' with our own Stars Record next year! Suggestions for ways of raising money in 1975 will be welcomed by the Central Appeals Committee. These, however sketchy, should be sent to the office at 126a High Street, Orpington, Kent. The telephone number is 0689 38209 (in the London area the code is 66).—D.M.R.To: SHORELINE, RNLI, WEST QUAY ROAD, POOLE, DORSET, BH15 1HZ.

I should like to be a part of such a worthwhile voluntary cause by becoming a SHORELINE member of the lifeboat service and joining the Institution as: A Life Member and Life Governor: minimum donation £60, including journal A Member and Governor: minimum annual subscription £10, including journal An Offshore Member: minimum annual subscription £3, including journal An Associate Member: minimum annual subscription £1.50 Total subscription Below are the various items you are entitled to wear or fly as a member of SHORELINE: Members' tie (Terylene) £1.50 Lady's brooch £0.50 Metal car badge £1.55 Pair of cuff-links £1.75 8" hoist flag £1.25 12" hoist flag £2.00 Dinghy burgee £1.25 Insignia payment NAME .

ADDRESS Shoreline Bank Giro number is 294 7056 I enclose P.O/cheque/cash for £ Date Signature.