TEN YEARS AGO the Guide Friendship Fund (GFF) was launched. The first year Brownies, Guides and Rangers in the United Kingdom donated £1,500 to help Guiding in the developing countries.

In 1970 they raised £20,000 and in 1974, the 'Year of the Lifeboat', £33,650! Money is worked for and collected in a hundred and one different ways. The appeals are made only through the Girl Guide periodicals: Brownie, Today's Guide and Guider.

Primarily, Guide Friendship Fund money is spent to help Guiding in all parts of the world and to send immediate financial aid to Guides in any country that suffers a national disaster. In all, 69 countries have received aid in some form or other in the ten years of the GFF's existence. In addition, each year a project is adopted for an 'outside organisation.

1974 offered one of the most exciting challenges of all. Could the Guides raise £5,000 for an inshore lifeboat? The appeal went out in May: by August Guide Friendship I was achieved and Thank heaven for little girls . . .

she was launched and named at Aberdovey on November 2. By November £15,000 had been donated and we knew we could provide three ILBs. By the end of the year it was £22,000 and the RNLI agreed that the extra money should be used to help to equip the three Guide boats.

The seven-to-ten-year-old Brownies were by far the greatest money-spinners.

A lifeboat caught their imagination and stirred their money-raising ingenuity.

From sponsored silences, knits, skips, crawls, sings, wombles, brass cleaning, sunflower growing, matchbox collections, pram races to shining shoes in the market place and making early morning tea for Mum and Dad at Ip a cup, the Brownies of the UK raised some 70% of the total. One county raised £563.00, another £326.00, but, by and large, it was the multitude of small donations from the children themselves that resulted in over £22,000 for the RNLI.—VERA ARMSTRONG, Honorary Secretary, Guide Friendship Fund, Girl Guides Association.RNLI COOK BOOK Have you a favourite recipe you would like to contribute to the 4th edition of the RNLI Cook Book? Material is now being compiled for this year's book, which will include a special section of recipes from sporting personalities.

We shall be pleased to consider your recipes for inclusion in the Cook Book, so please send them to reach Head Office before May 31, 1975, addressed to: Appeals Secretary, RNLI, West Quay Road, . Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ If you would like the recipe returned, please include a stamped addressed envelope.

There are still copies available of the 3rd RNLI Cook Book, which contains a section of recipes from famous TV personalities; price 50p (postage and packing 5p) from Head Office.

NEW BRANCH A new fund-raising branch, Tywyn and District, has been formed covering the area from Tywyn to Barmouth and includes Abergynolwyn, Arthog, Llanegryn, Llwyngwril and Rhoslefain.

The committee would welcome offers of help; honorary secretary, J. C. H.

Gover, 6 Pendre Walk, Tywyn (Tel.

Tywyn 710135)..