THE PRESENTATION of no fewer than 23 medals for gallantry, an exceptionally high number for any one year, provided the central feature of this year's annual general meeting and served as a reminder to the large number of supporters present of the complexity of the task of lifesaving at sea. Among the feats of skill and courage described were the action of the Hastings doctor, Peter Davy, who broke seven ribs while being lifted into a helicopter from the lifeboat and carried on with helping the injured; the outstanding seamanship showed by the Clovelly staff coxswain, Stafford Houchen, who had to bring the 70' lifeboat alongside a trawler three times in a violent storm force wind; and the rescue by the Tynemouth inshore lifeboat in a gale force wind when she was in imminent danger of being driven under a tug whose crew she rescued.

Silver medals were presented to the Aberdeen and Dungeness coxswains, Albert Bird and T. R. 'Ben' Tart. The two stations are linked in a remarkable way. One of the greatest rescues in the history of the Dungeness station was from the motor vessel Teeswood'm 1956.

One of Teeswood's crew was the present Aberdeen coxswain, Albert Bird, and it was his experience on that day which was largely responsible for making him volunteer for lifeboat service.

Exploits of the Young Ways in which teenagers and children are maintaining the RNLl's traditions were also made manifest at the annual general meeting. Jayne Edmunds, a 13-year-old girl, and Eric Jones, the 14-year-old son of the Porthdinllaen coxswain, were both presented with inscribed wristwatches for the courage, coolness and discipline they showed in lifesaving operations at sea.Later in the meeting attention was called to the fund-raising efforts of the young when representatives of the Scout Association presented a cheque for more than £91,000, the outcome of the remarkable 'Operation Lifeboat' in which many thousands of Scouts took part. One of the first sights to catch the eye of those coming to the Royal Festival Hall for the meeting was the Atlantic 21 lifeboat produced by the efforts of Girl Guides.

Committee Lib History was made at the annual general meeting when it was announced that two women had been voted on to the Committee of Management. This recognition of equality in a service in whose annals Grace Darling played such an important part is not perhaps as belated as it may appear. There have been women honorary secretaries of lifeboat stations, a girl coxswain of an ILB and women doctors who have gone out on service. In fund-raising, women over the years have played a much more important part than men, and for some time now women have served on the central fund-raising committee.

The two new members of the Committee of Management, Lady Norton and Mrs Georgina Keen, both have exceptional records as fund-raisers.

Lady Norton as chairman of the Central London women's committee and Mrs.

Keen as chairman of the Kidderminster guild.

Journal changes Inflation has had the same disastrous effect on the cost of THE LIFEBOAT as it has had on most other contemporary activities. A detailed examination of costs and of how to save money was therefore instituted a few months ago and certain decisions have been reached.

These include raising the price of the journal to those who pay for it to 25p per copy, increasing the advertising rates, using a lighter-weight paper and limiting the number of pages to 36.

The proposals were adopted after examination by the Institution's public relations committee, which includes, in addition to members of the Committee of Management, Lord Cudlipp, Raymond Baxter, Wynford Vaughan- Thomas and Bernard Hayman, editor of Yachting World. These distinguished public figures all, of course, give their services voluntarily, an example of the quality and range of expert advice on a wide range of subjects, including naval architecture, engineering, medicine, finance and administration, which is made freely available to the RNLI.

Variety of Support Anyone who has been an official of the RNLI for any length of time must have been struck periodically, not only by the ingenuity and energy which its active supporters show in raising funds, but also by the extraordinary variety of the sources from which the RNLI benefits.

On my desk recently two letters appeared which illustrate this. One was from a man in Hillingdon, Middlesex, who enclosed a donation which had come from the former chief engineer of the German battle cruiser Scharnlwrxt.

At his funeral the German engineer had stipulated that no flowers were to be given but that donations might be made either to the German lifeboat service or to the RNLI.

The other letter came from the author of a book on the provision of lifeboats by freemasonry. The proceeds of his book are being split between the RNLI and the Royal Masonic Hospital.

Dorking Lodge, having recently made a donation to the hospital, instructed him to send all the money received from purchases by its members to the RNLI.

'Your contribution from the sale of the book', he wrote, 'should be in excess of £1,000'.

Tax concessions The Institution is still very dependent, in carrying out its work, on the help of those people who are able to make large gifts to the lifeboat service either during their lifetime, or in the form of legacies.

Concessions to charities in the recent Finance Bill have greatly improved the position. Gifts to the Institution and other charities are now entirely free of Capital Transfer Tax except where these are made within a year before death, when they are exempt up to an accumulative sum of £100.000. Legacies are similarly free of tax for the first £100,000.

On page 23 of this issue the reader will find suggested clauses covering bequests to the Institution which may be of help to their solicitors in preparing their wills, should they wish to remember the RNLI in this wav.

In the House of Lords on May 8, 1975, the Duke of Atholl in a written question asked Her Majesty's Government whether they would convey to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution the congratulations of the House on the completion of its 150th Anniversary.

Lord Bcswick: Yes, my Lords. I should be delighted to convey to the RNLI on behalf of the whole House, if it agrees, our congratulations on the occasion of the 150th Anniversary of the Institution.

I should like to add our tribute, and I am sure that of the nation, to the dedication and valour of the crews of the lifeboats, who so frequently and willingly encounter great perils and sometimes tragedy in their work of rescue of life at sea. The nation owes much to these crews and indeed their families who share with them both their trials and tribulations.

A motion in similar terms was carried in the House of Commons..