FOR SHORELINE this year's London International Boat Show was the best ever: through the efforts of the band of voluntary workers who gave up a fortnight of their time to help us we signed on 1,153 new members, and I would like to thank them most sincerely. We even had the pleasure of signing on two visitors from America as life governors.

It was also encouraging to meet the many Shoreline members who called at our stand at Earl's Court.

* * * The Shoreline Club at Portsmouth is doing well and in January an inaugural meeting was held for Shoreline Club No. 2, at Southampton, at which the chair was taken by Sir Alec Rose. This meeting was attended by 280 Shoreline members of whom 135 have joined the new club. We wish it every success for the future and would like to thank all our supporters who took the trouble to come along on that evening. The chairman is Bill Rawles of 63 Firgrove Road, Freemantle, Southampton (Tel.: Southampton 783010) and he will be very pleased to hear from anybody living in the Southampton area who is interested in becoming a member.

If Shoreline members in any other areas would like to form clubs, please let us know here at Poole. We shall be happy to make initial inquiries, with the co-operation of the RNLI's local district organising secretary, because we feel strongly that this is one way in which our ever-growing membership can take more part in the work of the Institution and so help our very hard working fund-raising branches and guilds in raising the money that is needed to keep the lifeboat service running.

It was interesting that several branch representatives from the Southampton area were present at the inaugural meeting of Shoreline Club No. 2 and a number of them received offers of help in their work from Shoreline members.

* * * The appeal to our members to sign on a friend and so enter a competition for a BMW car is going very well indeed. We will report the name of the lucky Shoreline member in the summer issue of THE LIFEBOAT.

Support for the RNLI through Shoreline comes in many ways. A United States magazine, The National Fisherman', published an article aboutour work and, as a result, several Americans have joined Shoreline.

Since the article appeared there has been a steady flow from the States and we send a warm welcome to every one of them.

Chief Officer Alan Turner of MB Dunelmia, has persuaded all 20 members of his crew to join Shoreline.

Thank you very much, Alan, and welcome to you all.

Blue Peter Yacht Charters, whose boats sail out of Lymington, are planning to enrol into Shoreline any charterers booking for more than one week who are not already members. Well, there's another good idea which has our best wishes and our thanks.

* * * Our North East district office has some first day cover envelopes commemorating the naming of the 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat RNLI Shoreline at Blyth last October. Each cover is autographed by Sir Alec Rose, who named the boat, and comes complete with a programme of the event. Theyare available from the NE office, Bridgehead, Glasshouses, Harrogate HG3 5QH, price £1 each, first come first served.

* * * Don't forget that Mrs Nora Neill, of 95 Fitzroy Avenue, Harborne, Birmingham B17 8RG, is still collecting Green Shield stamps for Shoreline and would welcome any of these stamps you can send her. So far she has raised more than £2,700 for the lifeboat service in this way—a splendid contribution.

The Boat Show set 1980 off to an excellent start and I am certain that, with your help, this year can be the most successful Shoreline has ever had. To our many yachtsman members everywhere we send our best wishes for good sailing this summer and a safe return to port.—PETER HOLNESS, membership secretary, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1 HZ (Tel. Poole 71133).* To: The Director, RNLI, West Quay Road, I enclose subscription to join Shoreline as a: Member Family Membership Member and Governor Life member and Governor Send me details of how I can help with a Legacy.

Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.

£3.00 (minimum) D £5.00 (minimum) D £15.00 (minimum) D £150.00 (minimum) D D Name _ Address Over 104,000 people would have been lost without the lifeboat service..