Shoreline Section FOR SHORELINE each new year is welcomed in by the Boat Show at Earls Court, early in January. As usual a voluntary Shoreline team was manning our stand for the full 11 days, and very well they did, too. We made an excellent start, with the number of new members enrolled on the first day being almost double that of previous years. One new friend who joined that day as a life governor then bought RNLI lottery tickets almost to the same value as his subscription and filled them all out in favour of the Institution! However, snow and difficult travelling was to mean a drop of 40 per cent in overall attendance at the show compared with last year, so that it is a great credit to our team that they enrolled 1,177 new members, topping all previous records.

Thank you, our team—you did splendidly —and to all our new members, we are very pleased to have you with us.

* * * We would send our special thanks to all our members who sent letters and donations following the Penlee disaster.

Your kind thoughts were much appreciated and your letters of sympathy have been passed on to Penlee. So great has been our mail that unfortunately we have not been able to avoid some delay in replying to your letters and sending out insignia. We are catching up, but please accept our apologies if you have in any way been inconvenienced.

* * * It is always a great pleasure when friends from overseas become members of Shoreline, but may we ask that when sending in their subscriptions they should take into account the rate of exchange and the postage costs. For example a member signing on from the USA at the membership minimum of £5 would need to send $12 to cover this cost.

Following the increase in our subscription rate, the first since the formation of the membership scheme in 1969, a great many of our existing members have now increased their subscriptions.

Thank you very much for this support.

* * * During the month of January two new Shoreline clubs held their inaugural meetings. I should like to welcome them to the growing number of our clubs and wish them every success in 1982: Scarborough, Shoreline Club No. 7: Meets on the fourth Saturday of each month at Southlands Hotel, West Street, Scarborough. A business meeting takes place between 12 noon and 12.30 pm followed by lunch at 12.45 pm. Any members visiting the area will be made very welcome. Honorary secretary: Mrs P. Somers, Churchview Cottage, Folkton, Nr Scarborough, Yorkshire. Tel. 0723 890143.

Peterborough, Shoreline Club No. 8: Meets on the third Wednesday of each month, at 7.30 pm, at Thorpe Wood Police Station. Once again, all members in the area would be made most welcome.

Honorary secretary: Mr S.

Meadows, 16 Valance Road, Orton, Waterville, Peterborough. Tel. Peterborough 233067.

* * # Southend-on-Sea, Shoreline Club No. 3, has changed its meeting place. In the future it will meet on the second Wednesday of the month at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club, Thorpe Bay Gardens, Thorpe Bay.

* * # You will have noticed that Shoreline Club No. 8 meets at a Police Station in Peterborough. Last year three police constables at the Northern Traffic Department, stationed at Peterborough, all Shoreline members, undertook a sponsored drive around 50 lifeboat stations in England, Scotland and Wales.

Malcolm Smith, Bob Crawford and Mike Redhead started off at Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station at 7.30 am on Saturday September 12 and travelled clockwise around the country finishing at Wells-next-the-Sea, in Norfolk, the following Friday, September 18. They were met by members of Wells crew and branch officials and a party was organised by the ladies' guild. A total of 2,163 miles was clocked up during the trip and a total of £1,400 raised in sponsorship for the lifeboats. Congratulations, Malcolm, Bob and Mike, and thank you.

Up in the same part of the world, Chief Superintendent Hardingham of the Traffic Division Cambridgeshire Constabulary, organised a band concert at Cambridge; more than £400 was raised and handed to the local branch.

Thank you, too, Mr Hardingham, your help is greatly appreciated.

* * * Over the past few years we have tried to co-operate with commercial organisations for the benefit of both our members and the Institution. For instance, as you know, Fred Olsen Lines last autumn announced four special holiday offers for Shoreline members.

Two of these holidays will be over by the time you read this page: some of our members took advantage of a break in Malta just before Christmas and others will be visiting the Dutch bulbfields in April. That leaves a trip to Canada in June and the Rhine cruise in September and October. Both, I understand, are already well supported but there are still some vacancies. If you are interested please write to Mr D. Cooper, Fred Olsen Travel, 11 Conduit Street, London W1R OLS, or telephone 01-491 3760. Don't forget, for every holiday booked in this way the RNLI will benefit by a percentage of the money paid—and also you can be assured of a holiday to remember, with first class service and accommodation.

Mercantile Credit has now extended its loan scheme for Shoreline to embrace all types of loans required by our members needing help in, for instance, buying a car or a caravan or extending the house. Full details of this scheme will be sent out this year with membership cards, but anyone wishing to take advantage of it should get in touch with Mercantile Credit, Elizabethan House, Great Queen Street, London WC2 (Tel. 01-242 1234), or any Mercantile District Office.

We have recently introduced two new lines to our range of insignia. One is a navy blue V-neck sweater with the RNLI flag on the lefthand side. They are obtainable in sizes from 30in to 44in from Shoreline Office at Poole and cost £7 each plus 50p postage. The other is a waterproof stowaway bag with a Shoreline crest at one end. It is also available from Shoreline Office, price £6.50 plus 50p postage.

* * * Recruiting of new members has got off to a very good start this year and I am certain that with your support and enthusiasm I will be able to report by the end of 1982 that the magic 100,000 figure has been reached. Could you make your own target, perhaps, just one new member? A little help from everyone goes a very long way.

A very happy summer to you all.— PETER HOLNESS, membership secretary, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ.

To: The Director, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.

I enclose subscription to join Shoreline as an: Annual Member £5.00 (minimum) D Annual Family Membership £7.50 (minimum) D Annual Member and Governor £15.00 (minimum) D Life member and Governor £150.00 (minimum) d Send me details of how I can help with a Legacy. O Name_ Address.

Over 107,600 people would have been lost without the lifeboat service..