Royal visit to four Scottish stations The RNLI's President, HRH The Duke of Kent, visited four lifeboat stations on the west coast of Scotland during a two day visit in July.

On 21 and 22 July, the President met lifeboat crews, fundraisers, lifeboat station officials and RNLI staff at Helensburgh, Largs, Girvan and Troon and was able to go afloat in Helensburgh's Atlantic rigid inflatable and the allweather lifeboats at Girvan and Troon.

Important - changes to arrangements for the Annual Meetings The date and place of the RNLI's 1995 Annual General Meeting and Annual Presentation of Awards differ from those of the past few years: The place: The Barbican Centre The date: Thursday 18 May 1995 The new venue for the AGM and APA was announced at the 1994 Meetings, as the RNLI considers that the Barbican is able to offer facilities better suited to the occasion. However since the original date was decided a Bank Holiday has been moved and VE Day celebrations planned which could make travel and accommodation in London difficult. As a result the date of the meetings has now been changed to Thursday 18 May 1995. Some printed material, including the RNLI's 1995 diary, was distributed before the change was made and should be disregarded.

Further details will be provided in the Winter and Spring issues of The Lifeboat Please note change of dateNEWSPOINT The RNLI's initiatives to promote safety- rather than just reacting to emergency situations - is gathering pace, linked with efforts to ensure a greater awareness of the Institution by younger people.

Elsewhere on these pages are details of just two of the initiatives, a link with the RAC which is not only aimed at raising a substantial sum of money but which also seeks to raise awareness - many readers may have heard the joint safety messages broadcast on local radio throughout the summer months.

Although the raising of young people's awareness is not directly aimed at promoting safety it will, no doubt, have a 'knock-on' effect - if children are aware of the RNLI and its work they will also be aware of some of the dangers inherent in the sea and the seaside.

Considerable work has gone into the first pack aimed specifically at school children, being developed by an ex-teacher now working for the RNLI and providing teachers with many opportunities to incorporate the Institution's work into their curriculum.Old lifeboats shipshape and Chatham fashion...

The collection of historic lifeboats which was once housed at the now-closed Bristol Lifeboat Museum has found a new home and should be on display once again in the not too distant future - the target being Easter 1995.

The eight lifeboats concerned had been stored safely, but inaccessibly, for some five years following the closure of the museum until April of this year, when negotiations with the Historic Dockyard at Chatham in Kent came to fruition.

The sight of eight old lifeboats making their way along the M4 no doubt turned some heads, but they are now safely under cover again in one of the large covered slipways in the Historic Dockyard.

Some restoration work is required and as neither the RNLI nor the Historic Dockyard, which is also a charity, can expend funds on the boats the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society is collating information and helping to organise the work.

The collection is not yet on view to the public, but we will keep readers up-to-date with progress and hope to publish the scheduled opening date in THE LIFEBOAT as soon as one has been fixed.Educational resource pack now available The RNLI has been making strenuous efforts recently to awaken further the interest of young people in the lifeboat service.

One result of this has been the development of a Primary Resource Pack, aimed at children between the ages of 7 and 11.

Teachers will find the pack, which is called 'Launch!' and costs £5, provides a number of curriculum opportunities and the material can be adapted to avarietyof teaching and learning styles.

'Launch!' has been researched, written and trialled extensively by teachers and education professionals to ensure its suitability for the classroom.

It includes a comprehensive teacher's guide, posters, pupil activity worksheets, a chart, dramatic rescues on audio tape, fact cards and details of Storm Force.

The pack can be obtained from Anne Millman, Youth Promotion Co-ordinator at the RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ. Cheques should be payable to the RNLI.Hidden Treasures The National Maritime Museum is holding a series of one day seminars designed for the enthusiast and giving access to the museum's reserve collections not normally on show to the public.

One seminar is titled 'The Development of the Lifeboat 1790-1990' and is scheduled for Thursday 8 December 1994. Full details from the museum on 081-312 6710.New members for RNLI committees Two new members have been appointed to the RNLI's influential committees.

Committee of Management Rear Admiral John Myres has been appointed a member of the Committee of Management.

Rear Admiral Myres was an ex-officio member of the committee while he was Hydrographer to the Navy-a position he held from 1990 - but following his retirement in April 1994 he has now been elected as a full member.

Executive Committee Mrs Alison Saunders becomes the first woman to be appointed to the Executive Committee, having also been the first woman to act as chairman of one of the RNLI's specialist committees - the Fundraising Committee. Mrs Saunders has been a member of the Fundraising Committee since 1982 and the Committee of Management since 1985.Additional Awards The recipients of two additional annual awards for lifeboat services were announced recently.

The Maud Smith bequest for the most outstanding act of bravery in 1993 has been awarded to Joint Second Coxswain William J. Clark of Lerwick lifeboat. The award was for a service on 17/18 November 1993 when Joint Second Coxswain Clarktook his Arun class lifeboat alongside a grounded factory trawler and took off 37 survivors.

The service earned him the Institution's Bronze Medal.

Maud Smith left a bequest to the RNLI in 1943 to provide the award - a small cash payment and a certificate for the recipient and his lifeboat station.

The Ralph Glister Award has been won by the crew of the St Bees' C class lifeboat - helmsman Ian McDowell and crew members Alastair Graham, Marcus Clarkson and Paul McDowell - for a service to a fishing boat aground on a reef in which her two crew were rescued.

Helmsman McDowell also received the RNLI's Bronze Medal for the service, carried out on 31 July 1993.

The award, a small cash sum and a certificate, is for the crew of the inshore lifeboat carrying out the most meritorious service during the year.

Ralph Glister left a legacy in 1968 to provide the award and as the funds have now run out the St Bees Crew will be the last recipients.Joint RNLI and RAC initiatives A fundraising link-up between the RAC and the RNLI called 'Supporting Outstanding Services' was unveiled at St Katherine's Dock in London in May.

The RAC's director of public affairs, David Worskett, said 'a key reason for this linkup is the two rescue organisations' shared values; the ongoing commitment to enhance efficiency through investment in leading edge technology, and of course our respective heritages.' RAC employees have welcomed the link with an organisation with which they feel they have much in common and are busy with initiatives and activities to help reach the target of raising £150,000 for the Institution. Throughout the rest of this year and into 1995 they will be involved in a wide range of local, regional, national and business linked fundraising activities on behalf of the RNLI.

More than 70% of Britain's motorists make UK holiday trips during the summer months and almost a third of these are to coastal resorts so, in additon to the fundraising activity, the RNLI, RAC and HM Coastguard joined forces in a Summer Safety Campaign.

This was intended to promote safety at sea and on the road during one of the busiest periods for seaside rescue and roadside recovery and generated wide media interest.

This issue of THE LIFEBOAT contains two leaflets offering RAC benefits to RNLI supporters which will also help to contribute to the £150,000 target.

Aldeburgh boathouse shortlisted for award The RNLFs new and innovative boathouse on the foreshore at Aldeburgh has been shortlisted by the Royal Institute of British Architects for one of its 1994 Architectural Awards - presented annually for the best new buildings in each of the RIBA's 14 regions. Last year only 36 buildings throughout the country qualified for the award.

The Institute makes the awards to buildings which are sufficiently 'thoughtful, imaginative and satisfying to achieve public notice' in the opinion of a panel of judges consisting of two architects and one lay member. The winners had not been announced at the time of going to press.Birthday Honours The folio wing were honoured joined the crew in 1979 and by HM The Queen in her Birthday Honours list for their services to the Institution: MBE: Lieutenant David Case RNVR Honorary secretary of Wells lifeboat station since 1969. He had also been a crew member from 1964 to 1969 and a shore helper for ten years from 1953.

Lt Case was awarded a Gold badge in 1990 and binoculars in 1979.

MBE: Stuart Ogden Coxswain of Scarborough lifeboat since 1987 having first served as second coxswain from 1983 until his appointment as coxswain.

MBE: William Roberts Coxswain of Moelfre lifeboat from 1972 until his retirement in May this year. Hefirstjoined the crew in 1957 and was also a crew member of the station's inshore lifeboat from 1972 to 1985. He was a warded a chairman's letter in 1981, vellums of thanks in 1975 and 1982 and a long service badge in 1983.

MBE: Mrs Glenda Williams Honorary secretary of Llanidloes branch since 1955.

She was awarded a Silver badge in 1966, a Gold badge in 1978 and a bar to the Gold badge in 1985.

Other awards of interest, for achievements not directly connected with the Institution's work, have been made to: Knight Bachelor: Alderman Paul Newall The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of London (exofficio member of the committee of management).

QBE: JonKay-Mouat Former President of the States of Alderney (chairman of Alderney station branch).

MBE: Mrs Shirley Arnold For services to the community in Cardiff (past chairman, and now a committee member, of the Cardiff ladies' guild).

MBE: Albert Brightwell For services to the community in Tilehurst (flag week organiser of the Tilehurst and Purley branch).

MBE: Miss Mavis Owen For services to the community in Tenby and Saundersfoot (honorary secretary of the Tenby ladies' guild)..