THE LIFEBOAT. the Journal of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution
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THE LIFEBOAT. The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution. VOL. XXV.—No. 282.] NOVEMBER, 1924. [PRICE Our Centenary Year. By GEORGE F. SHEE, M.A., Secretary of the Institution. A VISITOR who called at Life-boat House to aim at this object, mainly because this autumn made the remark that he its achievement might well have had a never opened a newspaper without bad effect upon our position in the seeing in it something about the Life- following years. People might have boat Service. Allowing for the exaggera- been disposed to say : " You raised a tion of a friendly critic, we may hope special fund in your Centenary Year; that his observation fairly describes we contributed generously to that fund, the facts of the case. If so, it is a and you ought not to ask us to do any- gratifying sign that our aim in this Cen- thing more—at any rate, for some years tenary Year has been to some extent to come." Now such an attitude would achieved. be very harmful in the case of an We have not aimed at raising a special institution whose task is as permanent Centenary Fund, although in many as the sea and as vital as the fives of the ways it would have been fitting enough hundreds of thousands of seafarers of that the Institution should ask the all nations who ply their arduous trade people of these islands to present it with in the waters that encompass us. The a fund of, say, an additional £100,000 character of our work and its intimate or £200,000, to enable it to deal as relationship to the element by which we promptly as possible with the com- have developed our wealth and strength pletion of the programme of Motor Life- and world-wide dominion make it a boat construction which was announced matter of the utmost importance that in 1917, initiated in 1918, and has been the support we receive should come not steadily pushed forward ever since. It merely, or even mainly, from the would, as I say, have been a natural and wealthy, that is, the few, but should proper suggestion that such a fund represent the deep-felt interest of the should have formed the central aim of millions of all classes who rightly regard our Centenary Year ; and it Would have the Life-boat Service as their own. The been much easier to raise such a fund Committee have felt, too, that there was by a central effort, organized from Head- a distinct advantage in offering to the quarters, than it has been to initiate great cities and to the counties an and develop the several funds which opportunity of marking their association have been started by different cities and with our maritime interests by naming counties, in order to present Life-boats one of our Motor Life-boats after them. bearing their respective names, thus And so it is that our aim in this linking their civic and county pride with Centenary Year has been rather to one of the noblest and most character- impress upon the British people the istic of our national achievements, and main facts about the history, develop- one in which the Institution has been ment, and present position of their the acknowledged pioneer and leader voluntary Life-boat Service, being sure among the maritime nations of the that such knowledge, sufficiently wide- world. spread, is the best guarantee of that But the Committee of Management broad and steady support from men and decided, after mature consideration, not; women of all classes which is required 170 THE LIFEBOAT. [NOVEMBER, 1924_ to maintain it as a living, efficient, and down to the humblest of those who were truly national organization. present at a Thanksgiving Service, or We have carried out this aim by contributed on a Century Life-boat widespread organization, both central Day, all classes of the people of Great and general. This has embraced big Britain and Ireland have joined with undertakings, such as the publication the Institution in celebrating this great of the history of the Institution, under event. The King's action in conferring the title "Britain's Life-boats," by personal distinction on the Gold Medal- Major A. J. Dawson, with an Introduc- lists of the Life-boat Service marked tion by the Prince of-Wales and a Fore- once more—and in a signal manner— word by the late Joseph Conrad; the that close association of the reigning building of a special pavilion at the monarch with the Life-boat Service British Empire Exhibition, to house one which has been a feature of its history of our most up-to-date Motor Life- since the date of its foundation, and boats, and a series of models showing probably few marks of royal favour have the developement of the service; and had a more far-reaching influence and the holding of an International Con- have given profounder satisfaction to ference on the Life-boat Services of the a magnificent body of men than this world, as well as hundreds of Centenary gracious act by which our Royal Patron meetings, Thanksgiving Services, special showed his appreciation of the thousands Fetes and Bazaars, the revival of the of humble fishermen who, around our Life-boat Essay Competition in the coasts, form the crews of our Life-boats. elementary schools, etc. In all these Nor is it the British people only who undertakings we have received, as have thus paid their tribute to the always, the loyal and enthusiastic assist- Institution's work. Eight foreign coun- ance of hundreds of Hon. Secretaries tries were represented at the Inter- and thousands of voluntary workers, to national Conference, and nothing in this whom our heartfelt gratitude is due, year of celebration has given the and is hereby conveyed. The present Institution greater pleasure than the issue of The Lifeboat must be regarded tributes which they paid to the British mainly as a permanent record of what has Life-boat Service,f and the visit to the been done at Headquarters and through- Thames of six foreign Life-boats in out the country in this Centenary Year. honour of our Centenary.' The Centenary Meeting, at the Mansion Since the work of the Life-boat House on 4th March, has already been Service knows no distinction of race or reported (The Lifeboat for June, 1924), creed, it has always been our aim to and two of the principal Centenary remain in close and friendly touch with functions in London still remain to be the Life-boat Services of other countries, held—a London Thanksgiving Meeting, exchanging with them ideas and putting at the Central Hall, Westminster, on at their disposal our own experience and 14th December, and the London Bazaar, developments. The International Con- which is to take place at the Hyde Park ference, held in July last, the first in the Hotel on the 3rd and 4th of next history of the world, has done much to March (the 4th March being the date I increase that friendly co-operation, and of the foundation of the Institution). j we hope that it will bear permanent For the rest, this account will show the fruit in the establishment, as suggested variety and extent of the celebrations, by Count Yoshii, President of the the enthusiasm of our workers and the Imperial Japanese Life-boat Institution, interest of the public: above all, the •of an international Life-boat organiza- truly national character of the celebra- tion, of which all the national Life-boat tions. From the Bang, who personally Services will be members. Such a result decorated the Institution's Gold Medal- ' would in itself repay all the effort which lists with the British Empire Medal for brought the Conference together, and gallantry, and the Prince of Wales, who might thus well prove to be one of those presided both at the Centenary Meeting and the Centenary Dinner, and who has * This appeal appears in facsmile in the June issue, and is reprinted in this issue on page 187. issued a personal appeal to the Empire,* t See p. 174. NOVEMBER, 1924.] THE LIFEBOAT. 171 steps which are of lasting benefit to tury of achievement, for the heroic ser- humanity; for if such an organization is vices of the Crews, for the devotion of set up, it should not only be a great help Life-boat workers, for fche generosity of to the Life-boat Services which already the public, for the rescue of nearly 60,000 exist, but should lead to the establish- lives, will not fail of their material sup- ment of services in those countries, some port as we set out on our second century. of them with long and dangerous coasts The resolution which was passed at which still have no organized means o: all the Centenary Meetings was not only succouring the shipwrecked. It if an expression of gratitude for the past, interesting to note in this connexion but a promise for the future : that since the Conference the Institu- tion has been approached by the Life- " That those present at this Cen- boat Society of Latvia with a requesi tenary Meeting, recognising the im- for its assistance in the reorganization portant services which the Institution of the service on that coast, which was has rendered to the seafarers of all formerly under the direction of the nations during a century of life saving, Imperial Eussia Life-boat Service. desire to record their hearty appre- By the visit of the Life-boats to ciation of the gallantry of its Cox- London, the trip of a Motor Life-boat swains and Crews, to pay a tribute of up the Thames, the land-tour of a Life- respect and admiration to those who boat in the Midlands, and the presence have sacrificed their lives in the of a Motor Life-boat at the British attempt to save others, gratefully to Empire Exhibition, hundreds of thou- acknowledge the invaluable help ren- sands of people of our own and other dered to the Life-boat cause by the countries have seen a Life-boat for the Local Committees, Honorary Secre- first time, have been aboard her, and taries and Honorary Treasurers, and now will have a memory of their own to many thousands of self-sacrificing help them realize what lies behind those men and women who have helped to brief words: " Last night the maintain that cause in the hearts of Life-boat went out, and rescued so many the British people, and to pledge lives," often the only record which the themselves to do all in their power to public see of some of the most heroic secure a widening and increasing work carried out by our crews.