Farewell and hello...

So our Chairman of four years, Sir Jock Slater, has today stood down (I'm assuming that this was planned)? We haven't seen much of him in Swanage but a quick browse on google shows that he has been pretty active visiting other stations around the coast. No doubt he has had to sit through more than his fair share of meetings too. So thanks very much Sir, we salute you...

He sent us this departing message:

As I stand down today after nine years as a trustee and over four years as chairman, I send my heartfelt thanks and good wishes to all members of the RNLI family - lifeboat men and women, lifeguards, those in front line support and those who raise the funds. I pay tribute to the permanent staff who keep the show on the road and to our thousands of volunteers without whom the RNLI would not exist.

I know that the Institution will go from strength to strength in the years ahead.

Keep up the good work!

Jock Slater

6th November 2008

He is superseded by another retired Naval Officer, Admiral the Lord Boyce GCB OBE DL. Oddly, he doesn't seem to have a first name, so we shall have to remain on more formal terms than we did with Sir Jock. Now this Admiral/Lord has had a seriously impressive Naval career, read his Biography:

Lord Boyce joined the Royal Navy in 1961. He commanded three submarines and the Submarine Sea Training Squadron and was also an Anti Submarine Warfare specialist. He commanded the frigate HMS BRILLIANT, was Director of the Naval Staff and Senior Naval Officer Middle East. He was promoted to the Flag List in 1991 and was subsequently Flag Officer Sea Training, Flag Officer Surface Flotilla, Commander in Chief Naval Home Command and Second Sea Lord and Commander in Chief Fleet. During this period he was knighted and also held a variety of senior NATO Commands. He became First Sea Lord in 1998, Chief of Defence Staff at the beginning of 2001 and retired in May 2003. He was elevated to the peerage in June 2003, and appointed Lord Warden and Admiral of the Cinque Port, and Constable of Dover Castle, in 2004. Lord Boyce is a keen sportsman, a Freeman of the City of London, an Elder Brother of Trinity House, and a Knight of St John and is involved in a number of charities, organisations and associations, which includes being President of St John Ambulance (London District), Trustee of National Maritime Museum, and Colonel Commandant of the Special Boat Service.

Judging from his current list of responsibilities he has a higher tolerance of meetings than I do! Baron Boyce...welcome.