Category Archives: 40th

SOCA 2025 Fitting Out Lunch

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SOCA held it’s 2025 Fitting Out Lunch at the Cowper Arms on Saturday 29th March.
There was a very good attendance with 22 members attending the very convivial gathering. 

 

The Commodore, Terry,  took the opportunity to thank the attendees and outlined the plans for SOCA events over the coming year.

 

 

 

The outgoing Commodore also presented the Commodore’s Cup to Peter Sackett who could not attend the 2025 AGM where the cup was awarded to him.

 

 

The final action of the Fitting Out Lunch was for Geff to remind the attendees of his choices for the Commodore’s Charity for 2024-2025. It was decided to donate £400, £10 for every year of the 40 years SOCA had been in exsistence. This has been split evenly between the RNLI in recognition of it’s 200 year anniversary. With another £200 being presented to Grafham Water Sailability.
Geff presented a cheque to Pauline who is a long time SOCA member and key member of Grafham Water Sailabilty.

Presentation of SOCA Donations to RNLI.

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This event was scheduled so we could celebrate that  March 2024 was both the 200th anniversary of RNLI’s  formation and the 40th anniversary of SOCA being formed. The planned presentation on the RNLI had to be delayed to another time due to the presenter being ill, (he has offered to conduct his presentation at a later time). However in its place SOCA held a RNLI themed evening for its September meeting, including showing some videos available on the RNLI website  and a few group quizzes,

The main part of the evening was a presentation of a cheque to the Chairman of the RNLI Hitchin & District Branch of the RNLI, John Pearce.
The majority of the £260 that was donated was from donations from individual members with a top up from the Commodore’s charity fund.
After the actual cheque, (rather than the one in the picture) was handed over John gave a quick speech to the audience highlighting the difficulties that the local branches of the RNLI have had in recent years with falling numbers of people able to organise events that can be used for collecting donations. He made a plea for anyone who is interested and can help to contact him. (pearcej53@virginmedia.com).

‘Whoever we are, wherever we are from, we are one crew, ready to save lives. We’re powered by passion, talent and kindness, like generations of selfless lifesavers before us“

Mark Dowie 200th anniversary interview
Audio of RNLI previous Chief Executive Mark Dowie speaking about the RNLI’s 200th anniversary.

This page on the RNLI Website is worth a visit

Various videos were shown during the meeting. If you click on the images below you should be taken to the Youtube website where the video can be seen

RNLI_200th_Timeline_Film
200 years in 200 seconds, a brief history of the RNLI.
A video from 1924 The 100th Anniversary of the RNLI
Saved by a motor life-boat – Film made to celebrate the RNLI’s centenary in 1924. Featuring Whitby and Staithes & Runswick lifeboat stations. Youtube version.

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The Tradition of the Lifeboat Service – a cinema appeal
Archive footage – from the 1940s? – of the RNLI service. Includes launch footage from the Mumbles down a slipway, and the Robert and Ellen Robson at Whitby being drawn through the streets

A simple Refresher Quiz on the RNLI which you should get 10/10 if you have visited the RNLI website

1. How many times were lifeboats launched in 2010?

  1. 223
  2. 3,223
  3. 9,223
  4. 17,223

2. RNLI crew members are all …….

  1. fishermen
  2. men
  3. very tall
  4. volunteers

3. How many crew members are there in the RNLI?

  1. Over 500
  2. Over 5,000
  3. Over 50,000
  4. Over 5 million

4. Where are the RNLI Headquarters located?

  1. Blackpool
  2. Goole
  3. Liverpool
  4. Poole

5. The RNLI was founded by Sir William Hillary in which year?

  1. 1724
  2. 1824
  3. 1924
  4. 2004
  1. What is the person in charge of the lifeboat at sea called?
  1. Boat Boss
  2. Captain
  3. Coxswain
  4. Mechanic
  1. The RNLI`s newest class of lifeboat is called what?
  1. Severn
  2. Shannon
  3. Trent
  4. Tyne
  1. How many lives has the RNLI saved since its foundation?
  1. Over 1,400
  2. Over 14,000
  3. Over 140,000
  4. Over 1,400,000
  1. The RNLI`s purpose is to do what?
  1. Paint boats orange
  2. Recruit volunteers
  3. Rescue people
  4. Save lives at sea
  1. The RNLI have how many lifeboat stations around the coast?
  1. Over 20
  2. Over 200
  3. Over 2,000
  4. Over 20,000

This quiz was written by  Mr Adrian Boyd from the RNLI.

Answers for those who need them are posted here.