The Juniors Page.

 The South Brent Explorer Scouts were determined not to be outdone by the Dartmouth Scouts (See below for a report on the Scout's visit)

The Explorers watched videos of various rescues by All Weather Lifeboats as well as Inshore Lifeboats before deciding on the design and equipment of their own lifeboat. They then were shown the real thing and held the second Investiture in the Dart Inshore Lifeboat's short history.

Rhidian Caradine being invested into the South Brent Explorers wearing RNLI crew kit over his Scout uniform.

 

 The RNLI has a special web site for young people. It can be reached on www.rnli.org.uk/shorething

There you can find Activities and Games from building a lifeboat to training as a lifeguard. You can test what you know about staying safe on a beach and about the flags the RNLI lifeguards use. There were RNLI lifeguards at Blackpool Sands as well as Slapton and Torcross this summer. Further away they were also at Bantham, Burgh island and Challaborough.

Young people can join the junior branch of the RNLI called Storm Force. Join and you recieve an excellent magazine with lots of information about the lifeboats and things to do. There may even be pieces of news about things that happened at our Dart lifeboat station in the next issue.

 Is this a first?

Sophie Chapman, daughter of one of our Helmsmen, and John Lagdon were both invested as Explorer Scouts in the Dart lifeboat. The 1st Dartmouth Scout troop spent an evening at the lifeboat station. The Scout Patrols were divided up as lifeboat crew, shorecrew and coastguards. When the pager sounded they had to race to the lifeboat station. First ones back were allowed to dress as lifeboatmen and the search for a "man overboard" began. The scout acting as helmsman had his helmet camera running and the whole event will be available after May 8th on the main RNLI web site. Use the link to the RNLI on the Link section on the Toolbar above and search in the section called Press centre.

 Dart Lifeboat Station's youngest fundraiser.
Alexander Woodley has been passionate about lifeboats for as long as he can remember. He missed the naming ceremony of the newly built Dart lifeboat by a week when he was in Dartmouth on holiday last year but that did not dampen his enthusiasm. He is a junior member of the RNLI and proudly wears his Crew badge. He took all his RNLI memorabilia into school to give a talk during a project on "those who help us". He has been saving his pocket money for over a year and put aside money given at Birthdays and Christmastime. On Easter Sunday he proudly handed over his savings of £72.84 to the crew before taking part in the Easter Egg hunt laid on for the children of those linked to the station - guess who won?