Buckie RNLI stalwarts sign historic 200th anniversary scroll
BUCKIE RNLI has become the 109th lifeboat station to sign the charity’s Connecting Communities scroll as it makes its way round the UK and Ireland.
Saturday, July 6 saw the scroll - which is part of the maritime search and rescue charity’s 200th celebrations - arrive in town as part of a journey which began back on March 4 at Westminster Abbey following the RNLI ‘s 200th anniversary Thanksgiving Service.
It is expected to arrive at the former home of the charity’s founder, Sir William Hillary, in Douglas on the Isle of Man in the last weeks of October 2024.
Individuals from the RNLI community have been invited to sign the RNLI pledge on behalf of their stations, in recognition of all the RNLI has achieved to date. It is hoped that around 1000 volunteers will get the opportunity to add their name to this historic document, with HRH King Charles III being the final signatory.
Kevin Herd, Buckie RNLI's longest serving crew member, having been on the crew for 36 years, and Mick Rowland, the station's longest serving fundraiser of 19 years, had the honour of signing the scroll on behalf of the station.
Mr Herd said: “Today was one of the proudest moments of my entire career with the RNLI.
“Signing the scroll on behalf of the crew at Buckie lifeboat station is a great honour. It’s quite humbling to think that my name is now going to be part RNLI history forever, and words cannot express how grateful I am have been asked to sign the scroll.”
Mr Rowland was the 463rd signatory, with Mr Herd taking the number of volunteers to sign the scroll up to 464.
Volunteer crew members, the lifeboat operations team, fundraising members and the visits team all turned out to be part of this historic event.
Lifeboat Operations Manager Anne Scott added: ‘Buckie RNLI would like to thank the Connecting our Communities team for allowing our station to be part of this momentous event, the whole team are proud to have been part of RNLI history today.”
The five-metre scroll is inscribed with the RNLI’s One Crew pledge, which outlines Sir William Hillary’s vision when he launched the charity in 1824.
It reads: “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. This is our watch, we lead the way, valuing each other, trusting each other, depending on one another, volunteering to face the storm together.
“Knowing that, with courage, nothing is impossible. That is what has always driven us to save everyone we can. It's what makes every one of us a lifesaver.”
The scroll is housed in a specially made case made from the wheelhouse casing of a Shannon Class lifeboat and its handles are made from metal cleats.
The spindle attached to the scroll have been crafted using a 19th-century flagpole from Ramsey Lifeboat Station, Isle of Man.
