The Fourth Annual Meeting of the Council was held at the Inns of Court Hotel, Holborn, on Tuesday, March 27th. Of representative members, fifty-nine were present out of seventy-two, representing twenty-seven out of thirty Societies; and of Honorary members, five out of twelve. The minutes of the meeting of 1893 were read and confirmed.
Mr. Percival Heywood and the Rev. H. Earle Bulwer being the only persons nominated for the posts of President and Hon. Secretary, respectively, during the ensuing three years, Mr. Dawe proposed, and Mr. Hattersley seconded the former, and Mr. Foskett proposed, and Mr. Catchpole seconded the latter, both propositions being carried unanimously.
The Rev. F. E. Robinson proposed and Mr. Rees seconded, that the Rev. Canon Wigram, and Messrs. Pettit, Wakley, F. E. Ward, Hounslow, and J. C. Mitchell be elected as Hon. Members. The proposition was carried unanimously.
The Hon. Secretary read the statement of accounts shewing a balance from last year of £34 7s. 1½d., receipts from subscriptions, etc., £9. 1s. 1d., making a total of £43 8s. 2½d. The expenditure was £3 5s. 2d., leaving the present balance £40 3s. 0½d. On the motion of the Rev. G. F. Coleridge, seconded by Mr. Debenham, the accounts were passed.
The Standing Committee, consisting of the President, Hon. Secretary, the Revs. F. E. Robinson, and C. D. P. Davies, and Messrs. Strange, C. H. Hattersley, Washbrook, Rees, Attree, Dains, Snowdon, and Dawe were re-elected, with the addition of Mr. T. Lockwood, on the motion of Mr. Griffin, seconded by Mr. Grove.
It was moved by Mr. J. W. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Newson, and carried unanimously, that the decisions of each Council should be printed and circulated at the conclusion of the successive triennial periods.
Mr. Hattersley proposed, Mr. Attree seconded, and it was carried unanimously, that Sheffield be selected as the place for the Council meeting of 1895.
The President moved, Mr. Debenham seconded, and it was carried unanimously, that the following clause be added to Rule VIII:- “At the Annual meeting next after a triennial election, members of any Committee who have not been re-elected to the Council shall (when such Committee has a report to present) have the right to attend and vote upon any motion arising exclusively out of that report.”
On the motion of the Rev. A. H. F. Boughey, seconded by the Rev. G. F. Coleridge, it was carried unanimously that: The President, Hon. Sec., with the Rev. Canon Wigram and the Rev. T. L. Papillon be appointed as the Church Congress Committee. It was also moved by the Rev. H. A. Cockey, seconded by the Rev. A. D. Hill, and carried unanimously that a Sub-committee be appointed, consisting of the Revs. G. F. Coleridge, H. A. Cockey, A. D. Hill, W. S. Willett, with Mr. Phillott, to take such steps as might seem fit for bringing the subject of ringing before those attending the Exeter Church Congress.
Mr. Strange having reported the progress he had made with a Bibliography, the subject was referred back to the Standing Committee on the motion of the Rev. T. L. Papillon, seconded by Mr. Rees, in order that Mr. Strange might continue the work.
The Rev. C. D. P. Davies moved and Mr. Hattersley seconded that the printed report of the Committee on Calls and Classification of peals, now in the hands of members, be adopted. The part of the report relating to Calls was adopted, with the omission of the recommendation as to the start in Stedman; the part relating to Compositions was referred back for further consideration to the Committee, consisting of the Rev. C. D. P. Davies, Mr. C. H. Hattersley, and Mr. N. J. Pitstow, who were re-elected on the motion of the Rev. F. E. Robinson, seconded by Mr. Strange.
The Rev. H. A. Cockey proposed the re-appointment of the Committee on cheap Railway Fares, consisting of Messrs. Story and Griffin with himself, the work being unfinished. This was seconded by Mr. Dains, and carried unanimously.
The Rev. H. Earle Bulwer moved, Mr. Attree seconded, and it was resolved: that a Committee consisting of the President, Hon. Secretary, Rev. C. D. P. Davies, and Messrs. Dains, Pitstow, and Snowdon, be appointed to consider the technical terms used in the Art of ringing, to suggest such corrections as may seem desirable, and to prepare a Glossary for the use of learners.
Mr. Debenham moved, Mr. Buckingham seconded, and it was resolved that a Committee, consisting of Messrs. Newson, Carter, Debenham, Winney, Bastable, James, and Buckingham, be appointed to consider what action the Council should be recommended to take in regard to umpires during handbell peals.
Mr. Snowdon moved, Mr. W. D. Smith seconded, and it was resolved : that, with a view to thorough ventilation of current questions and such subjects as are likely to be brought before the Council, it is desirable that (a) some special channel should be provided for the interchange of opinions by the members of the Council between one meeting and another, and that (b) to this end the Editor of “The Bell News” be requested by the Council kindly to grant the privilege of a column set apart solely for the correspondence of members of the Council. No letter to be published except above the actual name of the writer, to which must be annexed the name of the Society he represents.
A vote of thanks to the President concluded the meeting.
| Societies | represented | 27 |
| " | unrepresented | 3 |
| Representatives | present | 59 |
| " | absent | 13 |
| Hon. members | present | 5 |
| " | absent | 7 |
| Total members | present | 64 |
| " | absent | 20 |
The Bell News and Ringers’ Record, May 5, 1894, pages 615 to 616