The annual general meeting of the Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Guild was held at Winchester on August 29th, when nearly 60 ringers attended from all the districts as well as many visitors, including Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Kippin, of Beddington.
The Master (Mr. G. Williams) was in the chair, and was supported by the general secretary (Mr. F. W. Rogers) and members of the Executive Committee. Apologies for absence were received from many members and from the hon. treasurer, whose wife was ill.
In their annual report the officers thanked the district secretaries for their work in getting in subscriptions and so making the Guild's financial position a sound one.
"There is no peal recorder's report for 1941," they went on to say, "as all the active work of the Guild is at a standstill, but we would especially like to congratulate our Christchurch district on the great progress made in handbell ringing in the Bournemouth area, under the enthusiasm of Mr. A. V. Davis and his colleagues, when the fruit of their labours we hope will be shown very fully in our report for the current year. Another happy event has taken place, we hear, in the Christchurch district by the re-entry of Mr. E. C. Elliott to the Lymington band, and we wish them as reorganised all success when peace comes again, and may it come soon.
The loss of Dibden and St. Mary's and Holy Rood bells at Southampton will be a great blow to the Southampton district for a long time to come."
The accounts and balance sheets were adopted as printed. They showed a balance in hand at the end of 1941 of £251 16s., compared with £237 9s. at the end of 1940.
Although it was decided at the last annual meeting not to publish annual reports during the war, the principal officers considered that since separate leaflets would be required for statements, etc., to the Guild, it would be more economical to have them in a small booklet form. The meeting agreed and rescinded the previous resolution and authorised future publication in a condensed form.
It was announced that a contribution of £10 had been made to the Goldsmith Fund, and this was heartily endorsed.
Mr. W. Melville raised the question of the future of "The Ringing World." It was generally felt that if the paper had to cease publication it would be a severe blow to the Exercise, and if it went down the Guild would go down with it. It was unanimously agreed that the Guild's financial commitments on this question should be left entirely to the sub-committee to handle.
All the Guild's officers were re-elected en bloc-Master (Mr. G. Williams), hon. secretary (Mr. F. W. Rogers), hon. treasurer (Mr. W. Linter), peals recorder Mr. R. Reed) and hon. auditor (Mr. G. Smith).
It was decided to hold the next annual meeting at Winchester, the date being left to the secretary to arrange.
The long and valued services of Mr. G. Preston (Christchurch), who had served the Guild consistently for the past 38 years, were duly recognised when he was unanimously elected a life member.
At the conclusion of the meeting an impromptu tea was partaken of, after which members attended a special evensong at the Cathedral.
The Ringing World No. 1643, September 18th, 1942, page 427