The Guild Master - Mike Winterborne, supported by the Vice-Master - Pete Jordan, Hon. Gen. Secretary - Heather Frazer, Hon. Gen. Treasurer - Ros Brandwood and Minute Secretary - Tony Smith, opened the meeting at 10.17 a.m. The Master welcomed those present and said a prayer.
The other members attending were Nici Collins (Basingstoke Sec.), John Croft (Winchester Exec Rep.), Margaret Downer (IoW Exec Rep.), Barry Fry (BRF Trustee), Maggie Hiller (Andover Sec.), Christine Knights-Whittome (Education), David Mattingley (BRF Trustee, CC Rep.), John Palk (Report Editor), Bruce Purvis (Librarian & Archivist, Winchester Sec.), Hugh Routh (A&P Exec Rep.), Mo Routh (A&P Sec. proxy), Mary Tester (IoW Sec.), Matthew Wilks (Portsmouth Exec Rep.) and Allan Yalden (CC Rep.).
Apologies for absence had been received from Lisa Ashforth, Deb Baker, Martin Barnes, Michael Church, John Davey, Andrew Johnson, Helen McGregor, Viv Nobbs and Mike Novell. Further apologies were received from Steve Castle and Barbara Townsend.
The Hon. Gen. Secretary read the following names and the Master asked members to stand while Barry Fry said a prayer.
| Brian Marchant | Upham | |
| Coral Northeast | Overton | |
| Anita Seamons | Selborne | |
| Christopher Smithies | Sacred Heart, Bournemouth | |
| Kay Alonzo | formerly of New Alresford | |
| Peter Bardon | formerly of Hursley and New Alresford | |
| Lionel Doubleday | formerly of Portchester and Southwick | |
| Kenvyn Walters | formerly of Yateley | |
| Harry White | formerly of Vale, founder member of the Channel Islands District |
The minutes of the meeting held on 25th March 2017 were proposed by Tony Smith, seconded by Ros Brandwood, and signed by the Master as a true record.
There were no matters arising.
No names were brought forward under the 50-year rule.
£150 requested by the Hon Librarian and Archivist.
£60 requested by the Hon Report Editor.
£66.30 requested by the Belfry Stewardship Committee to make up to £100.
£150 requested by the Communications Committee.
Nothing requested by the Education Committee.
£327 requested by the Striking Competitions Committee.
The Public Relations Officer is carrying forward £511.
The WW1 Centenary Project is carrying forward £155.
The bids were approved en bloc on the proposition of John Croft, seconded by Bruce Purvis.
The Hon. Gen. Treasurer circulated a Budget for 2018 covering the Central, and Training and Development Funds and showing a small surplus of income over expenditure.
David Mattingley reported on the status of outstanding grants. The work at All Saints, Ryde, had been completed and the grant paid; the augmentation at Ecchinswell was expected to go ahead in 2018; and the augmentation at Northington was expected to be completed in 2018. A new grant application had been received from Silchester whose bells were being refurbished and rehung at a cost of between £27,000 and £28,000 and possibly augmented from five to six at a cost of between £14,000 and £15,000. The Trustees recommended a grant of £2,000 and a further £1,500 if the parish proceeded with the augmentation. Bruce Purvis seconded and this was agreed.
WW1 Commemoration. The Hon. Gen. Secretary read a paper from Viv Nobbs (see Appendix A).
Database. The Master reported no progress.
This had been discussed at the last AGM and the District Officers’ Forum but there had been no consensus. The Hon. Gen. Treasurer sought confirmation of the date of the 2019 AGM. There was no dissension to continuing with the third Saturday in June which in 2019 would be the 15th. There had also been discussion at the Forum about the format of the AGM day but the Hon. Gen. Secretary pointed out that was up to the host District.
This had been discussed at the District Officers’ Forum and papers from John Davey, the Child Protection Officer, had been distributed. The Master had completed the Church of England “Safeguarding: Basic Awareness” online training course (C0) and had not been impressed. He had a telephone conversation with Mary Daisy, the Portsmouth Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, who shared his reservations about the C0 course and said the Portsmouth Diocese instead used the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers guidance as the basis for all their safeguarding training. The Master had so far been unsuccessful in contacting Jackie Rowlands, the Winchester Diocesan Safeguarding Manager, but would keep trying. The Master and John Davey were collaborating in drafting a poster to provide towers with basic safeguarding information. It was agreed to change the title of the Child Protection Officer to Safeguarding Officer at the next AGM and Tony Smith offered to draft the changes to rule 4 and rule 5.
| Education Evening Course | 23rd February 2018 | Basic Raising and Lowering, Bishopstoke | ||
| Executive Committee Meeting | 10th March 2018 | St Barnabas’ Church Hall | ||
| Education Day Course | 17th March 2018 | Plain Bob Doubles and Minor, St Mary Bourne | ||
| Education Evening Course | 27th March 2018 | Venue TBA | ||
| Education Day Course | 28th April 2018 | Introduction to Treble Bob, Sherfield English | ||
| Education Morning Course | 12th May 2018 | Venue TBA | ||
| Inter-Tower striking competitions | 19th May 2018 | Venues TBA | ||
| Inter-District 8-bell striking competition | 16th June 2018 | Venue TBA | ||
| Annual General Meeting | 16th June 2018 | Basingstoke District | ||
| Essex Trophy competition | 8th September 2018 | St Mary’s, Horsham | ||
| Inter-District 10-bell striking competition | 15th September 2018 | Venue TBA | ||
| Education Day Course | 13th October 2018 | Plain Hunt and Trebling to Doubles Methods, Basingstoke area | ||
| Executive Committee Meeting | 10th November 2018 | St Barnabas’ Church Hall | ||
| Education Day Course | 24th November 2018 | Surprise Minor, Shedfield |
The Hon. Gen. Secretary agreed to publicise the date of the Essex Trophy competition on the Guild mailing list and invite anyone interested in organising a team to come forward. The Vice-Master agreed to publicise the dates of the Guild competitions on the Guild mailing list.
There being no further business, the Master closed the meeting at 11.04 a.m.
“Aim -
to come together as a Guild to offer up our ringing in commemoration of World War 1
Budget -
to be discussed at Executive Committee
Measure of success -
Feedback from Cathedrals, Guild members and the local communities including review of local media, including Diocesan magazines and websites.
Details -
Approach both Cathedrals to enquire if we might have a special service in each cathedral, in 2018, to offer up all of the Guild’s ringing for the World War 1 fallen. In the meantime, collate as much of the details of special ringing that has taken place in each Diocese to be recorded in two books to be presented at the Cathedrals during the services.”
The two Cathedral Services are being arranged for Spring 2019 (not in 2018 now as this will give more time for collating all performances, checking and the printing of volumes).
The performances we’re aiming at recording in the volumes relate to people who fell in the Great War period, whether ringers or not. If space and funds permit we’ll be able to include Remembrance ringing generally.
After due consideration by the Working Group and the Principal Officers, it was decided not to apply for Heritage Lottery funding.
The Working Group consisting of Rachel Anderson, Stephen Lutener and Viv Nobbs last met on 29th May 2017. At that point, the research from Ringing Worlds had been completed up to 1952.
Rachel moved back to Australia in June 2017 but had committed to continue the research unless domestic circumstances required her to stop; Rachel is asking for help ’though. Steve volunteered to undertake the research from 1st January 2017 up to date.
Ringers have been doing very well indeed in towers and on handbells and we’d encourage them to continue with these wonderful local initiatives. It’s an ideal opportunity to work even more closely with our churches and communities and the local media are interested and supportive generally.
Currently, details of approximately 400 performances are held. We are about to start an initial checking of our records with the towers involved so far. This exercise will be ongoing. We would be very grateful for full support with this to avoid any unnecessary inaccuracies.
A plea to Conductors and organisers, please continue to annotate the performances on BellBoard with the code W & P WW1 as this helps the researchers.
In this final year we would like to ensure that all Guild members that passed away in the conflict are remembered and honoured individually with a special ringing performance. Please refer initially to our Guild memorial - see http://methods.org.uk/wparch/dbrwm.htm
We aim to get yet more information about the project out to towers and on the website as soon as possible - please see https://wpbells.org/ww1/
The project will be needing more specific help soon and the 2017 - 2019 planning and actions will be co-ordinated. Viv will be convening another Working Group meeting and seeking a meeting with Principal Officers accordingly. In this way, the proposed actions and budget can be set before the E.C. meeting in March and then to the members at the 2018 A.G.M.
Viv Nobbs
18th November 2017