The methods committee held its first meeting of the year on March 13th, once again in Winchester.
The Chairman, Tony Smith, reported on the progress made with the various publications that are under way. The "Collection of Plain Methods" has been completed, and camera ready copy passed to the Publications committee. The Plain Minor collection is nearly complete, and it is hoped that this will be published later this year. A collection of Principles is also being prepared with the aim of publication next year.
The committee discussed a peal of 5280 Little Bob Minor, rung at White Waltham on 9 January (RW p. 133), which was made up of eleven 480s. The committee agreed that the word "extent" in the Central Council's Decisions on peal ringing means "extent on the number of bells involved" - in the case of minor a 720 - so that this peal contravenes the Decisions.
It was noted that a method rung as Xanten Surprise Major on 15 June 1987 (RW p. 649) was incorrectly named, as there is an unrelated Xanten Surprise Minor.
The report of the previous meeting (RW 1987 p. 1055) mentioned that the committee was considering the question of splicing Doubles variations, and invited correspondence from readers on this subject. After reading the letters received, and discussing the various abuses possible, the committee agreed that the Central Council decisions should be tightened to allow only one variation per extent or round block. It is our intention to propose this as a motion at the 1989 Council meeting; in the meantime we would still like to hear from interested parties.
The committee concluded by discussing the Lead End requirements for Method Extension. It is hoped that our consideration of the whole question of extension will be completed by the 1989 meeting.
P. D. NIBLETT
The Ringing World, May 20, 1988, page 477