The Guild Master - Viv Nobbs, supported by the Vice-Master - Christine Hill, Hon. Gen. Secretary - Mo Routh, Hon. Gen. Treasurer - Mike Bubb and Minute Secretary - Tony Smith, opened the meeting at 10.28 a.m. The Master welcomed those present and asked Barry Fry to say a prayer.
The other members attending were Andy Banks (A&P Rep.), Roger Barber (Belfry Stewardship), Barry Fry (BRF Trustee), Keith Gillings (Basingstoke Rep.), Maggie Hiller (Andover Sec.), Madeline King (A&P Joint Sec.), Simon King (Portsmouth Sec.), Christine Knights-Whittome (Education), Rosalind Martin (PRO, C&S Rep.), Peter Niblett (CC Rep.), John Palk (Report Ed.), Malcolm Powell (BRF Trustee), Bruce Purvis (Librarian & Archivist, Winchester Sec.), Jill Taylor (IoW Rep.), Mary Tester (IoW Sec.) and Barbara Townsend (Andover Rep.), and guests Andy Ingram and Andrew Johnson.
Apologies for absence had been received from Alan Barsby, Michael Church, Edd Colliss, Nigel Herriott and Janet McCoy. Further apologies were received from Jane Le Conte and Matthew Wilks.
Members stood while the Master read the following names and Barry Fry said a prayer.
| Anne Tripp | Abbots Ann | |
| Pam Bridger | Lockerley and East Tytherley |
Tony Smith proposed that, in the event of there being more than two candidates, there should be a series of votes with the candidate receiving the fewest votes dropping out until one candidate received the votes of more than half the members present. The Master said this suggestion was supported by the principal officers and was agreed by the meeting.
There were three candidates:
| Proposer | Seconder | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosalind Martin | Mike Bubb | Bruce Purvis | ||
| Andrew Johnson | Christine Hill | John Palk | ||
| David Mattingley | Tony Smith | Peter Niblett |
After personal statements by Rosalind Martin and Andrew Johnson, and a nomination speech by Tony Smith, the two candidates present retired while the voting took place and on their return the Master announced that Rosalind Martin had been elected, thanked all three candidates and congratulated Rosalind on her election.
Subject to the correction in item 17.iii of “ADM” to “the AGM” the minutes of the meeting held on 16th November 2013 were signed by the Master as a true record.
The Hon. Gen. Secretary reported that due to lack of support the proposed Guild Dinner would not take place.
The following members who have completed fifty years’ ringing membership of the Guild would be presented with their Life Membership certificates at the AGM.
| Colin Butler | Southampton, City Centre | |
| Faith Webster | Hordle |
The following reports and accounts were accepted.
Hon. Gen. Secretary, proposed by Mo Routh, seconded by Madeline King.
Hon. Gen. Treasurer, proposed by Mike Bubb, seconded by Roger Barber.
Hon. Librarian and Archivist, proposed by Bruce Purvis, seconded by John Palk. Bruce reported that he had recovered the unbound volumes of The Ringing World from Andrew Barnsdale and that Anne Strong had gifted David Strong’s volumes from 1975 onwards to the Guild Library.
Hon. Peal Recorder, proposed by Edd Colliss, seconded by Tony Smith.
Belfry Stewardship Committee, proposed by Roger Barber, seconded by Andy Banks.
Communications Committee, proposed by David Forder, seconded by Roger Barber.
Education Committee, proposed by Christine Knights-Whittome, seconded by Rosalind Martin.
Public Relations Officer, proposed by Rosalind Martin, seconded by Bruce Purvis.
Striking Competition Committee, proposed by Nigel Herriott, seconded by Peter Niblett. The Hon. Gen. Treasurer requested that the abbreviations “I/T” and “I/D” be expanded to “Inter-Tower” and “Inter-District” respectively. The Hon. Gen. Secretary pointed out that £32.20 had been carried forward from last year’s accounts. Tony Smith proposed and Bruce Purvis seconded that the accounts should be presented in the usual format. These changes were agreed.
No report had been received from the Social Committee, doubtless due to the injury regrettably sustained by the convenor, and no “Unofficial Quarter Peal Analysis” had been received from Alan Buswell.
Reports and accounts. The Hon. Gen. Treasurer confirmed that “2012” had been corrected to “2013” at the head of the first column of figures in the Statement of Financial Activity.
Report on Trustees’ meeting. The Hon. Gen. Treasurer reported that the grant to Northington was still outstanding, a grant application had been received from Monk Sherborne too late for consideration and would be held over until the AGM, and Malcolm Powell was retiring as BRF Trustee for the Portsmouth Diocese and a replacement would be elected at the AGM.
Nigel Herriott proposed in a paper that, in order to allow a keen band struggling with numbers to enter the Inter-Tower competition by joining up with another tower that is also low on numbers, the following rules should be added:
Two towers may enter a joint band. Each participant may ring with one team only. The band may contain no more than 2 ringers that have taken part in the 8-bell competition.
Two towers may enter a joint band. Each participant may ring with one team only. The band may contain no more than 2 ringers that have taken part in the 6-bell competition.
The proposal was seconded by Roger Barber and agreed.
Nigel also recommended in the paper that the charge of 50p per rope to enter the competitions be re-instated to make the competitions self-funding. After discussion Tony Smith proposed and Mike Bubb seconded that no action be taken and this was agreed.
The Master proposed and the Vice-Master seconded that the Guild’s Young Ringers be invited to consider organising a competition, possibly annually, for young ringers and that the Guild encourages them to run the contest as they wish, supporting them in any way possible, if asked to do so. The Hon. Gen. Secretary queried the definition of a “young ringer” and age limits from 21 to 25 were suggested. The proposal was agreed and the principal officers would find one or more young ringers to organise the competition.
In order to enable planning for the long-term future of the Guild, the Master had asked the Hon. Gen. Treasurer to undertake an in-depth review of Guild finances, including the financial relationship between the Guild and the Districts. The Master proposed and Christine Knights-Whittome seconded that Graham Nobbs be co-opted to the Executive Committee to work with the Hon. Gen. Treasurer. They would report their observations first to the principal officers and then to the AGM. This was agreed. The Hon. Gen. Treasurer asked District Treasurers to make themselves available for a meeting at 10 a.m. on Saturday 31st May 2014 at St. Barnabas’ Church Hall.
A request from the Ringing Foundation for future funding and supporting documents had been circulated. Tony Smith said that ringers had been very successful in raising money for restoring bells and now also needed to raise money for recruiting and training ringers. He supported the Ringing Foundation and said that ITTS and ART would not have reached their present position without support from the Foundation. In order that the AGM could make a decision, and following discussion, Tony Smith proposed that two motions should be proposed at the AGM on behalf of the Executive Committee.
That rule 8 Subscriptions should be sub-divided and 8.b and 8.e amended by deleting the words struck through and inserting the words underlined.
Subscriptions fall due upon election and subsequently upon 1st January each year. A member who fails to pay his subscription for the current year by 30th June shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Guild.
A proportion of each subscription shall be allocated to the Guild Bell Restoration Fund one or more ringing-related charities. The amount of the subscription and proportion allocated to the Guild Bell Restoration Fund each ringing-related charity for each class of membership shall be determined from time to time at the Annual General Meeting of the Guild, or at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, and published in the Guild’s annual report.
Ringing members in full-time education or over the age of 60 and associate members over the age of 60 may pay a reduced subscription as determined at the meeting. Life members are not required to pay a subscription. The subscription paid by a probationary member will form part of their subscription as a ringing member if elected as such during the same calendar year.
A member, other than a probationary member, leaving the two diocese may transfer to compounding membership without further payment on application to their District Secretary.
Any increase in subscription or alteration in the proportion allocated to the Guild Bell Restoration Fund each ringing-related charity shall take effect immediately following the meeting at which it was made.
The proposal was seconded by Bruce Purvis and agreed.
That the decision at the AGM at Basingstoke in 2010 “£4.00 of each subscription, other than from Probationary Members, is allocated to the Bell Restoration Fund” should be amended to “£3.00 of each subscription, other than from Probationary Members, is allocated to the Bell Restoration Fund and £1.00 is allocated to the Ringing Foundation”. The proposal was seconded by Rosalind Martin and agreed.
The Hon. Gen. Treasurer briefed the meeting on the current situation and said there was no need for any action by the Guild at present.
The Master proposed that the Guild should not have a stall but agreed the Public Relations Officer and Communications Committee could investigate branding and marketing opportunities at the Roadshow.
The Master invited Andy Ingram to speak. Andy briefed the meeting on the current status of ITTS in the Guild and said there were 18 attendees at the Module 1 course at Bishopstoke on 15th February 2014.
| Annual General Meeting | 5th July 2014 | Goodworth Clatford | ||
| District Forum | 4th October 2014 | Littleton Millennium Memorial Hall | ||
| Executive Committee Meeting | 15th November 2014 | St Barnabas’ Church Hall |
The Master reported on the response she had made on behalf of the Guild to the Central Council Funding Consultation.
The work of the Council. The future of ringing should continue to be the emphasis.
The affiliation fee. Sharing the cost of the Council’s work more evenly across the ringing community is a worthwhile aim, the proposal to link society affiliation fees to their membership a practical way to achieve this, and an increase to 16p per member is acceptable.
Human resources. Our CC Representatives abilities to contribute to Council policy and decision making by taking part in debates, contribute to the Council’s work by serving on a committee, and publicise the Council’s services to our members so that they may benefit more from them are all important especially the latter.
Keith Gillings expressed thanks to the Central Council for help in identifying Basingstoke District members who had fallen in World War I.
The Hon. Gen. Treasurer said that the W&P 200 Club was a valuable source of revenue for the BRF but Mark Esbester wanted to give up its organisation and would like to hear from anyone interested in taking over.
The Master said that 30 people had so far signed up for the “Have Your Say” Regional Seminar on 22nd March and encouraged members to “rally the troops.”
The Master encouraged members to attend the Mid-Monthly Meetings.
The Master encouraged members to submit articles for the next Guild Newsletter to David Forder by the end of March.
The Master congratulated two ex-resident members of the Guild, Bill Croft and Paul Young, on ringing their thousandth peals.
The Master congratulated Jane Le Conte on being awarded the BEM in the New Years Honours for her services to the community in Guernsey.
There being no further business, the Master closed the meeting at 12.30 p.m.