The Guild Master - Pete Jordan, supported by the Vice-Master - Allan Yalden, Hon. Gen. Secretary - Adrian Nash, Hon. Gen. Treasurer - Helen Woolford and Minute Secretary - Tony Smith, opened the meeting at 10.15 a.m. The Master welcomed those present and said a prayer.
The other members attending were Martin Barnes (Belfry Stewardship), Michael Church (CC Rep.), Nici Collins (Basingstoke Sec.), John Croft (Winchester Exec Rep.), John Davey (Safeguarding), Margaret Downer (IoW Exec Rep.), Barry Fry (BRF Trustee), Andy Ingram (C&S Exec Rep.), Sallie-Louise Ingram (C&S Sec.) David Mattingley (BRF Trustee), Shân Nash (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.), Mike Winterbourne (Immediate Past Master, Andover Exec Rep.) and guests Roger Booth and Robin Milford.
Apologies for absence had been received from Ashley Gray, Valerie Harris, Maggie Hiller, Christine Knights-Whittome, Viv Nobbs and Mike Novell.
The Hon. Gen. Secretary read the following names and the Master asked members to stand while Barry Fry said a prayer.
| Derek F Yates | New Alresford | |
| John Denham | formerly of Twyford | |
| Michael Goodall | formerly of Froxfield | |
| Mary Harper | formerly of Sherfield English |
The minutes of the meeting held on 16th March 2019 were proposed by Mike Winterbourne, seconded by David Mattingley, and signed by the Master as a true record.
There were no matters arising.
Helen Piper of Kingsclere, who will have completed fifty years’ ringing membership, would be presented with her Life Membership certificate at the AGM.
£200 requested by the Hon. Librarian and Archivist.
£45 requested by the Hon. Report Editor.
Nothing requested by the Belfry Stewardship Committee.
£211 requested by the Communications Committee.
Nothing requested by the Education Committee.
£306 requested by the Striking Competitions Committee.
£500 requested by the Public Relations Officer.
The bids were approved en bloc on the proposition of John Davey, seconded by John Palk.
General. A revised action plan for the next three years had been distributed. The Master highlighted the leaders of the different areas: Communications - the Hon. Gen. Secretary; Young Ringers - the Hon. Gen. Treasurer; Recruitment and Retention - Mike Winterbourne; Education - the Master; Heritage - the Vice-Master.
Membership and Communications Databases. A paper, prepared by Roger and Cathy Booth on behalf of the principal officers, had been distributed and Roger highlighted the main points.
Privacy Policy. A Privacy Policy had been distributed. Bruce Purvis pointed out that “processes” should be “process” in the third sentence of the Disclaimer for sign up forms section. Subject to that correction, approval of the Policy was proposed by Mike Winterbourne, seconded by Bruce Purvis, and agreed.
Budget approval. The action plan included budgets of £700 for Communications, £40 for Recruitment and Retention, and £150 for Heritage, all these spread over three years, and the Membership and Communications Databases paper included recurring annual costs of £400 and a one-off cost of £300 with smaller amounts in subsequent years. Approval was proposed by John Davey, seconded by John Croft, and agreed.
A Budget for 2020 prepared by the Hon. Gen. Treasurer had been distributed. This showed a small surplus of income over expenditure but did not include the expenditure on the Membership and Communications Databases approved under agenda item 8.iv.
David Mattingley reported that a new grant application had been received from St Mary, Twyford. Three quotations had been obtained and Whites of Appleton chosen. All eight bells would be removed, the 3rd, 4th and 5th replaced with new Taylor bells, the remaining bells tuned, moving parts refurbished, and the frame treated, at a total cost, less allowance for local labour, of £62,411 of which £42,000 has so far been raised. The Trustees recommended a grant of £7,500 and this was proposed by David, seconded by Bruce Purvis, and agreed.
David reported that another new grant application had been received from Rotherwick where two heavy steel brackets were urgently needed to support the 5th and tenor at a cost of £733, but without giving the one month’s notice required by BRF rule 8a. Following discussion Mike Winterbourne proposed and Allan Yalden seconded that a grant of £150 be made from the Guild Central Fund and this was agreed.
Allan Yalden made a verbal report of the CCCBR meeting held from 6th to 8th September at Goldsmiths College, London. The Hon. Gen. Secretary had attended a workshop on Insurance and Shân Nash had attended a workshop on Safeguarding.
Education. Andy Ingram said that the Committee decided at a meeting in September, to which representatives of the Districts were invited, to run only one full-day course during 2020 and instead to encourage the Districts to rung their own courses, which the Education Committee would support.
WW1 Commemoration. A paper had been distributed.
| Education Course | 23rd November 2019 | Belfry maintenance, Hawkley | |
| Education Course | 23rd November 2019 | Plain hunt Doubles, Hawkley | |
| Executive Committee Meeting | 14th March 2020 | St Barnabas’ Church Hall | |
| Education Day | 25th April 2020 | venue TBA | |
| Inter-Tower 6 & 8-bell striking competitions | 16th May 2020 | C&S, venues TBA | |
| Inter-District 8-bell striking competition | 13th June 2020 | A&P, venue TBA | |
| AGM | 13th June 2020 | A&P, venue TBA | |
| RWNYC | 4th July 2020 | York | |
| Inter-District 10-bell striking competition | 5th September 2020 | All Saints’, Basingstoke | |
| Essex Trophy competition | 12th September 2020 | Ashford | |
| Executive Committee Meeting | 21st November 2020 | venue TBA |
In reply to a question from Bruce Purvis, the Master said the “Firsts Fortnight” performances had been submitted to The Ringing World, together with a short write-up, and should appear in the next few weeks. [Post-meeting note. They appeared in the issue of November 22, 2019, pages 1140 to 1141.]
Andy Ingram said that Christine Knights-Whittome was standing down from the Education Committee at the end of the year after 10 years as Committee Secretary. Mike Winterbourne proposed and Bruce Purvis seconded that the Executive Committee recommend that Christine be elected to life membership at the next AGM in recognition of her services to the Guild and this was agreed nem con.
David Mattingley said some of the links to the Bell Stock Survey images on the Guild website were broken. Hugh and Mo Routh had scanned the Bell Stock Survey forms to create the images on the website and placed the original forms in the Guild Library. However it appeared the John Davey had further forms that he had photocopied and placed the originals in the Hampshire Record Office. Allen Yalden said that as Heritage leader for the Guild Action Plan he would take responsibility for ensuring any broken links were restored and images of all the forms were on the website.
Hugh Routh had seen a posting on Facebook suggesting one or more bells at St Nicholas, Over Wallop was cracked. Apparently the tenor was cracked but had been recently repaired by Soundweld.
The Master said that Viv Nobbs had only accepted nomination at the AGM as Public Relations Officer as a stop-gap and that a replacement was needed.
The Master said that Gary Marsh had resigned from the Communications Committee and that Andrew Glover would keep the social media feeds up-to-date until a replacement Committee member can be found.
The Master had copies available of a poster from the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust who are seeking to raise £1.1m from other sources to secure a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to save the foundry.
Allan Yalden asked whether the Annual Report could be made available in PDF format on the website. Tony Smith pointed out that would require all Tower Secretaries to have given permission for their contact details to appear on the website.
There being no further business, the Master closed the meeting at 11.17 a.m.