Dear Friends,
Thank you for your welcome at all the events I have attended this year. It is always a pleasure to meet old friends and to make new ones. It is both encouraging and a privilege to witness the enthusiasm of individual ringers, of bands of ringers, and in District activities.
I often ponder the question, “What is the Guild?” We tend to use the term casually when referring to the Guild, the Districts, the Towers, etc. This usage seems to imply a hierarchy, with the “Guild” at the top. However, the Guild officers, and those on the various committees, are actually ordinary ringers who ring in their own Towers and often take part in District programmes. I contend that the “Guild” is all its members, who collectively have the opportunity to work to work towards certain common aims. These aims are encapsulated in the Guild objects; the encouragement of service ringing, change ringing and bell maintenance are all a part of this. Such aims can be realized within an individual Tower band, within each of the self-administering District areas, or across the Guild territory of the Winchester and Portsmouth Dioceses.
The face of ringing is changing, and I mention just one aspect here. Many Guild members are able to be a part of a Tower band, but increasing pressures on time restrict their participation in the wider ringing scene. The District areas all have their own cultures and traditions, and many arrange practices, training days, striking competitions, quarter peal weeks, outings, social events, meetings, etc., which benefit members able to join in and, indirectly, their Tower bands. Members elect those in their District areas who will arrange these activities and keep things on track (District officers). All members, Tower bands and District areas can take advantage of the considerable range of services and activities offered by the “Guild” central organization of officers and committees. The scope of these is evident from the Directory on the next page. When everything works well and is in balance, Tower bands have officers in place, Districts will elect officers to fill the available posts, and the Guild officer positions and committees will be fully staffed.
Perhaps I should come clean now. The Guild officers all stand down every three years and elections for their successors take place at the Guild Annual General Meeting. Similarly the committees are elected every third year, usually the year before the officers’ elections, but this time all elections will be on Saturday 3rd July 2010 at Basingstoke. (This change is due to an oversight for which I take responsibility.) Please consider taking part in the AGM day, and if there is any committee on which you could serve, or any officer post you might be interested in holding. Please ask for further information if you need it.
Now there is one vital ingredient in ringing which is not covered by the Guild objects: ringing can be FUN; ringing should be FUN. The FUN is in participation. It can be in taking from the system when we need, and in putting something back in when we can.
Enjoy your ringing.
David Strong