We will be holding the Guild AGM on the Wednesday evening of the Tour, attended in person by those on the Tour and on Zoom by those who want to join from home. The Agenda, Minutes of the 2022 AGM, the 2022 Annual Accounts and the President’s Annual Report are all attached for your information. I will send out a Zoom link for the meeting nearer the time.
The Guild of Clerical Ringers
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Wednesday 19th April 2023 at 7.30pm
in person and on Zoom
AGENDA
Welcome & Opening Prayer
Apologies for absence
In Memoriam – Jim Vincent, John Baldwin & Michael Haighton
Minutes of the last AGM held on Wednesday 16th March 2022 (attached)
Matters arising
Election of new members
Finance
Report: 2022 Accounts (attached)
Adoption of Accounts
President’s Report (attached)
Election of Officers:
President (Anthony Ellis – 6 years in post)
Vice President (Jon Rose – 1 year in post)
Ringing Master (Jon Rose – 8 years in post)
Secretary / Treasurer (David Everett – 5 years in post)
Committee Member (David Grimwood – 1 year in post)
(MaxDrinkwater – 1 year in post)
Central Council Rep (Jonathon Rose – Guild Representative)
Correspondence
Future Tour Programme: Autumn 2022 & Low Week 2023
The Ringing World – Thought for the Week coordinator
Any other business
Closing prayer
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of The Guild of Clerical Ringers
Wednesday 16th March 2022
held on Zoom
The President, Anthony Ellis, was in the Chair. He welcomed everybody to the meeting and opened the proceedings with prayer.
Members Present: there were 19 members present
- Apologies were received from: Carl Melville, Jennifer Mole, Peter Newing
- In Memoriam – a silence was kept to remember long-time Guild member David Sansum who had died in November.
- 2021 AGM Minutes – The draft Minutes were presented to the meeting. David Grimwood proposed and Russell Chamberlain seconded that the minutes of the 2021 AGM be accepted. This was approved nem con. There were no matters arising.
- New Members – there were no new members elected at this meeting
- Finance – the Finance Report for 2021 was circulated beforehand. David Grimwood proposed and Dale Barton seconded that the Accounts be approved. This was agreed nem. con.
- The President’s Report
The President’s Report had been circulated before the meeting.
The President led the following discussions:
- the Guilds role in current world of bellringing. The President gave an update on the ongoing work to produce a booklet to help ringers and clergy understand each other better and to value the work and mission that ringers bring to our churches, remembering that most bells are in church buildings and were installed so that people can be called to worship.
- the idea of a Bell Sunday was discussed as this had been raised in discussions with the Central Council. Jon Rose felt that it could be tied in with another event like Mission Sunday. There was some concern as to how this would work for those who ring at more than one tower. After further discussion it was agreed that this should be left to local decision making.
- Thanks were given for the life of David Sansum who, using our President’s words, “had been one of the giants of the our Guild and of bellringing more widely” and had passed away in November 2021.
- David Grimwood, on behalf of the whole Guild, thanked our President for all his leadership and work in the last year.
The following change to the Guild’s Constitution was ratified nem. con. having been approved at the 2021 AGM.
The purpose of the Guild is to encourage fellowship between clergy who are ringers. It will promote and foster good relationships between ringers and the Church.
As ministers of the Gospel, its members will serve the needs of the wider ringing community.
- Election of Officers – the following were elected as Officers of the Guild. They were proposed en bloc by Dale Barton and seconded by Tim Hawkings and elected nem. con.
- President – Anthony Ellis
- Vice President – Jon Rose
- Ringing Master – Jon Rose
- Secretary & Treasurer – David Everett
- Committee Members – Max Drinkwater & David Grimwood
- Central Council Rep – Jon Rose
These proposals were all approved unanimously. Russell Chamberlain had asked to retire from the Committee and Max Drinkwater was asked to join it and we are very thankful for his initial work and ideas on producing the booklet. The Committee appointed Jon Rose as our initial Central Council Rep and this AGM confirmed him for the coming year.
- Correspondence – there was no correspondence.
- Future Tour Programme – after some discussion the following was agreed.
The Low Week Tour 2021 –The Low Week Tour in 2022 will be in Sussex and based in Hastings.
The Low Week Tour 2022 will be held in west Suffolk in the week beginning 17th April. A draft itinerary has been drawn up by David Everett.
Some initial thoughts are that the 2022 Autumn Tour (week beginning 26th September) will be to east Monmouthshire & the Forest of Dean.
- The Ringing World – Thought for the Week
The President thanked David Grimwood for his organisation of these “Thoughts” and also to all of those who contribute the articles. DG asked that if there are any other members would like to contribute to the Ringing World articles would they please contact him.
- Any other business
It was agreed that there would be discussions at the Low Week Tour regarding new membership and Guild peal ringing.
The 2023 AGM would be a hybrid meeting, that is it will take place on the Wednesday of the Low Week Tour (19th April 2023) but members will also be able to join in by Zoom.
The meeting finished with the Grace.