The East Grinstead and District Guild of Church Bell Ringers
DRAFT MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
EAST GRINSTEAD & DISTRICT GUILD
ON SATURDAY, 9TH OCTOBER 2021
HELD VIA ZOOM
The virtual meeting commenced at 7.35pm and was held in the context of there having been no ringing meetings between January 2020 and September 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
The Chair (and Rope Fund Trustee), Kate Wills, welcomed: Alison Everest, Anthony Leeves, Elaine Farrow, Gail Terry, Gavin Bennett, Iain Davey, Karol Leeves, Margaret Funnell, Patrick Wills, Ray Large (President), Robin Grant (Vice President), Robert Everest, and Stephen Pocock (14 attendees).
1. Apologies for Absence
Alan Baldock
Andrew Brock (Vice President and Rope Fund Trustee)
Barbara Taylor
Candy O’Donovan (Rope Fund Trustee)
Christine Baldock
Christopher Westwood
David Finch (Committee member)
John Palmer
Jonathan Large
Mike Bullett (Treasurer and Rope Fund Trustee)
Oli Thompson
Richard Dyson
Roger Cowsill (Vice President)
Ros Cowsill (Vice President)
Sheila Marsh (Committee member)
Steve Newlands
(16)
2. Minutes of the AGM on 12th December 2020
Adoption of the Minutes were proposed by Iain Davey, seconded by Margaret Funnell and approved by those attending nem. con.
3. Matters Arising from the 2020 AGM Minutes
None.
4. Chairman’s Report for 2020
Kate Wills had circulated her typed draft Chairman’s Report for 2020 to the members prior to the meeting commencing. There were no comments, and no amendments. The Report was accepted by the meeting
5. Statement of Accounts for 2020
Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2020 had been sent to the members prior to the meeting commencing. There were no questions raised. The Financial Statements were proposed for adoption by Margaret Funnell and seconded by Patrick Wills and accepted by the meeting.
Kate Wills then turned to the E J Oliver Rope Fund accounts. These had been approved by the Trustees already. There were no comments or questions raised.
6. Election of New Members
There were no new members proposed.
7. Proposed Rule Change
Kate Wills explained that the rule change being sought (as proposed by Mike Bullett and seconded by Kate Wills) was intended to dispose of an anomaly in the Rope Fund Rules which allowed the Guild Committee to determine a distribution of the Rope Fund account. She commented that it must be right that the Rope Fund could only be distributed by the Rope Fund Trustees, and there was general agreement. In practice any distribution would be considered by the Guild Committee prior to the Trustees making a decision, but the Trustees’ decision was final.
The following change to the E J Oliver Rope Fund Rules was carried unanimously: -
“3. The Fund shall be administered by the Trustees of the Fund, appointed according to the Rules hereof. The Trustees may in their absolute discretion, after considering an application submitted to them, make a grant from the Fund for the purposes defined in Rule 2.”
8. Election of Officers for 2021-2022
The following members had agreed to stand as Officers: -
President – Ray Large
Vice Presidents – Andrew Brock, Robin Grant, Roger Cowsill, Rosalind Cowsill
Chair – Kate Wills
Ringing Master – Kate Wills
Treasurer – Mike Bullett
Secretary - vacant
Assistant Secretary – vacant
Central Council Representative - vacant
Committee members – David Finch, Iain Davey, Sheila Marsh
E J Oliver Memorial Fund Trustees – Andrew Brock, Emma Tamkin
Candy O’Donovan was standing down as a Trustee of the Rope Fund and would be replaced by Emma Tamkin. Kate Wills expressed her grateful thanks to Candy for her service to the Rope Fund, and this was warmly endorsed by the meeting.
No members had put themselves forward for the posts of Secretary, Assistant Secretary or Central Council Representative. Kate Wills consented to remain on the Central Council email list and so will receive all the communications that a Central Council Representative would expect to receive. Any member of the Guild can attend a Central Council meeting but cannot vote. Kate Wills is willing to continue as both Chair and Ringing Master although the Guild would have to accept that her limitations in attending ringing meetings for the foreseeable future due to her and Patrick needing to shield. She expressed some concern that she would also, by necessity, have to continue to undertake the roles of Secretary and Assistant Secretary, but no doubt she would receive the support of the Guild Committee where necessary. Patrick Wills will continue to remain as webmaster.
Kate Wills suggested that those Officers willing to stand for 2021-2022 should be elected en bloc. This was formally proposed by Robert Everest and seconded by Gavin Bennett, and the meeting voted to elect those Officers.
9. Programme of Meetings for 2021-2022
Robin Grant reported that there had been 7 attendees at the meeting at Horley earlier today.
9.1 Robin also offered Horley as a venue on a Saturday afternoon in future. Other suggestions for ground floor towers for future fixtures were Balcombe, Bletchingley, Buxted, Cowden, Lingfield, Maresfield, Newdigate, Newick, Turners Hill, Westerham, and Withyham.
9.2 Slaugham was suggested for the AGM, as it has a warm spacious meeting room as well as a ground floor ring.
9.3 There will hopefully be a ringing meeting in December with coffee and mince pies.
9.4 Kate Wills hoped there would be a proper AGM in March 2022, although there may be some who would be reluctant to attend because of Covid.
9.5 Gavin Bennett pointed out that it was possible to do a filtered search within Dove for ground floor rings to ascertain other towers that may be suitable. He offered to undertake this search and email Kate Wills with the result.
10. Any other Business
10.1 Kate Wills raised the matter of the restriction placed on members by the tower captain at Bletchingley for the September meeting, requiring ringers attending to be double vaccinated. One Guild member had resigned over this. Kate had circulated the CCCBR Ringing Guidance dated 25th August 2021 to members prior to the meeting. This guidance clearly assumes both vaccinated and unvaccinated ringers will attend meetings. Kate Wills’ view was that the Guild needed to be all-inclusive, and nobody should be excluded, whatever the reason for non-vaccination. There was a general consensus on this and it was agreed by the meeting that such restrictions in future were not acceptable. Kate asked that if somebody at a meeting is immune-suppressed members should be prepared to wear masks.
10.2 Ray Large mentioned that whilst going through Margaret’s papers he had come across details relating to the formation of the Guild. This had occurred at a house called “Placelands” in East Grinstead which was a day school for boys “of gentlemen”. The headmaster was a Mr N E Hope, and he was responsible, with others, for the formation of the Guild. He was assistant organist and choirmaster at St Swithun’s. Kate Wills said that details of the formation of the Guild had been provided by Robert Everest and that a note about this had been placed on the Guild website. This was now slightly misleading as the article stated the Guild had been formed at the curate’s house. Robert Everest said he thought Mr Hope’s name was on a Peal Board in St Swithun’s. He explained that Placelands lay between the old railway (now the inner relief road), covering the area between King George’s field and King Street (where the main Post Office is). Ray Large produced a photograph looking north showing the location of Placelands and said he would try to arrange to scan and send this to Kate Wills.
10.3 Alison Everest pointed out the Guild would be 95 in 2022 and said it would be nice to mark it in some way. The anniversary is in June, and it was agreed that a get-together outdoors would be appropriate in the light of Covid. It was suggested a mini ring be available. Margaret Funnell said “Maypole Bells” are close to her in Kent and that this is transportable in the back of a car. The Charmborough Ring is excellent but difficult to erect.
Ray Large suggested the Chequer Mead Arts Centre in East Grinstead as a suitable venue, as this has an outside function area. Access is through the Reception and Entrance Hall. The Centre is directly opposite the church car park. Robert Everest will make enquiries of the Centre to see if a booking can be made for the second Saturday in June (11th).
Kate Wills may delegate the task of arranging this proposed event to a committee member.
10.4 Ray Large proposed a vote of thanks to Kate Wills for keeping the Guild going over the past few months, and to the Treasurer for his assistance with the accounts.
The meeting closed at 8.05pm.
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