FOUR SHIRES GUILD OF BELLRINGERS

The Guild awards the following trophies:

BRAZIER TROPHY RULES

The object of this competition is to encourage bands insufficiently experienced in the Rising and Falling of bells in peal, to enter into Competition with bands of a similar capability. Captains entering teams are requested to comply with spirit of these rules when entering.

  1. Ringers shall be members of a Sunday Service Band at a tower within the accepted FSG area.
  2. Each team shall comprise six members, including the conductor, and ringing shall be on six bells.
  3. Where a tower intends to enter a team in the competition for the Newing Shield, only two members shall be permitted to participate in both events.
  4. Joint teams from two towers may enter.
  5. A tower may enter more than one team, but only two ringers shall be permitted to participate in both teams.
  6. The competition shall be held in two parts, six months apart, with the combined scores of the two halves deciding the winner.
  7. The competition shall comprise the following elements.
    1. One minutes ringing to assess the need to adjust ropes. Not marked.
    2. Two minutes ringing to get used to the bells. Not marked.
    3. Either:
      • A minimum of 4 minutes of call changes; starting and finishing in rounds, with a minimum of twelve different changes.
      • OR 12 extents of Plain Hunting on five bells
      • OR 120 changes of method, either Plain Courses or a Touch.
  8. The judges shall take into account:
    1. The speed at which the bells are rung, in accordance with the weight and go of the bells.
    2. The evenness of the intervals between the bells.
    3. The ringing of the bells in rows of twelve, with open hand stroke leads, and closed backstroke leads.
    4. The ability of the band to stand the balls as one.
    5. The rounds before and after the test piece shall not be counted.

THE DECISION OF THE JUDGES SHALL BE FINAL.

NEWING SHIELD RULES

Spencer Jones Cup
Spencer Jones Cup
  1. All ringers must be paid -up members of the Four Shires Guild of Bellringers.
  2. Tower Captains are asked to comply with the spirit of the following requirements which are intended to make bands as representative as possible of the tower:
    1. The core of the band should be regular Sunday Service ringer at the tower.
    2. If the team cannot reasonably be raised from regular Sunday Service ringers it may be augmented with others who ring at the tower regularly.
    3. If the band is still short it may include one ringer who is not attached to the tower.
    4. Each team shall consist of not more than eight ringers and ringing shall be performed on six bells.
  3. A joint team representing two towers may enter where there are not sufficient members to raise a team for each tower and where the two towers regularly co-operate.
  4. A tower may enter more than one team.
  5. A ringer may ring with a maximum of two teams but only one team from each tower.
  6. The competition will be divided into three categories:
    1. raising the bells in peal, no false starts allowed.
    2. EITHER Call changes of approximately 5 minutes duration containing at least ten different changes and finishing in rounds, no false starts allowed. OR 120 changes in any method, one false start failing before the first 30 changes will be permitted with cancellation of faults recorded during those changes.
    3. Falling the bells in peal, no false starts allowed.
  7. Certificates will be awarded to each team taking part in the competition stating the faults awarded in each category and the order of merit.
  8. Faults will be awarded by the Judges, their decisions on this account will be final. On all other matters the decision of the Committee will be final.
  9. The team having the lowest number of faults in the categories used to assess the order of merit for both half-yearly competitions will be awarded the NEWING SHIELD and the second placed team the SPENCER-JONES CUP, which may be held by their representatives for eleven months, after which it must be returned to the Guild Master. In the event of a tie, the custody of the Shield and Cup will be decided by the Committee.

JUDGES will take into account the following points in preparing the competition results:

  1. An emphasis on good striking, e.g. open handstroke leads and rhythm in category ii especially with call change ringing.
  2. The selection of methods used in method ringing.
  3. That the time taken to complete categories i and iii shall be appropriate to the bells.

THE MERIT AWARD will be presented, on the day, to the team, which, in the opinion of the Ringing Master, is most deserving of merit, all things considered.