Four Shires Guild of Bell Ringers

Editorial

The Guild Annual Dinner at Moreton-in-Marsh on Saturday February 5^th has been and gone. Many thought it was a good one. Perhaps it was because it was back in the Guild's spiritual home. Peter Quinn was unable to attend this year, being on holiday, so it was MC'd by Bill Nash... or somebody who doubled for him... 2011 Guild Annual Dinner report

The Minutes of the 2010 AGM are just to refresh memories of that event. As reported in the last Newsletter, Temple Guiting's project to augment to 6 was subsequently granted £500 from the new Bell Restoration Fund. This project is coming to fruition - with our help: see Tower News for an update.

Richard Lewis-Skeath has wrought his magic once again to provide us with another Guild Annual Ringing Tour. This will be on Saturday July 2nd and will be in Wiltshire. See the Notices for all the details. Yes, it will require an early start to get to the first tower, but rising early on a summer's day is pure joy. The tour details are provisional at this stage, because there is sufficient potential in these types of events for slight changes to occur, but all such changes will be posted on the FSG web-site in the fortnight prior to the event, or Richard will be happy to tell you if you ring him.

Robert Chadburn concludes his series of articles with Original to the end!. The whole series has been a fascinating, in-depth read, and I understand it has encouraged at least one tower to partake of this exceptional principle. Thank you for all of it, Robert. It has been suggested that all the parts should go on the website. I am one that thinks they should.

Although subscription payments are coming in now, please don't delay any longer if you haven't paid yours yet. One of the life-bloods of the Guild is its funding via subscriptions.

Regarding subscriptions, the committee voted to place a proposal before the members at the 2012 AGM to raise the yearly subscription to £5 (see Committee meeting report. Yes, some are going to gasp, 'A 66% increase!', but 66% of little is very little! The current sub buys just over a pint of beer. The new rate still doesn't manage 2 pints; and £5 per year is less than 10p per week. We really aren't talking big bucks here.

This is the first reminder that I'm available to discuss the requirements of being the Editor of this august journal. So far, no-one has contacted me. Do, please, remember that I am departing after the January 2012 Newsletter. It isn't the hardest of jobs (I've done much of the hard work in setting up the format), but some time is required. See the Advert.

Chris Povey

(The views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily the views of the Four Shires Guild or its Committee. The Newsletter was proof-read by Richard Lewis-Skeath.)