The Association’s Autumn General Meeting was held at Ealing on the afternoon of Saturday 15 October, in the hall of the United Reform Church on Ealing Green. This followed ringing before a service at Ealing Christ Church, and an excellent tea provided by the Ealing ringers.
The attendance was a little down on previous years, perhaps not helped by the wet weather in west London. However, 36 people signed the record of attendance, representing 19 towers, and with two members present who are not attached to towers, so a total of 38 members.
The meeting was chaired by Stephen Jakeman (Vice President).
At the beginning of the meeting, members stood in memory of our late President, Philip Vracas. Also of Dianne Stilwell, a ringer at All Hallows, Twickenham in the 1970s and 1980s, who died on 30 May 2016.
Headlines from the business were:
- A report from the General Treasurer (Mark Harris) indicating that the General Fund is in good financial health, with subscription income this year of £4,800 approx, and accumulated reserves.
- A report from the Bell Restoration Fund Treasurer (Sarah Taylor), who told us that the BRF had had a really good year, including a significant bequest and two significant donations.
- A report from the Bell Restoration Officer (Stephen Jakeman) on current projects awarded BRF grants, including Norwood Green, Great Stanmore and Southwark Cathedral. Also on a letter received from St Paul’s Cathedral seeking sponsorship by the Association of work to clean and rehang the bells, in a re-engineered frame, at a total anticipated cost of £360,000. Receipt of a formal application from St Paul’s for a grant from the BRF towards this project is anticipated in the next few months.
- The endorsement by Vote, following discussion, of the Central Committee’s recommendation of a grant of £2000 to Kensington, St Mary Abbotts, to support the Training Dumbbells project which is under development there. Emily Crowder from Kensington explained the background to and rationale for the project, and emphasised that the facility will be available for use by the Association and its Districts.
- A report by the Master (Geraldine Forster) on 12 bell ringing by the Association, including successful quarter peals at Bow and St Paul’s in the early summer, and our entry for the London 12 Bell Competition next Saturday (22 October) at St Sepulchre’s Holborn. However, the previously good attendance at the monthly 12 bell practices at St Magnus the Martyr had fallen away. If this pattern continues, Geraldine said that the practices would be replaced by focused quarter peals pitched at different levels of capability.
- A report by the Vice President (Stephen Jakeman) on ringing that had taken place in recent months at Middlesex towers, in memory of local ringers who had died in the First World War.
Stephen Mitchell
General Secretary