[Cambridge-youths] Fwd: Report from the bells working party + agenda

[Rosie Brooke]

susan binns wrote:
> Dear All,
> Herewith the bells report - please try to attend the EGM on 14th @ 
> 8.00 p.m.
> If not, please ensure any queries you have are addressed beforehand 
> and reported to the meeting in your absence.
> The working party would welcome any questions at any time.
>  
> Agenda: 1. Bells
>              2. Health and Safety update/information
>  
> Best wishes,
> Sue
>
As someone who has actually learnt to ring on the bells, I'm very 
attached to them.  I have been ringing at GSM since I was 9 and I do not 
feel that they have hindered my progress, rather that they have forced 
me to work on my technique, which can only be a positive thing.  The go 
of the bells has never put me off from coming to ring at GSM though the 
same cannot be said for other rings of bells.  I personally find OLEM a 
very intimidating ring of bells - largely due to the immensely long 
draft and do think twice before I ring there.  GSM bells are not even 
remotely as bad or intimidating as this - and I can be a real wuss about 
bells.

I have heard the bells struck very well on many occasions which would 
suggest that the problems can be reduced by good handling.  I don't 
think that a new ring of lighter bells would vastly improve the quality 
of ringing at GSM.  The working party's report has suggested that other 
improvements other than replacing the bells will reduce some of the 
problems.  Nothing has seriously suggested that a new ring of bells 
would be the best solution - the tower would still sway for example, 
unless other issues were addressed.  I think that it would be a gross 
amount of money to fritter away on an unnecessary ring of bells and 
would strip GSM of a substantial part of its history.

People seem to think that the bells put off learners.  Many learners at 
GSM have given up over the years, many of them young ringers.  Has 
anyone ever actually asked them why they decided to leave, rather than 
assuming that they found the bells too difficult to handle?  Other 
things can be done to encourage learners and young ringers to stay at 
the tower so that there will still be a strong society in 50-100 years 
time.  It doesn't necessarily involve putting in a new ring of 12.

BW
Rosie