Coventry Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Guild Handbook
Home Page |On This Page :-
1. Introduction
The Guild comprises towers in Warwickshire and the West Midlands. It is geographically a large area stretching from Alcester in the west to Rugby in the east. The most southerly tower is Long Compton on the Oxfordshire border, and the most northerly is Atherstone on the A5.
The Guild is subdivided into 3 administrative districts. These are, the Coventry District (31 towers), the Rugby Deanery (18 towers), and the Warwick Archdeaconry (62 towers). To see a directory of Guild Towers...click here.
Guild Meetings are held quarterly. The Annual General Meeting is held in each District, in turn, during April. The other quarterly meetings are held in each District in turn.
Guild District Meetings are held monthly. They usually follow a pattern of Warwick Archdeaconry on the first Saturday of the month, Rugby Deanery on the second Saturday, and Coventry District on the third Saturday. Some of the summer meetings are held as joint meetings between districts to boost numbers. Each district also holds its own Annual District Meeting, usually in advance of the AGM.
Guild Meetings usually consist of general ringing at one or more towers, followed by a short service, traditional ringers tea, business meeting and then further ringing. To see a diary of Guild events...click here.
2. Guild History
The Guild started life as the Warwickshire Guild of Change Ringers. Prior to formation, the area was described as "the only county in England not covered by a County Guild or Society". The foundation meeting was held in the Dale Temperance Hotel in Warwick on Saturday 23rd November, 1907 following invitations circulated to active ringers.
The first President of the Guild was Rev. Alan Williams, Vicar of St Marys Warwick and the first Ringing Master E. H. Adams also of Warwick. In January, 1908 the membership was recorded as 63 ringers from 13 different towers.
Although nominally covered by the St Martins Guild, meetings were held in the early years in Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, then still part of Warwickshire. In 1918 the new Diocese of Coventry was established but it was not until much later in 1946 that the Guild title was altered to reflect its Diocesan status.
A Centenary publication on the full history of the Guild, is under preparation. This will contain details of the operation of the Guild, its personalities, the bells being rung and the performances achieved.
The following tables identify the past Guild Officers. The posts of President, Secretary, Treasurer and Ringing Master are listed :-
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3. Guild Rules
The Guild Rules are defined in the following document...click here.
4. Guild Bell Repair Fund
The Rules of the Guild Bell Repair Fund are defined in the following document...click here.
If you wish to make a donation to the BRF and pay income tax please use this form to Gift Aid it.
We can reclaim the tax you have paid at no cost to yourself and therefore increase the value of your donation.
5. Guild Membership
Guild membership is subject to the rules identified in section 3 above. Should you wish to propose someone to be a ringing member of the Guild please click here for an application form.
6. Subscription Rates and Charges :-
a. The following are the current subscription rates :-
Full Ringing Members* 18 and over £4.00 annually. Junior Ringing Members* under 18 £2.00 annually. Honorary Members not less than £0.25 annually. Non-resident Life Members £2.00 one payment. * Applies to Resident attached to a tower, Unattached Resident, and Non-resident.
b. The following other charges are also applicable :-
Peal Fee 20p per bell. Note: For Peals rung outside the Guilds territory to be included in Guild records, not less than one-half of the band must be Ringing Members of the Guild at the time the peal was rung. The Peal Fee covers the cost of maintaining peal records.
Resolutions having a call on the annual subscriptions :-
Resolution 1 :- That, as every ringer of the Guild supports the Bell Restoration Schemes within the Coventry Diocesan Guild, a percentage of the Annual Subscription to be donated to the Guilds Bell Repair Fund. The percentage to be fixed annually.
7. Guild Officers :-
The following table lists the current Guild Officers and Guild District Officers. For a list of past officers of the Guild, see the Guild History above,...click here.
| PATRON | |
|---|---|
| The Lord Bishop Of Coventry | |
| PRESIDENT | TREASURER |
| Mr Michael Chester 26 Thompsons Road Keresley End COVENTRY CV7 8JW (024 76332205) |
Mr Simon P Rogers 3 Richardson Close WARWICK CV34 5HD (01926 747532) |
| GENERAL SECRETARY | PEAL SECRETARY |
| Mr Ian C Maycock 149 Cubbington Road Lillington LEAMINGTON SPA CV32 7AZ (01926 429706) |
Mr Simon P Rogers 3 Richardson Close WARWICK CV34 5HD (01926 747532) |
| GUILD RINGING MASTER | PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER |
| Mr Graham Hayward 44 Mount Street Chapelfields COVENTRY CV5 8DE (07813 525139) |
Mr Michael Chester 26 Thompsons Road Keresley End COVENTRY CV7 8JW (024 76332205) |
| COVENTRY | |
| SECRETARY | SUBSCRIPTION SECRETARY |
| Mr Graham Hayward 44 Mount Street Chapelfields COVENTRY CV5 8DE (07813 525139) |
Mr Gerald Trevor 11 Hall Lane WOLVEY Nr Hinckley LE10 3LF (01455 220619) Subscriptions Secretary |
| RUGBY | |
| SECRETARY | SUBSCRIPTION SECRETARY |
| Mrs Janet Dew "Hillcrest" Rugby Road Church Lawford RUGBY CV23 9EL (024 76545210) |
Mrs Susan Sheen 19 Home Close Bubbenhall COVENTRY CV8 3JD (024 76306339) |
| WARWICK | |
| SECRETARY | SUBSCRIPTION SECRETARY |
| Mr Tom Houghton 21 Stephenson Close LEAMINGTON SPA CV32 6BS (01926 422126) |
Mr Geoff Sreeves 41 Coughton Hill Coughton ALCESTER B49 5HX (01789 762378) |
| DISTRICT RINGING MASTERS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mr Colin Sweeney 14 Thickthorn Close KENILWORTH CV8 2AF (01926 858816) |
Mr Michael Dew "Hillcrest" Rugby Road Church Lawford RUGBY CV23 9EL (024 76545210) |
William Jones 80 Wulstan Way Southam CV47 1TU (01926 812693) |
| DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEMBERS | |
|---|---|
| COVENTRY | Miss Rosemary Wheatley 44 Mount Street Chapelfields COVENTRY CV5 8DE | Mr Chris Worley 203 Aldermans Green Road COVENTRY CV2 1PJ (024 76665946) |
| RUGBY | |
| Mr Chris Idle 251 Bilton Road RUGBY CV22 7EQ (01788 813154) |
Mr Mike Bennett 104 Tennyson Avenue RUGBY CV22 6JF (01788 814304) |
| WARWICK | |
| William Jones 80 Wulstan Way Southam CV47 1TU (01926 812693) |
Mrs Angela Elliott 28 Abbey Lane SOUTHAM CV47 1HR (01926 813457) |
| CENTRAL COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES | |
|---|---|
| Mr Michael Chester 26 Thompsons Road Keresley End COVENTRY CV7 8JW |
Mr Michael Dew "Hillcrest" Rugby Road Church Lawford RUGBY CV23 9EL (024 7654 5210) |
| Mr Christopher Mew 82 Coventry Road Warwick Warwickshire CV34 5HH Tel: (01926) 402273 |
Mr William Jones 80 Wulstan Way Southam CV47 1TU Tel: (01926) 812693) |
8. Guild Committees
8.1 Social and Fund Raising Committee
This committee is responsible for organising many of the social and fund raising activities of the Guild.
The members of the Guild Social and Fund Raising Committee are pleased to offer advice on organising social and fund raising activities within the Guild. Contact your district representative for details. Please make initial contact with the SFRC Chairman:-
Claire Kimpton
1 Placid Close, Coventry, CV4 9HA
Tel: (024) 7646 9089
8.2 Bell Maintenance Committee
This committee is responsible for overseeing guild bell maintenance activities within the guild.
The members of the Guild Maintenance Committee are pleased to offer advice to churches within the Diocese that are considering work in relation to bells, including the installation of a ring bells, the maintenance and/or augmentation of an existing ring or chime of bell, and also to advice with regard to a tower in which bells are hung. Please make initial contact with:-
William Jones
80 Wulstan Way, Southam, CV47 1TU
Tel: (01926) 812693
8.3 Education and Training Committee
This committee is responsible for organising the annual Guild training day, and other training activities within the guild
The members of this committee are pleased to offer advice on education and training matters. Please make initial contact with the Education Committee Chairman :-
Christopher Mew
82 Coventry Road, Warwick, Warwickshire CV34 5HH
Tel: (01926) 402273, Email
9. Guild Draw (100) Club
For an application form to join the Draw Club...click here.
10. Legacies
Please consider leaving the Bell Repair Fund of the Coventry Guild a legacy in your will. A bequest to the Bell Repair Funds will be devoted to the important aim of the Guild to "... restore,maintain or improve existing peals of bells and the towers and belfries housing them".
When you make a legacy, no matter how modest, you can be certain that your gift will be used solely for the restoration of bells within the Coventry Diocese and you will be remembered.
The following are suitable forms of words to send to your solicitor with a request that they be included in your will. The solicitor will do the rest. You can tell your solicitor that as a registered charity (No. 502576) all legacies are exempt from tax.
"I bequeath the residue of my estate to The Coventry Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers - Bell Repair Fund (Registered Charity No 502576)", or
"I bequeath to The Coventry Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers - Bell Repair Fund (Registered Charity No 502576) a share (state the fraction you choose) of the residue of my estate", or
"I bequeath to The Coventry Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers - Bell Repair Fund (Registered Charity No 502576) the sum of £...
The Guild Treasurer is always glad to advise any prospective benefactors.
11. Guild Insurance
The following insurance is provided for Guild Members :-
PERSONAL ACCIDENT
Insuring Clause
The Underwriters agree to pay, in accordance with the Schedule of Benefits if during the period of Insurance the Insured Person sustains Accidental Bodily Injury as defined herein, subject always to the terms, conditions, provisions, limitations and exclusions hereof.
Schedule of Benefits
| 1. Death | £10,000 |
| 2. Loss of one limb 3. Loss of one eye | £10,000 |
| 4. Loss of two limbs 5. Loss of both eyes 6. Loss of one limb and one eye | £10,000 |
| 7. Permanent total disablement | £10,000 |
| 8. Temporary total disablement per week | £100.00 |
| 9. Temporary partial disablement per week | NIL |
Benefit in respect of items 8 and 9 shall be payable for such period or periods during which the Insured Person shall be disabled up to but not beyond 104 weeks from the date from which he first becomes disabled.
Medical expenses incurred in respect of items 8 and 9 within the above time limit specified for such items will in addition be paid, up to but not exceeding 20 per cent of the total amount of the claim admitted under those items.
Insured Persons
Individual Members from the time their membership is accepted and advised to the Association Secretary
- Item 1 is limited to £1,000 for the Insured Members under the age of 16 years.
- For Item 7 the definition of "Total Disablement" is amended to mean "disablement which entirely prevents the Insured Person from engaging in any occupation" in respect of the Members "unemployed".
- Item 8 shall not apply to Members "unemployed".
- In respect of any claim made under item 8, the total amount paid per week shall not exceed the claiment´s normal weekly wage.
- Cover hereunder in respect of Members 65 years to 74 years inclusive is limited to items 1 to 6 only.
- Cover is extended to include Members over 74 years of age for item 1 only. Sum assured of £1,000.
COVER
Whilst the Insured Members are undertaking work in respect of inspection, maintenance, restoration and any other work on church bells, including the ringing thereof, including travel to and from.
It is hereby understood and agreed that the definition of Insured Person shall include any person under instruction carrying out the above stated activities prior to acceptance for Membership of the Association.
12. Guild Annual Report
For a copy of the Guild Annual Report, please contact the Guild Secretary.