From Pat Davidson – Guild President, March 2024
As I write this, my first ‘piece’ for the new website, I am hopeful that the wet, cold days of winter are behind us and Spring is well and truly on its way.
All the Branch AGM’s have now taken place. I have tried to get to as many as I can and thank you for the warm welcome I have received. It has been really encouraging to hear the number of new learners and members being elected and what activities Branches have planned for the year ahead. I ask you all to encourage and support your new learners and members in their ringing – they are the future of our Guild.
Much has been happening over the past few months, most notably the huge amount of work undertaken by Ian Mozley and Andy Waring in the development of the new website – thank you both. Please do use the website and keep your items of news coming in to it. Behind the scenes workgroups have been discussing a number of projects which you will be hearing about over the coming months.
One such group has for the last eighteen months been working on updating the Guild’s Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy to ensure that the Guild is fully compliant with current legislation. Thank you especially to David Hacker and Len Roberts, and to Chris Bush with his IT expertise, for the enormous amount of time and energy they have spent on this. You will recently have received a letter from the Guild Executive with the accompanying forms explaining what action you need to take now. I ask all members to please do this at the earliest opportunity. It is very quick and easy to complete and submit the forms online or by downloading them. Please do ask if you need help with any aspect of this. With so many scam emails circulating at the present time please be assured this is definitely NOT A SCAM and clicking on the appropriate link will not in any way compromise your device or security.
Looking ahead, over the coming months there are a number of events that all members can get involved in. Coming up shortly is Guild Firsts Week running from 6th to 14th April. This is a great chance for both learners and more experienced ringers to try something new! What about having a go at running a practice or part of it for the first time, ringing in rounds or plain hunting for the first time, conducting a 120 or even a quarter peal, to name just a few. Please, in the first instance, send your achievements to your Branch Training Officer. Further details can be found on the website where there will be a link to submit your achievements. I look forward to seeing what you all get up to.
Our Guild Festival and AGM follows on Saturday May 11th hosted by the Devizes Branch at Trowbridge. A number of ringing routes and workshops have been arranged for the day. If like myself you have no 12 bell towers nearby in your local area this is an opportunity to experience ringing on 12 bells. There will be a chance for all level of ringers to have a ring so do please make the most of this opportunity. At the meeting a number of proposals will be put to members to vote on including the rule changes and the adoption of a Membership system so do please come and have your vote. Full details of the days activities will be sent out nearer the time by Branch Secretaries and can also be found on the website. I look forward to meeting you all at Trowbridge.
On the website you will find details of ‘Ring for Peace’ to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings – D Day, Thursday June 6th. This is a great chance if you are currently teaching some new recruits to set a target for them to have their first ring in rounds even if only the backstroke. I have already given this target to some of my learners and there will be certificates available to print off to mark the occasion.
A Guild Training Day is taking place on Saturday June 29th. I hope as many of you as possible will take the opportunity to participate either as a student or a helper. In the past these days have been very enjoyable with everyone learning something new, even the helpers. Further details will follow.
More details of all the above activities can be found on the website at https://sdgr.org.uk – please do watch for further updates and details of other activities and keep your items of news coming in – email hidden; JavaScript is required.
I look forward to seeing some, if not all of you, at the above events.
Wishing you a joyful and Happy Easter – what better time than Easter Sunday morning to ring out our bells in celebration. Alleluia – Christ is Risen.
Pat Davidson
Guild President
