Minutes of Autumn ADM Sat Sept 21st 2019 – St Mark, Jersey
Present
Chairman:Jane Le Conte
Master: Duncan Loweth
Secretary: Helen McGregor
Absent – Alderney – 9 ringers – scheduled to arrive by Little Ferry sadly cancelled due to high winds – Aileen Wilson, June Banister, Donald Hughes, Philippa Arditti, Aaron Hallett, Oliver Knight, Jeremy Stupart, Victoria McAllister & Heather Winder
Apologies – Janice Firth, Helen Rolfe, Robbie Sherwood, Barbara Garfield, Christine Lenfesty, Mike Halsey (Treasurer) & Robin Pittman1
Minutes of ADM 2018
John David stated that an amendment to 2017 minutes which had been accepted in 2018 was not yet reflected in minutes. Committee undertook to remedy position. With that caveat – acceptance of 2018 minutes was proposed by Paul Lawrence, seconded by Duncan Loweth – approved unanimously
Treasurer’s report – Acceptance proposed by Judy Collins and seconded by Peter Routier – approved unanimously
New members – 28 EC boys attending 3 separate 10week courses. (William Meeks, Oliver Blake, Thomas Le Boutillier, Thomas Meerveld, Oliver Ridges, Declan Ridgwick, Charlie Van Katwyk, George de Garis, Ashley de la Rue, Anthony Merrien, Jack Rees, , Isaac Keys, Oliver Russell, Henry Broughton, William Fysh, Joshua Hansmann-Rouxel, Jacky Marquis, Charlie Northmore, Henry Swanson, Cameron Alexander-Sloman, Henry Bloor, Boris Bousfield, Silas Eyton-Jones, Eoin Fleming, Luke Gomes, Benjamin Grayland, Cameron Lee, Jake Rowe. Also Evelyn Loweth (TC) and Sheila Willetts (St John) – all to be probationary members
Election of officers – all existing postholders returned unopposed (proposed by Judith Laine and seconded by Tim Wainwright). Meeting was advised Mike will be standing down as Treasurer at next ADM
Dates of next meetings:Spring meeting 25th April 2020 Town Church. The test piece for the 8 bell to be 224 St Simon’s Bob Triples (plain, plain, plain, bob) x 4
ADM to be Sept 19th 2020- scheduled for Alderney BUT in light of current absence of any direct flights Alderney/Jersey then Alderney is to consider surrendering opportunity to host this event to Guernsey in order to facilitate the attendance of Jersey. Alderney to advise committee of their decision in the next fortnight (repeated at AOB)
Guild Master – Pete Jordan was present and addressed the meeting. Thanked us for invitation to attend. Encouraged us to nominate a News Ambassador – to share District news with the Guild. The First Fortnight initiative was to be resurrected in 2019, to run from Oct 11 – 27th. Ring it & publish it on BellBoard (first time put 2 strokes together, first plain course, first qtr in method etc)
Master’s report – nothing in particular to highlight
AOB – Given Ay’s absence & 2020 Spring to be on Guernsey anyway – no proposal was made move Spring 8 bell to UK. Alderney to notify District in next fortnight if Alderney want to host Sept 19th 2020 on Alderney or surrender our opportunity to Guernsey to facilitate Jersey attendance
The raffle was drawn – it raised £107 for the Youth Travel Fund
Results of 6 bell Inter-tower. Judge Simon Linford.
Team 1 (St John) Plain Bob Doubles – 111pts
This set off beautifully, and in the first three leads I had hardly put pen to paper. I was thinking of turning the cricket back on! But then you had a very unfortunate section with method mistakes and then bells swapping over, which of course picked up a lot of faults in those rows. And the touch came round at handstroke two leads early! However what this band should realise was that in between mistakes the ringing was very good indeed, with lots of completely clean rows and some of the day’s best ringing.
Team 2 (Scratch – Youth) Plain Bob Doubles – 72pts
Team 2 also chose to ring Plain Bob Doubles and got underway quickly after a rather inauspicious practice. You struggled a bit for consistency, with rows varying in length a little bit more than is ideal. Relatively mistake free, but there were quite a lot of dropped blows picking up faults. The last lead was very nice so I reckoned that if you had been ringing a 240 you would have seen the improvement.
Team 3 (Scratch – 5/6th Vale ) Plain Bob Doubles – 91pts
More Bob Doubles from Team 3 and this was when it struck me how there is a strong culture of method ringing in this striking competition. Less experienced bands usually ring call changes in competitions like this, but here you push the boat out. This band was capable of very good ringing. The middle section got a smiley face on my sheet – the equivalent of a Paul Hollywood handshake – but there were some consistent issues here, rows not being the same length, and the difference between the good and the not so good was too great. As with the previous team, a very good last lead showed what you could do.
Team 4 (St Mark) Plain Bob Doubles – 6pts
After a very good practice this band settled into a first class touch. Difficult to say much here. This was competition ringing at its most confident. You’re not supposed to criticise individual bells when judging but this is an experienced band and I am sure the tenor ringer will get over me saying that they were ever so slightly quick at handstroke a few times. But overall this was extremely good.
Team 5 (Town Church) Cambridge Minor – 129pts
Team 5 had the unenviable task of following Team 4. The practice was interesting! I had absolutely no idea what you were trying to ring. It quickly stopped, there was a pause, I think you probably got your diaries out to look at the method. Then you set off into what was rather an ambitious course of Cambridge. A bold gamble which didn’t really come off. The ringing never really settled down, with too many method mistakes. So there were really a lot of faults, and given this is a striking competition you didn’t demonstrate what you are capable of.
Team 6 (Scratch – Helen McG, Guild reps, judge’s wife & daughter & Wm) Stedman Doubles – 14pts
What a lovely choice for a striking competition! Good confident rounds and then a very nice 120 of Steadman Doubles. There was not much to fault with this. If I was being picky, which has been known, there were times when you strung the rows out slightly giving the poor tenor ringer Hobson’s choice over clipping the end of the row or upsetting the rhythm. Overall though this was a very good test piece.
Team 7 (Forest/St Peter’s) Grandsire Doubles – not scored
This was a triumph of determination, perseverance and conducting. Many bands would not have got to the end of this, and when you got it back together at the end of the sixth lead that was some achievement. But you know you did not execute the method ringing very well and as such didn’t give me the opportunity really to make striking comments
!st place = St Mark
2nd = St John
3rd Town Church
Simon was thanked for his skillful judging. Certificates to follow please
Jersey were thanked for their hospitality, magnificent catering & chauffeuring. Both vicars were thanked for permitting the use of St John’s and St Mark’s bells
Saturday eveing saw 20 of us sit down in local restaurant for delicious Indian meal. Over the course of the weekend 3 qtr peals were rung – spliced S Minor at St Marks, Grandsire Triples and Cambridge S Major at St John’s