Message from the Guild Representative.
One of the things that the Guild provides for all members, is to run courses.
The next course to be run is at Radley (near Abingdon) on Saturday 9th April 2016 and applications need to be in by 31st January.
See http://odg.org.uk/pdf/Radley2016.pdf poster for how to apply, or use Guild Website link below.
These courses provide an excellent opportunity for anyone needing help in learning methods. The Radley course covers basic methods such as Plain Bob Doubles and Grandsire doubles, and is for all members meeting the criteria outlined below.
(The Guild also runs courses for more advanced methods at other times in the year, see the guild website for details, Education tab).
Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers
Education Committee
Ringing Criteria for the Radley Course
To ensure the safety of the students, helpers and tutors on this course a standard of ringing competence and understanding is required.
While we try to make sure that all of the bells we use are suitable for teaching, they may be much lighter or heavier than the bells in your home tower, there may be steps or ladders to access the ringing room, the length of the draught may be much longer or shorter than you are used to, and there may be any number of other peculiarities to deal with. For this reason, we ask that you are able to ring a bell competently and confidently on your own, and you should ideally have experience of ringing a range of different bells, including bells in other towers, so that you are not impeded in your progress and can take full advantage of the tuition provided on the course.
All students must be members of the Oxford Diocesan Guild, and therefore regular Sunday service ringers.
The tower Captain or Tower ringing Tutor should fill in the ringing ability section on the application form giving their name to this.
If the student is under 18 a permission to ring form needs to be filled in and this will be forwarded on receipt of the application. A parent or an appointed responsible adult needs to be present on the course. This could be a helper.
This criteria will also help the tutor to plan the course as they will be aware that the student understands these requirements.
From the point of view of the student, the day goes like this:
Meet at the hall approx 9 am
Tea and coffee available. Bookstall also available.
Meet the other students in your group, and your tutor.
Students are put into groups of 5 people, according to the method they requested.
Theory for about 1 hour, then travel to your first tower. Cars are shared, so that less parking space is needed.
At the first tower, you will meet the helpers. In my experience, the helpers always ring up and down at the first tower (volunteers at later sessions). Early on, you will need to select your meal for the pub lunch (or you can take your own packed lunch).
The tutor then needs to find out what each student can do, so each student in turn has a go (together with 5 helpers).
Each tower session is 1½ hours, so at the first tower, each student will probably get 2 goes.
Pub Lunch
In the afternoon, there will be 2 more tower sessions, and they will develop according to everyone’s ability. The tutor may keep to only one student at a time, or he/she may include two or more students at a time.
The great advantage of these courses is that, as a learner, you are surrounded by helpers who know the method well, as well as a tutor standing by to help you. This is a brilliant way to get to know a method, and I would thoroughly recommend these courses.
After the 3rd tower session, everyone returns to the hall, where a meal is provided (cooked by volunteers, and is always excellent). The tutors give a short summary of their class, and certificates are provided. The day finishes at around 8pm.
For the last couple of years, applications for the basic methods courses were very low, but are now rising again. I would encourage anyone who needs some help with a method to go on one of these courses. (They are not just for some mysterious elite ringers. All who meet the criteria above may apply). The day is long, but very satisfying and beneficial.
I have attended a few of these courses myself. If anyone has any questions, or needs a bit more encouragement to go, please feel free to email me.
Anne Martin