So you’re a ringer at a local tower, and maybe a member of the DDA (Derby Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers), and you might have heard of the CCCBR (Central Council of Church Bell Ringers).
What do these these organisations do? How do they help ringers? Read on to find out …
If you wrote your place in the world of ringing like an address, this is how it might look:
Ringer
Tower
(Tower Group/Cluster)
District/Branch (The 4 DDA Districts are: Central, Chesterfield, Peak or Southern)
Territorial Society (Association/Guild e.g. The DDA)
The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers
English-style full-circle (change) ringing (and change ringing on Handbells)
All full-circle ringing
All bellringing styles
All bells in the world!
What each of these do:
Ringer
You are a Ringer, and ring whenever you can wherever required.
And do ringing-related activities, such as ringing homework and social activities.
Tower
Most ringers have a ‘Home’ Tower where they normally ring.
A Tower is run by one or more people, mostly the Tower Captain or Ringing Master and maybe a Secretary. Other roles might be Steeple Keeper, Treasurer, etc.
They organise ringing at practices and for services, weddings and other occasions.
They might organise outings, social events and quarter peals.
They are responsible for safety and safeguarding at their ringing events, and maintain the bells in the tower.
DDA towers can enter bands into the District 6-Bell Contests.
Not all ringers are members of a tower. Some might be Unattached Members of a Society. In the DDA each District may have Unattached Members.
Group/Cluster (optional)
The tower might be part of a Group or Cluster. These are a small number of nearby towers who work together to share ringers for services and perhaps striking contests, and might alternate practices.
District/Branch
Your Tower (and group/cluster) will be in District/Branch.
(Some small territorial societies, many non-territorial, and most University Societies, do not have districts/branches).
In the DDA there are 4 Districts (Central, Chesterfield, Peak or Southern).
Each DDA District has a Committee (and committee meetings) which organises ringing events for the District’s ringers, such as:
- Ringing meetings – several per year (which might include a business meeting or meal).
- The Annual District Meeting (ADM – when the District Committee is appointed).
- Training events.
- An outing/tour.
- District 6-Bell Contests.
- District 8-bell contest teams.
- Roughly one General DDA event per year (Annual General Meeting (AGM), 6-Bell Striking Contests Final, October Meeting and 8-Bell Contest, and maybe a DDA Dinner)
Society
Each District/Branch is part of a Territorial Society.
The DDA is a territorial society …………………………….
Ringers may be members of more than one territorial society if it covers their tower/home (e.g. East Derbyshire & West Nottinghamshire Association (EDWNA)).
They may be Non-Resident Life Members (NRLM) of a territorial society elsewhere.
Not all ringers are members of a Territorial Society.
A ringer might be a member of a University/College Society, and one or more Non-Territorial Societies, which are often interest-based.
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The Central Council or Church Bell Ringers
Ringers are represented on the CCCBR through their Ringing Society (Territorial, Non-Territorial, and University societies may be affiliated to the CCCBR).
The DDA is affiliated to the CCCBR, so all DDA members are represented on the CCCBR through Central Council Representatives (CCReps -The DDA has 4).
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The Ringing World
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English-Style Full-Circle Ringing (and Change Ringing on Handbells)
…
Full-Circle Ringing
Some other countries in continental Western Europe ring full-circle, but the technique differs from English-Style.
An example is Veronese-style ringing, which is so close to English-style that the society is represented on the CCCBR. Others differ greatly.
All Bellringing Styles
There is a vast number of different ringing styles, including swing-chiming and other forms of chiming.