Education Committee Report

Education Committee Members

This year the committee decided to address an issue, which has caused problems on more than one occasion that of support staff on courses. It is usually relatively easy to find a leader to run any particular course and students are always plentiful but helpers are often difficult to find. It was with this in mind that the committee looked at the possibility of using the Gordon Halls Ringing Centre to run sessions on a Sunday afternoon. With the simulator there is no noise problem and it has so far proved easier to find the support staff.

The first Sunday afternoon event was a long awaited Stedman session, this had originally been planned for 2004, a course leader, notes and pupils were all in place but a shortage of helpers caused it to be postponed. Two St Clements and a Grandsire afternoon followed during the year. John Heaton has led some of these afternoon sessions using the simulator alone, they were greeted by students with apprehension but the evaluation by the same students was very positive. Altogether this year 15 students have benefited from these Sunday afternoon sessions.

Our popular Bell Maintenance course was held once again at Belper where 9 members representing 8 towers learnt all they could about the bells in their care.

Following the success and format of the 2004 Training Day, based around the Gordon Halls' Ringing Centre, the committee decided a repeat prescription was definitely in order. This year 7 sessions were held, helping 37 members come to grips with everything from Call Changes to Plain Bob Major. The day started and finished at the Ringing Centre with lunch either at the centre or at the Eckington Church Christmas Fair. This gave students and helpers, of which there were 23, a social time together, which was appreciated by everyone. After the course one car load of helpers drove over to Bakewell for a Peak District meeting and were particularly pleased to find quite a few of the day's students putting what they had learnt into practice.

More Sunday sessions will definitely follow during this next year. The main training day is to be moved to May to avoid the Yorkshire Association's training day and ease the demand for local towers.

The committee is also looking at the means of contact with towers and prospective students. More use has been made of e-mail and all courses are advertised on the web sites of both the Gordon Halls Ringing Centre and the Derby Diocesan Association of Church Bellringers, but the committee is mindful of members who do not have Internet access.

We hope that anyone with ideas or needs for a particular course will always contact us, we exist to serve you, please let us know what you would like us to do.

Gill Hughes