According to an article re-published in the Ringing World, 100 years ago (August 24th 1923) the ringing community was worrying about recruitment. Tower leaders were urged to look for "material" to bring bands up to strength, so that not only could every bell in the tower be rung on a Sunday, but there were a few reserves in case of absentees.
The summer is a funny time for bell ringing. In my experience, weekly practices are crowded, especially of you live in a tourist area, perhaps because the long evenings and balmy weather encourage ringers to pop into practices other than their own. However, Sundays find towers scrabbling to field a band because people have other commitments or may be away. Thus on Tuesday evening there may be 16+ in a 6 bell tower and personnel of a calibre to tackle surprise methods, but on Sunday we struggle to ring anything beyond doubles and sometimes without a cover.
It seems it was ever thus and the recommendation is that, at this time of year, we should be working to fill in any gaps. The advice given as to whom to recruit is topical because leaders are warned to select the right material. No-one with enthusiasm should be turned away, but the half-hearted and lukewarm are a waste of effort. If you have to nag and woo to keep them involved, then don't bother. It is advised that even if they should eventually progress enough to ring changes, they will be a source of annoyance to the rest and the cause of bands "meeting short", by which I think the writer meant, others would seek out an alternative practice. It is also advised that individuals are selected not only because they are keen but because they are of "quick intelligence" – "ringing….is a fit subject for study by brains of the highest calibre". Hmm…
The final qualification, that many would argue with today, is that they should be good Churchmen.
At no point are women mentioned. It seems that by ignoring 50% of the population, they were missing a trick, after all, The Ladies Guild had been in existence for over a decade in 1923. Or perhaps it was perceived that we ladies fail to meet one of the 3 stated criteria - keen, intelligent, pious. Now which one might it be?
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