Our Constitution to be proposed to EGM

The objects of this Guild are as follows:

Carlisle Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers (CDGCBR) works in partnership with local ringers, bands and towers, and with the Church in the Diocese as it serves and worships God, to:

  1. Support ringing for Church services, and national and community events
  2. Promote the enjoyment of ringing and fellowship amongst ringers of all faiths and none
  3. Welcome, recruit, train, encourage, and develop – so that all are enabled to ring as well as they can
  4. Take care of bells and their fittings, with advice, practical help and funding
  5. Foster an appreciation of bells and ringing in the wider general public

 

CONSTITUTION

  1. The Guild shall be known as

THE CARLISLE DIOCESAN GUILD OF CHURCH BELL RINGERS.

 

  1. The Guild shall consist of (a) resident (b) non‑resident and (c) life members. All members are expected to abide by the Central Council’s “Code for Ringing” (see the website).

(a) Resident members may be elected by a majority vote of members present at any General, Committee or Branch meeting of the Guild; they shall be proposed and seconded; if there is an objection to a proposed member from anyone in the meeting, consideration of their suitability for membership shall be deferred to a subsequent committee meeting in line with the clauses later in the constitution. The proposer shall be responsible for the payment of the subscription of the person proposed, together with the required membership form. Those admitted as ringing members must be able to ring rounds proficiently on tower bells. Resident members may be ringing members or non ringing members.

The rates of fees and subscriptions shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extra‑ordinary General Meeting called for that purpose, and shall come into force on 1st January following.

(b) Non‑resident members are those not normally resident in the Diocese. They shall be elected in the manner provided in paragraph 2(a), or admitted to membership as hereinafter provided (paragraph 10), on payment of a single fee. Those who live in the Diocese but in an area not covered by the former Cumberland and North Westmorland Association may be either non‑resident members, or become resident members by election in the normal way. Resident members who leave the area shall become non‑resident members provided their subscriptions or donations amount to not less than two years’ subscriptions. Non‑resident members shall have no vote at any meeting.

(c) Life membership shall be an honour conferred by the Guild at the Annual General Meeting. Life members will not be asked to pay any further subscriptions.

(d)

(i) The Committee has the authority to prevent the application of any individual who fails to comply with the Guild’s rules, as defined in this Constitution and its amendments, or who, in the Committee’s opinion, has acted in a manner incompatible with membership.  Any individual who, in the Committee’s opinion, has breached the Guild’s rules or the Central Council’s Code for Ringing shall not be eligible for membership unless the Committee makes a specific and recorded decision to permit an application.

(ii) Any individual who the Committee has determined shall not be considered for membership, is not permitted to attend Guild‑led events or use Guild assets. The Committee shall issue such guidance to Officers as it considers necessary to ensure this requirement is upheld.  If an individual insists on attending a Guild‑led event after being instructed not to do so, this will constitute an aggravated breach of the Constitution. The Committee may take such behaviour into account when considering any future application for membership.

(iii) A person who has been prevented from joining may request the committee to reconsider the decision after two years. In the review, the Committee shall consider all relevant information, including any previous breaches of the Guild’s rules or the Central Council’s Code for Ringing.

(e)

(i) The Committee has the authority to expel any member who fails to comply with the Guild’s rules, as defined in this Constitution and its amendments, or who, in the Committee’s opinion, has acted in a manner incompatible with continued membership.

(ii) No member shall be expelled without being given the opportunity to appear before the Committee to explain and respond to the conduct under consideration. The Guild Secretary shall provide the member with at least seven clear days’ written notice of the Committee meeting at which the matter will be considered. After the member has been heard, the Committee shall make its decision on expulsion by means of a private vote.

(iii) The opportunity to make an explanation or defence before the Committee does not apply where the matter under consideration involves a breach of the Guild’s Safeguarding Policy.

(iv) In the event of an alleged breach of the Guild’s Safeguarding Policy, the member concerned shall be suspended from the Guild for the duration of the investigation. Due process, as set out in the Guild Safeguarding Policy, the Diocesan Safeguarding Policy, and the relevant Parish Safeguarding Policy, shall be strictly followed. Where, following investigation, a member is found to have committed a safeguarding breach or is designated a Known Offender, their membership of the Guild shall be terminated.

(v) Any individual who has been expelled from the Guild is not permitted to attend Guild‑led events or use Guild assets. The Committee shall issue such guidance to Officers as it considers necessary to ensure this requirement is upheld.  If an individual insists on attending a Guild‑led event after being instructed not to do so, this will constitute an aggravated breach of the Constitution. The Committee may take such behaviour into account when considering any future application for membership.

(vi) A person who has been expelled may request the committee to reconsider the decision after two years. In reviewing any such application, the Committee shall consider all relevant information, including the rationale for the expulsion and any previous breaches of the Guild’s rules or the Central Council’s Code for Ringing.

 

  1. The Officers of the Guild shall be the President, Guild Master, Guild Ringing Master, Events Officer, Communications and PR Officer, Guild Secretary, Finance Officer, Compliance Officer and up to 4 Additional Officers. The management of the Guild shall be in the hands of the General Committee, which is composed of the Officers, Branch Ringing Officers, Branch Secretaries and any representatives of the Guild on the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. The General Committee shall setup such subcommittees as it considers necessary.

If the Guild is entitled to more than one Central Council Representative then, when possible, there should be equal representation from each Branch.

The Guild shall maintain associated policies for specific topics as appropriate, including Safeguarding and Health and Safety.

The General Committee and its subcommittees shall have power to co‑opt a member to fulfil a specific role until the next AGM. Any seven members shall form a quorum.  Unless otherwise specified, all committee decisions will be based on a majority present, with the Chair having a deciding vote if required.

The General Committee shall have power to reduce subscriptions for resident members who are younger and older and to adjust subscriptions for particular circumstances.

The Officers and Central Council Representative(s) shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, observing the length of tenure as defined by the General Committee.  If there are more candidates than there are available positions, there shall be an election by secret ballot.

An Independent Examiner shall be appointed each year at the Annual General Meeting.

The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year not later than the first Saturday in May at a place to be decided by the Branch hosting the event.

 

  1. Trustees: The Trustees shall be The Guild Master, Guild Secretary, the Finance Officer of the Guild, and the Branch Ringing Officers. The Guild Secretary and Finance Officer, plus the other Trustees shall be authorised as signatories. The Trustees shall invest or otherwise deal with such monies or other assets as the Guild shall place in their hands in such a manner as the General Committee shall direct. If any of these posts are vacant, the Committee will elect a replacement Trustee.

 

  1. 5. The year (financial or otherwise) of the Guild shall end on December 31st and the Annual General Meeting of the Guild shall take place as hereinbefore stipulated for the purpose of receiving the Annual Report and Accounts from the General Committee, together with the transaction of the normal business of the Guild.

The General Committee shall have power to call other General Meetings at such times as they shall consider necessary for the transaction of business and for other purposes or other matters concerning the art and science of change ringing.

An Extra‑ordinary Meeting may be called at any time by the Guild Secretary on the request of the President, General Committee or of any twenty resident members. The members of the Guild shall have at least three weeks’ notice of such meetings with particulars of the business to be transacted, and such notice shall be deemed to be given by sending a copy to each affiliated tower to be displayed in the belfry, together with advertisement on “Bellboard”. Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be similarly advertised.

 

  1. No amendment shall be made to this Constitution, except at the Annual General Meeting, or at an Extraordinary General Meeting specifically called for that purpose. One calendar month’s notice shall be given in writing to the General Secretary of the proposed amendment before a motion shall go to the vote as required under this Constitution.

 

  1. The Guild shall abide by the decisions of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.

 

  1. Any avoidable damage done at a Guild meeting to bells or fittings by members shall be made good by the Guild.

 

  1. The Guild may be divided into convenient branches, the management of which shall be conducted as hereinafter provided:-

(a) The management of each branch shall be in the hands of the Branch Ringing Officer and Branch Secretary who shall be members of the Guild and elected by the members of that branch only.

(b) The Branch Secretary shall keep the Guild Secretary informed of any matter that is within the province of the Guild and its business. The Branch Ringing Officer shall take charge of the ringing at all branch meetings, be responsible for the conduct of business at such meetings, and act as chairman if necessary.

(c) The Annual Meeting of each branch shall be held before the Annual General Meeting of the Guild.

(d) No tower shall be transferred from one branch to another without the written consent of a majority of the members of the Guild who are attached to that tower. Any such request for a transfer must have the approval of the majority of members present at a General Meeting of the Guild.

(e) Affiliated towers are those listed in the current Annual Report.  Any other tower in the Diocese of Carlisle wishing by a majority of its ringers to be affiliated to and to join a branch of the Guild must submit a written request at least one month before an Annual General Meeting of the Guild to the Guild Secretary and this must be proposed and seconded by adult resident members of the Guild.

(f) For the purpose of conducting branch meetings, this Constitution shall be considered the Constitution of each branch.

 

  1. No person shall take part in a Guild peal if not a member of the Guild; the tower election of such a person shall be valid provided it is subsequently ratified by a Committee, Branch or General Meeting of the Guild.

 

  1. Records of all peals and other matters of ringing interest shall be kept by the Guild.

 

  1. A peal booking fee, set by the General Committee, shall be charged in respect of any peal which is to be recorded as a Guild Peal.

 

  1. The Guild shall establish and maintain a Bell Restoration Fund. The rules of the fund shall be as hereinafter stated:
  2. The fund shall be known as THE CARLISLE DIOCESAN GUILD OF CHURCH BELL RINGERS BELL RESTORATION FUND.
  3. The object of the fund shall be to advance the Christian religion by providing financial assistance to Churches in the Diocese of Carlisle for the purpose of maintaining and improving their bell installations by making grants to them. Maintenance and improvement of a bell installation shall be deemed to include the following:

(a) taking out an existing ring of bells, supplying and installing a new frame and fittings, recasting the bells and erecting the same.

(b) taking out, overhauling and reclappering existing bells, supplying and installing a new frame and fitting and erecting bells.

(c) taking out existing bells, overhauling existing frame and fittings, recasting, or overhauling and reclappering same and re‑erecting.

(d) augmentation and bringing existing bells, frame and fittings into an adequate state of repair.

(e) other repairs to bells, frames, fittings and towers.

(f) the provision of bells, frames and fittings and erection of the same in Churches which previously had none.

(g) the acquisition of bells from Churches within the Diocese of Carlisle declared redundant, for subsequent redeployment and/or recasting.

(h) the restoration of any set of change or tune ringing handbells belonging to the Guild.

  1. The membership of the Fund shall be that of the Carlisle Diocesan Guild as defined in the rules thereof.
  2. (a) The Fund shall be administered by the General Committee of the Carlisle Diocesan Guild, hereinafter referred to as the Committee.

(b) The Committee shall have the power, after considering an application submitted to it in writing, to approve a grant from the Fund.

(c) The Committee shall have the power to appoint sub‑committees which shall report back their actions fully and promptly to the Committee.

(d) The Committee shall have the power to co‑opt such persons as it considers necessary to assist in its deliberations. The number of co‑opted persons at any one meeting of the Committee shall not exceed three.

(e) The management of the Bell Restoration Fund shall be an item on the agenda of every General Committee meeting.

  1. (a) The Guild Master, Guild Secretary, the Finance Officer of the Guild, and the Branch Ringing Officers shall be ex‑officio Trustees of the Fund. If any of these posts are vacant, the Committee will elect a replacement Trustee.

(b) Such bank accounts as may be required shall be opened in the name of the Fund. Any two of these Trustees shall have the power to sign cheques.

(c) Any outstanding monies in the hands of the General Committee not required for the immediate purposes of the Fund shall be invested in any manner the Trustees may think fit in the best interests of the Fund.

(d) The General Committee and its sub‑committees shall have the power to raise funds in any manner they see fit as long as permanent trading is not engaged in.

(e) The Fund shall be set up by the total transfer to it of the balance of those monies collected, made available or ear‑marked for Bell Restoration by the Guild.

 

  1. In the event of the dissolution of the Fund the assets of the Fund shall be distributed equally among those Churches which at the time of the dissolution were in union with the Guild for the purpose of bell maintenance and restoration.
  2. The Finance Officer shall prepare a balance sheet as at 31st December in each year and an income and expenditure account for the year ended on that date which shall be audited by an independent examiner appointed by the members of the Guild at their Annual General Meeting of the Guild first held after 31st December in which the Fund’s accounts are prepared.
  3. No alteration or addition or deletion of these rules shall be made so as to cause the Fund at any time to cease to be charity in law. No alteration, addition or deletion shall be made except at the Annual General Meeting of the Guild or at an Extra‑ordinary General Meeting especially called for the purpose. Notice of any proposed addition to or deletion from these rules shall be given to the General Secretary of the Guild at least one calendar month prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting or Extra‑ordinary General Meeting.

Amended August 2026 (to be proposed by the Committee to the EGM 03.10.2026)