Those early learners:
Upton - plan of action for learners (an ‘aide memoire’ for instruction):
Tower Captains' rules for the delivery of the tower instruction to full circle Curch bell ringing:
Tower captains should ascertain which among the regular ringers is capable of being an instructor to teach new ringers.
The tower captain should provide opportunities for competent ringers to become instructors and encourage taking external course(s) recognised by CCCBR standards.
Whoever is designated the lead teacher shall be able to lead without interruption/contradictions from other ringers.
The lead teacher should ask other competent ringers for their views/input at regular intervals.
The tower should provide - by e-mail - links to ringing learning and other informing sources for ringing [accepted] techniques.
Everything depends on the time allocated to instruction.
First steps - onwards:
Safety matters :
ALWAYS assume a bell is ‘UP’ when taking a rope !!!!!
Who does what - introduce all present and their roles/responsibilities.
First Aid kit
Covid - ventilation - keeping warm
Fire
Ringing - hazards - bells up, bells down also no crossing of legs whilst sitting down - especially aware around raised bells - what to do if someone loses control of handling a bell, etc.
Whilst in the belfry - hard hat
Physical layout of the tower:
Ringing chamber - sitting out
The ropes - sally being the fluffy bit, etc.
The ‘model’:
The ‘model’ showing - the parts of the bell & frame; bells down, bells up, (physics). The ‘balance’ point
The bells in the belfry one person at a time - down and/or raising/raised bell ringing.
Ringing action:
The position of the body and hands/arms in respect to the rope itself in relation to the rope guides and rope bosses and the desired flow of the rope during ringing.
Demonstrate a bell down - a safety reminder : ALWAYS assume a bell is ‘UP’ when taking a rope !!!!! And be ready to ring it as if it were !!!!
Chiming the bell.
Describe the position/movement of the hands/arms during ringing - ready to chime the bell - person performing demo talks through what is happening as the bells begins to chime.
allow the learner to participate in the chiming process from the start and progress the swing of the bell to demonstrate the arc of swing also using the model (by someone else standing by with model in hand whilst bell is being pulled to how bell position in movement).
The bell has now been demonstrated as being ‘chimed’ with increased swing.
A technically competent ringer - demonstrate the raising and then the lowering of the bell - indicating the hand and back strokes, the travel of the rope and the balance point towards the end of raising complimented by demonstration using the model.
The bell has now been raised and lowered - from ‘safe’ to ‘unsafe’ and back to ’safe’.
Raise the bell again - to begin the first stage of ‘handling’ - show the ‘follow through’ required for good/easier control at each stroke.
The Backstroke pull:
The bell is now raised - show the learner what will be expected for ‘first-time’ backstroke - with instructor on the hand stroke allow the learner to pull the backstroke whilst looking at you (not upward) - if safe to do so - several times coaching them on their pull - instructor to asses the attitude and competence to action at backstroke. Continue with the backstroke pulling until the learner is more relaxed and in full understanding of the collective motion of bell, hands and arms.
Rest frequently as it is a lot for anyone to take in.
Here ends the introductory part of ringing Church bells - the first encounter with bellringing - instructor/tower captain should have determined if new learner has the potential to be a safe ringer in the long term - question to the learners should be asked about continuance of their learning in terms of a more consistent participation into the practice sessions (fuller commitments only expected after a few weeks for new learners to ‘bed-in’ to the new skills.
Post introductory - the next lessons:
The Handstroke pull:
Then go onto the handstroke whilst instructor performs the backstroke pull. Instructor has to be competent in teaching bell handling techniques - no bad/unsafe habits allowed to be introduced at the early stages of learning handling - at all.
Continue with the handstroke pulling until the learner is more relaxed and in full understanding of the collective motion of bell, hands and arms.
Rest frequently as it is a lot for anyone to take in.
Tower Captain Feb 2022.
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