Past AGMs

Ely DA AGM and inter-district striking competition 2025

*** The Draft Minuites from this meeting are available. These may yet require correction and will be formally approved at the 2026 AGM. ***

The AGM was held on Saturday 17 May 2025 at Godmanchester by kind invitation of the Huntingdon District. The Agenda and papers for the meeting are available here:

• Agenda

• Draft minutes of the 2024 AGM 

• Officer reports and accounts (extracted from the 2024 Annual Report)

In the striking competition, the Cambridge District came first with a score of 81%, followed by Ely (72%), Huntingdon (68%) and Wisbech (62%).

The meeting stood for a minute silence remembering the 14 ringers who had died during the year. The minutes of the 2024 AGM were signed and adopted as a true record, and the accounts and officers' reports were adopted. 

Dave Richards was elected as as Ringing Master (taking over from Alban Forster), Ben Willetts was elected as Quarter-peal Secretary (taking over from Ian Hamilton), and Bob Cox was elected as  Temporary Recruitment and Training Officer (taking over from Dee Smith). All other officers were re-elected.

Association Rule 4a was changed (to take effect from January 2026) to “Subscriptions are due on 1st January.  Members whose subscriptions are more than six months in arrears cease to be members of the Association”.

Association Rule 4b, was changed (to take effect from January 2026) to “Subscriptions for new members are due on election and are normally due for renewal on the following 1 January.  However, subscriptions for members elected in October, November and December are not due for renewal until 1 January following the first anniversary of the member’s election”.

The results of the “First” in ¼ peals initiative by the Recruitment and Training Sub-committee were: 1st Wisbech with 217, 2nd Hutingdon with 175, 3rd Ely with 120, 4th Cambridge with 112.

Next year's AGM will be on Saturday 25 Apr 2026 in the Wisbech District.

Ely DA AGM and inter-district striking competition 2024

*** The Draft Minuites from this meeting are available. These may yet require further correction and will be formally approved at the 2025 AGM. ***

The Association AGM and inter-district striking competition was on Saturday 4 May in the Ely District. Prior to the meeting there was ringing at Rampton (6, 5cwt) CB24 8QA from 12:30, at Willingham (6, 12 cwt) CB24 5HT from 13:45, and at Swavesey (8, 14 cwt) CB24 4QZ, from 14:45.  There was a service at Swavesey at 16:15 followed by tea in the Swavesey Memorial Hall (High St, Swavesey, Cambridge CB24 4QU) at 17:00. The AGM was after tea at about 18:00.

The agenda for the meeting had been circulated to District Secretaries and is available below, as are various supporting documents:

• Agenda (revised 27 April)

• Draft minutes of the 2023 AGM

• Removal of Peal Fees

• Correction of EDA peal records

• On-line membership management background

• Financial Planning Briefing note

The AGM was asked to ratify an increase in the subscription rate for adult Ringing Members to £15.00/year and a change to the Association rules to abolish peal fees.

The inter-district 8-bell competition was held at St Mary the Virgin, Over during the afternoon and all four districts entered a band. The judge was Brian Meads, from Coggeshall, Essex. He placed the teams in the following order:

1st Huntingdon 53 faults
2nd Ely 83 faults
3rd Wisbech 85 faults
4th Cambridge 110 faults

The trophy was presented by Bob Cox to Alban Forster of the Huntingdon band at the end of tea before the meeting.

Ely DA AGM and inter-district striking competition 2023

On Saturday 13th April 2023, the Ely DA AGM was held at St Mary the Virgin, Fen Ditton. The AGM itself was preceded by general ringing on the 12 bells at Great St Mary's, Cambridge, and on the new ring of 6 bells installed at St Clement's. The inter-district striking competition was held at St Andrew the Great in Cambride, and there was general ringing at Fen Ditton before the service and tea.

At the AGM, the Treasurer and Webmaster were not standing for re-election, and they were thanked for thie service to the Association. Shirley Warbrick was elected as Treasurer and Jon Warbrick was elected as Webmaster. The other officers were eligible and willing to stand for re-election, and were duly re-elected.

Changes to Rules 4 and 12 of the Association had been proposed with due notice, and were approved by the meeting. As a result, those rules are now (with changes highlighted):

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS

a) Subscriptions are due on 1st January. Members whose subscriptions are more than twelve months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned their membership.

b) Members elected after the Annual District Meeting will become liable for a subscription from the following 1st of January

 c) Subscription rates shall be proposed by the General Committee and ratified at a General Meeting of the Association.

14. CHANGE OF RULES AND DUE NOTICE

a) Additions, alterations and deletions to these Rules shall only take place at a General Meeting of the Association and after due notice of not less than two months.

b) Changes to the subscription rates and peal fees may only take place at a General Meeting of the Association and after due notice of not less than two months.

c) Details of proposed changes of Rules, subscription rates and peal fees should be published on the Association website and circulated to correspondents of towers at which there are Ringing Members, at least one month prior to the General Meeting.

The Agenda for the meeting is here, and the draft minutes of the 2022 AGM are here.

Ely DA AGM and Striking Competition 2021

The General Committee has decided on the date of Saturday 8th May for the 2021 AGM, at 2 pm. This will be held via Zoom. If possible, the inter-district striking competition will be held later in the year, possibly as part of a 'Return to Ringing' festival.

You will need to REGISTER to attend the meeting, which will be in the form of a Zoom Webinar. Here is the link to register:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eu-jRun6R9K_AAFVnzvRYQ

Agenda is here; minutes of the 2020 AGM, held on 3rd October are here.

JoAnne Rutter, as General Secretary, says:

It is with the greatest pleasure that I announce that the General Committee has voted to recommend Tom Ridgman for an Honorary Membership of the Ely Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers. This will be subject to ratification by the AGM. Notice  of this recommendation is required, and is hereby given.

Alban Forster, as Ringing Master says:

We've decided that a striking contest isn't favourable on AGM day. Instead we shall have a normal practice but if any bands would like to prepare and practise a touch in advance, they can perform it. Depending on numbers, we can create breakout rooms and have different ringing rooms. We should also encourage people that they can just come and listen in to the ringing on Ringing Room and won't be pressurised to ring. We can provide the links of the different ringing rooms and you don't need an account to just access the room to listen.

Ely DA AGM and Striking Competition 2020

The AGM was postponed from Saturday 30th May 2020, and was held later in the year, on Saturday 3rd October, via Zoom. The inter-district striking competition was not held in 2020.

Ely DA AGM and Striking Competition, Saturday 18th May 2019

Inter-district striking competition and AGM hosted by the Huntingdon District at Hemingford Grey and St Ives.

Details for the day are:

• • Eight Bell Striking Competition at Hemingford Grey from 14.30 General ringing at Hemingford Abbots 14.30 to 15.30 and Fenstanton 14.30 - 16.00

  • General and Service ringing at St Ives 15.30 to 16.30, . Service at St Ives 16.30 to 17.00 Tea at St Ives Church Hall 17.00 to 17.30. St Ives Church Hall is on Ramsey Road, nearly opposite Church Place which is the footpath alongside the churchyard.

  • Meeting at St Ives Church Hall 17.30 to 18.30 General ringing at Houghton 18.45 to 20.00

New Rules and Procedures of the Bell Restoration Fund were presented to the AGM.  The approved Rules are here, and the approved Procedures are here.

The Agenda for the AGM is here

Draft minutes of the 2018 AGM are available here. 

The new Rules and Regulations for the Association were formally presented and approved at the 2018 AGM. The new Rules are here, and the Regulations are here. They came into force in 2018. See also Association Rules.