September-October 2017 NEANZAB Sydney Ringing School
Sydney Ringing School, 29 September to 1 October, 2017
The second Sydney Ringing School for 2017 was held over the Labour Day weekend, September 29th - October 1st. No-one's counting exactly, but we are somewhere around the 30th anniversary of the first Sydney Ringing School, which took place, classroom-style, at Sydney Grammar School all those years ago.
This time around, the springtime scheduling kept the proceedings cool - in stark contrast to the January meltdown - and we welcomed 12 learners from around the state. Six local Sydney learners were joined by a delegation of visitors from Armidale, together with representatives from Goulburn and from Wagga Wagga. Particular thanks also to those helpers who came from far afield.
As you'd expect from a learning forum, it was a weekend of new experiences, with some learners ringing on twelve for the first time; some first attempts at plain hunt; and some firsts at calling call changes or method touches. It's amazing how many touches of standard methods you can think of - under the pressures of pedagogic need - that come round with only one call.
The duality of helping-learning was also to the fore. As one excited young helper announced, just before we launched into plain hunt on 5 at St James Queen's Square: "I'd just like to say, that this is the first time that I've ever rung, that I haven't been the worst!"
A big thank you to all who came to learn, who prepared lunches, who provided towers, who welcomed us at their regular practices, and who acted as helpers or session leaders. The smooth running of the school was a testimony to the breadth of support across the Sydney towers, as well as from the visitors.
Here is an image of most of the participants at the Ringing School, taken in the ringing room at St Mary's Cathedral, on Sunday, 1 October 2017, by Peter Harrison.
Graham Harman, Sydney Ringing School Organiser 2017
Objectives
The School was for beginners who had learnt to handle a bell and who wished to progress to or consolidate rounds and call changes, and beyond.
Objectives
- To participate in some good ringing
- For learners to make progress and feel a sense of achievement
- For learners to gain experience of ringing in other towers – different weights, drafts etc
- For learners to be able to hear explanations from someone who is not their own tower teacher – i.e., hearing something explained differently, may be illuminating!
- For helpers to contribute to progress and feel a sense of achievement
- To be part of a pleasant social atmosphere
- For learners to be the right amount of welcome (i.e., in between being neglected and being yelled at)
- For helpers to be the right amount of welcome and appreciated but not exploited
- To meet other ringers and find out more about the NSW ringing community