NextThe Tower Handbook
Some bands support charity by making regular donations. Each ringer puts a small amount into a collecting box [12] every practice night. After all the use of the bells is provided free. If you do this, you may want to support the same charity on a regular basis, or you can seek suggestions and agree among yourselves which different one you will support, say every six months. There are plenty of worthy charities, but you might like to include those with a local connection, or ringing related charities like restoration appeals. While the giving should always be voluntary, you may find it helpful all round to establish a norm. Some may give more and others less, but you will all have a reference point against which to make your decisions.
Ringing the bells is a service to the church, as is singing in the choir, doing the flowers and so on. But there are many other tasks with no special group to do them. Some of your members probably do some of these jobs, but you might like to undertake some as a band. As well as helping the smooth working of the church it will also help prevent the ringers seeming remote and isolated. You could take part in a church yard clean-up, or 'adopt' a neglected corner of the church yard and keep it neat permanently. You could undertake a seasonal task like erecting and decorating the Christmas tree, you could occasionally play a part in the regular service, eg reading the lesson and taking the offertory. There will be other opportunities in your church.
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