The current Central Council is made up of about 225 members, the majority of whom are elected by their local guilds or associations or else by non-territorial societies such as the College Youths or Cumberland Youths, University Societies and so on. It has representation from all over the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Italy (Veronese Association) North America, Australasia and Southern Africa.
There are a small number of Additional and Life members who are elected by Central Council members
themselves.
The officers of the Council are generally elected from within the Council membership as are the members of the Council’s Committees which “do the work” of the Council. It is possible for experts to be appointed as advisory consultants to committees (and for non-members to be proposed as officers) but the overwhelming majority of the work of the Council is done by the representative members.
Finally, what is the relationship between the Central Council and the bodies represented on it? Each of the Guilds, Societies and Associations is an independent body although they are expected to abide by the rules and decisions of the Central Council. The Central Council itself cannot tell either individual ringers, towers or ringing societies what to do. It can really only seek to influence or to use other limited powers such as deciding whether or not to include peal performances in its official records.
Because it is a representative body the Central Council does carry some weight when discussing matters related to ringing with bodies outside the ringing community such as the Churches of England and of Wales, Heritage England, the Church Buildings Council and so on.
There are a small number of Additional and Life members who are elected by Central Council members
themselves.
The officers of the Council are generally elected from within the Council membership as are the members of the Council’s Committees which “do the work” of the Council. It is possible for experts to be appointed as advisory consultants to committees (and for non-members to be proposed as officers) but the overwhelming majority of the work of the Council is done by the representative members.
Finally, what is the relationship between the Central Council and the bodies represented on it? Each of the Guilds, Societies and Associations is an independent body although they are expected to abide by the rules and decisions of the Central Council. The Central Council itself cannot tell either individual ringers, towers or ringing societies what to do. It can really only seek to influence or to use other limited powers such as deciding whether or not to include peal performances in its official records.
Because it is a representative body the Central Council does carry some weight when discussing matters related to ringing with bodies outside the ringing community such as the Churches of England and of Wales, Heritage England, the Church Buildings Council and so on.