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Recently there has been a trend for job titles to be changed overnight. Dustmen became “Refuse Operators” and caretakers have become “Buildings Managers”. So what should we now call the ancient office of tower captain? Ringing programme supervisor? Or how about the ever more impressive sounding “Campanological events Facilitator?
Now that he has a trendy new title, the next stage is a proper job description. Obviously such posts are never advertised, but if they were, how would the job description reflect the modern employment world? In local government all jobs come with a personal specification listing the desirable qualities and a list of accountabilities and key tasks against which the yearly appraisal is measured.
So what qualities do we look for in the modern tower captain ( sorry, ‘Campanological Events Facilitator’ ) First we need quick look back at his role in the past. Many years ago, tower captains were not appointed or elected; they tended to emerge rather like Tory party leaders in the past. Often there was little or no choice in the matter: he (always male ) was usually the most experienced and senior member of the band, and they tended to keep office until they died. Often they held other posts within the church and they always attended services every week. These tower captains controlled every aspect of ringing in their tower; they ran the ringing, maintained the bells, acted as tower correspondent, looked after such limited money the tower possessed (usually wedding fees) and taught any learners, The job description for such a post would be truly awesome and would run something along these lines.
Accountabilities and daily tasks
1. To maintain an effective means of communication between the church manager, (i.e vicar) the bell operatives (ringers) and the general public.
2. To be responsible for and maintain a high standard of performance of the bell operatives and to ensure target performances are met, both routine and extraordinary.
3. To be responsible for the maintenance of the equipment, fixtures and fittings.
4. To be pro-active in recruiting and training new members of the team, ensuring a high standard of safe operational activities and meeting tight performance deadlines while maintaining good relationships and moral within the team.
5. To control the finances of the corporation, and to present audited accounts of the team and to raise sufficient funds to ensure the continued operation of the body.
6. To be responsible for all bookings and lettings of the property (in conjunction with the church manager) and ensure all requests are processed rapidly and fairly.
7. To encourage, motivate, develop and sustain the progress of individual team members by the operation of adequate training and learning opportunities for each member according to their individual abilities and needs.
8. To continue personal development by liasing with other C.E.F at both regional and national level to ensure awareness is maintained of current trends and practices.
9. To present an annual report at the Annual General Meeting detailing progress made during the year on all the above aspects
The responsibilities sound terrifying. And the salary? Nothing!
Now we come to the qualifications and qualities needed.
At the very least, a diploma in personnel management would be needed to control the diverse elements of the band. A degree in engineering should suffice to maintain the equipment. A certificate in finance and accounting would be needed to ensure the regulations regarding finances were met. Plus a knowledge of marketing, training and public relations. Is it really possible to find all these qualities in one person?
Of course, with the more leisurely pace of life of yesteryear with its lower expectations, it was perfectly possible for one person to meet all these requirements, the un-elected official was more like a benevolent dictator, running the tower exactly as he liked, and usually meant no more than running the service ringing, putting the odd drops of oil in the bells, teaching a few ex choir members and handing out the wedding fees. Recently, however, the role has become more demanding and democracy has taken over. We have annual tower meetings. Finances have become more complicated with fund raising running into thousands of pounds. Ringers do not have as much free time as before and do not seem to be so single-mindedly devoted to ringing. Ringers are a diverse, often argumentative lot so a tightrope has to be walked, balancing relationships within the band as well as with the wider public. So the astute, modern tower captain takes one look at the above requirements and sums it up in one word. No, it’s not a swear word but to some old-style tower captains it could just as well be. The word is DELEGATION.
Forgive me for stating what to some is so blindingly obvious, but the job of tower captain is not one job but 4 or 5. Ringers today come with all sorts of differing skills and abilities and it is foolish not to take advantage of them, so appoint someone with engineering experience to the post of steeple keeper. There is bound to be someone with financial experience so elect them treasurer. Someone else will have marketing and PR experience, ideal for the post of secretary/publicity officer. With small bands most members will have some post, but this will lead to the band working together instead of relying on just one person. Indeed the job description of the tower captain can almost be reduced to one sentence.
“ To ensure that the officers work together to maintain the efficient operation of the band” and the title of this person could equally be ‘Tower Co-ordinator’. The only qualities needed are tact, good humour and the ability to motivate and organise.
But what of the tower captains who refuse to change? Such bands usually stagnate due to lack of encouragement of individual members, who would love the chance to help run the tower but are denied by the present occupant clinging undemocratically to power. Short of a revolution (something ringers usually fight shy of) or the active support of the vicar, who is usually content to leave the bell ringers alone as long as they ring on Sundays, there is little the band can do.
They will take no comfort from the fact that eventually the tower captain will be reduced to solitary chiming as he presides over a band of one: himself.
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