Smith College: Bell ringing

News

This page gives the latest news and photos of ringing at Smith College. To find the schedule of future events go to the bell ringing homepage.

Watch a YouTube video of the band here . This video was produced by Jeff Baker as part of the Ford Hall dedication.
Our Rally Day ringing was documented in the Smith College Grecourt News. The article (2/16/09) is found here.
Click here For the article (9/18/08) in the Sophian on bell-ringing and Marj and Alan's visit.

Summer ringing: Sunday August 1. We rang with folks from Melrose and kent towers, along with the Hallers and the Russells.
Sad News: Early in the morning on July 13th, Kurt Ward died in a tragic workplace accident. Kurt had rung at Smith for one and a half years. We will miss his warmth, kindness and enthusiasm abound the tower. A Memorial Service for Kurt Ward was held 2 pm Sat July 17 at St. Peter's, Weston, MA. Many ringers from Smith and the Old North Church attended his service. Handbells were rung at the conclusion of the service in Kurt's memory. Several quarter peals were also rung in Kurt's memory, including ones by the Philadelphia ringers and the ringers at Trininty NY.
Commencement weekend: We ring on Saturday May 15, first 2:00-3:00pm, then just before illumination 6:30-7:30pm.
All Reunion weekend: We join Elisabeth Trumpler and other alumnae to ring on Saturday May 22, from 3:00-5:00pm.
April 17 Melrose/Kent area meeting.
March 11 Boston Area meeting, we rang at the Old North Church and the Church of the Advent. Michael rang his first quarter peel.
March 28 Joan Hutchinson visited the Smith College archives and donated documents relating to the establishment and running of the Smith Tower up to about 1988. These are now available in the archives for anyone to view. In addition, she and Kirby Russell joined our regular practice. Joan had not rung for 20 years, but picked up right where she left off!
March 27 We rang the bells in memory of Professor Mike Albertson during the CoNE mathematics conference. We were joined with alumnae ringers (Barbara and Ellen) from the conference. At the end of ringing, we tolled the tenor bell 34 times: one for each of Professor Albertson's mathematical collaborators.
March 20 Several Smith ringers visit the Boston towers during Spring Break. Alli and Emma B. successfully rang rounds for the first time. In another first, Michael rang his first quarter peal at the Church of the Advent.

Nov 14 We visted Boston and rang at the Old North Church and the Church of the Advent. Highlights included everyone ringing plain hunt successfully at the Church of the Advent!
Nov 10 Rang for Otelia Cromwell Day 12.40-1.25pm
Oct 16 We rang the bells at the dedication of Ford Hall, both before and after the ceremony. Both Smith ringers and more experienced ringers joined to make the occasion truly memorable!
Sept 12 and 26: We spent two Saturdays teaching handling to new student ringers as well as getting the old band back together again. We were lucky to have the entire Russell family and Dale on both weekends as well as Asher and Danielle on the 12th and Dianne on the 26th. We have about 3 students regularly coming back for lessons. The old band continues to develop. In particular, after the weeknd of the 26th we were able to manage plain hunt on 5 with the tenor covering. For more photos from the weekend click here.
The band on Saturday September 26 - thanks to all our helpers!
Sept 2-7 NAGCR AGM and Course at Trinity Chruch, New York City, NY.
April 11 Afternoon of handling and ringing with visitors Bill and Carolyn Kollar, Greg and Cathy Russell. We had a great time, the local band consolidating plain hunt on five, six and even eight bells and venturing into Plain Bob Minor.
Ringing on Rally Day from 12.30-1.30pm, February 18. See the piece in Smith College Grecourt News found here.
February 14 Day of ringing with Greg and Kathy Russell.

Ringing for Peace: Saturday December 20. In memory of the people killed in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai India.
Day Trip to Boston: Saturday November 22 (the weekend before Thanksgiving).
Family Weekend on Saturday October 24: We had a great time improving our handling and showing students' families what goes on on the bell tower. At least 6 of our band hunted on 4 bells and we managed pretty good rounds on 8 bells. Huge thanks to Greg and Cathy Russell, Diane and Greg Cermak, David Westmoreland, Nancy Owen and Alan Durfee for their expert help.
Mountain day: Friday October 3, 2008. We let the campus know by ringing rounds (and some queens) from 8 - 8.40am.
Marjorie (Marj) Batchelor and Alan Winter from Cambridge UK visited Smith College for three weeks at the start of Fall semester and re-established bell ringing at Smith. During their time with us we experienced:

Daily handling and rounds practice in the tower
A talk by Alan and Marj to the math department about bell ringing and the mathematics of change ringing
Saturday September 13: Bell ringers from New York (Trinity) and the MIT guild of bellringers visited Smith for change ringing and to help train the new bell ringers
A bell-ringing celebratory party.
Saturday Sepember 20: We visted Boston and rang at the Advent and Old North Churches