[r-t] Methods Committee proposed change 3.0(D)

[Mark Davies]

OK we have an alternate formulation for change 3.0(D), which sticks more 
closely to the current format in the existing Decisions, whilst 
implementing most of the changes (but not the Triples and Major allowed 
to be assessed for truth at the different stages).

First we require an addition to D(A), "Conditions required for all peals":

16. A peal shall comprise true changes.  This means that none of the 
possible rows for the stage in question shall appear more than once more 
than any other of the possible rows.

And then D(B) "Particular conditions required for peals on different 
numbers of bells" is again replaced completely, but this time with:

1. Peals of Minimus, Doubles, Minor and Triples shall be rung on four, 
five, six and seven bells respectively, or on five, six, seven and eight 
bells with the tenor as cover, and shall consist of at least 5040 true 
changes.

2. Peals of Major, Caters, Royal, etc. shall be rung on eight, nine, 
ten, etc. bells respectively, or on nine, ten, eleven, etc. bells with 
the tenor as cover, and shall consist of at least 5000 true changes.

3. Peals of “Variable Cover Minimus”, “Variable Cover Doubles” and 
“Variable Cover Minor” shall be rung on five, six and seven bells 
respectively, with a cover bell which is not always the tenor, and shall 
consist of at least 5040 true changes.  The truth is determined by 
treating all the rows as being at the next higher stage.

4. Peals of “Variable Cover Triples”, “Variable Cover Major”, “Variable 
Cover Caters”, etc. shall be rung on eight, nine, ten, etc. bells 
respectively, with a cover bell which is not always the tenor, and shall 
consist of at least 5000 true changes. The truth is determined by 
treating all the rows as being at the next higher stage.

5. Peals of “Minimus and Doubles”, “Doubles and Minor” and “Minor and 
Triples” shall be rung on five, six and seven bells respectively and 
shall consist of at least 5040 changes rung in any combination of the 
following, each starting from rounds:‐

(a) Lower stage round blocks with the tenor as cover that comprise true 
changes at the lower stage when taken together.

(b) Higher stage round blocks, which includes lower stage round blocks 
rung with variable cover bells, that comprise true changes at the higher 
stage when taken together.

(c) Mixed stage round blocks, with a cover bell when ringing the lower 
stage, that comprise true changes at the higher stage when taken 
together. The peal is described as “Variable Cover Minimus and Doubles”, 
“Variable Cover Doubles and Minor” and “Variable Cover Minor and 
Triples” respectively if the cover when ringing the lower stage is not 
always the same bell.

6. Peals of “Triples and Major”, “Major and Caters”, “Caters and Royal”, 
etc. shall be rung on eight, nine, ten, etc. bells respectively, with a 
cover bell when ringing the lower stage, and shall consist of at least 
5000 true changes. The truth is determined by treating all the rows as 
being at the higher stage.  The peal is described as “Variable Cover 
Triples and Major”, “Variable Cover Major and Caters”, “Variable Cover 
Caters and Royal”, etc. if the cover when ringing the lower stage is not 
always the same bell.

7. Reports of variable cover peals shall state the number of different 
cover bells and the number of changes of cover bell.

Is that preferable? Or are we going too far bothering to try to tackle 
this one this year?

MBD