Bellringers Unite!

[uc pseudonym]

Have any of the rest of you rang Salvation Army bells? I thought it might be interesting to have a thread where we talk about things.

Please, don't mention how many hours you've done, money totals, etc. This isn't about accomplishments. But perhaps someone has an interesting story to tell? Or maybe someone actually had something significant happen?

I, personally, got cold and went nuts from the incessant ringing (to get this thread off to a good start).

[The Grammarian]

I rang bells for the Salvation Army outside of a run-down Hills department store four years ago with a female friend and one of her male friends--we ended up singing contemporary Christian songs, notably dc Talk's "Jesus Freak" when there weren't people around, then switching back to traditional carols when they got near. ;P

[uc pseudonym]

Two years ago, an older friend of mine was really involved with the bell ringing, and sang quite enthusiastically. Someone gave us ten dollars to get her to stop.

[madphilb]

I had always wanted to get a group from whatever church I was attending together (a quartet or something) and ring-and-sing... but I'm not much of a singer and I've never had the group to do this with.

Closest I can come to a story to share (which I thought was neat) was that the Messianica Synagogue what I was attending was going to go bell ringing on Sunday last year. Normally there wasn't bell ringers on Sunday, with people involved in church, but since the Synagogue held services Fri/Sat, they where free to do that Sunday. I would have joined them if I had the transportation available, but at the time I didn't.

I'll get out of here now and let the real bell-ringers share.

[glitch1501]

i was in bells at my church, then for some reason the group stopped, i really want it to start again

[Bunny]

Heh, I rang bells outside of a Wal-Mart one very cold night with a friend. We were actually told not to sing or dance by my youth pastor. He's such a party pooper! Nothing huge happened but I nearly froze. Then a girl from the church came out and brought us everyone's jackets who had rung bells before. (They were all at the church sipping hot chocolate.) It was actually kind of fun. Some people stopped and talked to us, that was cool.

[uc pseudonym]

Wrong kind of bells, glitch.

The thought occurs to me that this might be less common than I had originally thought. Our sector is the only one in Kansas that doesn't pay people to ring the bells, and I foolishly assumed that most places are volunteer only. Do any of you know, is it different in other states?

[madphilb]

I don't know if they're paying in the area or not... I do know that Frank Perdue (the chicken guy) a few years back gave his time as a bell ringer because they where talking about hiring them due ot a lack of volentiers.

I usually think of doing it too late in the season.

[uc pseudonym]

That is very cool. I already liked Frank Perdue, but now I like him more.