When I Ring the Bell

You know how in the church we are called to various positions where we serve for a while, sometimes short sometimes long, and then we are asked to do something else.  Well, I recently was called to work in the Sunday School organization.  And in receiving that call I got one of the best duties you can have in the church - I am the official Ringer of the Bells at the end of the second hour, the Sunday School hour.  Sweeeeeet.

As the Ringer of the Bell, I have to know when Sunday School is suppose to end.  That's so I can ring the bell at the right time.  And I have to be able to do a little bit of math.  I have to be able to ring the bell five minutes before the official ending time of Sunday School. All the teachers during the second hour depend on the bell to know when its time to end class.  Class members also depend on the bell to help prevent the teacher from going too long, cutting into the third hour time.  As one who has been a teacher during third hour I understand how disappointing it can be to have to start late because second hour went too long.  That's particularly an issue during third hour because there are so many things that are part of third hour that instruction time gets pretty short.  A lot.

So each Sunday I actually get to ring the bell twice, the five minute warning and the final bell.  The five minute warning is two rings, the final bell is one, long ring.  Classes are supposed to have been ended and dismissed by the time the final bell rings.

So, as the official Ringer of the Bell, it is my job to be out in the hall ringing the bell at the end of the second hour. This has provided some interesting experiences.  For example, I have noticed that a lot of people are usually hanging out in the chapel, halls, and foyers talking.  This may be parents of small children who have kids too rowdy too be in class, it would be disruptive to try to keep the kids in class.  This is primarily children under the age of eighteen months, at which age they are old enough to go to nursery - a major milestone in the life of every parent of small children in the church.  Another group seen frequently in the halls are people in leadership positions.  They are usually in the halls "conducting business" for their organization.  Frequent impromptu presidency meetings are held in the halls during second hour.  Or inter-organization coordination meetings - leaders of different quorums or auxiliaries talking about things that affect both organizations.  Official stuff like that. Another group of people seen frequently in the halls are third hour teachers preparing their lessons.  Actually, this group is usually not in the hall.  They are usually in quiet places, like this or that corner of the chapel, alone, studiously pouring over their lesson material.

Anyway, I have learned to try to be careful when ringing the bell.  In our building the bell is also in hall and frequently people are standing under or near it when its time to ring it.  I try to avoid ringing it when someone is standing near it because its pretty loud.  If there is someone under or near the bell I try to give them some warning. One time the librarian was standing there.  The bell is on the wall just outside the library.  One time I rang the bell, one of the first times after getting this job, and I thought she was going to jump right out of her skin.  That's what made me decide I better pay a little more attention to who is near the bell when I ring it.  Another time one of the young ladies, Mutual age, was walking down the hall.  She was several yards from the bell so I thought it would be okay but when I rang it she went wild, jumping and flailing all over from the surprise.  If anyone had been walking next to her they could have gotten hurt from all the arms and legs flying around through the air.  It was hard to not to laugh but she would have seen that.

One of the funniest things to happen, though, I didn't even see.  I heard about it later.  My own little three year old grandson was in the bathroom with his mother, Heidlebeere.  The bathroom door is also right by where the bell is.  He was sitting on the commode and looked at the toilet paper dispenser, which was fastened to the wall with a screw.  He looked at the screw and then looked at his Mom and asked what would happen if he pushed that "button".  She said, "I don't know.  Why don't you try it?"  So he put his little finger on the screw and pushed just as I hit the bell.  Now this was the first bell so I held it a bit.  He, of course, was startled and promptly took his finger off the screw, just as I let go of the bell.  The timing was perfect.  It was all his mother could do to not break out laughing.  His eyes got big and he gave his Mom such a look (think of the little kid in the movie Home Alone).  It would have been hilarious to see - it was funny enough just hearing about it afterward.  And he was so disappointed when he pushed it again and nothing happened.

I frequently can get the first bell rung without anyone being right under the bell.  Not so with the second bell.  And sometimes I have to disappoint people and tell them they can not ring the bell.  Its mostly the youth that want to ring the bell. Yes, being the official Ringer of the Bell has provided some interesting and entertaining experiences. One of the best parts of the job.