Salvation Army looking for holiday season volunteers
Downtown Washington opened the 2006 holiday season Tuesday night, November 21, with the annual Candlelight Shopping promotion. Early reports indicate that perfect fall weather, joyous participation by both buyers and sellers, and a generous helping of the intoxicating holiday spirit combined to produce an event of near-record proportions.

Adding to the cacophony of voices, music, bumps, mishaps, and greetings which combine to help produce the holiday gaiety was the penetrating, unmistakable, lovely tintinnabulation of bells. They were not silver bells, but the honest, earnest, urgent bells of the Salvation Army kettle bell ringers - asking politely for donations to help our own fellow citizens who have special needs at a special time with little or no other hope of meeting their needs, even temporarily.

That otherwise unfamiliar word "tintinnabulation" was made real for most people by the late tragic genius Edgar Allan Poe in his unforgettable poem titled simply "The Bells." Since the holiday season is a time for remembering, see if you remember: "Keeping time, time, time,

In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that So musically wells From the bells, bells, bells,

Bells, bells, bells,

bells, bells, bells - "From the jingling and the

tinkling of the bells."

Bells do not jingle and tinkle on their own initiative. There must be a ringer to produce the sound, and that is the reason for this plea.

Salvation Army Secretary Dot Harris has for years handled the recruitment of bell ringers and scheduling them so the kettle bells can ring without interruption during the hours of collection. This year she is assisted by Lynn Land.

"Simply put, we have two basic needs," Harris explained. "First we need enough bell ringers to fill the scheduled hours completely. Then of course we need contributions, both in the kettle and in separate private donations from businesses and individuals who want to make significant gifts. Last year, we had a wonderful total of about $8,000, which provided about $6,400 for local recipients. This year, increased costs and additional requests will require another record total just to keep pace."

Harris added that, in order to help increase collections, an extra day of ringing has been added this year. Besides the Candlelight Shopping event Tuesday night, November 21, from 6 to 9 p.m., the SA kettle will alternate between Ingles and Bi-Lo every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in December, plus two Thursdays (December 14 and 21.) Hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. except Sundays are from 2 to 5 p.m.

Civic clubs and other organizations are asked to supply ringers. Individual volunteers are asked to call Dot Harris at 706-678-2818.

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