Why those bells will keep ringing

“I love those J-I-N-G-L-E bells; Oh, those holiday J-I-N-G-L-E bells

Oh, those happy J-I-N-G-L-E; B-E-double-L S

I love those J-I-N-G-L-E bells… Frank Sinatra

There are moments that remind you Christmas is close, and for me, it is usually the sound of jingling bells.

Making your way to a Wal-Mart or, in this case, Hobby Lobby, you hear the faint jingle of bells and see the red — the red kettle, the red Salvation Army vest on the bell ringer — and you know the Christmas season is upon us.

Recently, my father and I volunteered a couple hours for my church, First Presbyterian of Asheboro (FPC), and rang the Salvation Army bells at the local Hobby Lobby. It was a brisk, cold day, and I dressed accordingly, but at the second hour, with the sun going down, it got colder! I told my Dad, who will soon be 85, we needed music. I started a songlist of classic Christmas songs on my phone, and instantly, it started my cold toes tapping.

I love to dance so it doesn’t take much to get me moving, and my Dad joined in. He did his famous “Twist” moves, while I did my favorite Candy Brooks jazz dance moves, and the next thing I knew people were laughing with us, honking horns and waving to us.

So for the next 40 minutes or so, my Dad and I became entertainment for people maneuvering their way through the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. It was a moment I won’t soon forget. My Dad said, “I have no idea how much money we made today (for the Salvation Army), but at least we brought some people joy.”

The next day at FPC, I was excited to listen to the handbell choir perform at our annual Christmas Cantata. As they began, I closed my eyes and just relished in the beauty of the perfectly timed chimes. My mind wandered some as I pondered how long the handbell choir had been performing at FPC. Then I wondered about the history of the bell ringers for the Salvation Army.

Those J-I-N-G-L-E bells had definitely piqued my curious spirit.

After the service, I stopped longtime member JoAnn Corsbie of Asheboro and asked how long the church had a handbell choir. She said Rick Morgan, the former FPC choir director and chorus teacher at Asheboro High School, started it in 1989. 

“It started out very small, with maybe one or two octaves of bells,” she said. “Through the years, the church added more octaves, and it is just so beautiful to hear them.” I totally agreed!

As I drove away, I wished I could hear them once more. I also couldn’t wait to research the history of the bell ringers for the Salvation Army. Once I read the story, I knew it had to be shared …

According to the Salvation Army’s website, in 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was worried about many people in the San Francisco area “going hungry.” He wanted to feed 1,000 of the area’s poorest on Christmas Day but had no idea how he was going to pay for it. 

After many sleepless nights and prayers, his mind traveled back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. As people made their way to and from the docks as the boats came in, there was a large, iron kettle — a “Simpson’s Pot” — where passers-by gave a coin or two to help the poor.

The next day McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing with a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.” Through those efforts, he was able to pay for the Christmas dinner and fed 1,000 people on Christmas Day. (https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/red-kettle-history/)

Six years later, McFee’s kettle idea spread as far as the Boston area, and in 1897, the nationwide effort resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners. The rest is history, as they say, but I still didn’t know how the bells came into existence.

The bell ringing is credited to 16-year-old Salvation Army Officer Cadet Amelia Kunkle, who was a kettle worker in New York City. The year was 1900, and she, too, was worried, but for a slightly different reason than Capt. McFee.

According to an article by Simon Wong posted on the Tri-Cities Corp Salvation Army website, Kunkle felt “ignored” at times by the passers-by although she stood in a navy blue uniform, red-ribbon trimmed bonnet and a long skirt which touched the sidewalk. “When I first stood by the kettle to ’keep the pot a-boiling,’ it was a bleak, cold, damp day,” she told Wong. “Girl-cadets wore long, black cotton stockings and rubbers over regular shoes … . Standing on newspapers helped block the dampness and penetrating cold. I was in The Battery, near Wall Street. Our kettle was by the entrance, or exit, to the ‘El’ which brought droves of businessmen to and from the financial district. Some contributed to The Salvation Army kettle; most passed by.”

Many days, she shared, “I was disappointed that people ignored me and my kettle.”

She complained to her superior, and he suggested she “find a stick and bang on the kettle to draw attention.” She wasn’t fond of that idea, and he told her, “Well, then, Cadet Kunkle, you’ll certainly solve that problem all by yourself before long!”

That sounded like a challenge to me, and it must have felt that way to Cadet Kunkle. The very next day she went to Woolworth’s and found a small bell that gave a slight tinkle, and she purchased it for 10 cents. (https://tri-cities.salvationarmy.org/do_tri_cities/news/the-first-salvation-army-bell-ringer/). 

Thanks to Capt. McFee and Cadet Kunkle’s efforts to help others, today in the U.S. the Salvation Army assists more than four and a half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods!

So during the holiday season, whatever it is that brings you joy — the Christmas songs, Christmas lights, making memories with family and friends, watching others open presents or opening them yourself — relish in those moments because 2025 will be here soon, and the rush of the season and the J-I-N-G-L-E bells will quieten for another year.

And maybe, in honor of McFee and Kunkle, you would like to learn more about what our local Salvation Army does or volunteer to help them? Visit 345 N. Church Street, Asheboro, or call 336-625-0051. For information on donating material goods such as clothing, furniture, vehicles and other items, visit the Asheboro Thrift Store located at 472 East Dixie Drive, Asheboro, or call 336-328-0891. Donations can also be made online at salvationarmy.org.