Handbells: fraugHt witH peril - Area III

So Long, Farewell...by Carol Smiley, Metro DC Chaircjs1955@cox.net...auf wiedersehen, adieu... My term asMetro DC Chair is coming to an end, and anew chair has been appointed to succeedme.Jerry Hill, who has been the Virginia District Chair for theMetro DC Area, will be yournew Metro DC Chair. If youhave been to a festival inthe past two years, you haveseen Jerry working at theregistration table at Ocean Cityand Hampton and Richmond.He and Marilyn Converse, ourMaryland District Chair, havebeen a great help to me and Iwish them well in the future.dcI have so enjoyed serving Area 3 and meeting so many greatpeople at our festivals and Directors Seminars. I hope tocontinue seeing you at our events. Special thanks go toDebbie Henning, Lynn Bogovich and Linda Simms whosupported me as Richmond Festival Chair after the death ofmy husband. I couldn’t have done it without them.I’ll plan to see all of you at Area 3 events in the comingyears. Keep on ringing!theJamesRiverRingersHandbell Music for All OccasionsDottie Tweedie, Director(804) 357-9810www.jamesriverringers.orgEmail: jamesriverringers@yahoo.com11001 Continental RoadQuinton, VA 23141a community handbell ensemble servingmetro Richmond, VAConcerts, weddings, entertainment, workshopsWelcome Back!by Marilyn Reese, North Carolina Chairmlrncbells@nc.rr.comThis issue brings to a close my two-yearcommitment as North Carolina StateChair of Area 3 of Handbell Musicians ofAmerica. What a mouthful! I have lovedrepresenting our state and its wonderfulringing population. We are a diverse, colorful, knowledgeseeking,wacky, positive-attitude, full-steam-ahead, fun-lovinggroup of people. We are young, we are old(er); we arenovice, we are accomplished; we are church-related, we areschool-related; we are male, we are female; we are city, weare country; we are quiet, we are loud; and we are unitedthrough our musical art of handbells.I have traveled the state attending concerts, festivals,returning left-behind items, helping choirs find instruments,looking for directors to fill vacancies and spreading the goodnews aboutncthe good things the Guild (Handbell Musiciansof America) can offer. Your district chairs met with me toprovide input on what we can do for you. At the Area level,my van found its way to board meetings in the Washinton,DC, area; Directors Seminars in Roanoke and Frederick; andfestivals in Ocean City, Hampton, and Richmond. Mentoringchoirs at Area 3 events has been most rewarding. A standoutchoir was one at the Blue Ridge Festival in April. It wasa middle-school choir from Winston-Salem who blessed uswith manpower, handing out bulletins, and serving otherswith open hearts. I reconnected with my first church inManassas (VA), and filled in the history of their bells as acharter ringer. I roomed with a friend and member of thatchoir at Blue Ridge last year, and learned that her husbandnarrowly escaped the Pentagon on 9/11. We spent much ofthe night catching up on friends and church members (andare making plans for future get-togethers). How great it is toreconnect with those we hold special in our lives!The rewards of this position are worthy and wonderful. Ilove meeting you all and getting to know you; so I haveagreed to continue for another two years under the capableleadership of our new Area Chair, Lynn Bogovich. To furtherthis idea, I am asking each of my North Carolina membersto email me in the next two months (yes, I will be checking;I have a list and am checking it twice!). Tell me about you,your group(s) and what you are doing, your successes, yourprograms, your upcoming events small or large (I can’tattend if I don’t know about them), your needs, your wants.Just a couple sentences, so that we can connect. My goal isto hear from everyone. The next North Carolina column ofThe Bell-O-Gram will list your district chairs, who will serveat the local level as resources and mentors.The Guild has so much to offer us all if we take advantageof it, if we participate, if we reach out. Are you aware ofhow many talented bell people we have in North Carolina:composers, clinicians, highly skilled community choirs, andresources? Ask other bell folks in your community to attenda festival or event with you. There are ringer events anddirector events. Ask ringers and directors to join the Guild(see North Carolina on page 17)12