Young Ringers Camp (YRC)

Do you have a youth handbell choir at your church? Or do you have youth ringing with your adult ensemble?
Area 7 strives to host a Young Ringers Camp in the summer of every odd-numbered year.

Who can come to camp? Young Ringer’s Camp is open to all children and youth handbell ringers 4th grade and up. Directors can bring anywhere from their entire ensemble to a few ringers, depending on ringers’ availability. Less than full choirs (called orphan ringers) are welcome to attend, we can find a spot for them too!

Are there adults at camp? In addition to the guest conductor and staff from Area 7, each church is responsible for sending chaperones to be with their ringers throughout the weekend.

What if I don’t know the other ringers at camp? All the events at YRC are aimed at bringing youth together. We do games, team building activities, meals, service projects and ringing together. All campers will get to know one another in a very short period of time.

Where do we sleep & eat for camp? The accommodations at Camp are fantastic. We have our own lodge just for Young Ringer’s Camp participants. Inside the lodge is a large open room where all our ringing takes place. There are also separate areas for girls & boys bunk beds and bathrooms. The facility has heating and air conditioning. For meals, we all walk to the Dining Hall for breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals.

Why bell camp? The 3 days of camp are the equivalent of 7- one hour rehearsals of ringing. It’s a wonderful opportunity for young people to increase their skill level and have the opportunity to perform in a massed handbell concert. My ringers are always looking for that something special to look forward to all season long. Knowing we’re going to be attending Young Ringers’ Camp in June helps the ringers to stay focused learning music and serves as a great celebration for a year of hard work. How can we learn the music? There are three pieces of music that need to be learned in advance of attending Young Ringer’s Camp. The easiest way to learn the music is to incorporate the pieces into your repertoire this season. However, if you have youth ringing with your adult ensemble, this may not always be possible.

Ideas to pay for camp? Bringing your whole ensemble to Young Ringer’s Camp can be expensive. Start thinking now of fundraising opportunities to offset the full price of camp. Can your ringers do an Advent/Christmas ring to raise money? How about a special offering during a performance of the handbell choir? Is there a church foundation where you can apply for a grant or scholarship from your church? Area 7 has one Clista Wood Memorial Scholarship available for camp. More information can be found on the Area 7 website. Or email [email protected]

Sounds like fun, what’s the next step? Watch the website and Clapper Chatter for more information as it develops. If you have questions, please contact Youth Events Planner for more information. [email protected]