Using "School Bells" in the Meetinghouse

Going back to my childhood I remember that pretty-much every meetinghouse I've been to in North America has a "school bell" system in the hallways. Someone rings the bells 5 minutes before the end ofRelief Society/Priesthood meetings or Sunday School classes. Then they ring the bells again (two rings) at the moment those meetings are supposed to end. But last year we stopped using the bells in our stake. As far as I know, the Stake President personally instituted the policy when he was listening to an instructor wrapping up a lesson with a testimony and the obtrusive bells completely destroyed the moment.

But now, from my perspective, there's a new and predictable problem. It seems that none of the instructors in our ward knows how to watch the clock and, for some reason, every Sunday an instructor asks someone else, "How much time do I have left?" That seems to spoil the mood for me every week, making the instructor look unprepared.

I don't mean to say that our Stake President's policy is wrong but I wonder how this works in other places. Has anyone else found the perfect balance between order and "spoiling the moment"? Do you still use bells? In our meetinghouse they've actually removed the controls for the bells so you couldn't use them even if you wanted to.

Perhaps we'd still be using bells if...

1. The bell wasn't so loud.
2. The person ringing the bell just gave it a tap rather than holding it like it was a fire drill.

GregAnderson wrote:Going back to my childhood I remember that pretty-much every meetinghouse I've been to in North America has a "school bell" system in the hallways. Someone rings the bells 5 minutes before the end ofRelief Society/Priesthood meetings or Sunday School classes. Then they ring the bells again (two rings) at the moment those meetings are supposed to end. But last year we stopped using the bells in our stake. As far as I know, the Stake President personally instituted the policy when he was listening to an instructor wrapping up a lesson with a testimony and the obtrusive bells completely destroyed the moment.


Perhaps we'd still be using bells if...

1. The bell wasn't so loud.
2. The person ringing the bell just gave it a tap rather than holding it like it was a fire drill.

We're still using the bell system in the buildings in our stake.
I would tend to agree with your analysis though that, depending upon where the instructor is in the lesson, a ringing bell can be intrusive, although I don't ever recall anyone complaining about this in a meeting.

In every meeting there are "clock watchers" who would no doubt remind the instructor in some manner that their time was up, so doing without the bell system wouldn't be a big problem IMHO. Perhaps just mounting a clock on the wall in the back of the room so the instructor could see it would be more in line with keeping the meeting on time w/o the intrusion of a bell.

We never used the bells.
Instructors are teached about end lessons time (we have a graphic time schedule to each class).
Any way, there is always one member, at least, that look the instructor pointing on the clock!

Another factor you may want to consider is making sure there's a clock in clear view of the instructor.

Along the same lines, it would be good to make sure that all instructors know what time the class ends. I don't know as most members are aware that the 3 hours block isn't divided in the three one-hour blocks. Instead, Sunday School is only 40 minutes long. That may not be such a issue with the "Sacrament First" schedule, but it could be a factor in the "Sacrament Last" schedule when Sunday School ends at a odd time.

As for bell-ringing, in my experience, one can not count on it. I've seen too much inconsistency. Bells that come at different times, if they're used at all.

marianomarini_vi wrote: Any way, there is always one member, at least, that look the instructor pointing on the clock!

I think most classes should have a class president or someone on charge who is not giving instruction. You may want to consider having the Bishop assign someone in each class to be the assigned "clock watcher" and give the instructor the high sign.

RussellHltn wrote:I think most classes should have a class president or someone on charge who is not giving instruction. You may want to consider having the Bishop assign someone in each class to be the assigned "clock watcher" and give the instructor the high sign.

We are Italian.
We don't use to build a structure to solve a problem that appear, said, once or twice every ten years!
We don't change instructor easly. and when this happen the new one could be a previous Bishop or Stake President or other well instructed calls.
The problem could raise when a new member is called.
We prefer some smile once in a while.

GregAnderson wrote:Perhaps we'd still be using bells if...

1. The bell wasn't so loud.
2. The person ringing the bell just gave it a tap rather than holding it like it was a fire drill.

I once had the calling of "timekeeper". My job was to attend Gospel Doctrine class and let the instructor know when it was time to quit.

We worked out a procedure where I would quietly hold up five fingers when time was short, then three, two, and one at the appropriate moments.

The instructor was good. The lesson summary always began right after I gave him the three-minute sign, he always shared his testimony between two and one, and then called on someone to give the closing prayer when there was a minute left.

There was no clock in the room. I was responsible for having a watch (this was a long time ago) that was accurate enough to fulfill my assignment. Most of the other class members never knew it was happening.

lajackson wrote:Most of the other class members never knew it was happening.

That's the real key, in my opinion. If a self-appointed time-keeper raises his hand (as if offering an insightful comment) simply to tell the instructor to wrap it up, that can certainly spoil the moment too. (I've witnessed it.) We might as well keep using the loud bells.

I'm still a bit surprised that, even when there's a clock, many instructors don't seem to remember how long the meeting is supposed to last.

I recall an instructor in our Hp Quorum years ago who used to remove his watch and lay it on the table in front of him. It would act as a reminder of the time and since it was on the table instead of on his wrist, it was more visible and he could check the time w/o being so obvious. It apparently worked for him.

My guess is that you're stake president isn't the only one that feels that way. We just got a new building about two years ago and there are no bells. To be honest, it seems that it is rare that we go over at all.

I would like to see the "school bell" replaced with a more digital "bell tower" sounding bell that might play short hymn intros -- like the first four notes of 'Come, Come Ye Saints' or something like that... It would be less obnoxious, and wouldn't make you jump out of your shoes if you're standing underneath the "bells" in the hallway...

techgy wrote:I recall an instructor in our Hp Quorum years ago who used to remove his watch and lay it on the table in front of him. It would act as a reminder of the time and since it was on the table instead of on his wrist, it was more visible and he could check the time w/o being so obvious. It apparently worked for him.

That plan works quite well for me when I am asked to teach in elders quorum meeting.

njcant1 wrote:I would like to see the "school bell" replaced with a more digital "bell tower" sounding bell that might play short hymn intros -- like the first four notes of 'Come, Come Ye Saints' or something like that... It would be less obnoxious, and wouldn't make you jump out of your shoes if you're standing underneath the "bells" in the hallway...

I was telling my dad exactly the same thing a couple of weeks ago, but my suggested tune was the first two bars of "The Time is Far Spent".

My personal view on this is not to use a bell system as it distracts the lesson. We don't use any bells in our Branch. I think it really comes down to training teachers to be more conscious of time and how to handle time appropriately. Having a clock on the wall easily viewable for the teacher is a definite must and is the most effective way that we have found to work. I think there will always be times when classes will go over time depending on people sharing testimonies or wrapping up the lesson regardless of whether you use a bell system or not.

Sacrament Meetings are a good example of how to effectively manage the time. The Bishop or person conducting should really be conscious of time to effectively manage that the fast and testimony meetings end at an appropriate time or don't go over too much. Obviously they don't have a school bell that goes off 1hr & 10mins after the start of sacrament meeting, but they rely on members understanding roughly how much time they have to share their testimonies and then do their best to adhere to the time. The same principle could apply to sunday school meetings etc. If the members and teacher all are aware of when the class is due to finish, they can all assist in ensuring that the class finishes roughly on time.

I guess summing up, I think it is ultimately down to the teacher to recognize when time is up. This maybe something that the Sunday School President could help teachers become better at doing. If they are unable to do that on a regular basis, then I think the other suggestions like having a clock watcher is a good idea. I think though that most sunday school meetings I have attended throughout the years from various teachers is that you will never get a consistency of closing exactly on time each Sunday.

Good luck!

All of us know Brazilian people are easy to talk and to make friends. Since that, some classes have problems with time in some places. All meetinghouses built from 1960 to 2000 +/- has a bell system in it, but since that time, Church Property Department don't install it anymore. Some traditional wards and stakes still uses this system, but the majority don't use by now. I'm called an Assistant Ward Clerk ten years ago when I'm only a Teacher in Aaronic Priesthood, and worked in clerical callings since that. Always I serve as Ward Clerk, Assistant Clerk or Executive Clerk I have the call to ring the bell five minutes before class end. I love to do it, but I know the bishop of the other ward in the building don't like, because usually the first bell ring is put in function on his the sacrament passing time.

I've not heard anything official, but I'd guess that a bell has been deemed too intrusive by someone in charge. Our ward (northern Utah county) has been in 4 brand new buildings over the last 4 years, and not one of them had a bell system installed. I'm assuming that means that bells have been officially excluded from all new construction.

Incidentally, with the rare exception, none of our classes goes over the allotted time.

We are in a rapidly growing area and have been in two brand new buildings in a row. Neither have bells.

I never minded them. It seemed much more efficient than having an already busy Primary Secretary walk to each and every classroom to say "5 minutes left." I agree with the other posts that every large room should have a large clock on the wall facing the teacher.

But I do have to say that no matter what system you use, there will always be people who end on time and those who don't.

A while back, I encouraged our Sunday School President (a former bishop himself) to do away with the bell ringing. To me, they are more disruptive than anything else I've experienced (well, except for the occasional medical emergency) at church.

While we've occasionally had problems with teachers going over, I think we used to have more problems both with less than diligent bell ringers, and with teachers somehow ignoring the bells.

The Sunday School Presidency has worked to train the teachers and class presidents on being mindful of the time.

We had a 6 stake auxiliary training meeting this last Saturday with members of the Primary, Relief Society, and Young Women's General Presidencies in attendance with a member of the Seventy presiding. We were in a new stake center that was only recently completed and the member of the Seventy used the bell system to keep everyone on schedule. Also, my own ward religiously uses our bell to end both Sunday School and Priesthood/Relief Society.

I've been teaching and training teachers. It's fairly easy to learn the habit of being aware of the time.

There are some classrooms where there's no wall clock, and it's up to the teacher to be aware of time in a way that doesn't distract. Often quite doable.

Our current old mtghouse has the bell system, and it seems the bells are disregarded for a lot of the time. Except in Primary.

I'd rather do away with it, but naturally I'm only a Clerk, so I don't decide.

Go figure!

I have been teaching in Primary for 50 years. I love my callings, whether teaching or leading. I was just called to be Primary President again, and will gladly serve in this calling until the day I am released, then hopefully called to teach the young children again. I love the children and working with them. And I have always loved the bell that sounds when it's time to change classes. We have a very large Primary, thus the need to have a younger Primary group and an older Primary group. The older groups go to class while the younger children have singing time, then they switch with the older classes in singing time and the younger children in classes (taking over the space just vacated by the older children). The bell was an important part of letting the teachers know they had just a few minutes to finish their lessons and go to singing time. The bell was taken down this past week. There's no clocks on the classroom walls, and watches aren't worn by many of us women. Is it okay if we give a friendly knock on each of the classroom doors as a reminder to close their lessons? I will go, I will do as we need to do. Just will miss the bell.

grandmadiana wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 1:42 pm Is it okay if we give a friendly knock on each of the classroom doors as a reminder to close their lessons? I will go, I will do as we need to do. Just will miss the bell.

Unless there's something in the Handbook about it, that would be up to the local leaders.

You could also inquire about adding clocks to the classrooms in question.

I'm a primary teacher. Our primary presidency is good about walking by the classrooms and letting us know when there are a couple of minutes left. But if they didn't do that, I would probably just set an alarm on my phone.