The mission of Area XII of the American Guild of English Handbells (AGEHR) is to educate, motivate and nurture fellowship, joy and excellence in handbell and handchime music. The primary objectives of the organization are to educate and to promote the exchange of ideas relating to handbell and handchime ringing and to sponsor educational activities (excluding direct competition between choirs, ensembles and/or ringers).
Area XII consists of four main regions: California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam. The state of California is broken out into five regional categories – Southern California, LA Metro, Central California, San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California – each of which has its own area of this Web site. While Guam is officially a part of Area XII, there are currently no members from that region.
Area XII was incorporated in 1979 as a nonprofit organization and, as such, is run by a Board of Directors. Currently the Board’s makeup consists of elected positions (chair, treasurer and secretary) and non-elected/appointed positions (Communications Director, Events Director, Education Director, Historian, Webmaster and seven Regional Coordinators). The Board meets at least twice a year (in the fall and in the spring) to approve the budget and conduct general business, as well as plan for area events.
In order to provide further opportunities for music education, Area XII hosts an educational bell/chime loan program. Participation is limited to AGEHR members in Area XII who are involved in certain types of educational programs, and instruments are loaned for a fixed period of time. For more information on the bell/chime loan program, see the Education page of our Web site.
Another way that Area XII promotes handbell education is through several scholarships. AGEHR members who are first-time attendees to the biennial Area XII conference or the National Seminar may qualify for scholarship funds. For more information on the various scholarships offered by Area XII, see the Scholarships page of our Web site.
As an Area XII member, we want you to stay informed of what’s going on. A great way to do that is to sign up to receive the Twelfth Tone e-newsletter. This monthly e-mail will alert you to upcoming events and new additions and changes to this Web site. To sign up for the Twelfth Tone e-newsletter, see the News and Information page of our Web site.
In addition to local and regional events, Area XII puts on one major conference biennially (every other year). The location of this conference moves around California, and is held in Nevada and Hawaii on a periodic basis. (To date, there has not been a conference held in Guam.) This conference is a great way to network with other ringers and directors, take amazing classes from some of the best teachers and clinicians in the country, and hear new and exciting music for handbells. To find out information about the next major Area XII conference, see the Events page of the Web site. To find out more about smaller, more local events, visit the Events page and click on your specific region.
Your Area XII Board hopes you find your membership in AGEHR helpful to you in making music with handbells. We encourage you to tell others about the benefits of becoming a member of AGEHR and all the great things that are happening in Area XII.
