Once again, Veterans for Peace Chapter 27 is asking churches and other groups to join with us and ring the bells on or around Armistice Day, November 11, 2011. The Armistice of 1918 ended the terrible slaughter of World War I. The U.S.had experienced the death of over 116,000 men, plus many who were physically and mentally disabled, severely needing ongoing care. For one moment at the 11th hour of the 11th day on the 11th month, 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 , the World agreed that World War 1, must be the War to End All Wars. There was exuberant joy everywhere and many churches rang their bells, some 11 times, to mark the signing of the armistice.

Veterans For Peace local chapter #27 will hold its annual bell ringing ceremony on Armistice/Veterans Day at the First Shot Memorial on Minnesota's Capitol grounds, Friday, November, 11 at 11 a.m. Members and supporters will gather at 10:30 to participate in the ceremony.

The following churches and organizations are ringing bells and committing to working for peace on or about Armistice Day November 11th, the anniversary of the end of World War I "the war to end all wars" when bells were joyously rung around the world.

Albright United Methodist, Marshall All Saints Catholic, Lakeville All Saints Lutheran, Cottage Grove Ascension Episcopal, Stillwater Assembly of God, Hallock Assumption Catholic, Richfield Augustana Lutheran, Fergus Falls Basillica of St Mary Catholic, Mpls Bethany Reformed, Clara City Bethlehem Lutheran, Fergus Falls Brainard area Churches, Brainard Catholic Cathedral of St Paul, St,Paul Central Lutheran, Mpls Christ Episcopal Church, Red Wing * Christ Lutheran, Hendricks Christ The King Catholic, Cambridge Christ The King Lutheran, Mankato Christ the King Lutheran, New Ulm * Christ UMC, Rochester * Church of Saint Michael Catholic, Stillwater Church of St. Boneventure Catholic, Bloomington Church of St. Stephens Catholic. Anoka Church of Saint Pauls Catholic, Nicollet Church of the Ascension Catholic, Norwood Young America Church of the Assumption Catholic, St Paul Church of the Crucifixion Catholic, Caledonia Church of the Epiphany Catholic, Coon Rapids Church of The Holy Name Catholic, Mpls Church of the Risen Savior Catholic, Burnsville Congregational United Church of Christ, Rochester Dayton Avenue Presbyterian, St Paul Des Moines vfp chapter 163 District of Columbia chapter 016, Washington D. C. Edina Morningside Congregational Community Church, Edina Epiphany Lutheran, Eagle Lake Evangelical Lutheran, Mountain Lake Faith Mennonite, Mpls Family Pathway Board of Directors, Mn. Fellowship of Reconciliation First Congregational United Church of Christ, Mankato First Lutheran, Albert Lea First Evangelical Lutheran, Taylors Falls First Lutheran, Alexandria First Lutheran, Bemidji First Lutheran, LeSeuer Faith Lutheran, Madison First Lutheran, Red Wing First Presbyterian, Duluth First Presbyterian, Luverne First Presbyterian, Red Wing First Presbyterian, Stillwater First Presbyterian, Willmar First United Church of Christ. Northfield First United Methodist, Duluth First United Methodist, Red Wing Friends of Coldwater Creek Good Shepherd Lutheran, Marshall Greenfield Lutheran, Harmony Guardian Angels Catholic. Oakdale Guardian Angels in Oakdale Holy Redeemer Catholic, Renville Holy Rosary Catholic, Mankato Holy Rosary Catholic, Mpls Holy Trinity Catholic, Waterville * Holy Trinity Lutheran, Mpls Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic, Minnetonka Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran, Mankato Incarnation Catholic, Mpls Iowa VFP chapter 161 Justice Comission of the Sisters of of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates, St.Paul Lake of the Isles Lutheran, Mpls Lutheran Campus Ministry, Duluth Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer in Mpls Lutheran Church of Our Savior, Windom Mankato Loyola-Father Tim's class, Mankato Mayflower Congregational UCC in Mpls. Milwaukee vfp chapter 102 Messiah Episcopal, St. Paul, MN Minnehaha Parkway United Church of Christ, Mpls Minnetonka United Methodist, Minnetonka Mount Calvary Lutheran, Richfield Mount Olivet Lutheran, Mpls Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, Mpls Oak Grove Lutheran, Richfield Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic, Little Falls * Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic, Mpls Our Lady Of Victory Catholic, Fergus Falls Our Savior's Lutheran, Austin Our Saviors Lutheran, New Ulm PAX Christi Catholic, Eden Prairie Peace United Church of Christ, Duluth

Peace United Church of Christ, Minnesota Lake Phil Berrigan Memorial VFP chapter 105, Baltimore, MD. Plymouth Congregational Church in Mpls Prince of Peace Lutheran, Baxter Queen of Peace Catholic, Hoyt Lakes * River Hills United Methodist, Burnsville Robbinsdale United Church of Christ, Robbinsdale Rushford Lutheran, Rushford Sacred Heart Catholic, Heron Lake Sacred Heart Catholic, Owatonna Sacred Heart Chapel Fransiscan Sisters, Little Falls Sacred Heart Parish, Glenwood Saint James Presbyterian, Tower * Saint Joseph Catholic, Lakefield Salem Lutheran, Jackson Sarah Mieles third grade class at Bryn Mawr Elementary, Mpls. Seattle Vfp chapter 92, Seattle Spirit of Saint Stephens, Mpls St. Albert's Catholic, Mpls St. Anastasia Catholic, Hutchinson St. Ann's Catholic, Janesville St. Anthony Catholic, Ely St. Anthony Church in St. Cloud St. Augustine Catholic, Austin St. Bartholomew's in Wayzata St. Benedict's Monastery, St. Joseph St. Bernard's Catholic. Thief River Falls St. Clara Catholic, Clara City St. Dionysius Catholic, Tyler St. Dominic Catholic, Northfield St. Francis Catholic , Rochester * St. Francis DeSales Catholic, St. Paul St. Francis Xaiver Catholic School, Sartell St George Greek Orthodox, St Paul * St. Gerard Catholic, Brooklyn Park St. Henry's Catholic, Perham St. James Catholic, St. James St. James Episcopal, Fergus Falls St. Joan of Arc Catholic, Mpls St. John the Baptist Catholic in New Brighton St. John Vianney Catholic, St. Paul St. John's Catholic, Biwabik * St. John's Catholic, Grand Marias St. John's Catholic, Morton St. John's Episcopal, Hallock St. Joseph'sCatholic, Owatonna St. Lawrence Catholic, Mpls * St. Louis Catholic, Floodwood St. Luke Presbyterian, Wayzata St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran, Mankato St. Mary of the Lake Catholic, Lake City * St. Mary's Catholic, Bird Island St. Mary's Catholic, Duluth St. Mary's Catholic, Melrose St. Mary's Catholic, Mora St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral, St. Cloud St. Mary's Catholic, Stillwater St. Mary's Catholic, Tracy St. Mary's Catholic, Worthington St. Michaels Catholic, Prior Lake St. Nicholas Catholic, Carver St. Olaf's Catholic, Mpls St. Paul Episcopal on the Hill, St. Paul St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran, Mpls St. Paul Lutheran, Blue Earth St. Peter's Catholic, Richfield St. Peter and Paul Catholic, Blue Earth St. Peters Catholic, Canby St. Raphael Catholic, Springfield St. Richards Catholic, Richfield St. Rose of Lima Carholic, Freeport St. Thomas Moore Newman Center MSU, Mankato St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic, Corcoran St. Wenceslaus Catholic, New Prague Trinity Lutheran in Albert Lea Trinity Lutheran, Duluth Trinity Lutheran, Detroit Lakes Trinity Lutheran, Owatonna Trinity Lutheran, Rochester Trinity Lutheran, Stillwater Union Congregational, Elk River United Methodist church, Portland OR United Methodist, Adrian United Methodist, Frazee United Methodist, Hector United Methodist, Jeffers United Methodist, Luverne United Methodist, Pine Island United Methodist, Staples United Methodist, Windom Unity Church of Christ, Golden Valley Unity Unitarian, St. Paul VFP chapter 72, Portland, Oregon VFP chapter 101, San Diego, California VFP Chapter 128. Buffalo, NY VFP chapter 136, Central Florida VFP chapter 146 Fairbanks, Alaska VFP Chapter 152, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania VFP Chapter 156, Portland OR VFP Chapter 165, Berks, Pennsylvania VFP Chapter 93 in Detroit, Michigan Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata Westminster Presbyterian, Worthington Zion United Church of Christ, LeSeuer *they will try their best to do it.

For questions, or to tell us you're joining in, call: Steve McKeown at 612-869-2040 Larry Johnson at 612-747-3904 VFP Office at 612-821-9141

Below is the resolution passed at the national Veterans For Peace 2008 convention.

Whereas, bells worldwide were rung on November 11, 1918 to celebrate and recognize the ending of WWI, "The war to end all wars" and,

Whereas, to commemorate that peaceful pledge, bells were rung November 11 for over 35 years, and,

Whereas, legislation making November 11 a holiday passed in 1938, " ...a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." and,

Whereas, The 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. and,

Whereas, the substitution of the word "Armistice" to "Veterans" changes the focus from peace to war by celebrating and honoring warriors and war, and,

Whereas, that November date symbolized the nation's desire to hold to a peaceful future and away from war, and,

Whereas, too often rhetoric and patriotic symbols are used instead of genuine compensation for the extraordinary sacrifices and services of military personnel, and,

Whereas, 90% of victims of wars are now civilians and by honoring only veterans, the public is distracted from the awful price paid by those other than military members, and,

Whereas, Chapter #27 has for over 17 years promoted the ringing of a bell eleven times at its ceremonies on November 11 and at other solemn occasions such as funerals to remind the public of that Armistice Day peace pledge, and

Whereas, the ringing of bells is so much more fitting and peaceful than the often-practiced gun salutes and fighter plane flyovers,

Therefore, be it resolved that Veterans For Peace, Inc. urges its memberships to adopt the procedure of honoring peace by focusing on bell ringing on Armistice Day, November 11 and other solemn occasions.