If you go to any number of shopping malls or big stores this season, you're almost sure to be greeted by the same sound - that of ringing bells. Those bells typically are in the hands of volunteers donating their time during the busy holidays to helping out with the Salvation Army's annual kettle campaign.

Last year's campaign was expected to raise $130,000 in Cobb County, but you, the public, outdid yourselves. You dropped $220,000 into the buckets, despite the sour economy.

"That was just amazing," declared Lt. Jonathan Raymer, commander of the Army's barracks in Marietta, who was guest speaker at a recent meeting of the Marietta Kiwanis Club. The money was used for the charity's programs, with the surplus being used to help the needy with rent, food and utilities.

But there's much more to the Salvation Army than ringing bells. What, exactly, is the Salvation Army?

It was founded in England in 1865 by William and Katherine Booth. Its ranks now number more than 1 million working in more than 100 countries.

Its original motto, Raymer said, was "Soup, Soap and Salvation," and a high percentage of its early members were reformed alcoholics and prostitutes.

One of Raymer's predecessors as commander of the Marietta barracks, Capt. Art Fultz, once shared with the Marietta Kiwanis Club what he described as the "signature quote" of Army co-founder Booth:

"While women weep as they do now, I'll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison in and out as they do now, I'll fight; while there's a drunkard left; while there's a poor lost girl on the streets; while there remains one soul without the light of God, I'll fight - I'll fight to the very end."

Those are still powerful words even today.

The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. It preaches the gospel of Jesus and meets human needs in his name without discrimination.

Early meetings of the Army were conducted in tents set up in cemeteries, and in borrowed buildings or storefronts. The Booths sang hymns set to well-known bar songs. The result was that those walking by would hear familiar tunes and wander in, to find out the words praised God, Raymer said.

"Some of those tunes remain to this day, and some of the 'saints' in the Army would be appalled to know the real words to some of those melodies," Fultz said.

The Army "invaded" this country in 1880. The invaders were just seven women strong, wore uniforms and bonnets and were known as "Hallelujah lassies."

Although the Army focuses on helping the needy, it makes no bones about it also being an evangelical Christian church.

"Anyone observing our primary function in any given country could conclude that that service 'is' the Salvation Army," Fultz said. "They'd be partly right and significantly wrong."

"Our ministry is motivated by the love of God, and our mission is to preach the gospel of Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination," he said. "We do it in a thousand different ways, but the focus is still on the gospel of Christ."

All of its officers are also ordained ministers, including its female officers.

Many of its officers are the children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of Salvationists, including Raymer and his wife.

The Army has had a post here for decades at 202 Waterman Street, the site of the old Waterman Street School, which this columnist attended as a boy.

It has an operating budget of about $1 million per year, about half of which is raised during the Christmas season by the bell ringers. The rest comes from fees, the United Way and corporate and private donations.

The Army offers rent assistance to families and has a food pantry and clothing bank. The facility features a gym, after-school programs, a homework tutorial program, a computer lab and is soon to start a martial arts program.

The local post also sends about 100 Marietta children to the Army's summer camp near Jasper each year. It also sponsors a boy's camp, a music camp and a senior citizens camp.

Church services are conducted in the Army's chapel on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. The Army has its annual holiday distribution later this month, and families whose applications are accepted will receive toys, "Angel Tree" donations and food.

By the way, ever wonder where the red kettles got their start?

They were the brainchild of an Army captain in San Francisco who remembered something somewhat similar from his native Liverpool, England. So the first Salvation Army kettles ever were set up on the Oakland Ferry Landing in the "City by the Bay."

Associate editor Bill Kinney's column also runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays.