Antelope Valley High School - Yucca Yearbook (Lancaster, CA)

Page 8 text:

MR. WILLIAM BALLARD AT INTERMISSION during one of the many pub- lic performances of his band, Mr. Ballard enjoys a light-hearted quip with Clydctte McEflfee, drum majorette, and Carol Ackroyd, majorette. THE YUCCA wishes to give recognition to two people who have truly made their lives a “symphony of service.” The knowledge, counsel and time they have given through the years to their students has been beyond their normal duties. It is for these reasons that THE 1955 YUCCA is dedicated to you — Mr. William Ballard and Mrs. Hermione Vaughn Banks, our instrumental and vocal music teachers. With a quiet hand and a happy manner, Mr. Ballard has made the AV Band one of the finest in the state. He is not only a teacher but he is also a friend to students. He works long hours after school is dismissed, planning events and thinking of ways to improve his music groups. Mr. Ballard went to Utah State College and New York University and taught in Idaho and Utah before coming to California. He was also employed in Mojave before coming to AV. The father of a lovely family, he has a charming wife and three children — Lishcth, Barbara and Maurine. He has been at AV for nine years, and during that time has fashioned a prize-winning band and an excellent orchestra. During the year he was honored at a banquet. Four hundred people came to pay tribute to him and his music groups. At the banquet he was given a high fidelity, three- speed record player from the band members in admira- tion and respect for his untiring and devoted efforts. When the people of Antelope Valley see the hand at the Fair, the Quartz Hill Almond Festival or the Lan- castr Christmas Parade — stepping high and playing well — they know the man responsible is William Ballard. BEFORE A PERFORMANCE Mr. Ballard directs a puzzled but bcmrdalcd band member to take care of one of many last-minute details.

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HOME ECONOMICS BUILDING—You are a witness, above, of one of the school’s future landmarks, the Home Economics Building, under construction at the lime this picture was taken. SCIENCE BUILDING ENTRANCE —The door beckons to the building which housed the attend- ance office, activities office, auditorium and many classes. GIRLS’ GYM—Seen in the background is the Girls' Gym. surrounded by students between classes, rush- ing to their classes before the next bell. SUN DIAL—A gift of a graduating Senior Class, the Sun Dial stands and is sure to stand for quite some time.

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 O s £VJLC£ Mrs. Hermione Vaughn Banks is well liked by her students. She spends long hours in planning musical events and finding new and different music. When stu- dents are asked what they think of Mrs. Banks, they answer: “She’s wonderful.” She is the sponsor of the Talent Club and teaches A Cappella, Girls’ and Boys’ Glee and Mixed Chorus. Last year she took the A Cappella on an overnight trip to Long Beach for a Music Festival. This year the A Cap- pella attended the Berkeley Music Festival at the Univ- ersity of California during Easter vacation. A group of twenty students from the A Cappella Choir spent five days on the UC campus. Our vocal music teacher received her Bachelor of Music Education degree at USC and she also has a Master of Arts degree. She taught school six years in Hollywood and 17 years in Texas before coming to AV. Because of her capable direction of the school oper- ettas each year, AV’s student body looks forward to this event as a high point in the school year. Successful pro- duction of the operettas means many long hours of hard work for students participating. The most gratifying approval to them is the happy smile from their friend and instructor that says theirs was a job well done. Her contributions to the AV vocal music world will be fondly remembered by her students and audiences. MRS. HERMIONE VAUGHN BANKS BEFORE REHEARSALS for the Spring Vocal Concert, the yearbook photographer arrived. Here Mrs. Banks is shown arranging her vocalists for the picture. DONNING CHORAL UNIFORMS before curtain time are three of Mrs. Banks’ male vocalists — Phil Hamilton, tenor; Larry Acker, baritone, and Rick Hudson, baritone.