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He was very pleased to see his former students, noting, "I haven't seen some of these people for fifty years."
He gave a brief history of the band during his tenure as director. Mr. Yearick was a student at Mansfield State Teachers College, where he was a student of Bert Francis, who began the Concert Wind Ensemble. Mr Yearick was a charter member and belonged for his four years at the school. He also attended Penn State, where he was taught by Dr. James Dunlop of the PSU Blue Band. "Mr. Francis and Dr. Dunlop were my mentors," he said.
Mr. Yearick played violin in a regional orchestra, and Oliver Mitchell and Winnie Deemy of Troy were members of the orchestra.
"During the spring, Mr. Francis had open rehearsal for the local kids in District Band. He seated them next to the college kids so we could help them. Sarah Crumbling from Troy High School sat next to me and during breaks she told me how nice Troy was."
"Troy's band director had taken a job in Danville and Winnie asked Mr. Francis to recommend a band director. He asked me, but I already had signed a contract to teach in Morrisville. Winnie insisted that I come for an interview. I kept the interview, and couldn't say "no" to Harry Crumbling, and I took the job. Mr. Crumbling said I was hired as Band Director but I had to join the Lions Club, which I did!"
"There were forty-two members of the band when I came and we grew to one hundred and two at its height. PSU director Dunlop once was hired to come here for two days to work with the band. He had visited most of the schools in Pennsylvania, and he told us that we were one of the top programs in the state."
Mr. Yearick gives the credit to the members of the band. "I had the best students in the state," he said.
He recapped some of the extraordinary accomplishments of the band during his tenure.
"We represented the United States at Expo '67 in Montreál on behalf of the US State Department. That was by audition."
"We played a concert at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association at the Forum in Harrisburg."
"The appearance of "The Serenaders" from Troy on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour was something to behold," Mr. Yearick said. That was national television.
"It was always fun to walk into the banquet at the District Band Festival and see twenty or thirty Troy students there. We did alright - you guys did alright," Mr, Yearick fondly told the group.
These band members from the Class of '65 were present: Judy Cole Husted, Nancy Cole Conklin, Virginia Eick Kieser, Cheryl Patterson, Judith Packard Hulslander, Lea Poeltl Frymire, Robert Staudt and Diane Stuckless Meyer, along with Ron Kenyon from the Class of 1962.
Mr. Yearick's former students shared some stories. One told Mr. Yearck, "We were scared to death of you!" Another said, "I won't say I was scared, but I never was late!"
Another one illustrated the habit of students to refer to their former teachers as "Mr.," "Miss," or "Mrs.", told that Mr. Yearick would be at the gathering asked, "We can call him George?"
A saxophone player remembered the halftime performance when she walked into the goalpost, hitting it with the bell of her instrument.
Another girl said that her loafer came off in the middle of a muddy football field. "The drummer told me he would get it out for me on the next trip through."
The students asked Mr. Yearick a few questions, which he graciously answered. He married Mrs. Yearick on the Saturday immediately following his graduation from college. They had attended high school together.
Mr. Yearick had three majors, alto sax, oboe and flute," and one of the band members related that "He could play anything." A girl added, "and he could play it better than we could!"
Virginia Eick Keiser came wearing her band jacket from fifty years ago, which prompted another woman to say that she could still wear the same earrings she wore in high school!
Refreshments were served and it was a delightful afternoon of reminiscence and friendship