MY FAVORITE TEACHER

By Diane Archer Bradbury


I was in the first grade the year George Beggs began teaching in the Cedar Vale school system. The Beggs family consisted of George (or G.A.), wife Madge and Madge’s twin brothers, Ronnie and Donnie Warren, who were also in the first grade. The twins were being raised by George and Madge because their parents had died. Eventually the Beggs also raised Roger and Joyce Warren, both younger than the twins. I have so much respect for them raising these four little kids. Later, they had their own daughter, Georgia.

My first experience in band was playing snare drum in fourth grade. By sixth grade I was playing in the high school band along with a friend and fellow drummer, Susan Alexander. The other drummers were Donna Burch and Nadine Stanhope and Susan and I admired these high school girls so much - a true case of hero worship.

About my 8th grade year I asked my parents for a saxophone as I was getting bored with playing drum music. Since my parents, Opal and Fred Archer, knew the Beggs, they asked if there was a need for more saxophones in the band. There was not. End of story.

But wait. In the fall of my freshman year, Mr. Beggs came to band practice one morning carrying a large music instrument case. After showing me the most beautiful, brand new baritone saxophone, he asked if I would like to play it. I was so thrilled that I wasn’t concerned about its size, for in my joy it was not heavy or bulky or cumbersome. At the Christmas concert that year I played a solo, “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and I realize now Mr. Beggs wanted the community and especially the school board to see what their money bought.

Mr. Beggs was one of, if not the first band teacher in our area to start a stage or dance band. This was right down my alley as I enjoyed the old standards and big band songs and played a lot of popular music on the piano at home. Our arrangements were what is referred to as “standard arrangements”, some fairly easy and some very challenging. I asked Mr. Beggs to try to find an arrangement of “Night Train” as done by Buddy Morrow, featuring the bari sax. I know he tried, but it was not to be.

Our high school vocal music program was taught by Mr. Beggs for several years though I’m sure it was not something he yearned to do. We had a good choir and he enjoyed working with smaller ensembles. He also directed the church choir at the Methodist church in which I sang alto and occasionally substituted playing the piano and/or the organ. I never felt needed in the alto section as there was one lady, Vera Sheldon, who was there to be heard.

There were three in my class who had a strong interest in music, Patsy Kelly, Barbara Woodruff and me. Mr. Beggs decided to teach a class in music fundamentals our senior year, 1958-1959. This was a freshman college level class and included learning to write four part harmony, etc. It was just another special thing Mr. Beggs did for the benefit of what he considered his advanced students. Or maybe it was the three of us who considered ourselves advanced. This was Mr. Beggs’ last year teaching in Cedar Vale and I felt so grateful that he was there for our twelve years.

What lucky high school students we were to have had the influence of Mr. Beggs. He had our respect; we would have done anything for him. He was even tempered, had high expectations of his students and worked hard to provide an excellent band for Cedar Vale High School, which was known over the years for it’s superior music program. The pride of Cedar Vale!

After marriage and two children I divorced and moved to Winfield where I pursued a music education degree at Southwestern College. I graduated, remarried and was offered a job teaching vocal music in the Oxford school district. This was a positive experience and provided me with many good memories.

My oldest son plays trumpet and is teaching a jazz combo class at Friends University as well as playing in the Friends Faculty Combo. I give Mr. Beggs some credit even for his expertise though they’ve never met. Surely my influence counts for something and a great deal of my knowledge and inspiration came from Mr. Beggs.........I can hear him now playing his rendition of “Sugar Blues.”