GHS’ JROTC corps preps for nationals
By James Niedzinski, Gloucester Daily Times, Mass. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The team has qualified for the National High School Drill Team Championship in the masters division.
But while the corps is preparing for its national title bid, the clock is ticking on a fundraising drive to let the drill team compete, with eight days to raise the rest of the money needed to travel to the
The team is
Thursday, 17-year-old
As hands clapped, feet stomped and cadets seemingly stopped to make 90-degree turns on a dime, JROTC Senior Marine Instructor and retired
Previously, the Gloucester team has competed in the challenger division. But, just as in high school sports divisions, if a team succeeds for too long, it gets moved up into a more competitive and challenging division. This marks the first year that the drill team will be competing in the masters division.
Muth said the competition will consist of regulation drills, in which all teams perform the same marching routines; exhibition drills, in which cadets perform their own unique routine; a color guard competition; and a dual exhibition, in which two cadets perform a two- to three-minute routine they created.
While Muth said there is still work to be done, he was confident the team would be well known in May.
"People are going to have to look up and say 'where did this team come from?'" he said.
Cadets said Thursday they became interested in the program for a number or reasons, from the sharp uniforms to the impressive, catchy marching.
"I always thought it was cool," she said.
Francis, the team's treasurer and boosters leader, added that this year's corps will be competing in May with the spirit of other JROTC teams in years past in mind. One of the many trophies on display at GHS is for second place in the unarmed exhibition at the national challenger level.
Yet Francis noted that, with only 28 cadets competing in the drill competition and roughly 900 students at GHS, some larger master division schools have many more cadets.
"Some might even have more cadets than we have students," he said.
To that end, the burden of fundraising has fallen to fewer hands as well. Francis said two fundraising efforts planned earlier ended up falling through, but he, Muth and the students have been hitting the pavement -- hard.
Thursday alone, Francis nailed down some donations from
Anyone wishing to support the corps and its nationals trip may send checks, made out to Gloucester High School JROTC Boosters, to
The team has met fundraising goals in years past through spaghetti suppers and individual efforts.
Cadets and organizers are not only confident they will meet the fundraising goal, but that they will come home from
Senior
"When we got more into it, we got into winning," she said.
___
(c)2014 the Gloucester Daily Times (Gloucester, Mass.)
Visit the Gloucester Daily Times (Gloucester, Mass.) at www.gloucestertimes.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 684 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News