LA PLATA, Md. (Dec. 13, 2008)—Charles County Public Schools hosted its second annual Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp (JROTC) Joint Services Military Ball on Friday, Dec. 5 at North Point High School.
This is the second year CCPS has sponsored a joint ball for high school senior cadets. In previous years, each school organized its own ball to celebrate traditions of the JROTC programs.
The ball included ceremonial military traditions, such as the Presentation of Colors by the Joint JROTC Color Guard. Students and guests also participated in toasting to honor military personnel, leaders and ball guests. These toasts included references to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, to the JROTC instructors and to the CCPS cadets in attendance.
Col. Donald M. Wade, chairman of the Board of Education of Charles County, presented a keynote address to ball guests. Wade played a key role in bringing the JROTC program to CCPS and helped establish the first program at Henry E. Lackey High School in 1998.
More than 150 cadets attended the ball and were presented with certificates of participation by their JROTC instructors. After certificates were presented to all cadets, students and guests participated in two other military ball traditions: cake cutting and the presentation of a military court.
All six county high schools have JROTC programs, which teach students skills, values and good citizenship to the community. Participation in JROTC also provides students with leadership opportunities and advanced rank for those who enter the military after high school.
More than 800 CCPS students are enrolled in county JROTC programs. These students also participate in a county drill meet, held annually in March, and co-curricular activities such as Color Guards, Armed and Unarmed drill teams, Armed and Unarmed exhibition drill teams, academic and field event competitions.
Source: Charles County public school system