Shelton High NJROTC program seeks new members

Matt Baide | Jan 20, 20220

Gordon Weeks count

Shelton High NJROTC members fire a rifle salute on Veterans Day at the American Legion Veterans Hall in Shelton.

Chief Stephen Gonczi provided an update on the NJROTC program to the Shelton School Board at the Jan. 11 meeting.

Gonczi, in his first year at Shelton High, said the program is doing well. He's in his fourth year as a naval science instructor and used to work in Spanaway.

"I'm glad to be back home. I live six minutes from the school," Gonczi said.

He has three sons, two whom graduated from Shelton and both participated in the NJROTC program. His ninth-grade son participates in the NJROTC program. Gonczi spent 24 years in the service.

"As far back as I can think, this program has always had strong support by administration, the staff and the board," Gonczi said.

Gonczi said the goal during COVID-19 is to keep the program running and keep normal events as much as possible. The program offers credits, including P.E., social sciences, the arts and history and if you stay in long enough and go to active duty training or in the reserves, you get an advanced promotion in the services if you've been in the NJROTC program long enough.

The program has 95 students and needs to reach 100 in order to continue to receive federal money. After a one-year probationary period, if the numbers don't get back to more than 100, funding for the program will fall on the district.

Taylor Philpott is the cadet commanding officer and a senior at Shelton. She said in the classroom, everything is going smoothly.

"We have several teams that compete. We actually, just last month, went all the way down to Oregon City High School and we spent the day there competing," Philpott said. "It was a very early day, we met at the school at 3 in the morning and then we left by 4, and didn't get back until 8 or 9, very long day, but we ended up placing almost all of our teams. We had a color guard that placed, our armed duals and singles did very well. Our unarmed drill team and our armed drill team, so far, a majority of our teams are on track to go to our state competition. We only have one meet in between now and then."

The final competition before state is in February at Bethel High School. Philpott said every day at 6 a.m., the program comes into the school and practices before school starts.

Gonczi said he's busy and it feels like he's on active duty sometimes.

"It's a good kind of tired, it's worn-down tired," Gonczi said. "I won't say a hamster on a wheel, but you know, it's running a race. It's busy but it's worth it, it really is."

For more information about Shelton High School's NJROTC program, visit https://shs.sheltonschools.org/departments_classrooms/njrotc