Junior ROTC receives award

Cadets from Carson High School's Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps received the Salvation Army Bell Ringer Award during a ceremony Wednesday at the high school for volunteer work during the Christmas season.

"You've not only helped the Salvation Army, but you've helped financially disabled people all over Carson City," said Lt. John Van Cleef, head of the local Salvation Army, in his address to the cadets.

The cadets participated for a second year in the Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign, raising $3,502 for the community and volunteering 176 hours. They won the award for the 1998 season as well.

"If I was impressed by their participation last year, I'm doubly impressed by their participation this year," Van Cleef said. "We can't wait for Christmas 2000."

ROTC is an elective course in which student cadets learn military training and take classes like oceanography, meteorology, navigation, leadership, inspection and drill.

They also participate in community service.

"We try to get involved in community projects," said Skip Cannady, retired commander and head of the school's ROTC. "We got involved with the Salvation Army the year before and it worked out really well."

Cannady said the project helped the cadets as well as the members of the community.

"They learned a lot about planning and organization," he said. "It never runs as smoothly as you think it's going to on paper."

1999 was the first year the Salvation Army relied solely on volunteers to ring its Christmas bells.

"This was the first year we did all volunteers and I'll never go back to hiring bell ringers again," Van Cleef said.