A the age of 12, Charlotte Lotter was among the founding cadets of what is now the 37 Orville Hand Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. Now, five years later, she leaves the squadron with the award for the year’s top overall cadet as she prepares to head off to university in the fall.
The Bradford-based squadron held its sixth annual ceremonial review recently, marking a year of training for the cadets aged 12 to 18.
“It shaped me as a person,” said Lotter, who achieved the rank of warrant officer second class, commanding other cadets.
She recalled, with fondness, participating in a weekend-long field-training exercise at CFB Borden sleeping in barracks, taking part in training exercises and being outdoors. And while she plans to spend the next several years studying, she does expect to return at some point as a civilian instructor.
The event involved a review by Maj. Pamela Evelyn, who first became involved in the air cadet program in 1978 and later became a civilian instructor and after enrolling in the Canadian Forces, held staffing positions before becoming commanding officer of a Toronto squadron.
In her address she commended the staff as well as parents who have supported the cadets as well as the cadets themselves.
“You have done an excellent job in terms of preparing yourselves for today,” she said, adding the summer would be a good time for those returning in the fall to reflect and consider what opportunities they’d like to pursue as a cadet next year.
The squadron launched in 2018 through the Bradford Legion as a satellite of the Newmarket squadron. The following year it received its own charter and became the 37 Orville Hand Squadron.
The squadron has more than doubled to 60 members this past year, growing its numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic’s interruption.
“This is, by far, one of the best youth programs in the country,” Darren Hodskins told the crowd gathered at the Bradford and District Community Centre. “The dedication of this unit is, without a doubt, outstanding.
“You truly are Canada’s finest.”
Hodskins, who was leading the army cadet unit at the Borden base, became the Bradford squadron’s commanding officer last year. Hodskins, who works as a police officer in York Region, was a cadet himself and is a member of the Canadian Army Reserve, a part-time component of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The program, he said, allows the youth to develop skills that are useful throughout their lives.
“There’s always the satisfaction seeing … that young naïve 12-year-old coming in. They’re shy, they won’t say anything and then they turn out to be one of the primary leaders,” he said prior to the review.
“I would get emails or run into former cadets and they thank me for what I did for them or turning their lives around.”
In addition to leadership and other training opportunities, the cadets have been involved in the Legion’s poppy campaign, the Santa Claus parade, marksmanship and speaking competitions and cadets were able to try out gliding last September.
In addition to the review, several awards were presented at the event.
Charlotte Lotter received the top overall award as well as the Royal Canadian Legion Medal of Excellence. Tristen Yap received the commanding officers' award. Shaurya Arora received the senior leadership award. Catherine Dawe received the junior leadership award.
Tristan Yap, who won the commanding officer’s award as a warrant officer first class, joined the local squadron this past year, continuing with the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program he started in Thunder Bay.
“I feel like the thing I’ve learned the most is how to lead,” said Yap, who heads off to university in the fall with an eye on becoming a teacher.
