Air cadet awarded Duke of Edinburgh medal to be presented by town

Sergeant Lucas Beagle of Fort Erie’s 337 “Allan Troup” Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron will receive the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award at the November 17 town council meeting.

Beagle, a Grade 11 student at Greater Fort Erie Secondary School, is one of only a few local youth to complete the demanding cadet program that combines community service, fitness, skill building and outdoor expeditions.

The bronze award marks the first of three levels, requiring months of volunteer work and personal development. Beagle met the standard through service with the cadets, physical training, and a two-day expedition he planned and carried out himself.

“That’s the kind of strength–emotional, physical, and mental–that you need to succeed in the world,” said Captain Harry Sully, commanding officer of 337 Squadron, to Fort Erie Radio.

Each level of the Duke of Edinburgh program is presented by a higher office: municipal leaders for Bronze, the lieutenant-governor for Silver, and the Governor General or a member of the Royal Family for Gold.

“The gold is awful hard because you really have to grow as an individual,” said Sully who received the Duke of Edinburgh Award himself as a young cadet and met the award’s creator, Prince Phillip.

The Allan Troup Squadron has a long tradition of excellence dating back to the 1950s, earning Ontario’s Western Trophy twice as the province’s top air cadet unit–one of only a handful of squadrons in Ontario to receive the trophy twice. Its alumni have gone on to careers in aviation, policing and the military.

“We’ve had some very exceptional cadets come through,” said Sully. “The Regimental Sergeant Major of the Hamilton Light Infantry, a former cadet of mine from Stoney Creek, credits the cadet program for getting him out of a dead-end job.”

That record continues in Fort Erie. Last June, Warrant Officer Jack McCormack of Allan Troup Squadron was named Air Cadet of the Year for Ontario, selected from 121 air cadet squadrons across the province.

“(McCormack’s) over at Carleton University right now, and who the heck gets 97 per cent in Grade 12 chemistry?” said Sully.

McCormack left the program with about $8,000 in scholarships, including support from the Air Cadet League.

For a small-town squadron averaging 30 to 40 cadets, Sully said its impact lasts well beyond graduation.

“People that are involved in the squadron feel like they’re still members many years on,” he said.

Beagle’s award presentation on November 17 will take place in Fort Erie’s council chambers, with Mayor Wayne Redekop officiating.

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