When Cliff Roberts joined the group of four rowing a 2 ton lifeboat containing the entire 32 members of his 1960 Classic Challenge Course out the mouth of the tidal Hawkesbury River, through open ocean to Lion Island, he never imagined that, almost 50 years later, he would be the grandfather of what is fast becoming an Outward Bound family! A variation on today's challenge by choice, 1960 offered twenty-six days of tough discipline that saw this 18 year old transformed into a life-long fan and strong advocate of the organisation he now champions. A primary driving force behind the Gerringong Lions Club Navigator Course sponsorship, he is also the instigator of what he hopes will ultimately become a family tradition.

Still enthused by his Outward Bound experience as a young man, Cliff has vivid memories of his adventure, the inevitable competitive nature of the four groups of eight and the rigid discipline applied by those early instructors. The 5am swim and 5 km jog each day ensured their focus for the continuous stream of personal challenges that always, Cliff recalls, tested participants physically, emotionally and psychologically. "It was the best thing I ever did, it set me up for life".

Cliff would have loved to give his three sons the same opportunity but "times were tough" and it wasn't until the youngest, David, was 15 that funds became available. At 42, Cliff was severely tested keeping up with the young bloke as the Father and Son team on a Family Course in the rugged Bungonia Gorge. Abseiling, caving and rafting the Shoalhaven River established in the two men, young and not-so-young, a unique and enduring bond that convinced Cliff and his wife Val, that this would be their gift to their children through their grandchildren, an investment in the family future.

They have since created a Trust Fund to send every grandchild on an Outward Bound Navigator Course for 16 to 18 year olds. Joel, pictured here with proud grandparents is the first, having tackled the teenage challenge earlier this year. "Unbelievable," says Joel, "I learned so much. Mostly about myself!" Don't be surprised to see Joel charging down Mt. Kosciusko en route to Bass Strait on a Summit to Sea Course in the not too distant future!

Meanwhile, Cliff continues to promote Outward Bound with inspiring enthusiasm. The Community Partnership between Gerringong Lions Club and Outward Bound that offers Navigator Scholarships to local teenagers, has been so rewarding it seems destined to become a permanent feature of Gerringong community life. Raising $250 each before being accepted, the kids then come back and address the Lions Club assembled membership. "People are amazed," beams Cliff, "Everyone is so proud of the way they speak and act when they return. On the way home last time in the car, they were so keen to talk about the course, they even made me turn the football off!"

Grandparents, take note of Cliff's final comment: "This is not expenditure, this is an investment!"

                                   Cliff Roberts with his wife Val and grandson Joel