Graham Millar
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Graham Millar - Ullswater, The Lake District, 1962

I attended a 28 day course at Ullswater on or about Boxing Day, 1962. I seem to recall the course number was U75. I was in Mummery Patrol. It was the most significant course of my life. I wanted to attend because I wanted to ensure I was likely to have the character and personal qualities to be an entrant to to RMA Sandhurst. The report I received from Outward Bound as a result was my ticket into Sandhurst from where I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1965 in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, with whom I served in Aden and the tragic events of 1967. Outward Bound had taught me the need for resilience and perseverance, whatever one does in life. After my father committed suicide 2 hours after he and I had an argument, I realised my life needed to be re-set. At the age of 25 I came to Sydney and studied for 4 years to become a Land Economist and was involved in corporate property development running office and apartment projects. For the last 40 years, I have swum 2 kms a day 5 days a week. That facility, to overcome stress and keep fit, came out of my experiences as an Outward Bounder!

We should all be grateful to the German Kurt Hahn as the founder of Outward Bound. I really appreciate the symmetry that my son is now a German speaker living in Switzerland having won a von Humboldt fellowship for his PhD in quantum computational chemistry!

The reason my thoughts turned to Outward Bound was to hear that the disgusting Duke of York is a patron, although now presumably that association no longer exists. It is difficult to believe that any decent person would have an association with the likes of Geoffrey Epstein. Of course my own personal experiences had taught me that high social position is certainly no indicator of morality and an ethical lifestyle. Because we actually act at a biological, rather than a rational level, and giving high regard to “leaders” without proper discernment we finish up with the Jimmy Saville and Rolf Harris types.

Now aged 74, I collect dictionaries, at Who, What and Whence. [https://www.thecollectingbug.com/whowhatandwhence/explore?3]

And writing my book: “Why we act biologically, rather than rationally, and what we can do about it.”

And remain unbelievably grateful to Outward Bound.

Graham Millar,
8 Kinsdale Close, Killarney Heights, 2087
02 9975 4240
0400 220 392
gmillar@ozemail.com.au