Fathering Adventures

With special guest:

• Darren Lewis
  … in conversation with Bill Kable and Ken Thompson
  

He doesn’t claim to have been the beginning of all fathering adventures but in July 2008 Darren Lewis started an organisation by that name which has made many fathers and their children come alive through adventure based activities. Darren quotes Howard Thurman in recognising that the world needs people who have come alive.

We live in a world where fathers commonly spend just 8 minutes a day with each of their children, sometimes it is as little as 57 seconds on a week day. Darren provides an opportunity for Dads to spend dedicated time with their children in a fun environment.

Darren’s vision is to raise the next generation of men and women whole and healthy. He achieves this by getting Dads and their children along to Fathering Adventures and giving them an experience that they will remember with excitement for the rest of their lives.

Dads do not get an instruction manual with their first child but the risks if he gets it wrong are enormous. Darren has looked at American studies showing that 63% of teen suicides come from fatherless homes; 80% of rapists with anger problems, 85% of children with behavioural problems and 71% of High School dropouts have the same background. He sums it up by saying that the impact of fathers is immense.

Darren was honoured as Queensland Father of the Year in 2011 and is the father of four sons. But he got to where he is after coming from a difficult childhood himself. Through this experience and many Fathering Adventure programs over the years Darren has devised four tough questions which every father should ask himself. One of these is “Did your father ever say to you ‘I love you’?” Listen in to find out what the other questions are and if you can answer ‘yes’ to all of them you are a rarity.

This is inspiring stuff from a genuine Australian who is making a difference. Why not see where it might lead you?

Darren Lewis

Darren Lewis worked as an engineering consultant in the construction industry and managed his own structural design and drafting service in 2000. In July 2008 Darren founded Fathering Adventures which is an adventure based organisation providing opportunities for men to initiate boys into young manhood. Darren is based in Townsville and partners with others to provide these adventures in South Eastern Queensland, in NSW north of Canberra and in Victoria.

Song selections by our guest: When We Were Young (Parenthood Theme Song) by Lucy Schwartz & Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day

Note: This program is a repeat of the one aired on 4 February 2016.

Podcast (mp3)