Veteran Camp Anna Siefken, has started a video blog. Recently she posted a video blog expressing her views on bullying and the impact it has on its victims. Intrigued by Anna’s message, I asked her to write a piece for our January Newsletter about bullying and FLC. This is what she wrote……..

Bullying is becoming a growing problem every year, every month, every day.  Some schools and educators choose to ignore it, just to prevent a lawsuit or having to go through the trouble of chasing a kid down. So instead, we should try to appeal to the bullies and victims. We are fortunate enough to attend a camp, or to be the parent of somebody who does, where bullying is not an issue. But that doesn’t mean we still shouldn’t take action.

Going into my third year at FLC, you may say I was “lucky” to never have encountered bullying within the camp. In reality, camp is actually a safe place, and one of the only communities where you don’t have to worry about avoiding mean people. This is because no matter who you are with, you can always be accepted and remain without judgement at FLC. Whether you chew too loud, aren’t the best at basketball, or snore in your sleep, nobody will say anything negative that could hurt your feelings. We can all trust each other with secrets, without the worry that they will go tell everybody else. FLC becomes a team that works together, and stays together. Not to mention, because of the lack of internet, no one has too deal with cyberbullying. Forest Lake Camp is a break from the rest of society, where you could just keep on smiling no matter if you have been bullied in the past or not.

No matter where you live or go, you can always find somebody or yourself being taunted, called names, or being pushed around. Whether in person or over social media, it is happening everywhere. And that it why it is nice to just have an escape from the reality of the world, to have fun and be with your second family.This is how I feel at FLC. And although bullying is a big issue to address, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and defend those who are the victim. So just remember, FLC is a safe place where you can just be yourself, and you can be loved for it.    -Anna Siefken