New Camper Reflections of Summer 2016

What is your name? My name is Kieran Burke and I am from Ridgewood, NJ. 

How did you hear about FLC? Well, from when I was little, I heard about it from my uncle and aunt, the directors of Forest Lake.  I always wanted to enjoy the fun times they talked about at the camp with my cousins.

What was your favorite activity at FLC? Probably my favorite activity at FLC was the more sporty ones. Sports like soccer, riflery, rock climbing, etc. I also really enjoyed playing with my baseball glove or my lacrosse stick that I brought from home. Or even playing ping-pong which I guess is a sport.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about trying camp out for the first time? I would definitely say that you should go! FLC is a great experience, away from the outside world and you meet new friends like from France, New York, Japan, England and so many more places. And I feel like those friendships will stay with me forever and I made great memories with them.

Share what you enjoyed about being at camp? I enjoyed everything about camp! But what I really liked was that everything was fun. From chanting in the Mess Hall, swimming in the lake, campfire skits, and overnight camping trips, it was all epic! Even the nature sun printing was fun, and I thought it would be so boring, but surprisingly it wasn’t.

What was one of your favorite memories about being at camp? One of my favorite memories was getting my Recognition Stick, and getting a burn mark on it because I played in a soccer tournament off campus against opposing camp teams. It was really cool how my Recognition Stick also had my color war color, red, on it and how well crafted it was.  I felt really proud & confident when I got my first burn & I can’t wait to get more next summer!

Parent Reflection:

I really wanted my son Kieran to have his own growing experience separate from his sisters and his family! Though it was really hard for me and my husband to “let go”, I strongly believe that a child should have time apart to learn to make responsible decisions and to learn the value of becoming more self-sufficient.  FLC has those same values. FLC provided my son a nurturing and supportive community where he felt both encouraged and safe to take on new challenges.  Kieran was literally soaring when I picked him up on his last day of camp.  He couldn’t stop talking about all the adventures he had and how he felt so “connected to nature!”  But, perhaps the best thing Kieran said to me that day was, “Mom, I am going to miss camp a lot, but I really learned to appreciate you more.” Priceless!