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How to make the type of friends that will be in your wedding party - at camp!

Welcome to episode 16 of First Class Counsellors! 

Matt here. I usually write these posts in the 3rd person, but this episode really hits home for me.

99% of my closest friends are camp friends.

I had a rough high-school experience. I wasn’t able to find a solid group of friends and never really felt like I had a group of people that loved me for who I really was. 

Camp changed everything for me.

Because of camp, I found out what I was missing in those relationships at home. Camp people got me. Over the course of one, maybe two summers, I felt like I had a community of people that supported me and that I could turn to whenever I was in need. We stayed connected in the off-season and grew closer and closer with every year.

Fast-forward 13 years. Every person in mine and my wife’s wedding party was a camp person. We spend every new-years together and talk in a group message almost every day.

I’m truly blessed.

Now, not every person’s camp experience will like mine. I had the privilege of being the best friend of the director’s son and I was a long-time camper before becoming a staff member. I wasn’t an international staff member and didn’t have to understand both the culture of camp AND the country I was in.

My privilege aside. I truly believe that camp is one of the best places to make lifelong friends and that’s why we did a whole podcast episode on it.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Why the conditions at camp are perfect for making friends
• How to make friends at camp this summer
• Ways to have great camp friends and still prioritize your job
• A whole lot of other ideas on how to form lifelong connections this summer

We hope you enjoy this episode, and most importantly, find it useful!

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If you have any feedback or a suggestion for a future FCC show, send Matt an email at [email protected]

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Get Ready - Counsellors, do this NOW to level up your counselling skills

Oliver: 

• Get a BUNCH of high-quality stickers! People love putting them on their water-bottles and you can use them as rewards for people remembering their water-bottles.

Matt:

• Get yourself a good backpack for this summer. In Matt’s camp bag, you’ll always find:
  • A mini first aid kit
  • A GOOD raincoat
  • Deck of cards or small board games
  • Hackey Sack or small ball
  • Waterbottle & Coffee Mug
  • Extra socks
  • Granola bar if you’re allowed

Host Links

• Oliver Gregan, Summer and Families Camp Director at YMCA Camp Jewell
• Matt Honsberger, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro