Making Friends at GAC

Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.                                                                                      ~Francesco Guicciardini

Our theme this session is friendship.  While friendship is always an integral part of camp and one of our big goals, we are encouraging our Session #2 campers to be intentional about being good friends to each other and observant about what they appreciate about their friends.

Some of the questions we will be asking campers to think and talk about are:

What are the qualities of a good friend?

How can I be a better friend?

Who is being a good friend to me and how can I express my appreciation for them?

Some of the specific skills our counselors will be looking for and helping develop in campers are:

•  Listening Skills:  The ability to listen with interest to a friend’s stories, jokes, and comments.

Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer.  ~Author Unknown

•  Empathy:  The ability to understand how your friend feels in a given situation, and express comforting and encouraging thoughts. 

•  Sharing:  The willingness to share time and possessions with others. 

Admit Wrongs/Offer Forgiveness:  The ability to admit when you’re wrong and ask for forgiveness, as well as the ability to forgive others when they’ve done something wrong.

The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you. 

~Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook, 1927

•  Flexibility:  Sometimes being a good friend means doing the activity or event that your friend wants to do even if you have another preference.  And, in turn, your friend’s willingness to try your preference the next time, shows that they are being a good friend, too!

On the bulletin board on the ramp to our Dining Porch, campers and staff will be able to put notes and thoughts about friendship.  At our daily Morning Assembly, “GAC”s of Friendship will be reported and green and yellow eggs will be added to our Spirit Thermometer.

Our goal, of course, is to encourage our campers to be better friends to each other and to their friends at home!

Here’s to being good friends at GAC during Session 2!

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