Camp Time is Real Time

What a great second week of camp! Lucas and I go through the cohorts, competitions, cookouts, skits, video AND MORE!

We are BACK! Summer 2024 is upon us and boy is it a hot and wild one! Quinn and I sat down to go through the week. We hit all of the firsts: first day, first counselor comp, first theme, first skits... and some firsts we don't typically have, like first time with a new rope for the bell!?! We also chat about the differences between Junior and Upper camp and stay tuned until the end for a serenade from Quinn. It's going to be a great summer, friends. Enjoy!

How do you decide whether to come back for one last summer or take that internship!? A real Sophie's choice if you ask me. Katie and I talked about our end of camp tenures and the delightful way Katie snuck in one last summer!

Well well well, look who's back! Tonight it's a campfire chat with Quinn and Aiden (and a cameo from Marcus). We touch on the troop-tribe crosswalk, talk about picnic table placement, some perks of upper camp, and maybe even the song of the summer. Now, is this an auditory masterpiece? No it is not. Is that somewhat disappointing, considering this is an auditory medium? Maybe, but what you'll hear is genuine excitement and enthusiasm for camp being talked about around a campfire. What's more camp than that!? We're getting close, friends!

Kicking off 2024 with an all-time camper/counselor Tricia Gittings. Tricia left and came back and we talk about how that experience was. We get into the heroic performance of the Camp Time is Real Time softball team at the John Panciocco Softball Tournament, and then close out with some rapid fire questions! It's February, friends; we are closer than we are farther away!

When you think about all of the different routes and walks you can think of camp, what comes to mind? Brittany Macleod and I covered basically every square inch of camp in this episode, talking about iconic walks, views, special events... AND MORE!

In an effort to capture all of the feels from camp, we recorded live one hot and sticky afternoon from the Gazebo. The pod is mostly Greg Kolber (camper and CIT) and friend of the pod Kat Nutting, but much to my delight, we're joined by a slew of counselors (and former counselors Katie Crowley, John Rice, Shannon Rice), Shea, Ty, Mike, Mary.. AND MORE! If you're looking for a bit of camp in your life on a cold dark day in the offseason, this is the episode for you!

What a way to kick off Season 3. My memory was refreshed to learn that Lauren was in my tribe (and that tribe was the Cherokees!?). We talk about video and camp friendships, and camp life lessons... all of the good stuff.

Last week of summer 2023 with the team captains. We got into the entire camp season and this last week with all of the events and all of the big feelings associated with it. What an amazing, magical year it's been. Sleep well FCDC!

This week we hear from some of the kids that make FCDC so special. Cora, Olive, Lucas, and Aiden talked to me at camp about all of the great things FCDC has to offer. Hear them tell it in their own words, with their own FCDC banter, sing songs, talk logistics, and get down to what makes this place great. It's the last day of camp, but hearing these voices at this place should bring a smile to your face :)

Week 5 had it all - a healthy dose of liquid sunshine, counselor karaoke, tugboat, SACKS AND HOOPS, crazy hair, special guests at sing, Music as a theme AND MORE! Hear about it all from one of the two best new head counselors and Billy!

Molly takes us through all of the happenings of week 4 from counselor competitions, to cookouts, FCDC's Got Talent, Counselor Karaoke, shows, video AND MORE! What a week!

This week Ethan is our special guest as he talks about bananas, hobby horsing, the shows, theatre, and of course being a new counselor at camp!

Week 2 had it all! Maura takes us through counselor competitions, cookouts, FCDC's Got Talent, Wacky Wednesday, Head Counselor Karaoke, a TC visit, the show, video AND MORE!

Everything you wanted to hear about the first week of camp with Elizabeth Panciocco! Lots of weather talk, a look inside orientation, Taylor Swift, and counselor competition teams in disarray! Plus a sneak peek to the assistants and CITs comp for the year!

Ashley takes us through all the highlights! Plenty of talk about being a 3rd session camper, archery, social director, and camp friendships that last long after your last day as a counselor!

Susan Cowell kicks off the countdown to camp! We go through it all - offseason, planning for the summer, eventually working on-campus, seeing the magic grow and - sorry everybody - it turns out Tom and Susan knew exactly what we were up to in the off hours! This is a great one, enjoy!

One of the 3 Kellys at camp in the 90s, Kelly Flynn takes us through her time at camp: as John's assistant doing everything for him, as a social director, to getting no sleep at overnights, and how she ended up at Woodlore (and made the best of it!)

It's Wes Hughes! We talk a lot about what camp meant in the moment and looking back, having John Panciocco as a teacher before he was back at camp, finding your niche at camp, and all of the fun we had those summers!

It's Scott Howe! So much great perspective from a camper/counselor/parent. Lots of talk about Boating, Woodlore, favorite counselors and of course, the origin story of Scooter! If you have been a camper or counselor over the past 30 years, this one is for you!

Buckle up for a wild ride with Kyle! We talk about playing the trumpet at flag, pulling pranks on counselors, theatre, video, starting as an older camper. What a delight!

This week Caitlin Panciocco talks to Katie Crowley and me about training for this year's Boston Marathon. She tells us about sticking to a schedule, long runs, and speed workouts. Katie and I, on the other hand, talk about our non-training, carbo-loading, and fly by the seat of your pants approach to the race. Caitlin is running for a worth cause - in honor of her dad and for all of those fighting rare forms of cancer. FCDC and Camp Time is Real Time listeners: please donate here. We'd like to see donations in the amount of the number of years you were at camp. Let's show up for one of our own, and support Caitlin's run! For a laugh, please enjoy this blog Katie and I kept during our marathon non-training.

Welcome to the first Eras pod! We have a bunch of your favorite counselors (including Tom) talking about why their era - the early to mid 90's - was the greatest at camp! Hear from Bill, Susie, Kelley, Eric, Todd, Shannon, and Tom on this one and be transported back to making mix tapes at Camp Communications, and counselors driving kids to camp!

Susie, Bill, and I talk about the magic era at camp, how Susie arrived at camp "off the streets" and loved it immediately, being a floater, working in junior camp, "watermelon," the magic of 1221 Pond street AND MORE!

Sat down with Katie and Sarah DiBiasio during camp this year to talk about traffic(!!!), the pool, counselor hunt, John Panciocco, green hats, the 50th AND MORE!

Part 2 of the Sunday morning chat in Tom's old office. This part has so many former and current staff and campers, everyone from AJ Friday to the Maliniaks to Fink! Lots of talk about Sing, the Overnights, and boating! So fun reminiscing with 2 people who know camp better than anyone!

Sam, Tom, and I talked in Tom's old office about it all! We even had visitors drop in, just as they would on a typical camp day. Part 1 goes back in the camp history books, but also brings us up to the present... hey, just like every episode! This one is great, enjoy!

Cam and I talked about Woodworking, the Squirrels, Green Hats, Friday skits, Battle Royale, and more!

Maura is a 2nd generation staff member who is a real delight to talk to! After a year following in her mom's footsteps as the ceramics head, Maura is in Video now and we talk about how she and Fink approach that, how they get to keep up with all of the kids, counselor competitions, green hats, and more!

Ali and I talk about joining camp as a head counselor, having never been a camper; the interview process, the first days, and becoming a vet. Then we talk about the unique bond she had with John Panciocco; how she brought very cool games to Games, and how we got "Ali's Valley."

This week with TC we deep dive into some of the greatest moments at camp. We talk about past traditions, counselors, competitions, theme days, eating comps, and more. Even more laughs in this one if you can believe it!

Finally. In the first of a multi-part series, Tom walks us through camp history; the origins of camp, different activity locations, building out a schedule, starting to make the secret sauce. We also get into Sing (a big part of that secret sauce) and some other pieces you may not have known

I talked to Billy about growing up AT camp! He gives us some good behind the scenes insight about how camp came to be, what goes into preparing for a camp season... and more! We also talked about his journey from camper to running all of the behind the scenes, and how there were no bumps in that road! This is a great episode and - as I say in the episode - the camp is in good hands thanks to this next generation!

Kicking off season 2 with a bang! I talked to Caitlin, Elizabeth, and Mary Panciocco about growing up at camp, their dad, the great John Panciocco, Belly flop, Counselor hunt, being late, camp songs, becoming a head counselor, a floater, ruling the pool... all of it! Such a delight to catch up with these ladies!

Perhaps you heard that 2022 marked 50 years of FCDC. We had an awesome celebration at Camp and at the Elks to mark the milestone. We'll hear from Bill and Stacey Danner, Susie Krause, Ali Landry, Maura Johnston, Sara and Katie DiBiasio, and me! Sing was amazing (and hot!), the party was everything you could imagine. Big shoutout to Kerry, Sam, and Billy for making all of that happen! 

Ty, Aiden and Quinn take us through the last week! Freeze dance finals, food relay, cookouts, belly flop, BATTLE ROYALE, Pig-off, talent show, final video, sleep well FCDC!

Week 5, what a week! Digging up the 5 year old time capsule! 50 year plaque for Gail! HEAT WAVE finally breaks! Water slides! Blind-folded musical chairs! Counselor Hunt! Green hat ceremony! Eating competition! OATMEAL! ANOTHER flash mob!

Ty, Sarah D, Fred Fred Burger, Aiden and Quinn take you through week 4! Football competitions! Just hoops! Spaghetti! Slip and slide! Double free swim! Popsicles! Cookouts! FCDC50th Anniversary Reunion Sing and Party!!! What a week, what a recap!

Ty, Shea, Aiden and Quinn take us through the week 3 recap - The threecap! The heat continues to be on for the second session, return of the horse race competition, counselor hunt part II, and "Records" as the week 3 theme!

This week Ty, Caitlin, Elizabeth, Mary, Callie, Aiden and Quinn take us through week 2! The Counselor Hunt returns! Rainy day pickup Monday, HOT HOT HEAT Tuesday through Friday, cookout Tuesday, double free swim Wednesday, Thursday, and then skits (Hollywood theme), all camp free swim, all camp video, THE EAGLE FLIES! (And that, friends, is called a run-on sentence!)

Ty, Danny, and Aiden talk about what happened during Week 1 of FCDC. We hear from a head counselor, a 1st year CIT, and a Squirrel. Sounds like an amazing week - Counselor competitions every day (current score Heads - 2 CITs - 2 Assistants -1). Freddie gets a crazy hair cut, Danny calls a strikeout at sing, a bouncy house at Jr. Camp, and Freddie makes good on his promise of a Billy skit!

An FCDC podcast wouldn't be complete without one of the most vital people at camp: John Panciocco. This episode is a collection of stories from most of the people we've heard from (and some first-timers!). We have very funny stories, never heard before stories, and stories of small moments that just really... mattered.

If you've ever wanted to know what it was like to live in a camp house all year round, this is the pod for you! We talk about the pool, the perks, and the off season with all 3 of the Gittings kids!

It's Turtle! We talk about the transition from being a 3rd session camper to all in as a CIT, how he got that fancy green hat, and Woodlore! What an episode!

Colby, Ty and I talk about woods activities, how to become an excellent counselor, creating the 2020 camp video, various sing punishments, and camp smells. Listen to this pod and know the camp is in good hands!

Corey, Jon and I talk about what makes FCDC so special, even 25 later. We talk about flying under the radar in the stables, video, ceramics, Tom, Gail and everything in between. Oh, and special guest star Bill Danner joins us for a surprise co-host!

Todd is a camp legend! He was my Algonquin assistant counselor his first year at camp (a big deal - the 8.8.88... how CAMP is that!?). With my trusty co-host Bill Danner, we talked about how he started in Woodworking, then Woodlore, and then finally made his way to the pool. We also got into the Belly Flop competition, Eating competitions, canoe trips, and drinking that sweet, sweet Junior Camp juice!

It's Fink! Current video counselor and longtime camp jack-of-all-trades, Fink joins us to talk about his camp lineage, the origins of "Think with Fink," and so, so many other ideas. It was truly a pleasure chatting with Fink and Ty as we stare down the start of the 50th!

Liz, Katy Sorensen and I talk about how the Fernandes' started at camp, going out with a bang, and lots of tales from the pool. We also go into what it's like having a sibling work with you at camp, reminisce about synchronized swimming, and get into a few other things that help to make the FCDC sauce. 

Kerry and I talk about what it's like being part of the multi-generational family running camp! We get into how she ended up at camp, how she helped to unionize the staff, camp humor, and then we go deep on the community that makes camp. Some really interesting and unique perspective in this episode, enjoy!

Eric takes us way back to a time when Explorers... had free periods!? We talk about activities and traditions that are no more, what it was like way back in the day, and of course the Nutty Buddy Champion talks about winning food challenges. Eric and the Gittings have been at camp for 80% of the camp's existence and we got into all of it on this pod!