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Monthly Archives: April 2017

Celebrate Earth Day at DuBois Center

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April 22 is Earth Day! What better way to celebrate than with a Service Saturday at DuBois Center? Get outside with family and friends and help prepare this sacred space to welcome hundreds of campers and guests this spring and summer. Paint, prune, build, rake, clean, stack; there will be projects for volunteers of varied ages and abilities. If you or your group has a special skill, let us know ahead of time and we can plan a project for you!

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We’ll gather between 8:30 am and 8:45 am, and finish up around 4 p.m. Lunch is provided. Because we try to plan projects based on the specialized skills our volunteers bring, please RSVP by Monday, April 17. To register, please use this form, call 618-787-2202, or email us at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org. Supplies for general projects will be provided, but if you have specialized or professional tools/ equipment, please bring them along! See the Service Saturday flyer for more information.

Remember – if this date doesn’t work for you or your group, call the office to schedule your own work day (or even a work week or part-week!). Work days can also be scheduled as part of a larger retreat.

Mission Experience – Buddy to Buddy

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During this close-to-home, three-day mission experience, teens encounter God as they participate together with young people from Hoyleton’s youth residential program. The event will take place July 5 – 7 (Wednesday – Friday) this year.

Youth (completed grades 8 – 12) buddy up with one or two young people from the Hoyelton Children’s Home to swim, hike, create cool crafts and play games together. Buddies walk side by side with their biblical “neighbors” and learn first-hand about acceptance and respect. When Hoyleton campers head home each day, buddies and their chaperones reflect and learn from their experiences, plan for the next day and typically tackle a work project before having time to relax and enjoy their favorite camp activities. Daily reflections and prayer times focus on diversity, justice and our role as Christians.

Event cost is $140 per person (youth and chaperones), and participation is through church or region group. You cannot register individually via camp registration. Each group must provide their own chaperones. DuBois Center staff will be on hand to lead the buddies as well. Click here to learn more or contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202. Space is limited!

 

Summer Camp Staff – Kristian

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Welcome back Kristian Avise-Rouse! Kristian is returning for his second summer as a Counselor/Activity Specialist. His home base is Columbia, IL where he is a member (and ‘Pastor’s Kid’) at St. Paul UCC. Kristian attended summer camp and youth events at DuBois Center regularly while growing up. He attributes much of who he is to his weeks as a camper and his first summer as a counselor.

Kristian’s previous work with children and youth includes an internship with the Actor’s Attic’s Musical-in-a-Week program and various church activities. Currently, he studies nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University. He also runs for the school’s cross country and track & field teams, sings in the school’s choir, takes voice lessons, plays trombone for pep band and is involved in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Kristian’s favorite part of summer camp is “the love!” Kristian is amazed by the number of campers, staff and volunteers who “…bring and share so much love for one place full of amazing people.” He says, “It truly is the happiest place on Earth (sorry, Disney World)!!” Kristian knows he will always cherish the memories, friendships and laughter of camp and is very excited to return. Kristian will be taking a short break from camp this summer to serve as one of your ISCUCC delegates to General Synod.

Help Us Spread the Word

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We hear repeatedly that DuBois Center is one of the best kept secrets in southern Illinois. But being at the top of this particular list is not necessarily a good thing! Please help us spread the word about DuBois Center as a summer camp, an inviting setting for retreats, conferences and horseback rides and a place for families to gather and students to learn.

Even though the majority of our summer campers and many of our weekend guests come from Illinois South Conference congregations, DuBois Center serves a much wider community. In support of our mission – and our bottom line – we need to serve a wider community. DuBois Center welcomes individuals and groups from a variety of faith traditions, non-profit entities, public and private schools and other educational organizations.

Is there a family or group in your church or community that might benefit from all that DuBois has to offer? Please help us spread the word! For more information, click here for a facility brochure and contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

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Camps Perfect for Younger Children

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Children who have completed grades 1–3 are often looking for ways to gain independence and experience life like the “big kids.” Parents are looking for opportunities for their children to gain self-confidence, critical social skills and a greater awareness of God’s world. At DuBois Center, we have six part-week sessions designed with this in mind.

New adventures under the watchful eyes of caring, safety conscious leaders and smaller group sizes are ideal for this age group. Despite the length of these sessions, there is still time to ride a horse, explore the creek, swim in the lake and make lots of new friends. This summer, choose from Boy Meets Camp, Camp Quest, Discovery Camp or Girl Power. These sessions vary a bit in length and/or content:

Younger Children 2Camp Quest – June 14, 16 & June 28 – 30: Offers a taste of camp life from Wednesday afternoon to Friday afternoon.

Discovery Camp – June 25 – 27 & July 16 – 18: Slightly longer than Camp Quest, campers arrive Sunday afternoon and leave Tuesday evening after dinner.

Boy Meets Camp – July 19 – 21: Just for the boys and packed with camp adventures!

Girl Power – July 23 – 26: Laugh, dance, play and explore – all in the spirit of sisterhood!

Check out page 6 of the camp brochure for more details. And, remember, the early bird deadline is tomorrow (April 5)! Register online or drop a form in the mail to save $20 on these part-week sessions.

Register NOW to Save on Camp Fees

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All you need to be singing a happy Early Bird tune is a completed 2017 Camp Registration Form and $50 non-refundable deposit. Save $20 on full-week sessions and $10 on part-week sessions. Postmark or submit registration and deposit online by April 5. Any UCC “church share” of the camp fee may be paid separately. For added convenience we can bill churches for all their campers at one time.

To receive a summer camp brochure – check in your church office, click here, or contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Meet our Summer Staff – Pieter

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Welcome Pieter Fourie to DuBois Center’s 2017 summer staff team! He will be serving as a Counselor/Activity Specialist. Pieter lives in Pretoria, South Africa and speaks both English and Afrikaans fluently. He currently works as a camp counselor at Sugar Bay Holiday Camp, where he has developed skills in a wide variety of camp activities. He has significant experience in child care, behavior and conflict management, team building and lifeguarding.

An aspiring actor, Pieter loves to entertain family and friends; he often plans games and activities for family gatherings. In his free time, he auditions for acting roles. He also enjoys traveling, learning about other cultures and soccer.

This summer Pieter hopes to “teach [campers] new skills, form bonds, grow true friendships and encourage others to do what they dream to do.” He is very excited to bring his skills and talents to DuBois Center and to gain many more while serving with us. Ask him about Poi Spinning! Pieter is a Christian who walks his talk, as reflected in these excerpts from one of his references: “He is a young man of upstanding character… Pieter is charming, honest and has a sound set of values. He is courteous and humble… He is principled and lives his life by Christian values.”

We are looking forward to Pieter’s arrival in May!