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Yearly Archives: 2017

Mother-Daughter Retreat 2017

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Fall is just around the corner! School, sports, band, clubs and church programs are all picking up steam, making family time even more difficult to find.

You are invited to breathe, slow down and spend quality time with the girls and women in your life at DuBois Center’s annual Mother-Daughter Retreat, which will take place on Oct. 13 – 15 this year. Engaging activities, inspiring God time, great fellowship, meals without cooking – all are part of this weekend escape. Participate in everything or choose a more relaxed weekend with board games, knitting and leisurely strolls. Either way, the focus of this retreat is on building relationships and making memories with loved ones.

All generations and groupings are welcome: mothers and daughters, grandmothers and granddaughters, aunts and nieces. Save the date – more information will be available soon!

We need candles!

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One of the great attractions at Fall Festival is the Kidz’ Korner, a fun area full of cool crafts for youthful visitors. Candle dipping is a favorite activity, but requires LOTS of wax!

DuBois Center is looking for candles to melt down and recycle into homemade pioneer-style dip candles. Solid-colored candles in shades of blue, red, purple and green are great, but we also use lots of plain white candles and those with colorful exteriors and white cores.

If you’ve got old candles you’re looking to get rid of, contact the DuBois Center office at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Schedule a Group Horse Ride

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Is your youth group, family ministries program, scout troop or neighborhood playgroup wild about horses? Did you know that groups of six or more can schedule horseback rides at DuBois Center on weekends and mid-week school holidays? Trail rides, with an orientation in the arena, last for one hour and cost $22 per person for day groups. Our Equestrian Team can also provide educational sessions related to badges (and some badge requirements) for all ages and levels of scouts, or “Horse Sense” sessions for non-scouting groups.

For more information contact the DuBois Center office at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

A big thank you to our volunteers!

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Three Summer Camp Sundays down – three to go. A special thanks to the 16 volunteers who have already stepped up to greet and welcome campers and parents on the opening days of camp sessions – Bre Beisiegel, Norma Borgmann, Aaron Fuchs, Becky Harrison, Angie Hausman, Audrey Hicks, Leah Juenger, Wendy Juenger, Sandy & Scott Kuether, Arline Magee, Cara Magee Johnston, Todd Mushaney, Jason Petry and Joe & Kara Schmid. Many hail from local Illinois South Conference congregations; others are “friends” of DuBois Center. UCC churches represented include Christ – Dupo, St. Paul – Columbia, St. Paul’s – Freeburg, St. Paul – Lebanon, St. Paul – Waterloo, St. Peter’s – Centralia.

We still need volunteers for the remaining Camp Sundays – July 9, 16 and 23. On these Sundays, scores of campers will arrive at DuBois Center eager and excited to begin their time at camp. A minimum of 12 volunteers each of these Sundays, plus summer staff, are needed to make the check-in process run smoothly! Volunteers assist with greeting, parking, the camp store, registration, health screenings, dock duty and people-moving. They arrive by 1:15 pm and are done by 4 pm. Please consider joining our Sunday Welcome Team on one or more check-in days. You are invited to wear a church t-shirt and show your spirit. Even consider bringing a team from your church! Let us know in advance when you can help; contact the DuBois Center office at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202

 

There’s Still Space for Campers in July!

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July is a great month to experience a summer adventure at DuBois Center! While many sessions in June had waiting lists, there are plenty of openings in July. See below for a full list of camp sessions remaining this summer, and their dates. Help us spread the word and tell your friends and family. Remember – you save if you bring a friend new to DuBois Center!
July Camps 2
Curious about what we do at camp? Check our great pics from the first week of camp at www.facebook.com/DuBoisCenter to learn more about all of the fun we’re having this summer! Click here to register online or contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202 to receive a brochure.
 
July 9-14:July Camps 3
  • Mad Science (completed grades 4-6)
  • Horsin’ Around (completed grades 5-7)
  • Base Camp Unleashed (completed grades 5-8)
  • Outlander (completed grades 6-9)
  • Outpost Lab (completed grades 6-9)
July 16-18
  • Discovery Camp (completed grades 1-3)
July 16-21
  • Settler (completed grades 3-5)
  • Horsin’ Around (completed grades 5-7)
  • Trekkin’ It (completed grades 5-8)
  • Saddle ‘Em Up (completed grades 7-9)
July 19-21
  • Boy Meets Camp (completed grades 1-3)
July 23-26
  • Girl Power (completed grades 1-3)
  • Pony Express (completed grades 4-5)
  • Rustic 101 (completed grades 4-6)
  • Splash! (completed grades 5-7)

Christ UCC Dupo Provides TLC

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Cabin doors – check! Cabin screens – check! Cabin steps – check! Recently, a work team from Christ UCC in Dupo spent several days at DuBois Center helping prep the grounds and facilities for summer camp. Most of their time was spent in the Rustic Village. They repaired screen windows and doors, built steps, installed fascia and more. In addition, stumps throughout camp were ground into sawdust.

Volunteers are the heart of DuBois Center and mission is the heart of local congregations. This team is a great example of church mission in action. Now a tradition, this group’s first work experience at DuBois was in 2014 when they joined with an established team from St. Paul UCC in Belleville. They have been back each spring since, and have also taken on segments of the set-up and tear-down for Fall Festival. Please help us in recognizing this great group of workers and the church’s commitment to our shared ministry.

Christ UCC 1

 

The Countdown for Fall Festival 2017 has begun!

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Believe it or not, the Outdoor Ministries Team has been working on the 41st annual Fall Festival for a while now. This traditional fundraiser will be held on Sunday, October 1 from 11 am – 5 pm this year.
We will continue to offer the established “favorites” in food and programming, but are seeking groups to operate food stands as well as musical performers. Also, volunteers are needed in the various areas.  Previous crafters will be contacted soon – however, if you are a first-time crafter interested in being considered for a space in the craft area, please contact Susan Fuchs at SusanKFuchs@gmail.com.
The one major change this year is a new “Upscale Resale” Shop (each item valued at $10 or more) in the Fireside Area of Oak Lodge. Those who usually provide Silent Auction baskets, etc. are certainly welcomed to continue donating. However, each donation will be price marked for sale on that day before 4 pm. Due to requests for a larger seating area to accommodate the diners in Oak Lodge, we will set up more tables/chairs for them to eat. The remaining half of the Fireside Area will house the ‘Upscale Resale’ Shop to attract shoppers looking for the right item(s). We expect each donated item to be nice, clean, and easily carried. Suggested items for donations in the “Upscale Resale” Shop are: purses, suitcases, jewelry, coats, general décor, lamps, seasonal decorations (including wreaths, small trees), floral bouquets, kitchenware, etc. Donated items may be brought to DuBois Center, or pick-up arrangements may be made by contacting Norma Borgmann any time before September 29.
More information will be sent to the 79 ISC churches this summer in addition to periodic updates in future editions of the Weekly Connection and on this blog. The Outdoor Ministries Team hopes that you will include the DuBois Center’s Fall Festival on your calendars now for Oct 1.
If you have any questions or comments or need info, please feel free to contact Norma Borgmann, Fall Festival Coordinator, at nborgmann1658@charter.net or 618-533-1658 or 618-292-4617.

Quilts Needed for Fall Festival

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Beautiful quilts are an integral part of DuBois Center’s annual Fall Festival. Each year, lovingly crafted treasures are donated for the quilt drawing. Our first quilt of the season has been donated and it’s beautiful! This charming star pattern quilt is twin-sized (66″ x 86″), hand-pieced and quilted. It was created and donated by Sarah Moore, a member at Bethel UCC in Cahokia. This is Sarah’s second Fall Festival quilt.

If you or your group would like to donate a quilt for this year’s drawing, contact Shirley at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202. Ideally, the second quilt would be queen-sized. Thanks for your support!

Cabin Counselor Volunteers Needed

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Kid – focused! Faith-filled! Safety-conscious! Young at heart! If these characteristics describe you, please consider sharing your gifts and talents at DuBois Center this summer. Volunteer cabin counselors work hand in hand with summer staff members to guide small groups of campers. In doing so, they touch lives and make a real difference. We are currently recruiting volunteer counselors for three and six-day sessions.

Contact the DuBois Center office at 618-787-2202 or dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org. Volunteer applications are available here.

Camp Names Explained

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Finch, Sparkle, Pastor Skippy, Kayak, Nurse Bandit, El Padre, Banana, Squeak, Shark Bait – What’s with all the weird names? Since 2011, “camp names” have been the norm for summer staff and volunteers at DuBois Center. Some are silly and pulled from… who knows where. Others have stories and traditions behind them.

Banana (Daisy Mercer) was first introduced to a new way to open bananas during summer staff training. To avoid inhaling pollen and dust, Nurse Bandit wears a bandana over her nose and mouth when driving around camp on a Gator. Pastor Skippy, who loves peanut butter, has been a camp chaplain for decades at a variety of different camps and his name has traveled with him. It’s a tradition!

We use “camp names” during the summer at DuBois Center because they are FUN, and because sometimes there are just too many Ryans and Merediths running around. Real names are shared on the last day of each session and they are listed on the sign-out sheets when parents pick up their children at the end of a camp. If a counselor senses that a parent is nervous about not knowing their “real name,” the leader might take them aside and share that detail in advance. What’s in a name – a lot of silliness!