Save the Date – Fall Festival 2019

It’s never too early, to start planning for DuBois Center’s annual Fall Festival! Save the date for Sunday, October 6, 2019 and consider how you and your church might be involved.

Sharing this logo is a great way to start. Save it now and use it on your website, in PowerPoints, newsletters and bulletins.

If you or your church is interested in volunteering at the event, please contact the office at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Spring Cleaning

Are you spring cleaning? Your trash could be our treasure!
Each year, DuBois Center has a seemingly-odd list of items we are collecting for use at camp, during retreats and more. If you have any of these objects gathering dust somewhere, we would love to give them a good home!
● Pool Cues: Ours are old and in disrepair. We have a table in the game room that is used by weekend guests and during inclement weather.
● Puzzle Pieces: If you have old puzzles with missing pieces of any size, we can put them to good use. They are fun additions to our stash of craft supplies. With a summer camp theme of “Peace Works” – the possibilities are almost endless.
● Scrabble Letters, Buttons & Ribbon: More great additions to our Craft Grotto!
● Glass Jars or Containers: We are looking for ones that are 16 ounces or smaller for a variety of projects.
Items may be delivered to DuBois Center or the Illinois South Conference office in Highland. If this doesn’t work for you, contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 619-787-2202 to make other arrangements. Thank you!

New Rain Barrels

Education and sustainability are two of the priorities of Green DuBois.
Just in time for summer camp, rain barrels were installed behind the Nature’s Classroom shed near the camp entrance. Instead of dragging full buckets from spigots at the office or elsewhere, campers and leaders will use rain barrel water for campfires, candle-making, science projects and other activities in that area. Convenient, educational and a great way to conserve tap water, the four-barrel system will hold more than 200 gallons when full. Each barrel has a spigot, and the last one allows for excess water to run down the hill away from the buildings. Blue barrels were used to reduce algae growth in the water. The shed was selected for the gutter, despite the pavilion roof having more surface area, because the shed has a metal roof and will provide cleaner water.
These food-grade barrels were graciously donated, and Green DuBois team members installed them. Next time you’re at camp, take a look!

Meet Our Summer Staff – Kristian, Laura and Bailey

      

Welcome Kristian Avise-Rouse, Laura Renken and Bailey Reichert (pictured above, left to right) to our 2019 summer camp leadership team! This will be Kristian’s fourth and Laura’s third summers on staff – both will be serving as Village Coordinators. Bailey will serve as our Waterfront Coordinator during her second summer on staff this year.
Kristian is from Waterloo, IL and attends Epiphany UCC in St. Louis. He is a student at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he is focusing on music education. His goal is to become a high school choir director. Growing up, Kristian looked forward to going to camp every summer. His favorite part now is “watching kids build lifelong friendships like I was able to do during my many years as a camper!”
Laura studies elementary education at Eastern Illinois University; her goal is to teach second or third grade. She is from Hamel, IL and is an active member of Salem UCC in Alhambra. Laura loves working with children and was a regular Vacation Bible School and summer camp volunteer before joining our staff. Camp has been a second home for Laura since she was a young camper. “It is a safe place where I feel free to explore my faith and be myself. My favorite part of camp is the people that you make connections with when you come together.”
Bailey grew up in Columbia, IL and her home church is St. Paul UCC in Columbia. She is also a student at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she studies biology and psychology. After graduation, she has her sights set on graduate school and a career as a Physician’s Assistant. Some of her favorite things are coffee, swimming and female empowerment. Bailey volunteered for two summers at camp before joining our staff. Bailey loves “watching campers learn to love camp just as much as she does and seeing the impact it has on them!”
Welcome back Kristian, Bailey and Laura!

Welcome Work Campers!

A team from Christ UCC in Dupo, with a neighbor from St. Paul in Belleville, rolled into camp yesterday morning and got straight to work. Here for most of the week, they have a full slate of projects including safety enhancements in the cottages, screen and door repairs in the rustic cabins, new brighter lights for the rustic shower house and elsewhere, an extended deck for the chapel in main camp, as well as a number of other smaller, less glamorous projects.

Pictured are Larry Godare (above) and Marvin Doerr (right) building openings to make the Ga-ga pit more accessible.

THANKS to this crew and all volunteers that make a difference throughout the year! Watch for updates on Facebook.

WELCOME TEAM – Join Us!

June 9, 16, 23, July 7, 14, 21

On these six Sundays, scores of campers will arrive at DuBois Center eager and excited to begin their time at camp. Twelve volunteers, plus summer staff, are needed for each of these Sundays to ensure the check-in process runs smoothly! Volunteers assist with greetings, 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. We do need FIRM commitment as we keep recruiting until the spots are filled.

CAMP NURSES – Servants with Sunscreen

Band-Aids – YES, but so much more! One setting for ministry at DuBois Center is our health center. Volunteer nurses are a vital piece of our summer camp program. Serving as a camp nurse can be a very rewarding mission experience, one that is similar yet very different than most traditional nursing positions. As expected, responsibilities include reviewing camper medical forms, conducting health screenings, receiving & administering medications, providing first aid & basic medical treatment, and documentation. But when you really get down to it, camp nurses spend most of their time removing ticks, soothing rashes, distributing medications and providing extra TLC for homesick and nervous campers.

If you are an RN, please consider serving with us for a full or partial week. The living quarters have AC and there is often time to join us for worship, explore the woods or just sit back and read a book. For more information, contact Shirley at DuBois Center at shirley.director@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

GIRLS who CAMP! – June 23-28

NEW this year – Girls Who Camp is designed for girls who have completed grades 5-8. Fun and adventure await as they learn more about God’s creation, each other and girls who rock the world. This week, the Rustic Village is just for GIRLS – girls who play, girls who laugh, girls who run, girls who hike, girls who swim, girls who pray, girls who create, girls who sing, girls who build, and girls who… camp!

Pick up a camp brochure at your UCC church or download one. To receive a brochure by mail, contact DuBois Center at 618-787-2202 or dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org.

Suzie

BLOCK PARTY – Recap

They came… they played… they had a great time! Youth groups from Friedens UCC – Irvington, St. Paul UCC – Belleville, St. Paul UCC – Lebanon and St. Paul UCC – Nashville invaded the Rustic Village for an afternoon of 9-Square, Kickball, Hot Dogs, S’mores and so much more. They made new friends, met some of the horses, painted rocks for a special mission and explored the Rustic Village. One group brought cupcakes to share – which were definitely a hit!

Thanks to the churches that turned out and DuBois Center’s marketing team for making it happen. “Everyone had a wonderful time… It was fun to be able to go with the youth to a non-overnight event!” commented one pastor. Later this week, check out DuBois Center’s Facebook page for more photos of the event.

Volunteer at Camp

Wanted: fun, engaging and caring volunteers to serve as nurses, cabin counselors, activity specialists and barn helpers. Consider a week (or even a few days) at DuBois Center and join our Summer Camp 2019 team! Minimum age is 18 for most positions; young adults and older adults are welcome. Give of your time and talent, make a difference and gain a wonderful sense of satisfaction… and even perhaps a bit of joy! For more information, go to the volunteer page of our web site or contact Shirley at 618-787-2202 or shirley.director@DuBoisCenter.org.