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Monthly Archives: July 2020

Fall Festival 2020?

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Do we know for certain that on Sunday, October 4 we will be able to throw open the gates and welcome guests, vendors and volunteers to Fall Festival 2020? Sadly, the answer is NO. There is no way to know this far out if large gatherings will be safe to offer. We all hope and pray that our communities will help to control the spread of COVID-19, but we can’t predict the future or the behavior of our friends and neighbors, much less strangers.

The date is reserved and volunteers are beginning their preparations. No commitment of funds is needed until early September, so for now we wait and prepare and pray. Any word of postponement will come approximately six weeks in advance of the event. This is a short time frame for final planning and preparations, so be thinking NOW how you might be able to assist.

Sixty Seconds of Solitude

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Today’s edition of 60 Seconds of Solitude from DuBois Center features the bigger lake in main camp. This video was taken from the dock at Oak Lodge. Water is one of the basic elements of God’s creation and is essential for life. Lakes, oceans, creeks – for many they have a calming effect.

We encourage you to take sixty seconds to relax your shoulders, breathe deeply, gaze upon the waters and remember that the God who created renewing waters is with us always. Watch for weekly solitude postings on our website and Facebook page.

 

Mystery Cleaning Crew

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Ever wish for a cleaning crew that would quietly and quickly take care of your home – at no cost? We think we may have just such an anomaly at DuBois Center. Due to uncertain finances and difficulties finding a new lake treatment contractor, the decision was made to either not treat the lake this summer or significantly limit the number of treatments.

As usual in late spring, algae growth was evident; along the shoreline, it was reaching out about eight feet in places. Surprisingly the algae never grew much beyond that. The lake did “turn over” a time or two, but still there is typically always algae, and now – in the heat of the summer – there is almost none. Yes, that’s right – almost none! On closer inspection, what we did find was a multitude of Bryozoa, a mysterious moss animal.

We first noticed these creatures a couple summers ago and did some initial research then. We learned that they are not toxic, venomous or harmful to humans. They do have an “ick” factor because they appear to be gelatinous blobs and attach themselves to docks and ladders. The biggest issue, of which we are aware, is their tendency to occasionally clog underwater screens or drainage pipes – much like algae and mushy leaves.

Bryozoa are tiny colony animals, which means they live in community with each other – sounds very camp-like! Thousands of individual moss animals, typically only .02 inches in length, make up the one blob pictured here. Here’s the mystery cleaning connection – they have little “arms or fingers” with tentacles that strain food particles out of the water and in doing so, help to clean our lake water. Are they the reason for our nearly algae-free lake? We don’t know for certain, but if not – it is a strange coincidence.

AlgaeClean Lake

Virtual Campfire – Tonight, July 23rd

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We hope you will join us TONIGHT at 7pm Central Time for the last DuBois Center virtual campfire of the summer! Everyone is welcome!

This week we are saluting our 2019 campers and leaders from week #6 with lots of great photos – Girl Power and Pony Express. It was only a three-day week, but there are lots of great photos! We are also celebrating all the staff and volunteers who made summer 2019 such a success! There are lots of great, and some silly, photos of them as well.

This edition is again packed with fun. No bad jokes, but you’ll see lots your favorite camp leaders and sing lots of silly and serious camp songs. I’ll be hosting the campfire with special help from Minnow, Shark Bait and Sparrow!

If all goes as planned, you’ll be able to join us via the chat function during the initial viewing. After tonight, the video will still available to view, but the chat feature won’t be activated.

Hope you can join us tonight!

If you have questions about tonight, contact DuBois Center directly at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618.787.2202 BEFORE 5pm or dbcprogramoffice@gmail.com AFTER 5pm.

 

A Salute to Week #4 in 2019

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This week we celebrated DuBois Center 2019 campers and leaders from Week #4 on Facebook, Instagram and during our virtual campfire. Many were registered and excited about returning this summer… before the health crisis struck.

We MISS YOU and have a bunk with your name on it for next summer! A big thumbs up to our Settler, Nature’s Lab, Splash, Outback and Saddle ‘Em Up campers!

If you haven’t already done so, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to see more photos and stay connected.

4.2 Nature's Lab 4.3 Splash! - CR

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.4 Outback 4.5 Saddle 'Em Up

Virtual Campfire – Tonight, July 16th

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Join us TONIGHT at 7pm Central Time for another DuBois Center virtual campfire! Everyone is welcome!

This week we are saluting our 2019 campers and leaders from week #5 with lots of great photos – Discovery, Quest, Imagine That, Movin’ and Groovin’, Trekkin’ It, Horsin’ Around and Saddle ‘Em Up. It was so much fun to search through hundreds of photos and so many great memories to select the ones for tonight’s campfire.

This edition is packed with fun. See and hear from some of your favorite camp leaders, sing silly and serious camp songs, laugh at some BAD jokes and listen to words of wisdom and challenge from Pastor Sunny AKA Rev Christy Eckert.

If all goes as planned, you’ll be able to join us via thechat function during the initial viewing. After tonight, the video will still available to view, but the chat feature won’t be activated.

These campfires are weekly events during what would have been our 2020 summer camp season and links to the videos are sent out weekly. There is just one more after tonight – July 23.

You are invited to submit short skits, silly jokes and goofy riddles for next week’s campfire, but don’t delay. Submissions are needed by THIS SUNDAY EVENING. As is always the case at DuBois Center – keep it clean, positive and fun. We put the foot down on put-downs! Remember to speak LOUDLY and CLEARLY and to make sure there is nothing blocking or muffling your microphone!

Send videos to dbcprogramoffice@gmail.com for review and inclusion.

Hope you can join us tonight!

 

Sixty Seconds of Solitude

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Today we share another edition of 60 Seconds of Solitude from DuBois Center. It’s often difficult to take time to breathe deeply, relax ones’ shoulders and back, and remember that God is always with us. We hope these short videos of sacred scenes from around camp will help.

Today we are sitting near Picnic Point at the site of the “old chapel” in main camp. The cross, the stone table and the view remain as reminders of the campers who have gone before us. This is the cross that can be seen when canoeing or playing on the water mat. It is a symbol of the source of our joy and community at DuBois Center.

Watch for our weekly solitude postings on our website and Facebook page. We hope you enjoy this and future mini relaxation reminders.

A Salute to Week #3 in 2019

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We’re a bit late getting this onto the web.  A couple weeks ago, we were celebrating DuBois Center 2019 campers and leaders from Week #3. Many were registered and excited about returning this summer… before the health crisis struck. We MISS YOU and have a bunk with your name on it for next summer! A big thumbs up to our Just You & Me, Boy Meets Camp and Settler campers! If you haven’t already done so, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to see more photos and stay connected.

Virtual Campfire – Tonight, July 9th

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Join Chaplain Windsong (Tarrah Vaupel), DuBois Center staff, volunteers and camp families for another virtual campfire this TONIGHT at 7pm. This week’s event will be packed with songs, skits, stories and family fun. We hope you’ll join us.

Timing an issue? Videos are available to view after the initial release, however the chat feature is only available with the initial viewing.

If you would like to be a part of the cast – create a goofy skit with your family or share your favorite silly jokes and riddles. Remember to SPEAK LOUDLY! Send videos or written jokes and riddles to our YouTube email address – dbcprogramoffice@gmail.com. Be sure to keep submissions clean and positive! No put-downs allowed! All items will be reviewed for appropriateness and some may be saved for upcoming editions. Your submission implies consent for DuBois Center to use the submission in items produced and shared by DuBois Center.

Sixty Seconds of Solitude

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Today we share another edition of 60 Seconds of Solitude from DuBois Center. This week we join Aries, one of the DuBois Center herd, in the barn for a leisurely meal. Too often mealtime is fast food time – mediocre options that are devoured almost without taking a breath.

We are missing meals at camp, community time around the table, and taking time to relax and connect. The horses remind us how important it is to make the time, to slow down, savor, chew intentionally, and remember that whenever two or more a gathered in God’s name… the spirit is with us.

We hope you enjoy this and future mini relaxation reminders.