DuBois Center recently purchased two new horses!
Megan is a black Tennessee Walking Horse and Honey is a red and white Appaloosa. They are making fast friends with the herd and are excited for folks to say hello, feed them tasty treats, and go on trail rides
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We are looking for someone to fill the role of Office Administrator (part-time)
The Office Administrator is the welcoming face and voice of DuBois Center for all who visit the camp and retreat center. Duties include answering general inquiries via phone and email, providing administrative support for programming and events, working with the summer camp registrar to manage camp and guest group registration, as well as general office maintenance.
Given the nature of the position, the office administrator will need to be on-site during work hours; though there is flexibility on days and hours. If interested, please send a statement of interest and resume to director@duboiscenter.org.
We are looking for Golf Carts for DuBois Center. We use them to move people and supplies around during Summer Camp and retreats. When we need to transport a nurse to the rustic side of camp to check on a sick child, a golf cart is our best bet. Time to shuttle snacks to the waterfront, a golf cart would be perfect.
We would prefer electric golf carts, but gas powered is fine too. They need to have at least 4 seats – 6 would be even better. If you know of any available for donation, or to purchase at a reasonable price, please let us know – dcinfo@duboiscenter.org. If any would like to donate toward purchasing a golf cart, please contact the office
As we prepare for Summer Camp, we want to add a couple horses to our herd. We’re hoping someone out there knows of a horse or two that might be a good fit for camp that could be donated or purchased at a reasonable cost.
Here’s what we are looking for:
If you know a horse that is available and might be a good camp horse, please contact Scott Kuether at sekuether21@gmail.com.
The Search Committee for the Executive Director is pleased to announce that Noah McCarn has accepted the position of Executive Director for DuBois Center.
After an extensive search process which included: Zoom interviews; submissions of a case study of how they would envision staffing, programming, finances, and partnerships for DuBois Center; checking candidates’ professional references; and an onsite tour of DuBois, the Search Committee unanimously voted to hire Noah as the next Executive Director of DuBois Center.
As the committee continued to be engaged in interviews and conversations with Noah, as well as conversations with those who knew him through our intensive reference checks, we discovered that Noah possessed the qualities we were most looking for in a leader who could help us live into a vision he has of DuBois Center, to be “A gathering place to experience community, unlike other places. A place where people can experience the kin-dom of God, in large and small ways, that they can take back into their lives.”
Noah is a calm, non-anxious presence who brings a team approach to his leadership, as he highly values collaboration and the personal well-being and development of the staff he leads. Noah is a deep thinker and person of faith who is deeply invested in eco-justice and the work of dismantling oppressive systems which do not allow all of God’s beloveds to be seen, heard, valued, and believed. Noah is a get-it-done kind of person, taking the incentive to do the research on how to get things done so that personal and shared deadlines and goals can be met.
Here is what Noah has to say about beginning his ministry at DuBois Center:
“It is an exciting and humbling experience to serve as the next Executive Director of the DuBois Center. As I begin to learn about the camp and talk with people about their camp experiences, I am continually amazed by the passion and love folks have for the DuBois Center.
My love and passion for camp began at a young age in my home state of North Carolina. I attended summer camp at Johns River Valley Camp, the camp associated with the Southern Conference of the UCC, located in the mountains of North Carolina. There, I first felt God’s presence in the company of fellow campers and the wild beings, and it has served as an experience foundational to my being.
After graduating college with degrees in Math and Computer Science and working as a software developer, I decided that working in a cubicle was not for me, so I moved to St. Louis to attend Eden Theological Seminary. While in seminary, I remembered my own camp experiences and became curious about the intersections of faith, Earth, and justice.
In the spring of 2020, I graduated from Eden Seminary in the early days of the pandemic and found jobs as a handyman and then at Human Support Services in Waterloo, IL, at one of their residential mental health facilities serving clients with mental illness.
While I greatly appreciate those experiences, I am grateful to be able to return to the work I am most passionate about. I am committed to creating an inclusive community where we all may grow together in our faith and know God knows us and is connected to one another and all that is.”
The Illinois South Conference sincerely thanks the Executive Director Search Committee for their time and energy in prayerful and Spirit-led discussions, deliberations, and decisions.
Its members were:
Noah will be moving on-site soon and will officially begin his ministry on Monday, January 23, 2023.
We hope you will join us in welcoming Noah McCarn, the new Executive Director of DuBois Center, to the Illinois South Conference.
More information can be found at https://duboiscenter.org/
In consideration of the holidays, the fastest way to receive a response from DuBois Center involves a new process for snail mail, email, and donations.
To reach DBC via email use this email address dcinfo@duboiscenter.org.
To send snail mail regarding DuBois Center, send to DuBois Center, c/o St. Peter UCC, PO Box 96, Okawville, IL 62271. Julie Riechmann, the ISC/DuBois Registrar, is processing mail and email from her office inside Okawville St. Peter UCC. Or you may send it directly to the Highland Office at Illinois South Conference, 1312 Broadway, Highland, IL 62249. Either of those ways will give you the quickest response from us.
Hi ya’ll! My name is Mary Cailin Wagner, and I am one of the DuBois Center Camp Interns! I grew up in Red Bud, Illinois, and my home church is the St. Paul United Church of Christ in Lebanon, Illinois. I am currently attending McKendree University to study Organizational Communications and Political Science. I started attending DuBois Center during Just You and Me camp in 2009 with my grandma, Nancy. I went to camp every summer until I finished high school. My favorite memory as a camper is tree climbing during High School Week in 2017!
I had the opportunity to become a camp counselor for the Summer 2022 session, and my favorite memory from this summer has to be starting my first campfire alone for my Splash kiddos! My favorite camp activity is, of course, the water mat and anything pertaining to the lake!
In my free time, I enjoy hiking, swimming, photography, and hanging out with friends. As a camp intern, I am most excited about continuing my professional relationship with the Illinois South Conference and working towards making DuBois Center a more welcoming and sustainable organization.
Howdy! My name is Meredith Malone, or better known as Buckle by my DuBois family. I grew up in Lebanon, Illinois, with my childhood cat, Hershey. Outside of camp, I am finishing my degree in early childhood education. In my spare time, I like to go bother the horses, asking for hugs and selfies!
As a summer camp counselor, I got to spend every week on Rustic Camp with the horse campers, so I immediately fell in love with the barn. Riding horses on the Turtle Cove trail is my absolute favorite activity! One of my favorite memories from this summer was during a creek walk; I did not plan on getting my feet wet in the creek, but my campers were so encouraging! I got in and we explored the creek, looking for shale and small fish. Out of nowhere, I heard a small group of campers say, “ON THREE!” Without knowing the plan, the whole group counted, “one… two… three!” Everyone plopped in the creek at the exact same time; it was so funny! The laughter and joy was astounding! We could not believe that we all managed to read each other’s minds. The small moments, like these, make camp so, so special.
As a Camp Intern, one of the things I’m most excited about, is getting to join all DuBois Center committees! I love participating and learning about all of the hard work that gets put into camp, while also happy to see it bring others together.
I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to share my love of camp with people. I have always called DuBois Center my Home. Every year, I am always welcomed with open arms and accepted for who I am. I can’t wait to share the love this place has to offer.
On September 17, 2022, you can be a part of celebrating the groundbreaking for Hillside Cottage and taste some of DuBois Center’s favorite camp foods. Food will begin to be offered at 11 am using a fun menu of camper favorites. Then at 2 pm, everyone will have the opportunity to turn a shovel of dirt for DuBois’ new Hillside Cottage (Photo is its future home location).
Come and eat, walk the grounds, and/or groom the horses. The event is free but donations will be accepted on the day of the event for the meal. Please RSVP by September 12 to jriechmann@iscucc.org, so we can plan for food. See more.