It’s that time of year again – DuBois Center’s summer camp brochures are HOT off the presses and will be finding their way to your mailboxes and churches soon! Inside the brochure, you’ll find details on camp weeks, dates, this year’s theme and much more.
If you don’t receive a brochure and would like one, please contact the office at 618-787-2202 or dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org to be added to the mailing list, or check out the digital version on our website.
Fathers, grandfathers and uncles – save the date and plan now to bring your sons, grandsons and nephews to DuBois Center for a weekend of quality guy time! Fish, hike, canoe and just hang out together. Make cool crafts, share in vespers and work on your archery skills. Horseback riding is available for an additional fee.
This is also a perfect opportunity for churches to extend their family or men’s ministries. Gather a group from your congregation and join us – engaging faith sessions led by Rev. RJ Morgan, our chaplain for the weekend, will be held throughout the event.
Lodging is in heated cottages and Hickory Lodge. Activities are planed from Friday evening through early Sunday afternoon, April 13 – 15. All ages are welcome, though activities are geared for boys ages 5 and older. Registration opens February 15. For more information and a paper registration form, click here.
This close-to-home mission experience June 30 – July 3 offers teens the opportunity to “live kindness, do justice and walk humbly.”
Youth (completed grades 8-12) buddy up with one or two young people from Hoyleton’s youth residential programs and share in crafts, nature hikes, dock swims, canoeing and more with their new friends. When the Hoyleton campers head home each day, buddies and their chaperones reflect on their experiences, plan for the next day and tackle a work project before relaxing, playing and enjoying their favorite camp activities.
Participation is by church or region group, as opposed to “open enrollment” like summer camp. Chaperones (age 21 and older) provide overall supervision for their youth. Click here to learn more or contact Shirley at DuBois Center at shirley.director@DuBoisCenter.
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
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!
After traveling hundreds of miles, members of the DuBois Center equestrian team found a horse that seems to be a perfect fit for our program. They are excited to introduce the newest member of the DuBois Center herd – Lexi! She is a seven year-old Haflinger who stands 14 hands tall. She is shorter than many of our horses, but very sturdy, which makes her an ideal ride for a variety of campers and guests.
Volunteers spent the last two weekends working with her in preparation for summer – introducing her to the herd, riding the trails and getting her settled in the Deer Run pasture for a week with her new friends. By all accounts, Lexi is a gentle, easy-going horse who is quick to make new friends. She already seems like “just one of the herd” – which is often not the case initially for new horses.
NOTE: After recent retirements, the equestrian team is still looking for one more “perfect fit” to round out the herd. If you have any recommendations, contact Scott Kuether at sekuether21@gmail.com.
Older youth (completed grades 8-12) take over the Rustic Village June 18-23. Two great options – Wrangler and X-Plore! Highlights of the week include great experiences with your family group, meaningful worship and study times, and choice activities to customize your week.
Choice activities are a great way to spend time doing things you love – or maybe discovering a new passion – while making new friends or hanging out with old friends in other family groups. Opt to climb a tree, ride horseback in “the bottoms,” get super crafty, fish at Deer Run or get “sporty” with International staff. Adventure Tree is back! Meals on Rustic are back! In fact, this year most meals during this week will be served in the Rustic Village – less walking, more community time!
For details, pick up a brochure in your church office, click here for the online version or contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202. Ready to register? Click here. Don’t delay – sessions are filling quickly.
Welcome Grace (Gracie) Allen to DuBois Center’s 2017 summer staff team! She will be serving as Counselor/Activity Specialist. Gracie lives in Maeystown, IL where she is an active member of St. John UCC and a PK (Pastor’s Kid). Gracie is new to our staff, but not to DuBois Center. She has attended Winter Weekends with her church and served as a summer camp volunteer. She has also participated in our Buddy to Buddy Mission Experience a number of times, working with young people from the residential program in Hoyleton.
Gracie loves to sing and perform in community theater productions. These talents, as well as her unique ability to sound like Chewbacca, will be put to good use at camp. Gracie is currently working part-time and studying for her associate degree in education at SWIC (Southwestern Illinois College). Her references all agree; she is kind, very responsible and has a great attitude. Gracie is very excited to be serving at DuBois Center this summer. When asked why she said, “When I had volunteered I had loved every aspect of camp… I am most excited about helping kids have a great time…”
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:
Camp 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.