This week, we welcome Just You and Me, Horsin’ Around, and Quest to DuBois Center! Campers will engage in horse activities, Blast, fun on the water, archery, creek walks, and more while they spend their week here. We are actively working to make sure our campers enjoy a safe, fun summer!
We still have some slots available for campers to enjoy DuBois Center this summer, so register online today!
If you had told me a few months ago that in the span of about seven weeks I would begin a new job and jump through what felt like one million hoops to re-open a camp that had been closed due to our global pandemic, I am quite certain I would not have believed you.
It is not that I shy away from hard work or that I do not see its value. It is that I am not often one to sacrifice what is safe and familiar for what is risky and difficult. In my life, I have been an example of what to do, and what not to do, when God calls you to a new thing. What I have learned in the last seven weeks, as I sprinted toward the “finish line” of being legally allowed to open camp this summer, has been that sometimes what we are called to do and be in our world does not come easily.
As we successfully transition into our new summer dynamic, I encourage all to ask what it is that God has called you out of your state of familiarity to do. I have personally always found the end goal to be worth the risk.
I hope to see you this summer at DuBois Center, and that you and your family enjoy God’s abundant love this summer! – Hayley Elliott, Acting Director of Outdoor Ministry
On May 26, our summer staff began staff training at DuBois Center. We have been diligently cleaning the property, team building, readying the waterfront, and training on diversity, group development, and first aid scenarios. We can’t wait to welcome you back to DuBois Center starting Sunday, June 6! Camp names have been chosen, cabins assigned, and mattresses cleaned. We will see you this summer at DuBois Center!
We still have room in many of our early camps for your campers of many ages to join us! While many of our camps are now full, we still have room for your campers in Settler, X-Plore, Splash, Trail Mix, Nature’s Lab, Saddle ‘Em Up, and other camps!
Scholarships are available on a first come, first served basis through our registrar’s office at 618-357-1809 or jriechmann@iscucc.org.
We hope to see you this summer at DuBois Center!
On Friday, May 20th, a group of amazing Illinois South Conference people answered the call to install new ridge vents on 10 cabins on the rustic side of camp. These roof vents will improve the air circulation and air quality in the cabins for campers coming for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks to Roger Harris, Belleville St. Paul UCC; David Shanks, Cahokia Bethel UCC; and Judy Doerr, Marvin Doerr, Cliff Goodfellow, Larry Godare, Rusty Portell, Dupo Christ UCC. DuBois Center appreciates your quick efforts prior to opening the camp to visitors.
Our coordinators were on site last weekend to make preparations for our staff training, which begins May 26. Thanks to Ryan Goetter, Catie Goetter, and Olivia Cruthis for their incredible hard work that makes summer camp possible! We will welcome our summer staff on Wednesday to train to lead activities, cabin groups, and do the necessary ground work and set up to make this summer happen.
If your church would like to sponsor a meal for our summer staff, please call Hayley at the office or her work cell – 815-627-0595. We will feed them approximately 28 meals before the camp kitchen opens.
We were blown away by the response to our summer offerings this year! Some camps are already at capacity, and there is still room in quite a few others!
You asked, so we listened: YES you CAN visit us more than once this summer! Campers can now be registered for multiple camp sessions! We were limiting registration to one camp per camper, but now that we are closer to summer, all of our available slots are open to all! Our full listings are found online.
Remember, we have two extra options this year: Family Camp and DuBois Delivered! We are excited to offer a mailed version of our summer program to you — and we are certain you will enjoy it!
COVID-19 Precautions
As guidelines and requirements rapidly evolve, we continue to monitor and adapt our protocols to ensure the level of safety and diligence you have always expected from us.
DuBois Center will be opening under the strict safety protocol recommendations of the Outdoor Ministry Association, the American Camping Association, the Center for Disease Control, and State of Illinois guidelines and restrictions. We are closely following the guidelines and tracking new information as it becomes available.
We recently released our plan for this summer, and can be found in its entirety on our website. The overall plan may change as requirements continue to evolve, but rest assured that we are dedicating the needed time, energy, and resources into making this summer both fun and safe.
Continue to check in!
As the summer kicks off, be sure to continue to follow us on Facebook , Instagram, and www.DuBoisCenter.org for pictures, updates, and stories!
We hope that you are as excited to return as we are to have you back!
Just as nature is resilient, DuBois Center is also resilient. And part of being resilient is asking for what it is you need. In order to provide the programming we want to provide this summer, DuBois Center needs to hire at least four more summer camp counselors and at least one more camp cook.
Our camp counselors run our activities during the day and stay with our campers at night. This is an excellent opportunity for college age people and young adults, with all meals and housing provided from May 26 until July 31, training opportunities, and starting pay at $275-$300 a week. If you or someone you know would be interested in this position, please contact us at dcinfo@duboiscenter.org or view the website. We will also be asking for volunteer counselors to help us achieve safe ratios, so please consider if God might be calling YOU – volunteer of any age, to spend a week at camp and see our website. In order to complete our reopening plans, we need all hands on deck this summer!
Our cooks make our camp meals legendary. We are looking to round out our meal preparation staff with at least one more cook. While hours are more consistent in the summer, there are opportunities for work in the non-summer season as well. As part of the kitchen team you will cook meals, prep cookouts, and be an integral part of an amazing team. Starting pay range is $12-$14 an hour, and up to 40 hours a week are available during our summer season. This is a great opportunity for someone in chef school or interested in the food industry. Email dcinfo@duboiscenter.org or see our website for the application.
Please consider if you, someone you know, or someone in your congregation would be a good fit for a position at DuBois Center. This summer at camp is more vital to the youth of our area than ever, and we need YOU to help make it happen!
Last week while running around DuBois Center making preparations for summer camp, I was stunned to find an eagle sitting above our lake for the third time in about three weeks. Perhaps due to being closed down last summer, our lake seems to have maintained its own healthy ecosystem, which in turn invited this new friend to our property. I am reminded of nature’s resiliency – the beauty of our planet is that it is able to return itself to balance.
These have been times for human resiliency, too. As Illinois announced last week that we are in the “Bridge to Phase 5” – with the promise around the corner of life as we remember it provided COVID-19 numbers continue to decline, I am thankful for all the ways we have persevered as the church through this year.
