Summer Adventures in July

July is a great month to experience DuBois Center! Many sessions are full, but not all. There are openings in each of the weeks listed below. Check out great pics from the first weeks of camp at DuBois Center’s Facebook page. Recruit a friend new to DuBois Center and SAVE! Click here to register online or contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202 to receive a brochure. NOTE: Grades listed below are the grades completed.
Dates: July 8-13July 15-20July 22-25
Horse Camps with Openings: Pony Express (grades 4-6), Horsin’ Around (grades 5-7), Saddle ‘Em Up (grades 7-9)
General Sessions with Openings: Boy Meets Camp / Discovery Camp / Girl Power (grades 1-3), Settler (grades 3-5), Mad Science / Move It! Move It! (grades 4-7), Splash! (grades 5-7), Base Camp / Trekkin’ It (5-8), Outlander (grades 6-9)
July Camp 2

It’s Not Too Late – Register for Camp!

Summer vacation is a great time to get outside, unplug and make new friends face-to-face. Give your kids the gift of joyful, low-tech, faith-filled fun this summer! 2018 Summer Adventures at DuBois Center are filling quickly – some already have waiting lists! However, there are still lots of great options available, just don’t wait too long. Pick up a brochure in your church office, click here to view the online version or contact DuBois Center to have one mailed to you – dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Save the Dates!

Yes! We are in the midst of summer camp, but it’s never too early to start planning for fall. We have a great line-up of events once the sunscreen and beach towels are packed away.
Save these dates and watch for additions and details:
Sept 14-15  ISC Confirmation Retreat
Sept 24       1st Day of Nature’s Classroom
October 6    Fall Festival Work Day
October 7   FALL FESTIVAL
Oct 12-14    Mother-Daughter Retreat
Oct 19-21    Southern Illinois Art Workshop
Dec 1          Thank You Christmas Party

It’s Not Too Late to Register for Camp!

Summer vacation is a great time to get outside, unplug and make new friends face-to-face. Give your kids the gift of joyful, low-tech, faith-filled fun this summer! 2018 Summer Adventures at DuBois Center are filling quickly – some already have waiting lists! However, there are still lots of great options available, just don’t wait too long.

Pick up a brochure in your church office, click here to view the online version or contact DuBois Center to have one mailed to you – dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202. Ready to register today? Click here.

Registration for Rainbow Camp is Open

Rainbow Camp is a day filed with activities and fun, where everyone is recognized as a child of God. Come play in the water, take aim with archery, try your hand at crafts, or just take in the outdoors from horseback or pontoon. We have activities for all ages.

We will gather on Sat, Aug 18 from 9 am to 7 pm, at DuBois Center. Rainbow Camp is for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & queer singles, couples and families. Straight allies are welcome too. If there are at least 15 people interested, we can stay Friday night as a group at Hickory Lodge. During registration, you have the option to select “Rainbow Camp” for the day camp option or “Rainbow Camp Overnight” to stay the night.

Register now to get the early bird rates. See this flyer for more details. Click here if you’re ready to register. Got questions? Contact ISC Pride at iscpride@iscucc.org.

Prayers for Our Summer Staff

Today, Wednesday, May 30, our summer camp program staff officially arrived for nine days of intensive training covering topics such as health and safety, faith formation, activity leadership, behavior management and so much more! They have come from local Illinois South Conference churches and from communities of faith around the world – literally.

Please keep the leadership team, program staff and site staff in your thoughts and prayers. They have an awesome task in front of them! We also ask that you keep our international staff, long distance staff and their families close to your heart. These staff members have traveled from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Wales, Virginia, and Washington (state), and will be far from their homes for three months or even longer. Thank you!

Summer Camp Volunteers

Consider a week (or even a few days) at DuBois Center and join our Summer Camp 2018 team! Wanted: fun, engaging and caring volunteers to serve as nurses, cabin counselors, activity specialists and barn helpers. 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! Check out the photo above. Can you pick out the four volunteers? For more information, go to the volunteer page of our website or contact Shirley at shirley.director@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Meet Our Summer Staff: Rachel

Welcome Rachel Kinzinger to our 2018 summer staff team! Rachel is returning for her eighth summer on staff and will again be serving as a Village Coordinator. From New Athens, Illinois, she is an active member of St. John UCC and serves on the Board of Christian Ed there. Rachel has a degree in special education and is currently teaching at Marissa Jr/Sr High School.

No stranger to DuBois Center, Rachel was first a camper here in 2002, then a CIT, a counselor beginning in 2011, and a coordinator since 2014. She also works throughout the year hosting groups, life-guarding and preparing for our summer season.

Outside of camp, Rachel enjoys reading, watching Netflix, spending time with her adorable one-year old nephew and relaxing in her hammock! Her favorite foods are anything Mexican, gummy bears, Ski and Ranger cookies – a camp favorite. Her favorite movies are Toy StoryMoanaHerculesWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and her favorite smell is the air after it rains.

Rachel grew up on a farm and one of her favorite childhood memories is of showing cattle through 4-H. She started showing when she was nine and continued through high school. That experience brought great friendships, enduring memories, and numerous life lessons.

One of Rachel’s role models is Mr. Hull, her high school science teacher. Mr. Hull was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when she was a senior. She was amazed by his dedication to his students. He even visited them weekly in the midst of chemo treatments, and kept his promise to attend their graduation – even though he was sick from chemo. Mr. Hull’s teaching went beyond the textbooks. Rachel wrote, “He taught us about the importance of laughter, about dedication, and about learning through mistakes. He passed away a few years ago, and he still inspires me every day to be involved in my students’ lives and show them the same love that he showed me as a student.”

Welcome back, Rachel!

Rachel 2

Churches: Here’s How You Can Help Promote DuBois

We often have churches ask us how they can help support DuBois Center! Our answer? Help us spread the word! We are often referred to as a best-kept-secret in Southern Illinois – well, let’s get that secret out there! See below for a list of ideas on how to share information on DuBois with your church, your community and below. Click here for a full list of additional information and downloadable promotional pieces.

 Celebrate FAITH FORMATION through OUTDOOR MINISTRIES in April and May! Pick a Sunday for your Camp Sunday. Recruit a planning team and help them brainstorm a list of creative possibilities, then turn them loose to implement the best ideas.

 Personally invite young people and their parents to participate in the spring events and summer camp program at DuBois Center. When pastors and key lay leaders speak, people listen. Your passion for church camp can be infectious.

 Community Outreach: Consider how your congregation might partner with DuBois Center to send children from low-income families in your community to camp. Special funds are available to assist.

 Involve experienced campers, volunteers and summer staff in the Children’s Message or a special Sunday School event. Personal testimonies, special camp stories, games and songs are especially helpful.

 Focus on the goals and values of Christian camping during worship on Sunday. Music, responsive readings and sermons can all be effective tools for this.

 Invite a guest from DuBois Center to join you on a Sunday to share a sermon, extended mission moment, children’s message and/or activities in Sunday School.

 Plan something special for Coffee Hour. Try s’mores or “ants on a log” instead of cookies. Set up a BBQ pit and roast hot dogs, hamburgers or marshmallows.

 Designate and PROMOTE a couple of Sundays during which DuBois alumni are at a table, before & after worship, to distribute brochures and answer questions.

 Encourage grandparents to send their grandchildren to camp.

 Utilize DuBois Center bulletin inserts – copy, cut and insert.

 Gather a group together and attend the RUSTIC BLOCK PARTY  at DuBois Center. Enjoy free youth-friendly activities and tour the facilities – Sunday, May 6.
 Post the CAMP SCHEDULE, POSTERS and FLYERS throughout the church.
 On two or more Sundays, advertise and insert a special offering envelope in the bulletin designated to provide financial assistance for your church’s youth to attend camp.
 Have a Chili Cook-off and use the funds raised to help send kids to camp.
 Have the Sunday School or mid-week program make a special camp banner,
then hang it in the Sanctuary or Fellowship Hall from March through June.

Churches – Help Promote DuBois Center

Calling all churches! Did you know that you can help promote DuBois Center? From information on spring programming to summer camp to special sessions, you’ll find it all at this link: https://duboiscenter.org/info-for-churches/

Simply download what you need, print it out and share it with your congregation how you see fit. There are bulletin inserts available, as well as flyers and registration forms. You could also link to these flyers in any of your own social posts, blogs or emails!

Thank you in advance for helping us spread the word about DuBois Center!