Meet Our Summer Leadership Staff

Summer Barn Coordinator – Catie Goetter (Simba)

My name is Catie and my camp name is Simba. My pronouns are she/her. In the real world I teach 3rd grade in Triad. This year, I adopted a cat named Oliver who is more like a dog than a cat. I spend a lot of time at camp outside of summer – hosting and with the horse team. A fun fact about me is that I just went to my first Blues game this season and I’m in love.

I am SO excited to be the summer barn coordinator again this summer and try out so many new specialty activities for our horse camps this summer.

Meet Our Summer Leadership Staff

Summer Unit Coordinator – Leah Hill (Kermit)

I’m Kermit and my real name is Leah, although sometimes I forget I have a real name. My pronouns are she/her. I just graduated with a Bachelors in Social Work and I am starting my master’s in social work in the fall. After I get my master’s, I want to do school social work which also means I could work at camp forever!

I love drawing, spicy food, video games, and hanging out with my dog! Camp is my favorite place in the world and just as I looked forward to coming every year as a camper, I am even more excited as summer staff! Yee haw!

DuBois Center Is Hiring!

We are still hiring a few more people to round out our summer staff with a special need for additional counselors. Counselors must be 18+ and willing to work with kids in several age groups. Working as a summer camp counselor is a great way to get job experience, make some extra money, and have fun. Email Rylee at program@duboiscenter.org for an application packet!!

Praise for Our Summer Staff’s Efforts

When you become a part of a new organization, it is often difficult to determine what the “backbone” of support for that organization is. Often, the backbone shifts depending on the situation. In an unprecedented time, a small but mighty team of 13 individuals said, “I’m in!” to making summer camp happen for our campers this year. Faced with the challenge of being about 7 staff members too short, and many other challenges that come with reopening a facility after almost two years, they have maintained incredible attitudes, displayed remarkable flexibility, and perhaps most importantly, displayed God’s Kindness, Love, and Inclusion to the youth of our churches and area.

Joined by many volunteers, they have served over 200 youth at our camps, helped secure new business by extending welcome and kindness to guest groups on site, and even done many manual labor tasks around the property as needed. They have done this all while following our guidelines to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread at our facility and helping keep our campers and their families safe. If you know someone who is on our 2021 summer staff or has given a week of their time to volunteer and assist us in pulling off this unprecedented summer, please send them your gratitude! They have taught me many lessons this summer in having grace under pressure and living into our most flexible natures. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Photo shows counselors from left to right Kermit (aka Leah Hill), SharkBait (aka Ryan Goetter), and Minnow (aka Bailey Avise-Rouse). They are shoveling sawdust to replace dirty sawdust which had been removed from the barn stalls.

Blessings,

Hayley Elliott, Acting Director of Outdoor Ministries

Summer begins

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.

They’re Back!

And YES, that is a very good thing! Returning to leadership roles at DuBois Center this summer are Kristian Avise-Rouse, Ryan Goetter and Bailey Reichert. Their camp names? Sparrow, Shark Bait and Minnow!

Bailey will be back at the lake serving as our Waterfront Coordinator. Kristan and Ryan will be serving as Village Coordinators, providing support and supervision for our cabin counselors.

Kristian (right) is graduating this spring with a degree in music education. He recently accepted a position at Pinckneyville Junior High School as the Director of Bands. He will also be taking the lead with the choir and musicals at the high school. The music programs at the two schools have had a collaborative design for years, and Kristian is excited to have this expanded opportunity. At camp Kristian can be seen at the teams course, in the chapels and cabins, around the barn and at the waterfront – he loves it all. This will be Kristian’s fifth summer on staff.

Ryan (left/kneeling) is completing his first year as the music teacher and band director at Du Quoin Middle School. He’s been honing his ukulele skills while introducing students to the instrument. Ryan is a new homeowner and is staying busy working around the house and yard. It was great to have him in the area this past year. Living just 20 minutes from camp, Ryan was able to assist with evening activities for Nature’s Classroom and a variety of hosting and office tasks. We especially appreciated his guitar and voice during campfires. This will be Ryan’s sixth summer on staff.

Bailey finishes her online classes and exams this week! She is graduating with a degree in biology and minor in psychology and plans to head to nursing school in January. She is excited to get back to DuBois Center and build on her first year as the skipper of the waterfront. In addition to being a “minnow,” Bailey is a horse lover who is a fan of candle time, vespers on the beach and just connecting with the campers. She hopes to sneak in a week of counseling sometime during the summer. This will be Bailey’s third summer on staff.

We Give Thanks to Our Staff!

This week we give thanks for our staff team! Almost all are part-time and most work limited schedules, only as needed. Despite this, they are the lifeblood of DuBois Center. They can be seen in the office and the kitchen, on the tractor and in a lifeguard chair. They care for our campers, guests, critters, facilities and grounds. Some tend to the horses in the bitter cold; others serve in the summer heat. Some clean dirty buildings; others bake up delicious meals. They are often found trekking through the woods with eager students, leading team-building activities, laying campfires for guest groups and plunging toilets. They work collaboratively with scores of volunteers to provide a ministry of hospitality and nurture, and to maintain and improve our facilities. Thanks to the staff team that keeps DuBois Center on a steady course day in and day out, throughout the year.

Wanted: Talent Scouts

With leaves and random snowflakes falling, summer camp seems eons away! However, planning is in full swing and summer staff recruitment kicks off over Thanksgiving weekend.
We are in search of caring, hard-working individuals who enjoy the outdoors, love to have fun, and can embrace their silly side. They must have a passion for working with young people, and a heart for ministry and service. Paid and volunteer positions are available for Summer 2020.
If you know someone who might be a good fit, complete the information on this form and return it or contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.
Full application packets will be available on our website on Nov 27.

Prayers for our Camp Staff

On Wednesday, May 29, 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 came from local Illinois South Conference churches and from communities of faith around the world.

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 and their families close to your heart. These staff members have traveled from Finland, New Zealand, Peru, Poland and Tanzania, and will be far from their homes for three months and even longer for some. Thank you!

Meet Our Summer Staff – Ryan and Jack!

Welcome back to Ryan Goetter from Collinsville and Jack Lockhart from Motueka, New Zealand!
Ryan – AKA Shark Bait – is returning for this fifth summer on staff. We celebrate his recent graduation from Missouri State University with his bachelors degree in music education and his new teaching position at DuQuoin Middle School. Another highlight – the designation of Ryan’s chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha as “Chapter of the Year.” An honor in itself, but even more so because Ryan was a founding brother early in his college career. Ryan is an active member of St. John UCC in Collinsville and long-term DuBois Center camper. His favorite childhood memories are from his adventures at camp. When asked why he has such a passion for working at DuBois Center, Ryan wrote, “I grew up at camp! It’s such an amazing and magical place and I want an opportunity to give the kids a great experience like I had!”
Jack – AKA Chip – is returning for his second summer on staff. He had such an incredible time last year, he couldn’t wait to return! Jack is a certified lifeguard, and volunteers with the rural fire department back home. Serving others is in his DNA. Jack is excited to be back at DuBois Center because he loves the “family atmosphere” and wants to gain more experience working with young people and families. His goal after completing university is to work with youth in the criminal justice system to make a difference while there is still an opportunity for significant life changes. Jack enjoys all camp activities – especially those involving water or horses. He was a rookie last summer, but quickly grew his grooming, tacking and riding skills.
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