Two Sessions! Just You & Me Camp

Last summer, our Just You & Me Camp was packed with a waiting list. This year, there are two sessions from which to choose: June 10-12 and June 24-26.

Spend quality one-on-one time with a special child in your life – son, daughter, niece, nephew, godchild… Try out some favorite camp activities together. Canoe, play on the water mat, create a treasure or ride a horse. Make new friends around the dining table and during family game times. Learn more about God and God’s love during BLAST and Vespers. Make memories together that will last a lifetime. Online registration opens February 28.

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Sneak Peek: Summer Camp 2018!

The countdown has begun!  Here at DuBois Center, we are busy planning yet another incredible summer! Registration opens February 28, so watch for the brochure later this month. Use this schedule to begin planning your summer now! Check out our Facebook page to stay up- to-date.

Questions? Contact us at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Beyond Belief

Summer Jobs – DuBois Center Equestrian Program

Looking for a rewarding summer job working with children and horses? How about hands-on experience managing a trail ride program? DuBois Center has openings for a dedicated summer barn coordinator and two barn assistants/cabin counselors.

Spending time with the horses is a highlight for many of our campers. In addition to caring for our 20-horse herd, our summer barn staff utilize basic riding instruction and time “getting to know the ponies” to help campers build self-confidence and learn to respect and appreciate God’s amazing creation. For those who have never experienced a horse up close, the first moments can be overwhelming. However, with nurturing guidance, campers quickly learn that they can overcome their fears and experience something wonderful. Tears often transform into giant smiles. The joy campers show is definitely reward enough, but serving on the summer barn staff also provides hands-on work experience for individuals considering a career in the equine field.

For more information, check out the Summer Camp Equestrian Program flier or contact Shirley at 618-787-2202 or shirley.director@DuBoisCenter.org.

Buddy to Buddy Mission Experience – June 30 – July 3

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.org or 618-787-2202.

High School Week – June 17 – 22

High School Week is BACK for summer camp this year, from June 17 – 22. The week offers two great options – Wranglers and X-Plore. Campers experience all of the favorite DuBois Center activities, plus more! More fun, more adventure, more friends and with an extra special treat – more meals served in the Rustic Village. Plus, “Choice Times” return with even more great options.

If you have completed grades 8-12, this is a great week to build community, grow closer to God, experience nature and have some great unplugged FUN! Plan now to attend and watch for details in the coming weeks.

Camp Nurses – Servants with Sunscreen

Despite the falling leaves, it’s never too early to think about summer. One setting for ministry at DuBois Center is our health center. Volunteer camp nurses, most of whom are RNs, are a vital piece of our summer camp program. Many find serving at DuBois Center to be a rewarding mission opportunity, one that is quite different from their regular job. Responsibilities include reviewing camper medical forms, conducting health screenings, receiving & administering medications, providing first aid & basic medical treatment, and documentation. But when you really get down to it, nurses spend most of their time removing ticks, soothing rashes, distributing medications and providing extra TLC for homesick and nervous campers.

If you are an RN, please consider serving with us for a full or partial week. The living quarters do have AC and there is often time to join us for worship, explore the woods or just sit back and read a book. Contact Shirley at 618-787-2202 or email.

A big thank you to our volunteers!

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

 

There’s Still Space for Campers in July!

July is a great month to experience a summer adventure at DuBois Center! While many sessions in June had waiting lists, there are plenty of openings in July. See below for a full list of camp sessions remaining this summer, and their dates. Help us spread the word and tell your friends and family. Remember – you save if you bring a friend new to DuBois Center!
July Camps 2
Curious about what we do at camp? Check our great pics from the first week of camp at www.facebook.com/DuBoisCenter to learn more about all of the fun we’re having this summer! Click here to register online or contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202 to receive a brochure.
 
July 9-14:July Camps 3
  • Mad Science (completed grades 4-6)
  • Horsin’ Around (completed grades 5-7)
  • Base Camp Unleashed (completed grades 5-8)
  • Outlander (completed grades 6-9)
  • Outpost Lab (completed grades 6-9)
July 16-18
  • Discovery Camp (completed grades 1-3)
July 16-21
  • Settler (completed grades 3-5)
  • Horsin’ Around (completed grades 5-7)
  • Trekkin’ It (completed grades 5-8)
  • Saddle ‘Em Up (completed grades 7-9)
July 19-21
  • Boy Meets Camp (completed grades 1-3)
July 23-26
  • Girl Power (completed grades 1-3)
  • Pony Express (completed grades 4-5)
  • Rustic 101 (completed grades 4-6)
  • Splash! (completed grades 5-7)

Christ UCC Dupo Provides TLC

Cabin doors – check! Cabin screens – check! Cabin steps – check! Recently, a work team from Christ UCC in Dupo spent several days at DuBois Center helping prep the grounds and facilities for summer camp. Most of their time was spent in the Rustic Village. They repaired screen windows and doors, built steps, installed fascia and more. In addition, stumps throughout camp were ground into sawdust.

Volunteers are the heart of DuBois Center and mission is the heart of local congregations. This team is a great example of church mission in action. Now a tradition, this group’s first work experience at DuBois was in 2014 when they joined with an established team from St. Paul UCC in Belleville. They have been back each spring since, and have also taken on segments of the set-up and tear-down for Fall Festival. Please help us in recognizing this great group of workers and the church’s commitment to our shared ministry.

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Camp Names Explained

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!