Volunteer Cooks:
How does Camp Shalom prepare and serve meals three meals a day to approximately 150 staff and campers? With the help of volunteer cooks, of course! Volunteer cooks help with meal preparation and serving Monday morning through Wednesday evening. They sleep in the air-conditioned Charis House. Go online or contact Rachel in the camp office to sign-up on your own or with friends.
Available Weeks: June 17th – 19th (3 spots); July 8th-10th (1 spot); July 22nd-24th (1 spot); and July 29th-30th
Volunteer Health Screeners:
How does Camp Shalom give each camper a health screening during check in with only one nurse? With the help of volunteer health screeners! If you are a nurse or doctor and will be bringing your children to camp, would you mind helping us with health screening during check-in? Health screeners review health forms to be sure all information is correct, insure medications are properly received and chart any changes in the camper’s health.
We are in need of health screeners each Sunday this summer from June 2-July 28th except July 21st.
Volunteer Lawn mowers:
Each year is a little different when it comes to lawn mowing depending on Mother Nature. Camp Shalom has 2 72” mowers for the task, just waiting for someone to run them.
Weather you have a couple of hours or all day there is always something to do at Camp Shalom. Please call Dwayne Heinrich at (563)593-4500 to check on scheduling.
Work Projects:
Volunteers have been an integral part of Camp Shalom from its creation. With only one full-time maintenance staff member, volunteers are needed to make all 319 acres and 26 buildings look their best. Please consider creating a group of volunteers to help at camp. Camp is never short of projects that can be done this spring.
Pending Projects:
Paint Village cabins
Re-side Cherry cabin
Replace deck on Cherry cabin
Paint Charis house (In progress)
Cut and split firewood
Repair screens in Village cabins
Dewitt E-Free spring cabin prep
St Paul the Apostle new worship area by Program Center (almost finished!)
Kreiter and friends tree thinning in Outpost
As of 4/17, Camp Shalom is still taking applications for the Summer Nurse position.
Job Specifics/Requirements:
-being certified in First Aid & Child/Adult CPR
-being trained & able to administer daily medications to our campers
-overseeing the Sunday camper Health check in process
-working with & coordinating volunteer Nurses (on Sundays)
-maintaining our on-site “Nurses Station”
-working with MAR sheets daily
-willing to live on site at Camp Shalom for the summer, and fully
participate as a “Support Staff” member
-a weekly salary + Room and Board
-being available to work May 22- August 2, 2013
-work 1 weekend Retreat over the summer, otherwise having weekends off
Traditionally (but not limited to) this staff member been someone who is at least in their 3rd or 4th year of college, in a Nursing program.
Application and Reference Form
Please direct all questions or applications to our Program Director,
Maggie Atkinson, maggie@campshalomia.org
Welcome, Tom Bley, New Interim Executive Director
The Camp Shalom board of directors is happy to announce that Tom Bley has accepted the position of interim Executive Director. This announcement comes after an extensive search for Pastor Eric Elkin’s successor did not produce a viable candidate. Tom agreed to serve a one-year interim and the board will spend this year refining its goals, vision and search for long-term leadership.
Tom is no stranger to the Quad Cities or Camp Shalom. Members of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Tom and his wife Jody have lived here since 1989. Their three children, Cole, Samantha and Taylor all graduated from Davenport Central High School. Samantha and Taylor were both Camp Shalom campers and Samantha (a.k.a Sam) served on summer staff. Both Tom and Jody have been active volunteers in the community and avid golfers. A Camp Shalom volunteer and board member, Tom has stepped down as board president to serve as interim Executive Director.
Fortunately for Camp Shalom, Tom was in a position in his life to commit to providing the camp leadership at this time. “I recently attended a Christian Experience Weekend (C.E.W.) at Our Lady of Lourdes in Bettendorf, IA where a speaker told us God had something really big in store for us. I had no idea how big or how exciting his plans for me would be. Wow!”
Joe Verdi, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, assumed the duties of board president when Tom expressed interest in the interim position. On Monday, April 22nd the board will elect new officers and nominate a replacement board member to fill the void.
Waiting to hear back about your Assistant Counselor application?
Assistant Counselor applications received before the due date, March 27th are currently being processed, and decisions are being made. Those applicants will receive a letter from our Program Director, Maggie Atkinson within the next 10 days, detailing information about volunteering, and the weeks they are assigned.
If you have any questions please direct them to her: maggie@campshalomIA.org
Any applications received after the due date are being reviewed as received, and will be notified as soon as possible.
You’re Invited!
Who: Everyone is invited to attend Pastor Eric’s Farewell Open House
When: Sunday April 21st from 1:30-4:30pm
Open House from 1:30-4:30pm
Special Program beginning at 2:30pm
Where: St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2136 Brady Street, Davenport, IA
If you are interested in contributing toward a gift for Pr Eric Elkin or the 3:12 Campaign, in his honor, please send your check to the Davenport camp office at 2136 Brady Street Davenport, IA 52803 by April 19, and indicate to which it is designated.
Pastor Eric will be starting his new call as lead pastor of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Cottage Grove, MN on May 1, 2013. His installation service at St. Luke’s will be Sunday, June 2, 2013.
As of March 28, we are still accepting summer staff applications for
the following jobs:
-Male Counselors
-Summer Nurse
Do you know an enthusiastic, faithful, hard-working young adult that might
be interested in working with kids this summer? Please have them fill out
an application at www.campshalomIA.org, or contact our Program Director,
Maggie Atkinson at maggie@campshalomia.org
Dear Friends,
When I was first ordained I remember listening to a seminary professor preach on what it means to be called into ministry. His point was simple. Pastors are called to a specific place, for a specific purpose, and for a specific amount of time. The older I get the more clearly I understand this sermon.
Twelve years ago this month, I announced to my congregation in Pennsylvania I would be resigning to become the new director of Camp Shalom. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and the beginning of a great adventure. My coming to Camp Shalom was grounded in a call to a specific place and for a specific purpose. The only variable was the amount of time.
This past summer was one of the special summers in my life: great staff, great kids, a great experience. We cannot do camp better than we did this summer. However, I knew when it was over that my “specific amount of time” had come. I needed to start making plans to leave Camp Shalom.
I am writing this letter to announce my plan to resign as the executive director of Camp Shalom. However, it comes with a slight twist. I will not be leaving right away.
How Camp Shalom transitions into new leadership has always been a very important issue to me. I think a long interim period would be detrimental to our continued growth. So I have decided to give camp a 7-month notification to my departure. This will provide the board the ability to search for a new director while maintaining stability through my leadership. It will also help us make a smooth transition. I expect a new director to be in place by the beginning of the summer program.
Camp Shalom is in a very good position to make this transition. This once small program has grown into a significant community-wide ministry. My last piece of unfinished business will be to complete the 3:12 Campaign. We have just over $100,000 left to raise. Finishing this project will secure our future and be a nice beginning for a new executive director.
The transition will be a little more anxiety filled for my family. This is the first time in my life that I have announced I was leaving a job before having somewhere to go; I pray that I am trusting the Holy Spirit and not testing it! While I love outdoor ministry, I look forward to returning to congregational ministry. I miss the regular routine of preaching, teaching and administering the sacraments. In addition, Peggy and I would like to move closer to family, so we are looking to move either to Minnesota or Wisconsin.
When I made the announcement to my staff, I realized I was not yet prepared for the emotional side of this move. It is easy to make announcements, develop plans and conduct interviews. The real difficulty is saying goodbye. I honestly do not look forward to that dynamic. Living in the Quad Cities has taught Peggy and I a valuable lesson about life. There are a thousand interesting places to live. But, at the end of the day, it is the people living in those places that make it beautiful. Living in Iowa has been good, but you have made it beautiful.
Shalom,
Pastor Eric Elkin
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3:12 Campaign Progress Report
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