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Click here to read the latest Lions Share - our official newsletter.
Click here for our library of available Lions Share issues.
For upcoming events click Calendar on the top menu.
Camp Lions of Illinois
for Blind/Low Vision & Deaf/Hard of Hearing Youth
Over half a century of making friends and memories
Announcing the
Camp Lions Schedule 2012 -
It is a breath of fresh air as two campsites, North & South, are held in new locations. Read on, check out the places we are going, what's happening & get ready to roar!
June 10 - 16 - Deaf/HoH & Blind/Low Vision youth
Camp Red Leaf Ingleside, Illinois
June 17 - 23 - Deaf/HoH & Blind/Low Vision youth
Camp Red Leaf Ingleside, Illinois
July 15 - 21 - Deaf/HoH & Blind/Low Vision youth
East Bay Camp Hudson, Illinois
July 22 - 28 - "Vision Week" Blind/Low Vision youth
East Bay Camp Hudson, Illinois
July 29 - August 4 - Deaf/HoH & Blind/Low Vision youth
Camp Manitowa Benton, Illinois
Click here for an application to attend Camp Lions of Illinois
Deadline to apply is March 1, 2012 for all sessions!
Camp Lions of Illinois for Blind and Deaf Youth offers eligible youth a week of fun, challenging activities, and to make new friends with peers of similar abilities.
(Please scroll down for eligibility guidelines)
Campers enjoy swimming, canoeing, team sports, archery, fishing, horseback riding, cookouts, or they can take part in innovative arts & crafts and nature programs. Every session offers new opportunities to explore new skills.
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Camp Lions is recreational & does not teach any curriculum to campers.
Activities are led by Camp Counselors trained with an emphasis on safety & positive role-modeling, providing an enriching experience for every youth. During most activities Counselor to camper ratio is 1:4.
Eligibility to Attend Camp Lions for the Blind & Deaf:
To be eligible to attend Camp Lions youth program, campers must be:
1). between the ages of 7-17 years old;
2). either be Blind or have low vision and/or be Deaf or hard of hearing;
3). campers must be independent in all personal/hygiene care.
One-to-one care is NOT provided by Camp Counselors or Staff;
4). independently ambulatory around the campsite and activity areas;
5). Cognitively capable of understanding and following instructions from staff.
For Camp Lions purposes only:
Campers who are Blind or have Low Vision are described as a person with a visual acuity within the range of total blindness & 20/70 vision in both eyes after best correction.
Deaf or Hard of hearing campers are described as a person having an auditory loss which requires daily usage of communication alternatives such as sign language, lip reading, or hearing device such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
Camp Lions welcomes Blind and/or Deaf youth of any economic status.
Camp Lions is not a program just for the economically challenged. We really don't care how much money your family has. We offer Camp Lions as an avenue to new challenges that will strengthen the self confidence & social contacts of Blind and Deaf youth with their peers.
Camp Lions is Free!
The LIF is proud to say Camp Lions for Youth is our gift to youth who have vision or hearing loss in Illinois. Since 1957 Camp Lions for youth has been able to be offered FREE to eligible campers because of donations & support of our member Lion, Lioness, & Leo Clubs, plus private donors who have become "Friends of Camp Lions". However, all campers are required to submit a $15 "store deposit" with application forms. This deposit sets up an account for campers to use for personal purchases, to buy a group photo if desired, or to buy supplies left at home. The balance of the account is refunded to the camper at close of session upon request.
Locations: North, South & in the Middle -
In northern Illinois - New in 2012, the northern Illinois Camp Lions will be held on the grounds of Red Leaf Camp in Ingleside, Illinois. Campers can take advantage of Wooster Lake, walking trails, challenging teams courses, horse riding, campfires & S'mores! There are new experiences to challenge and please everyone with lots of time to make new friends!
Only 50 campers are accepted so apply early!
< < < Camp Lions
East Bay Camp 2011
In central Illinois - East Bay Camps near Bloomington (Hudson), Illinois is the perfect spot in the woods on the northeast end of Lake Bloomington. This site offers canoeing, pontoon boat rides, archery, team challenge courses, nature crafts, cookouts around the fire, a dance, horse riding and so much fun it is hard to believe. Top it off with a beach party, talent show, and a dance and you have it all! Sleeping accommodations are provided in five cabins with modern bathrooms & showers. Cabins are not accessible for wheelchair usage. This session has a 50 bed limit - so apply quickly!
In southern Illinois - Camp Manitowa, in Benton, Illinois is the host to Camp Lions. 
This campsite is in the heart of the Rend Lake Recreational area. Water sports, fishing, high ropes challenges, wacky ball, swimming, boating, tubing, fishing, arts and crafts, cookout & s'mores.
Plus time to relax and gab with new friends under the shade of tree. Campers have the opportunity to stay in cabins or possibly in Yurts (a type of tent with lattice supports in the inside, they are cool!). Showers and washrooms are in separate buildings. The cabins & Yurts are arranged so the male and female are in small clusters slightly separate of each other. It makes for a fun campsite with new friends and lots of fun things to do.
Fifty beds is our limit, so apply now before they fill!
Camp Lions Specialty Camp Sessions-
Camp Lions "Vision Week" is a one week session especially for youth who are Blind or have Low Vision. Offered annually, this session is held on the grounds of East Bay Camps, near Bloomington, Illinois.
While many activities are identical to our other camps, this session highlights activities that accommodate vision needs.
Our daily schedules, posted in large print and in braille, might list many of the following choices: swimming, beeper baseball, horse riding on trails, pontoon boat rides, beeper archery, and crafts such as painting, beading, building small handmade items, or molding clay.
A beach party, dance, talent show, cookouts, songs around the campfire, pool swims, braille bingo & cards plus a wide assortment of tactile games, described videos, and more fun fill the week.
Camp Lions "Vision Week" is held in central Illinois just 10 miles northeast of Bloomington on the grounds of East Bay Camps. The Woodscamp Area is our home base. Located near the pool, baseball diamond, and gymnasium it is a great spot to have fun in the sun! This area also has a large fire ring encircled with benches for late night story telling, or roasting wienies! An air-conditioned Hall is used on days when the weather is less than perfect. a screened activity building nestled among the tall trees the craft center. The campgrounds have wide walking paths with varied, but distinct, cover for ease of identifying the pathway.
Sleeping accommodations while at Camp Lions "Vision Week" are in cabins with eight bunks to a room. Every cabin is one level and has a modern bathroom with a walk-in shower. Our Counselor to camper ratio is 1:4 to make Camp Lions a positive and safe experience. A Camp Health Officer will be on site 24/7 to assist in medications and provide basic health care. 
Camp Lions "Vision Week" is a chance to meet other youth who all have vision loss, each a peer and hopefully a camp friend!
The facilities are equipped to handle 50 campers.
Don't miss the fun; get your application in early!
Deadline to apply to attend Camp Lions "Vision Week" is March 1, 2012.
C.L.A.W.S.
(Camp Lions Adventure Wilderness School) This hybrid camp was created to meet the needs of active teens between the ages of 15-17. C.L.A.W.S. has been honored as the recipient the Eleanor P. Eels Award of the American Camping Association for "providing sensitive & thoughtful leadership, which results in the enrichment of human growth through the outdoor experience". Campers are invited to attend C.L.A.W.S. based on observations of personal potential of campers as noted by Camp Staff.
*Sorry, C.L.A.W.S. - Not scheduled for 2012 *
Camp Lions has a mission
Camp Lions of Illinois goal and mission are for the overall growth of the individual camper in
self-confidence, knowledge, independence, leadership, and creativity through a recreational experience geared to individual needs,
from the beginning camper to the returning veteran. There is a 1:4 counselor to
camper ratio to assure safety and provide positive role modeling.
Health & Safety comes first
Every Camp Lions session has a nurse present to ensure the heath and safety of the campers. All water activities are supervised by trained staff and lifeguards. Dietary needs are carefully watched by the dining staff of Camp Red Leaf.
Camp Lions Counselors are trained in "first responder" First Aid, rescue breathing, and basic safety guidelines for emergencies such as fire, tornado, etc.
The best tool we have to keep your camper healthy is the Health information provided by the parent(s) and guardian(s) and the Physical Exam. The physical exam form is provided in every application & is the only form accepted. The form must be completed by a licensed physician and received by the
Camp Lions Registrar on or before the application deadline of March 1, 2012.
Applications without a physical exam form will be returned to the sender.
Respect is the key
Kids will be kids, we know and expect that. What we don't want is negativity. So we ask every camper to treat fellow camper and Staff with respect. That attitude of respect extends to facility property as well as fellow campers belongings.
Camper's exhibiting behavior that is dangerous or harmful to themselves, or others, will be sent home. Parents/Guardians will be contacted immediately to take their camper home. Parents and/or Guardians will also be given the reason for the camper's expulsion verbally by the Camp Director with a written statement to follow.
2814 DeKalb Ave, Sycamore, IL 60178
Phone:(815)756-5633, Fax: (815)748-9087, TTY: (815)748-9088, Tollfree: (800)955-5466V