Camp Courageous’ Board Member, Merlin Hulse will turn 102 on September 21, 2025.  Healthy and well, Merlin has been a wonderful advocate for Camp Courageous, as he works, virtually all Camp events!  Merlin’s 3-year term recently was up, and he has decided to retire from the board.  If one would like to send Merlin a card and a note of appreciation for all that he has done for so many, his address is:  Merlin Hulse, 1001 Plum ST, Tipton IA 52772.  Merlin is sporting his new Camp Courageous hat!

Camp Courageous Announces Board Elections

The Camp Courageous Board of Directors announced the election of the following officers and members for the 2025-2026 term. The Chair of the Board of Directors is Mary Van Houten.  Mary is Catering Sales Manager/Adjunct Instructor at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Cedar Rapids IA.  Mary has been a Camp Courageous volunteer going back nearly 50-years, with the first Pineapple Gala held at the Stouffers Five Season Hotel in downtown Cedar Rapids in 1979.

(Front L-R) Jim Zimmerman, Mary Johnson (Secretary), Jill McDermott, Mary Van Houten (Chair), Amanda Schlemme, Amy Rouse (Past-Chair), Trish Recker, and Sheri Grawe.  (Back L-R) Chris Wiese, Margo Ahrendsen, Randy Faulkner (Chair-elect), Mag Welter, Diane Pitlik (Treasurer), Peg Slusher, Greg Greco, Jim Foels, Glenn Hasken, Bruce Scheff, and Jan Short.

The Camp Courageous Board of Directors: 

Officers:

Chair:

Mary Van Houten, Catering Sales Manager/Adjunct Instructor at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Cedar Rapids, IA

Chair-Elect:

Randy Faulkner, GTG Peterbilt, Cedar Rapids, IA & Pres. Hawkeye Dry Ice, Cedar Rapids, IA

Secretary:

Mary Johnson, Retired, Rockwell Collins, Marion, IA

Treasurer:

Diane Pitlik, Former Non-Profit Dir. & Special Needs Advocate, Cedar Rapids, IA

Those re-elected to a three-year term included:

 Jim Foels, Farmer, Brooklyn, IA

Sheri Grawe, Grandparent of Camper, Retired, Marion IA

Greg Greco, Financial Planner, Cedar Falls, IA

Trish Recker, Fundraising Coach at Leading Edge Fundraising, Cedar Rapids, IA

Amanda Schlemme, Camper Parent, Accountant Knuth Farms/Bale Barn, Cascade, IA

Other Board Members include:

Margo Ahrendsen, Camper Parent, Advocate, Farmer, Oxford Junction, IA

Glenn Hasken, COO Molo Companies, Dubuque IA

Jill McDermott, Camper Advocate & School Counselor Maquoketa Valley, Monticello, IA

Amy Rouse, Washington High School, Cedar Rapids, IA

Bruce Scheff, Retired and Active Volunteer, Cedar Rapids, IA

Jan Short, Retired Teacher, Winthrop, IA

Peg Slusher, Retired, Rockwell Collins, Marion, IA

Mag Welter, Retired Special Educator, Monticello, IA

Chris Wiese, Former VP CellSite Solutions, Cedar Rapids, IA

Jim Zimmerman, Lifetime in field of education, Retired Principal Sacred Heart School, Monticello, IA

Camp Courageous

Camp Courageous is a year-round recreational and respite care facility for individuals with special needs. In its 51^st year of serving campers, Camp Courageous has grown to serve nearly 10,000 campers with special needs annually. The camp is run on donations, without government assistance, without formal sponsorship, and without people paid to raise funds for the camp. What this means is everything that is donated to the camp, whether it be supplies, time, or other resources, goes directly to benefit the campers.