In July 2005, Lee and Jan Lyon became the first two inductees into the Camp Shi’ini Hall of Fame. The Lyons owned Camp Shi’ini from 1969 through 1990. During their tenure, Camp Shi’ini doubled in size. Only the Navajo, Apache, and Blackfoot tribes existed when Lee and Jan took over the camp. Over the course of the next two decades, the Lyons would launch the Kickapoo, Comanche, and Mohawk tribes. The Lyons also made many of the camp’s activities (such as archery, horseback riding, and crafts) what they are today. But their legacy goes beyond traditional camp activities. The Lyons taught the campers to be honest, to play fair, and how to enjoy some “good old fashioned fun.” They worked day in and day out to make Camp Shi'ini an exciting adventure camp for kids. Lee and Jan loved Camp Shi’ini, and Camp Shi’ini still loves them!

Gene and Nancy Koester joined the Camp Shi’ini Hall of Fame in July 2006. The Koesters owned Camp Shi’ini from 1991 through 2002. During their tenure, Camp Shi’ini continued to grow in popularity; and as school principals, Gene and Nancy we able to draw from a far more diverse assortment of children. The Koesters also added to the camp’s list of attractions by introducing swim competitions, adding more beach trips, and pioneering the hike days. Much like their predecessors, the Koesters’ legacy goes fall beyond the actual camp activities. Gene and Nancy “took the camp to the kids” and to this day remain two of the charismatic people to have ever been associated with Camp Shi’ini. Gene and Nancy Koester epitomized Camp Shi’ini for over a decade, and still remain two of the most significant figures in the camp’s history.

In 2007, Natalie Mosley [Koester] became the fifth entry into the Camp Shi’ini Hall of Fame. As the youngest daughter of Gene and Nancy Koester, the majority of Natalie’s tenure at the camp overlapped with her parent’s ownership. Natalie is the first and only Junior Counselor ever inducted. For over a decade, she was the premier Junior Counselor at the camp, and will undoubtedly be remembered as the most popular Junior Counselors of all time! Natalie single-handedly transformed the role of a Junior Counselor from a behind-the-scenes assistant to a forefront leader at the camp. She paved the way for many of the young men and women that have followed in her footsteps. In 2003, Natalie became the very first counselor to ever be “taken hostage” by Shish-Boom-Rah. In 2007, she returned to the camp for one last year as a Senior Counselor, at which point she was elected the Co-Counselor of the Year.

Since her arrival in 1996, Liz Deurmeier has been a staple at Camp Shi’ini. Her twelve years as a Senior Counselor at Camp Shi’ini is longer than any active streak at the camp. Liz is the “conscious” of Camp Shi’ini. Throughout her camp career, nobody has come close to her degree of professionalism and passion for the camp. Her leadership has stood the test of time throughout both the Koester and Kazanjian eras. In 2003, Liz was voted the Senior Counselor of the Year, and became the first person to ever take home the coveted trophy. The following year, she won the Senior Counselor of the Year again, and became the first person to ever win back-to-back summers. In 2008, Liz and her two sons (Erik and John) will be promoted from Senior Counselors to Executive Counselors, and will each directly manage one-third of the Camp Shi’ini staff. Liz will over see all four of the older camp groups. To this day, Liz Deurmeier is the only active camp counselor in the Camp Shi’ini Hall of Fame.

Throughout the history of Camp Shi’ini, no character has had a more dynamic impact than the incomparable Shish-Boom-Rah. In 2003, the villain remerged when the campers took it upon themselves to seek the location of his personal treasure. Shish-Boom-Rah returned in 2004, when he attempted to create a replica of the Fountain of Youth to raise the Army of the Zuni. But once again, the campers foiled his plan by destroying the Diamond of Life. In 2005, Shish-Boom-Rah joined forces with the Scorpion and tried to bring about a second Ice Age so he could bring down the Eskimo Legion and re-conquer the West. When that failed, the fiend returned in 2006, and attempted to cause a second Black Plaque by melting down the cured gold of El Dorado and pouring it into the Navajo River. But once again, the campers foiled his devious plan! Then in 2007, Shish-Boom-Rah manipulated Camp Shi’ini into splitting in two while he sought the mythical Godseye – the key to the Underworld capable of releasing the ominous Thunderbird. Luckily, the two halves of the camp rejoined just in time and defeated the villain once again. To this day, Shish-Boom-Rah remains at larges and continues to seek new ways to reclaim the New World as his own!