Camp Manitou

Spring Baseball Game Reunions in Philly and DC

2008-05-08T09:06:00.005-04:00

Once again, Manitou campers and staff gathered at two of America's finest ballpark to reunite with old friends and meet new ones before heading up to camp for the summer.

Last Friday, campers met at the home of the Philadelphia Phillies to watch them take on the San Fransico Giants in a match-up that has become a Manitou Phillies game tradition. Gathering in Philly were: Matt & Ben Solis, Josh Katz, Josh Spear, Mikey & Sam Green, Eli & Ethan Goldstein, Matt & Evan Steinberg, Matt Sokolic, Reid Moak, and Jack Kolodny.

Then on Saturday, Dave and Craig headed to Washington DC for a Nationals game in their new ballpark, which Craig described to be "almost as nice as Peckham Park." Joining Dave and Craig in DC were: Brad & Dylan Rotter, Jake Ruben, Matt & Justin Spivak, Spencer Brody, Michael Zuckerman, Adam Kanfer, Addison & Riley Veiner, and Alex & Peter Gold.

Yankees Game Gathering

2008-04-08T08:42:00.004-04:00

To help honor the last year of the House that Ruth Built, Manitou campers, parents and directors took over a left field section of Yankees Stadium this past Sunday for some fun, friends, and baseball. The Yankees won the game 2-0, much to the delight of 51,122 fans, but upset non Yankee fans Craig, Freddy and Jeremy Levensen and new camper Gabriel Moskow.

Joining Dave and Craig for the game were: New campers Harrison Ross, Jack Chaiken, Gabriel Moskow, and Josh Sopher. Veterans Jeremy and Freddy Levensen, Andy Taylor, Anton Kliot, Zach Green, Rory Knox (his first Yankee game!), and Brett Raskopf. It was great to see so many parents attend as well.

A good time was had by all.

Coming soon: Nationals game and Phillies game.

Manitou Alum vs David Beckham!

2008-04-08T08:28:00.007-04:00

Former Manitou camper Geoff Cameron, who was recently drafted by MLS soccer team Houston, scored his first professional goal this week. The goal was actually nominated for Goal of the Week and can be voted on against other goal highlights - included one by David Beckham! To watch to goal, and cast your vote for a Manitou Alum, click the link below:

Goal of the Week

Atlanta Reunion

2008-04-08T08:24:00.004-04:00

On Craig's annual trip to Atlanta he set aside time to reunite with Manitou Atlanta campers and their families for some some food, fun and friends at the ESPN Zone in Buckhead.

Joining Craig were: Jared and Zach Kerker, Jason Bohrer, Miles and Elijiah Sheft, Jared Allen, Jordan Epstein, Blake Neidenthal, Andrew Orkin, Max and Abram Schottenstein, and new campers Evan Young and Matt Paley.

Walk on Water Trip Review

2008-03-17T17:20:00.003-04:00

A trip to remember!

Campers and directors ventured up to camp for a weekend of fun in the snow. Now to say there was some snow at camp would be an understatement! There were multiple feet of snow, everywhere. The winter wonderland that mother nature transformed camp into was unbelievable to many who have only seen camp with sunny blue skies and 80 degree weather. Walking to the island - on frozen water, sledding, snow football, board games, Manitou-opoly, bowling (featuring a 254 by Craig), Big Gs and the famous Korner Store pizza were all part of the festivities. Check out the pics below...

Joining Dave, Craig, Pete Hansen, Rob Whybrow, JD and Sara were: New campers Harrison Ross and Jacob Maged, Matt Meyersen, Simon Weiler, David Warner, Tyler Steinhardt, Seth Miller, Jordan Brodie, James Barlia, Holden Wegner, and, all the way from Florida, Max Moed, Daniel Arkin and Steven Goldberg. Also making appearances were director Josh Levy, video guru Brandon Shorey (video coming soon!), Curtis the dog, JD's sister Amy, her husband Mike, and their dog Oscar. A good time was had by all!

While this marks the end of the on-snow trip segment of the winter program, it means the beginning of our spring lineup of baseball games, new camper events and reunions in near!

Reunions - Miami, Boca and Puerto Rico

2008-02-22T17:25:00.002-05:00

In early February Craig and Dave went to visit Derek and Waldo (joined by puggles Walter and Joey) and hosted reunions in Miami and Boca. Craig and Derek were lucky enough to spend a couple of days in Puerto Rico and meet some of Manitou's campers from there. The Miami reunion set an all-time attendance record while Boca and Puerto Rico saw many first-time and all the time campers in attendance. A good time was had by all...

The 'Tou on Snow - What a Trip!

2008-01-25T08:44:00.001-05:00

A long holiday weekend brought Manitou campers and staff together for a fun filled trip of skiing, hot tubing and exciting playoff football. With a solid crew of skiers and snowboarders, Manitou campers and staff were seen all over the mountain - cruising down runs, free-styling in the terrain park or just enjoying a nice ride down what staff member Andy Tonks calls "the mean greens." As the weather got colder throughout the weekend, Manitou campers were seen warming up in the base lodge with bread bowls of chili, chicken tenders, pizza, hot chocolate, and if lucky, a freshly made hot waffle from the popular Waffle Haus. After a long days of skiing and snowboarding, the Manitou crew would head down to the heated pool and hot tub to warm up and relax. The weekend ended with a half day of skiing on Monday and some more Manitou memories that will last a lifetime.

2008 Manitou Skiers and Riders, now sporting new winter Manitou hats, were:

Simon Weiler, Brett Raskopf, David Warner, James Barlia, Tyler Feldman, Rory Knox, David Shimer, Nate Gallant, Mike Greenbaum, Robbie Rosenthal, Brett Yorks, Cody Shemesh, Charlie Plavin, Eben Cooper, Jon Stepakoff and new campers Harrison Ross and Jacob Maged. The group also ran into campers Sam Cadan and Sam Martin. Campers were contained by a veteran staff members: Pete Hansen, Brad Tarr, Andy Tonks, Chris Marcoux with Dave, Craig, Derek and JD. Mt. Snow local, and newly engaged Manitou alum, Evan Nable, joined the group as well.

Despite the very cold weather, Manitou photographers found a way to snap some shots on the trip. To view the pictures, please log into your myManitou account and go to the pictures section.

New Camper Events this Spring

2008-01-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

A great opportunity for first time Manitou campers to meet other new campers and directors before heading up to Manitou for the first time. All events are run by Manitou directors and include an activity, a video introduction to camp, food, and the chance to ask lots of questions!

Boston: Sunday, April 13th
NJ: Wednesday, April 16th
South Florida: Wednesday, April 23rd
MD: Sunday, May 4th
NY: Sunday, May 18th

Specific times and locations will be emailed a few weeks prior to the event.

Spring Major League Baseball Games Announced

2008-01-11T07:38:00.000-05:00

Come out to the ballgame with your Manitou friends! For the sixth year in a row Manitou will be reserving a block of seats at three baseball games this spring. Details on how to reserve your tickets will be sent by email once tickets numbers are known.

Details for this year's games:

Sunday, April 6th: Yankees vs Tampa Bay @ 1pm
Friday, May 2nd: Phillies vs San Fran @ 7pm
Saturday, May 3rd: Nationals vs Pittsburgh @ 1pm

MANITOU NATION - Welcome to our new online home!

2008-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Manitou Campers, Parents and Staff:

We are thrilled to present this site to our camp nation and hopes it helps foster the strong sense of community Manitou has always had - all year long. There is something here for everyone, and the table of contents will take you anywhere you need to go. The best part is that this is only the beginning. See the article below for a list of what else is in store.

As always, we love hearing your thoughts and are always exploring ideas so please let us know what you think.

Look forward to seeing you all again this summer!

JD, Dave, Craig and Derek

It All Starts Here...

2007-12-31T11:29:00.000-05:00

This news blog is the place to be for what is happening at Manitou. Specifically, there will be regular postings on the following topics:

Reunions and winter events
Camp projects and new improvements
Manitou Message Board with information for parents: So you don't miss a beat
Ideas: We want to know what you think. See our first question below...
Letters to the Editor: Send us your letter - some will be posted each month
Manitou Movies: The first movie submission is below, all '07 videos can be found in your myManitou account
Winter Photo library: A selection of photos from camp and some of our many winter events. For summer photos from '07 please log in to your myManitou account
A special section to help us all remember those special summer months in Maine: coming soon!

This page will continuously develop with new additions so be sure to check here often!

*If your tech savvy, add this page to your RSS feed (see the link on the left) to get news as it posts

The Countdown Continues...

2007-12-31T10:58:00.000-05:00

12/31/07: Time Square, NY - The hysteria is everywhere!

Police on horseback, barriers preventing access to streets in the midtown area, yellow caution tape...it's madness. "I never thought a new website could create such a stir," exclaimed JD while trying to navigate through the crowd with his laptop. "Are my tax dollars paying for this police detail or did Oakland Officer Mike call this in?"

Just as flabbergasted, Craig, who has the site ready to launch on his iPhone, shouted "Do these people know that they do not need to stand outside for hours to see our website? They can turn on their computer indoors, where it's warm."

You can follow the countdown live at: www.campmanitou.com/prelaunch

Stay tuned!

Manitou Movies

2007-12-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

This site gives us the opportunity to show some of our favorite camp memories that were caught on video. Many thanks to Manitou Alumni Mike Pertnoy (1994-2002) for putting this together. Feel free to sing along, or send us your own version!

Attention campers: You can learn how to make your own Manitou Movie this summer!

Message Board

2007-12-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

The online Manitou Message Board will post reminders for all upcoming events and important tasks.

Specific Camper Travel information - including group flights and buses - will be emailed to you the first week of January. General travel information is posted in the Forms section of this website.
Spots for the Walk on Water Trip are still available. If you will be traveling from a distance and require a flight, please contact the camp office for assistance.
Visiting Day is Saturday, July 19th. Do not forget to make your hotel reservations if you have not already. A complete list of area hotels can found in the Travel section of this website. Also, the Little Brother Sleepover will be held the night before Visiting Day. If you would like to sign a younger brother or cousin, please go to the Forms section for an application.
Your 2008 Cloz Catalogue and packing list will be sent to you in mid-January

Please contact the camp office if you have any questions.

Idea Bank

2007-12-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

We are always exploring for new ideas and want to ask for your assistance in determining what the best ones are. Every month we will choose a topic and post a question or set of questions for our camper population to help us with. On the way, if you have any ideas that we do not mention, please let us know.

This month's topic comes from the wide world of food...

If you were to design your own camp fruit bar, what 3 types of fruit must it have? (pizza is not a fruit)

What cooked vegetables will you eat with a meal? (ex: steamed broccoli, not including salad items)

What non-sugary snack items do you like (if any)?

Submit your answers via email at mailbox@campmanitou.com.

Boston Reunion

2007-12-15T18:07:00.000-05:00

Manitou campers and parents joined directors and staff for the annual gathering in Boston in mid-December. Friends, stories, food and bowling highlighted the event. In attendance was: Jonathan Stepakoff, Jared Sheinberg, Aaron Koepper, Michael Karon, Sean Mulhall, Drew Maidment, David and Jake Warner, Noah and Ethan Roberts, Ethan Shapiro, Joel Peckham, JD and Sara, Dave Schiff, Derek Worley, Carolyn Roy, Abby Dunn, and alum Natalie Bailey.

Walk On Water Trip and Ski Trip Coming Soon!

2007-12-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

Dropping temperatures in the northeast means one thing at Manitou - the Manitou Ski Trip and WOW trip are right around the corner. "Mr. Summer Never Ends" - Pete Hansen - has three layers of board shorts on he prepares camp for the Walk on Water Trip in March. Pete, who has been in Maine since the end of camp, is busy shoveling snow while crafting the perfect sledding trail down the main hill of camp. Pete's goal is to ride a sled from the top of the hill all the way down to the waterfront. Besides sledding, campers will be able to play there favorite camp sports in the snow including softball at Peckham Park. For more details on the trip, and to get an application, click here: Walk on Water Trip Application

Ski Trip enrollment is currently full. If you would like to get your name on the waitlist, contact us at the camp office. For those attending, packing and travel details will be sent right after New Years.

Hall of Fame Built

2007-12-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

The home of Manitou's Hall of Fame is now firmly established in the balcony level of Alumni Hall. Many thanks to creative director Chris Marcoux and the maintenance crew for completing the project this fall. All campers will be able to see the plaques on display as well as Manitou's 5-year bar showcase on the other end of the balcony. More than 100 bars will be hanging by the opening of camp. Is your name on one? All 5 year campers, and eventually all five year counselors (or a combination of the two totaling 5 years) in Manitou's 62 year history will have their own bar showing their name and first year at Manitou. Below is a picture of the first segment of the Hall of Fame in Alumni Hall.

New Beach Volleyball Courts in Construction

2007-11-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

Construction on the TWO new beach volleyball courts - located in a new cleared area down by the lake - has begun. This project is part of the overall redesign for the waterfront area that will create a lot more usable space for recreation and relaxing at camp's most beautiful spot. The entire waterfront redesign will be done in two years with the volleyball court, new dock system and lower camp water drainage system being completed before this coming summer.

The new water drainage system (while mostly a "behind the scenes" improvement) will drastically improve the grass and shore front by lower camp cabins and the lake. Manitou works with local groups to maintain and improve the water quality of its lake, and the new water drainage system will help tremendously.

1947 - Camp Manitou for Boys Established

2007-07-16T11:17:00.000-04:00

The first article of the first Manitou Messenger in 1947 (Ranger found it)

Massachusetts resident Henry Marcus has just purchased a 200 acre parcel of land in the town of Oakland, ME. This land is currently used as a fishing camp, with a portion of its property resting on the shores of East Lake, and will be converted into a boys summer camp called Camp Manitou that will open in June. The camp will open with 16 buildings, 2 fields and a camper population entirely from Newton, MA.

Early speculation is that Henry and his wife, Sis, will eventually hand the camp down to their son Myles, and his wife Sue, who will then sell it to his brother Bob, the younger of the two Marcus children, who was actually born early this month. "So when do you think we can have Bob start work?" Henry asked Sis as he signed the papers for the purchase of real estate.

The rumors continue that Bob will in turn run the camp for twenty years with his wife Amy and then the two will sell it to some former campers who grew up at the camp and passionately refer to it their second home. By 2008 the camp will have 58 buildings, 20 acres of athletic fields, campers from 25 states and 4 countries. But who knows?