Summer Camp Leadership and Staff

An Interview regarding your son's first summer at camp.

Prospective Parent: Hi David, thanks for taking the time to speak with me.
David Schiff: It’s my pleasure. We make every effort to talk to prospective camp parents and get their questions answered. We understand that sending your son to summer camp is a big decision. It’s very important to find a camp that is a good fit for your son.

Parent: My first question is about the camp’s leadership. Who are the camp’s directors and how experienced are they?
David: Jon Deren and I are the camp’s owners and directors. We’ve been around here since we were campers – in fact, we met each other at the camp’s bus stop when we were coming to Manitou for the first time. After camping together through our youth, we returned as counselors during college and then in 1998 we bought the camp.

Parent: What can you tell me about your staff?
David: Our staff is friendly, well-trained, and passionate about our campers. This past summer our staff included 14 teachers and 12 high school and college coaches. There were 15 staff members who had been at Manitou for more than 10 years, 6 more than 20 years, and 3 more than 30 years.

Over 30% of our staff are former campers. That has a huge impact on the camp. These are dedicated men who want our campers to experience what they enjoyed when they were boys.

You'll need flash to see a video with Dave and Jon as they share their vision.

Important Facts About Manitou

The average age of a Manitou cabin counselor is 22; department heads and unit leaders are 29.

30% of cabin counselors are former campers themselves.

Just like with our camper population, our staff retention rate is very high. Roughly 70% of our staff come back each year.

Parent: Who does the hiring and what do they look for?
David: Jon [Deren] does nearly all the staff recruiting and hiring himself. Your son’s camp experience depends on the staff we hire, so our expectations are very high.

Our counselors are role models for the boys. Jon screens each staff candidate, interviewing them, contacting references and running background checks.

Additionally, each staff member goes through an intensive eight-day training program before the campers arrive. Areas covered include preparing for and reacting to emergencies, first-aid, and general camper health and well-being.

Boys Camp—the details