Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Back in the 60’s and 70’s the Somerville YMCA offered a summer day camp program. I attended and it was a lot of fun. Mom would pack a nice lunch with bologna sandwiches, and I’d get dropped off at the YMCA for the day. I remember visiting Hood’s Cherry Hill farm with all the cows, etc. I asked our readers to share their memories of YMCA Day Camp with us.

“God, the memories. Bus songs, first kisses, second and third kisses lol. I remember a sleep out at Hopkinton, I got mosquito bites so bad. I didn’t sleep a wink. Did your moms wrap your tonic cans in tin foil?? Gosh, what good times.”

“My sister Gail and I used to go to Y day camp when we were young. We took the bus up highland Avenue to attend. They had ‘gymswim and crafts’ two days a week where we would take swimming lessons part of the day. Other days we took field trips – sometimes Tony was the bus driver for these outings. Tony would flicker the lights on the bus on and off when the campers sang 3 cheers got the bus driver. We had a great time and went to the beach – where we had to wear the dreaded yellow bathing caps so the counselors could keep track of us. Other trips were to the museum of science, transportation museum in Brookline, Lexington and Concord and other Boston landmarks. It was great and we had a blast.”

“Attended Y summer camp for 3-4 summers w/neighborhood friends. Remember getting lost at Breakheart during a thunderstorm!”

“Fishing at Spy Pond, field trip to the Hood Plant and the neat T shirt.”

“It was so much fun! We even went to the police station had a tour of the station and watched a movie, had Hoodsies ice cream and one of the officers gave us a safety speech! It was great.”

“I was a summer day camp counselor maybe 76-79. Had so much fun taking the kids to Salem willows, Hopkinton State Park the Aquarium etc. Had the age 5 to 7 group. What a handful! Was exhausted by the time I got home – lol.”

“We went everywhere. Beaches, state parks, Wednesday’s we’d stay at the Y and swim. If it rained, we went to the movies. We saw the fox and the hound one time – lol. That was ‘81 or ‘82 I think. Imagine what it would cost to get a bus load of kids in the movies today? I remember Hopkinton, Salem Willows, Wingaersheek beach, Singing beach, a dozen more. I lived on Highland above Apple Orchard and I’d walk up every morning to camp then home after some good days. 3 summers I believe. I’m pretty sure they grouped all of by age. I remember juniors and seniors as groups. What a really fun time.”

I can still taste the baloney sandwiches mom packed for me. I also remember waiting for the buses to take us to various venues. All in all, very pleasant memories of my days at YMCA day camp.