School ended for the summer around June 28 and wouldn’t start again until the Wednesday after Labor Day. I was looking forward to a long relaxing summer. Our teacher Mr. Bing said we could take home up to ten books from the bookshelves. I took ten thick novels and walked home balancing them in my arms.
So, my summer began with me out on the sunporch reading a book. My mother, like others, believed children should be out in the sunshine. So, it was decided that I would go to day camp.
The first one was the Catholic day camp at the Convent of Sacred Heart in Rye, N.Y. The nuns hired college girls to run the camp, and they kept us busy with arts and crafts, archery, prayer time, and swimming in the big pool on the grounds. The day began with a flag ceremony and prayers. They served simple meals of sandwiches, carrot sticks, potato chips, and cookies. I liked everything except the cream cheese and jelly sandwiches. Unless it was raining, we were outside all day.
I also went to the Y Day Camp, where I swam in the ocean, learned to row a boat, and had arts and crafts. If it rained, we went to the Y pool. By the time I got home, I was pretty tired but still went outside after supper to catch fireflies or play kick ball with the neighborhood kids.
Summer days were even busier than school days! Not much time to read!
—Bernadette R. Gentry