If you happened to notice W. Clyde Wright driving around on some back roads of our area in 1965, he probably wasn’t out just joyriding.

The late Oneonta businessman was searching for suitable property for an organization he loved, the Oneonta Family YMCA. Wright was seeking a place for the current "Y" Day Camp, which got its start 40 years ago this July.

Wright was president of the YMCA from 1963 to 1967. It was during that time that a new YMCA opened on Ford Avenue, replacing a dilapidated building on the former Broad Street. The new "Y" opened in 1965.

Wright had created some goals when the facility opened, such as boosting membership and, in his words, "work for the good of the county." One effort to achieve those goals was finding a site for the day camp, which created opportunities for outdoor activities. Before this, a summer day camp was held in Neahwa Park. Campers swam in the pool in the Broad Street building.

James Georgeson, former Oneonta mayor and past president of the YMCA, had been involved with the "Y" when Wright got the Board of Directors motivated to get the new facility built.

"Clyde had been thinking about the day camp long-range, even when we were still in the old building," Georgeson said. "He knew how important the day camp was as a follow-up to the new building. When we opened up the new building, he was already driving around the countryside, looking."

Wright found an ideal location in 1965 in the town of Laurens, with beautiful grounds, surrounded by rolling hills, thickly wooded forests, and highlighted by a spring-fed lake, only 12 miles from Oneonta. The land was purchased and plans got under way to establish the camp, with primary use in the summer.

Programs for youth aged 5 to 12 were designed and debuted on July 3, 1967. Dave Harper, former Hartwick College basketball standout, was the first camp director. The camp was open to non-Y members for a fee.

There were four groups of campers. What was called "The Vacation Club" for boys ages 9 to 12 was under the direction of John Sparaco, then a senior at Oneonta High. The "Small Fry" group for boys and girls ages 6 and 7 was under the direction of Kathy Shearer. The "Otsego Group," for boys and girls ages 8 to 11, was directed by Gail Benton. There was also a counselor-in-training program for youth ages 12 to 15, directed by Fred Konland and Sue Sampson.

A typical day, as described in a YMCA supplement to The Daily Star in May 1976, said camp started at 9 a.m. This was after youngsters were picked up at strategically located bus stops throughout the area, and they were then dropped off at the end of the day.

After the flag was raised each morning, youngsters chose their own activities. They could choose swimming and boating with specialized classes, sports such as archery or softball, music, or they could attend nature lectures or simply take a walk along the many nature trails that traverse the area. Closing night at the end of summer meant the ceremonial gathering of campers, family and friends for a campfire.

Richard Miller was executive director of the YMCA from 1975-2000. Miller saw a lot of changes in his time, including the enlargement of Wright Lodge in the early 1980s, the original building on the campgrounds. The bathhouse was rebuilt in the 1990s. About 100 or more campers attended each week.

Kindercamp became new and popular in Miller’s tenure for even younger children.

"What camp became was really day care during the summer," Miller said, as many parents were sending kids to camp and still had younger ones to take care of, as more parents were entering the area workforce.

Georgeson recalled how when the new building and camp opened, membership boomed, making one of Wright’s goals on his list a success.

In June 1985 the YMCA honored W. Clyde Wright at its annual dinner as "the best friend that the youth of Oneonta ever had," according to Georgeson.

This weekend: Lunch is at The Otesaga.

City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.