By Megan Ma
 Lys Goodman recalled the “great time” she had as a counselor at Hidden Villa’s summer camp in the 1960s. |
During the summer of 1963, as civil rights protests and free speech movements rocked the nation, campers at Hidden Villa were enjoying themselves on the Los Altos Hills farm and preserve.
It was a small revolution of its own: Started in 1945 by property owner Josephine Duveneck, the camp served as the country’s first multicultural summer camp.
They would later recall that time as the “groovy summer,” said former camp counselor Lys Goodman.
“It was a great time. All of us counselors just clicked, we got along so well. We stayed up until 2 a.m. being silly and having fun planning the next day for the kids,” Goodman said. “Josephine would have to bring us down to earth.”
One of the most enjoyable parts of the camp experience for Goodman was the variety in their daily routines.
“There was lots of free choice built in for the kids, and Josephine stressed the idea of having free time,” she recalled.
Some of the regular activities included crafts, swimming, horseback riding and scavenger hunts. Occasionally there were dancing parties held at the Duveneck house.
Counselors didn’t always follow the rules, however, Goodman said, and her favorite memories of the camp stem from the random acts of mischief that the counselors occasionally engaged in.
She recalled the time when Leonard Wong from Hong Kong decided it would be amusing to kidnap ducks from a nearby pond and unleash them in the swimming pool.
As luck would have it, a health inspector came that day to survey the property and pool area. Wong seized the fowl, wrapped them inside his raincoat and sprinted off into the woods - where he remained for hours waiting for a “coast is clear” signal.
On one occasion, the crew absconded with some roosters into a clearing late at night and attempted to make them crow.
“The idea was that if you take them into the woods and stick a flashlight in their face, they would think it was daybreak and crow. But they never did,” said Goodman.
Duveneck was generous to the counselors when they had a few days between summer sessions, Goodman remembered.
“She made us clear out and take a break. She would give us tickets to theater plays, and we would trade them around so everyone got a chance to go. It was pretty nice,” Goodman said.
Hidden Villa plans to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its summer camp April 29 with a gala open to the public. In the weeks leading up to the celebration, the Town Crier will profile a camper or counselor from each decade to the present.
For more information, call 949-9704 or visit www.hiddenvilla.org. To volunteer for the event, please call Nayna at 949-8650.
