Jack Hunter ("Etubom")

Jack Hunter

Early Beginnings of the 2nd São Paulo English Speaking Boy Scouts

Extracted from the Carajás Memoirs

During 1930 Jack Hunter, later on to be known as "Etubom" arrived in São Paulo. He was a qualified Scouter with a wood badge taken in Gilwell and a personal friend of Hubert Martin, the International Commissioner for the UK. Jack Hunter joined the English Speaking Scout Association and this was a great incentive and apart from forming the first Rover Crew in 1931, together with Paddy Nixon, both gentleman went on the form the 2nd São Paulo Scout Troop in the same year with meetings held at the Stables of the Sicialianos´ house on the Av. Paulista.

Jack Hunter invites Toby Shellard

Towards the end of 1940, scouting activities were suspended because of Brazilian Federal government intervention in the Brazilian Scout Movement at the time of Getulio Vargas´ dictatorship. Incentivated by Etubom, one or two further Pirituba get-togethers wer held in late 1941 and early 1942, including a boys camp organised and run by him for some 70 youngsters, many of whom were Old Scouts and Cubs.

Upon arriving at SPAC one afternoon in mid 1942 to play a game of Rugby Five´s I was waylaid in the entrance hall by Jack Hunter, still known to me as Etubom. Toby, he said, you are just the man I was looking for. Toby started his leadership with the Bandeirantes Boys Club at the Fellowship Church. The ativities of the Bandeirantes Boys Club were all scouting based, at the time Scouting was banned. In May 1944, Toby and the Bandeirantes Boys Club was invited to join the Associação Escoteiros São Paulo by Eugene Pfister, Georges de Baére, Walter Schlithler and José Spina. On the 23rd September 1944 the Bandeirantes Boy Club member and Toby renewed their Scout oaths and became the newly formed Tribu Carajás