‘Today’s Boys’ Town was not Sherlock’s dream’ - 76-y-o hopes to see peace, stability and new life pumped into youth programmes

Despite crime and violence putting a blot on its name, Boys’ Town has, for the past 80 years, steadily maintained its mandate of contributing to nation-building.

Located in the inner-city Kingston community of Trench Town, the Reverend Dr Hugh Sherlock, who wrote the national anthem and the national pledge, is credited as the founder of Boys’ Town. The Methodist leader, who died in 1998, was keen on youth development, providing them with opportunities to excel through education and sports.

However, despite the positives over the years, Boys’ Town is not an area which outsiders find attractive to settle.

“This is not his ultimate dream. Father Sherlock wanted to build a place where boys could come freely and participate freely,” said Victor Hunter, who The Gleaner met at the launch of two publications on Boys’ Town last month.

“Unfortunately,” he continued, “it is not so, because sometimes people from other communities cannot come in the area, so the area (Trench Town) has a lot to do with the development of Boys’ Town.

“The deterioration of the area has resulted in the deterioration of Boys’ Town. Our programmes are not as vibrant as they used to be, the attendance is not what it should be. The whole atmosphere, environment, is different from what Father Sherlock dreamt of.”

Hunter, who is 76, said he moved to Boys’ Town when he was seven years old and lived with his four siblings and his parents.

Those were better days, he said, as the violence has made the community a place where strangers dare not venture.

OASIS IN THE DESERT

“The violence and the criminality changed how people view the community. People don’t walk freely in the area anymore. It’s very dangerous, and Boys’ Town is what you would call an oasis in the middle of a desert. Sometimes all around us is violence, and sometimes all around us is peace, but Boys’ Town does not decide whether it’s war or peace, we continue to exist,” he said.

Hunter said he has been impacted by the violence in nearby communities and even though he doesn’t live in Boys’ Town any more, he still attends every function in the area.

“I went to school here. I was the captain of the cricket team, I was the captain of the football team, I was the Boy of the Year. I was everything in Boys’ Town,” he boasted to The Gleaner.

“At one time, I couldn’t come here because my smaller brother was what you call a ‘Junglist’. He went to Arnett Gardens and got involved in politics. It’s always turf wars, and so if them can’t catch my brother, them would probably try catch me, and I couldn’t come here because I was fearing for my life,” he continued. “But people negotiated that I could come back to Boys’ Town ... . When I came back, I was welcomed by the ‘top ranking’ them.”

Hunter says even though he doesn’t have all the answers, he hopes Boys’ Town can return to a place that people associate with peace and harmony.

carlene.davis@gleanerjm.com