when bánáthy was about six years old, their family informally adopted tamas feri. tamas was about 13 years old and from a poor gardener's family. tamas took bánáthy on his first overnight camp out with his patrol to a small forest near gyula. bánáthy's father became the scoutmaster of the "small scouts" troop (similar to american cub scouts). when bánáthy was nine years old, he became the troop leader.