The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Local family hosts Boy Scouts from Isle of Man
Scouts attend annual camporee
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: July 31, 2008
Seated on the couch of the Dame family home in York Township, James Downing-Green blends right in alongside fellow Boy Scouts Domenic, Patrick, and Andrew Dame -- except for his uniform.
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The 14-year-old's Scout shirt is gray rather than tan and instead of stitching reading "Boy Scouts of America" over the right breast pocket, the shirt features the flag of his country -- the Isle of Man.
Downing-Green and two Scout leaders from Isle of Man, Neil Simpson and Su Livesey, stayed a week with the family of Andy and Robin Dame before heading off to spend a week at the Michigan International Camporee in Okemos.
The camporee, which is being held July 27 through Aug. 3, is the largest council-run multinational Scouting event in North America. Once every four years, contingents of Scouts from more than 20 countries gather for eight days at the Chief Okemos Council's Northwoods Scout Reservation.
The Dames are one of three Saline-area families hosting international guests. Paul and Leslie Chandler and their son, Paul, are hosting Scouts Mark Wright and Joe Morphet, while William and Janet Santos and their son, Tyler, welcomed Michael Maddrell and Martin Brammer.
"It has been awesome," said Robin Dame. "James just fit in like one of the brothers. It has been a real comfortable fit."
The opportunity to stay with a local family broadens and accentuates the experience of the international camporee, said Livesey, who has been an assistant Scout leader on the Isle of Man for two years.
"The idea you get a home stay, it's brilliant because you get to see their way of life," she said. "Everyone has been so friendly and nice."
Certain aspects of American life in a small Michigan town stand out as markedly different from life on the Isle of Man.
It's more rural here and life is more laid back, Simpson said. Homes are on larger expanses of land. Watermelons are fresher and three times the size of those on the island.
The three sampled root beer for the first time, finding it to have a taste similar to medicine.
Downing-Green identified the pleasant late-summer weather as what struck him as most different from his home country.
"The island is pretty cold and rainy," he said.
The Dames took their guests on tours of the Ann Arbor Art Fair, Briarwood Mall, Cabela's, the post office and the library, and presented them with Michigan quarters, Saline ball caps, state flags, and Petoskey stones. The group also made trips to the state capitol and Cedar Pointe.
The cultural exchange has been two way.
"We've learned a lot about their country," said Patrick Dame, 11. "It has been lots of fun. We get to enjoy them and we get to know each other a little more, and make friends."
The Isle of Man sits in the Irish Sea, less than 60 miles from the northwest of England. The 33-mile long island has its own currency, stamps and native language. It also boasts the world's oldest continuous parliament.
Despite some cultural differences, Boy Scouts serves as common ground for the York Township family and their guests, said Andy Dame.
"Even though we're thousands of miles apart, we all share a common goal for the kids," he said. "Building citizenship and leaders of the community -- that's what Scouting is all about, bringing up leaders in a safe environment."
Hosting the Scouts has been an opportunity the Dames are glad they seized.
"This is a nice way for the whole family to participate in a Scouting event," said Robin Dame. "Our family opted to do this instead of summer camp and that was the best decision."
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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