This past summer during FIFA madness, Boston was invaded by the boisterous Tartan Army from Scotland. Fans like no other, the Scots were welcomed and embraced by the Bay State. The daily news highlighted their joyful activities: bag pipes at 6:30am, traffic cones crowning statues, drinking the city dry of beer. A genuine fellowship developed along with a desire to keep the unique bond going.
How unique was this invasion? Actually, not as much as you may think. Forty-five years earlier, Pembroke, then part of the Silver Lake school district, experienced its own invasion of a Tartan Army when 80 students and eight teachers from Forrester High school in Edinburgh arrived for a two week home stay exchange. The principal at the time, Charlie Napoli, spent summers as a camp director. One summer, his Scottish soccer counselor asked if his high school could come to the US and stay with Silver Lake families. Charlie said yes, and then promptly forgot about it.
Laurie, the coach, went back to Forrester and began serious fund raising. At the beginning of school the following year a panicked Mr. Napoli called staff together to tell us about the upcoming visit and that we had to find housing and plan activities for 88 students and teachers. We had just one month to get things ready.
One month later, on a warm October evening in 1981, the Forrester Tartan Army arrived. They brought lots of excitement and gigantic wicker hampers filled with kilts, band instruments and bag pipes. The invasion was wildly successful, and the last day was filled with tears and promises to keep in touch. Amazingly, that is exactly what happened. Forrester came to Silver Lake again then insisted on repaying the hospitality. The following year Silver Lake students traveled to Scotland. The exchange was underway and continued for almost twenty years with Scots coming here four times and our students traveling to Scotland three. Wonderful friendships were forged and many individuals and families visited back and forth over the years. Families of both students and staff stayed in touch. Silver lake had a Scottish student join the senior class for a semester exchange. Over the years, people attended weddings of their exchange families as well.
Those who were part of the first Tartan invasion weren't surprised at the almost instant connections made with the 2026 Tartan Army. After all, they'd been there and done that 45 years earlier.
