HSL-48 FRG

This website was created for use of the Family Readiness Group of the HSL-48 Vipers.











The purpose of this website is to keep FRG Members updated on happenings around town, on base, and with our group. We also have some helpful links listed on the right panel and are constantly adding more. Please SUBSCRIBE to receive email feeds when we post.











Contact your FRG President (Kelly Morris), your Vice President (Bethany Stearns) or your HSL-48 Ombudsman, Mandy Dunn please click the appropriate name listed under "Contributors" on the right panel.







FRG Calendar

Thursday, April 29, 2010

May Calendar

Hello all!  I have listed below some MWR, USO, and FRG events for May.  If anyone has any to add, please email me or post in the Comments section below.  Jenni also posted some fun upcoming events.  It looks like it's going to be a GREAT month!

Saturday, May 1, 2010 - Mayport Music Fest @ Sea Otter Pavilion.
FREE Concert begins at 6:30pm, admission begins at 5pm. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Augustana, and Blessed Union of Souls.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 - Cinco de Mayo

Friday, May 7, 2010 - Luau Dinner and Polynesian Review @ Ocean Breeze Conference Center.
Doors open at 6pm, pre-dinner entertainment begins at 6:30pm with Witch Doctor, Dr. Cardoo followed by dinner from 7-8pm.  A Polynesian Review will begin at 8pm. Tickets available at ITT starting April 21 for $10 per person.

Sunday, May 9, 2010 - Mother's Day

Monday, May 10, 2010 - No Dough Dinner @ USO from 5-7pm.
Menu:  Wings, salad, chips, dessert.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - HSL-48 FRG Fundraiser from 5-8pm.
Please join us @ Moe's Southwest Grill (12959 Atlantic Blvd., Ste 103) from 5-8pm for our first FRG Fundraiser!  We will need a couple volunteers to work during this event, as well as plenty of volunteers to eat and have fun!  With the money raised, we will be providing new parent support and planning some special events.  Please come and show your support for the FRG. 

Saturday, May 15, 2010 - Military Appreciation Day @ Sea Otter Pavilion from 11am-5pm.
Free food, fun, door prizes, and live music.

Saturday, May 15, 2010 - Base Pool Opens
Saturdays 11-6, Sundays 1-6, open weekends only from 5/15 to 6/14. Season passes go on sale 5/3 for $60/each or $120/family.

Monday, May 17, 2010 - FRG Meeting @ USO from 6-8pm.
Please join us for a Cinco de Mayo Themed Potluck (don't forget to bring the recipe for the dish you create!), a Father's Day Themed Craft for the Kids, Presentation of the FRG By-Laws, and a Guest Speaker from the MWR.  Please be aware that we will be voting on our board members at this meeting.

Monday, May 24, 2010 - No Dough Dinner @ USO from 5-7pm.
Menu:  Chicken alfredo, broccoli, salad, garlic bread, dessert.

Monday, May 31, 2010 - Memorial Day

New Link Added

New link added for free welcome home signs and banners under the Helpful Links section.  Thanks, Renee!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Upcoming events and information

Hello Viper Families! I have a bunch of great information to share with you! A lot of fun , family friendly events are going on in Jacksonville, a lot of them free! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of the events located below. 904-864-8894 or HSL_48ombudsman.Jbitor@yahoo.com. I hope all of you are enjoying the warm weather!

Jenni Bitor, HSL-48 ombudsman

*Free entrance to TPC.
May 3-9. To get tickets go online to www.ticketmaster.com/promo/t0p06r . You must present your valid military I.D. when entering. Parking is free during the practice days, Monday - Wednesday. A parking pass is required Thursday - Sunday. Parking is $20. A private hospitality Venue will be available for military members and families called the Patriot Outpost. It is located on the hill between #16 and #18 fairways.

*Free Military appreciation Day at NS Mayport
On Saturday, May 15th, your USO will host a FREE appreciation day for military members and their families. 11am to 5pm by the sea otter pavilion, next to the pool (opening that day0 and the beach. There will be lots of free food, fun, door prizes and live music.

*2010 Adventure Landing Night
Your USO has rented the Adventure landing park at 1944 Beach Blvd. The park will close early to the public and re-open from 6-11pm exclusively to the military and their families. More information will be released closer to the date.

*Concert Series
The St.Johns town center will be hosting a 10 week after work concert series every Thursday at 5pm. The series starts this Thursday, April 29th. For more information please visit www.aliveafterfives.com

*Baskin Robins 31 cent scoop night
Wednesday, April 28th from 5pm to 10pm. All proceeds go the Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

*World of nations Celebration
April 30- May 2. Metro Park. for more info visit www.MakeASceneDowntown.com


*Isle of 8 flags Shrimp festival
Thursday April 29th - Sunday, May 2nd. Food, fine arts and crafts show, Live entertainment and a family fun zone on sat 9-6 and Sunday 10-5. For more info please visit www.shrimpfestival.com

*Riverside Arts and Farmers Market
A weekly Arts and Crafts market on the river walk, under the canopy of the Fuller warren bridge. Open every Saturday from March to December from 10am to 4pm. visit www.riversideartsmarket.com for more information. Riverside is a wonderful place to spend the afternoon! They have alot of beautiful parks, great small restaurants, 5 points shopping center (a lot of eclectic shops you wont find anywhere else), and just a beautiful over all atmosphere of beautiful older homes and tall mature trees.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

No Dough Dinner - April 26

The No Dough Dinner is coming up!  Next dinner is Monday, April 26, from 5-7pm at the Mayport USO.  Menu is:  Pulled Pork sandwiches, coleslaw, baked beans, dessert.  Hope you can make it out for some FREE FOOD!

For those that were not at the last meeting, the USO's kid room is currently undergoing renovations until May 2nd.  Once it reopens, it will be very nice!

Links Added!

Thank you to Sarah Banta for providing the Military Discounts link and to Jenni Bitor for inspiring me to post a helpful links section to the blog.  I have compiled the link that Sarah gave with the ones that I had in my favorites and posted them to the right in a section titled Helpful Links.  Please email me or post a comment with any other links you find helpful and I will post them in the Helpful Links section. 

Thanks again, everyone, for helping to form this GREAT support group for us all!  Please keep coming back as there will be more information posted about our next meeting, fundraisers, and some special events that you won't want to miss!

Welcome New Viper

On behalf of the Viper Family, I would like to Congratulate John and Salisha Bariffe on the birth of their second child, baby Justin. Justin was born April 19th. Both Mom and Baby are doing well. Congratulations to the Bariffe Family and Welcome to the World (and the Viper Family), Justin!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

April 19, 2010 Potluck Meeting

Hello all! We had a Potluck Meeting last night at the USO. For those that were there, thank you so much for coming! For those that couldn't make it, I hope to see you at our next meeting!

We had a great meeting! We shared some great food (a couple recipes to follow), we packed up some leftovers for Brandon and Lauren Newman (who just had a baby last week), we discussed the blog (www.vipersfrg.blogspot.com), discussed the Officer Positions and Functions, discussed our expectations/desires for future meetings and events, and discussed fundraising ideas. We also had a guest speaker from the USO.

Those that were interested in volunteering, thank you so much! I will be sending out a separate email soon with information on an Officer Meeting. At the Officer's Meeting, we will be going over the functions/roles/responsibilities of the positions you are volunteering for, brainstorming/planning future meetings and events, etc. If you did not get a chance to volunteer, but are still interested, please email me for information, we would love to have you at our Officer's Meeting.

If you haven't done so, yet, please become a follower on our blog. We will be posting information on upcoming events for HSL-48, FRG, USO, and NS Mayport, as well as other Jax events of interest.

Our next meeting will be Monday, May 17, 2010 at 6:00pm at the USO. More details coming soon.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Welcome New Viper

On behalf of the Viper Family, I would like to Congratulate Brandon and Lauren Newman on the birth of their 2nd child, baby Kinslee.  Kinslee was born yesterday, April 14th.  Both Mom and Baby are doing well.  Congratulations to the Newman Family and Welcome to the World (and the Viper Family), Kinslee!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

April Potluck Meeting

Hello, Vipers!

Please remember that our next meeting will be at the USO on Monday, April 19, 2010 at 6pm. This meeting will be a Potluck, so please bring a dish to share if you can. Childcare will be provided, so please bring the whole family (or at least bring a container to pack up a meal for whoever stays home). We are hoping to discuss in more detail what we would like to gain from the group, as well as the volunteer positions that are available and need to be filled.  If you are interested in volunteering, please email me for a list of positions and their responsibilities.

Please email or call me with any questions and/or suggestions!


Thank you,

Nicole Parkins, FRG President

No Dough Dinner

The next USO No Dough Dinner is on Monday, April 12, 2010 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  They will be serving Cube Steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, hot roll, and dessert.

For those that are not aware, the USO does No Dough (FREE) Dinners twice a month, on the Mondays before Payday (always from 5-7pm).  There is a full 2010 No Dough Dinner Menu at the USO.  I have a copy, so I will be posting the menu for each one as it gets close.

I will not be at this Monday's No Dough Dinner, as I have to work, but will see you all at the FRG Meeting on April 19 (info in separate blog post).