OutKitsap - A Look Back

Scroll over picture to control the slide show.

The slide show has been moved here because changes within Google have resulted in it not working on the OWS web page.

A Look Back at OutKitsap

OutKitsap has been a large part of many lives in the Kitsap County GLBTQ community. Many of us look back fondly at the friends we've made, the fun times we've had and the causes we've helped to support over the years.

The folding of OutKitsap is extremely sad, but the good works and mission of OutKitsap will be carried forward by our great community. OutKitsap - A Look Back is a work in progress to celebrate and remember the good times we've had with OutKitsap over the years. I've started with a framework of notices and announcements that I've been able to salvage from the web site. It is my hope that you'll help me expand on this tribute and history with photos and comments to be added to this slide show. Please send to me anything you'd like to add. It will be helpful if you can relate photos and comments to particular events or at least provide a time frame and provide names of anybody in the pictures.

Let's reflect on the past while thinking about what we as a community want for the future!

Potluck and Get Together - Friday,September 28th

Since OUTKitsap is not having Friday Feast and Bingo Friday night as had been scheduled, a potluck and get together will be held at the same time and place! St. Paul's Church in East Bremerton, at 6:30. Bring something to share and come and socialize with the community. People are bringing board games and even arts and crafts supplies, so who knows where the evening will end up.

From the messages posted on OWS, there's going to be some great food, so plan on joining the crowd.

St Paul's Episcopal Church
700 Callahan Dr
Bremerton, WA 98310

Without additional comment, Friday Feast / Gay Bingo, which was scheduled for Friday, September 28th, "will not be held at this time." OUTKitsap has made no other official comments.

Sadly, you should scratch bingo off your calendar for now.

Welcome to Fall

The days are rapidly getting shorter and the temperature is falling. I guess we have to close the windows and admit that fall has arrived.

The end-of-summer picnic wasn't meant to be on the actual day that summer ended, but that seems to be the case. The hearty souls who attended had a great meal of barbecued things under the cover of a picnic shelter, and the rain stopped long enough for a couple rounds of Mondo Croquet and Bocce Ball. Mondo Croquet was a blast, but several of the bowling balls didn't survive the ordeal! A few pictures are posted in the events section on the web page.

I was a little over-optimistic when planning mini golf and Bocce Ball on Thursday nights - the days are just too short and the weather too iffy to continue, so we're going to cancel the remaining events on the schedule. I really want to thank everyone who participated! I looked forward to fun times every Thursday all summer long!

Got any ideas for Thursday evening activities in the fall and winter?

Remember - It's Party Time on Sunday

The equipment for Mondo Croquet is ready. It's just part of the fun at the end-of-the-summer party at Manchester State Park on Sunday, September 16th. They will be Bocce Ball and Volley Ball too and it will be a great day to relax and visit with friends old and new.

Come join our community any time after 11 AM. We'll be at the far end of the picnic area along the water. Don't let a little rain slow you down...there's a covered shelter area too.

More Details

Equipment Pictures

Kitsap AIDs Walk on Saturday

The Kitsap AIDs walk is this Saturday, the 15th. It's not too late to sign up to participate or sponsor walkers.

Event Schedule:

Registration Opens at 9:30am. We'll have coffee and treats to fuel your walk, plus bottled water.

AIDS Walk Kitsap steps off from the Bremerton Harborside at 11am on Saturday, September 15. We'll walk up 2nd to Pacific and take Pacific to Evergreen Park. We'll head back on Park Avenue to 4th and head back to the Harborside.

Rally at the finish line with music, fun and prizes.

More Information

Remember,The Red Star Party is also Saturday at the new location. More Information

Red Star Party News - Rescheduled to Saturday, 9/15

The Red Star Parties scheduled for this Friday (9/7) and for September 14th have been rescheduled to Saturday, September 15th at the Manette Saloon, just across the Manette bridge in East Bremerton.

Please let everybody know about the new day and location!
There is no Red Star Party this Friday.

This will be a busy weekend:

• Kitsap County AIDs Walk Saturday, 9/15
• Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to Thriving™ conference, Saturday, 9/15
  
• Red Star Party Saturday, 9/15
• End-of-Summer Party, featuring Mondo Croquet, Sunday, 9/16

Don't forget Bocce Ball at the new Waterfront Park in Bremerton on Thursday, 9/13. With the days getting shorter, this may be the last evening Bocce Ball for the summer.

End-of-Summer Party - September 16th

Labor Day is behind us and the days are getting shorter so I guess we'll have to sadly admit that summer is drawing to a close.

That seems like reason enough to take one last chance to enjoy the beautiful summer we've had to have a party/picnic. Come and join the OWS community to visit with old friends, play some games and have a relaxing afternoon.

The party will be at Manchester State Park (6 miles from Port Orchard) on Sunday, September 16th, starting at 11 AM. There are plenty of picnic tables with grills and we'll bring charcoal, so bring some burgers to grill and make it a picnic.

We'll be playing Mondo Croquet which looks like a blast (croquet with bowling balls and sledge hammers), bocce ball and volleyball and there are a couple miles of trails along the beach for hiking and biking. There's plenty of open area for other games too and room for the kids to play, so bring the family along.

If you have a sledge hammer you can lend to the Mondo Croquet effort or a bowling ball you'd like to be rid of, please let me know. Everyone should plan on bringing their own equipment just to be sure they will be enough for everyone who wants to play.

The details are here. There's no charge to enter state parks anymore; although Manchester not centrally located, it's a great park that should work nicely.

I'd like to have a huge turnout so spread the word and put the party on your calendar!

Events, Past, Present and Future

The Kitsap County Fair and Rodeo

We had a great turnout at the Fair on Friday. Over a dozen were in attendance from out community. Everybody enjoyed the rodeo and had their fill of wonderful fair food! Our little group was quite successful in winning ribbons at the fair. In addition to the six that Eric got for his baked goods, Duane took 2nd and 3rd place ribbons for his paintings and his partner Kelly won two 1st place ribbons for his awesome quilts. Congratulations to all of you.

The fair was a lot of fun - we'll try for a bigger turnout next year!


Red Star News

G-Style Knights, the location where Red Star has been held, has closed. Red Star Nights are temporarily canceled until a new venue is found. Check the OWS calendar and the Red Star web page for the latest information.








Mini Golf and Bocce Ball

Mini golf and bocce ball are scheduled into October but we'll watch the weather. The schedule is:

Thursday, August 30: Bocce Ball
Thursday, September 6: Mini Golf
Thursday, September 13: Bocce Ball
Thursday, September 20: Mini Golf
Thursday, September 27: Bocce Ball
Thursday, October 4: Mini Golf

I'd like to thank everyone who has come to these events. It's been wonderful to meet a bunch of new people and to get to know more about some people I've known for years but never really got past hello before. I encourage everybody to take a little risk and join us. Everybody seems to have a good time, you might meet some new friends and at worst you've only had to tolerate people for a couple hours.

Mini Golf Details

Bocce Ball Details

Mondo Croquet - An Upcoming Event?

I'm afraid that we must admit that summer is drawing to a close and the long beautiful days are getting shorter. If there's any interest, I think we have time for one last big event.

I'd like to propose a picnic and a round or two of mondo croquet. This isn't croquet for sissies. It's played with sledge hammers and bowling balls! Lest you think I'm crazy, the world headquarters for Mondo Croquet is in Portland, where they had the 10th Annual World Championships in August! It looks like a blast, and a good event to add to Kitsap Pride next year.

We need to set a day, find a field, preferably with cooking facilities, get equipment (everybody is responsible for their own) and make it happen. Evergreen Park in Bremerton is a possibility, as is the "community park" in South Kitsap.

Anybody interested in trying mondo croquet? Anybody interested in putting a plan together?
Here's some info about mondo croquet.