Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit that serves military families across the U.S. It is holding its Back-to-School Brigade backpack and school supplies distribution event, in which 200 schoolchildren of all ranks of active-duty military will each receive a free backpack and supplies, tomorrow, August 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. The OSCWI awarded Operation Homefront a grant supporting this effort, and we’re excited to see it succeed!

Operation Homefront is requesting our help. You can help out in two ways:

#1 – Backpacks Still Available!

There are still a few backpacks available, so please help spread the word. Registration closes tomorrow. Those in Eligibility Category 5 (more details on the flyer) are invited to register here.

Please see the flyer below for details, and feel free to distribute the Oak Harbor BTSB 2019 Updated Flyer (PDF).

#2 – Seeking Volunteers for Tomorrow’s Event

The Brigade is in desperate need of volunteer assistance tomorrow, August 22. There are two shifts available: Noon to 3 p.m. (event setup) and 3 to 7 p.m. (event assistance). The event takes place at Crescent Harbor Elementary, 330 E Crescent Harbor Rd, Oak Harbor, WA 98277.

Operation Homefront asks volunteers to pre-register so they know how many to expect for each shift. Please contact Olivia Burley directly at olivia.burley@operationhomefront.org or 206-316-0489 to sign up for either the 12-3 p.m. or 3-7 p.m. shift (or both!).

Please note, children are welcome to volunteer with their parent. Operation Homefront does ask that children under the age of 14 be within arm’s reach of their parent during the shift.

To give OSCWI members, prospective members, and their families an opportunity to meet each other on a more regular basis, we began OSCWI First Fridays last year, and we’re especially excited about meeting new members there this year. Every first Friday of the month, OSCWI invites members and non- (but hopefully soon-to-be) members to mingle during the M.T. McCormick’s Officers’ Club’s happy hour, which runs weekly on Fridays, 3-6 PM. Join us for a drink, meet some fellow spouses, and perhaps even turn it into a date night with your special service member!

The next First Friday will be on September 6, 3:00-6:00 p.m. Can’t wait to meet you!

The Officers’ Spouses’ Club of Whidbey Island is pleased to invite you to its 2019 Meet and Mingle at Captain Whidbey Inn on September 13! Come join us for a social evening to meet our new board, get to know your fellow spouses, and learn about upcoming OSCWI events and initiatives. You’ll also have the opportunity to sign-up to become a member.

Details

Date and Time: Friday, September 13 (happy hour at 5:00 p.m.; dinner at 6:00 p.m.)

Location: The Captain Whidbey Inn

9702, 2072 W CaptWhidbey Inn Rd, Coupeville, WA 98239

Who is invited: Officers’ spouses/widowers/significant others of active-duty, reservist, and retired military; spouses/widowers/significant others of civilians GS9+

RSVP: join OSCWI membership here!

All attendees will receive a 15% discount on food & drinks. The menu is available online.

Help us get the word out!

Want to help spread the news or share the event with your friends? Download the flyer below on your social networks!

To give OSCWI members, prospective members, and their families an opportunity to meet each other on a more regular basis, we began OSCWI First Fridays last year, and we’re especially excited about meeting new members there this year. Every first Friday of the month, OSCWI invites members and non- (but hopefully soon-to-be) members to mingle during the M.T. McCormick’s Officers’ Club’s happy hour, which runs weekly on Fridays, 3-6 PM. Join us for a drink, meet some fellow spouses, and perhaps even turn it into a date night with your special service member!

The next First Friday will be this coming Friday, August 2, 3-6PM. Can’t wait to meet you!

The OSCWI is pleased to announce it has instated its new board! Over the course of an evening of snacks and drinks, the 2018-19 board handed over its duties to the 2019-20 board, reminiscing over a wonderful year past and eagerly anticipating an upcoming year.

The new board includes several new positions, including outreach, membership, and social directors on board, as well as an additional events coordinator. In an effort to break down barriers and broaden our community, we also welcome a new enlisted spouses liaison and a retired spouses liaison.

2019-2020 Board Members

Samar Arny, Honorary President
Amber P., President
Samantha L., Vice President

Cristie A., Retired Spouses Liaison
Emily Baker, Treasurer
Stephanie Kingsley Brooks, Communications
Jodi E., Social
Lee H., Outreach
Rebecca H. and Lauren M., Events
Jelena Mouton, General
Jamie Riggs, Membership
Bryttany S., Enlisted Events Liaison
Amber T., Philanthropy

To learn more about our new board members and get in touch, visit our updated board page.

We are excited to announce the nomination period for board positions for the 2019-2020 year! It has been an active, successful, and inspiring year for the current OSCWI board. Many of our current members signed up to join the board without really knowing what we wanted to accomplish. However, we came together and are proud of the results we achieved as a coherent team, dedicated, determined and encouraged by your support.

Now it’s your turn! If you have ideas about how we can improve the OSCWI and want to help catapult the club to the next level, we want to hear from you. If you found this year inspiring and want to get more involved but aren’t sure how, we want to hear from you.

Nominations

The nomination period opens on May 22, 2019, and closes on May 31, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. We are inviting those who are interested in serving on next year’s board to submit our interest form (linked below), including their first and second choices. We encourage you to choose the top two positions you are interested in. If you are skilled in an area we DID NOT think of, please do include your proposed position by selecting “Other,” and the current board will discuss your proposal. Although we cannot guarantee your proposed position will be created, we are open to new ideas and innovation and will consider your suggestion.

Voting

All OSCWI members are invited to vote for the next year’s board during the upcoming First Friday Happy Hour at the O’Club on Friday, June 7, 3:00-5:00 p.m.

All OSCWI members are encouraged to vote and need to be present at the meeting for their votes to count. If you are not yet a member but wish to vote, join now! Your $30 dues will be applied to the 2019-2020 year.

Votes will be counted after 5:00 p.m. Election results will be announced later that day.

Final Meeting of the Year

All are welcome to join us at our final meeting of the year at veteran-owned Holmes Harbor Cellars at 3:00 p.m. on June 23 to say thank you to our 2018-2019 board and welcome our new 2019-2020 board!

Details for Nominees

Please note: According to the OSCWI by-laws, “Current board members wishing to remain on the board for the next year have the privilege to be considered for the position they wish to serve.”

After the nomination period has closed the OSCWI President will contact each nominee to discuss the application and your position preferences.

Positions with more than one applicant will be voted on during the First Friday Happy Hour election meeting. For positions with only one applicant, voting members will be able to submit an objection on their ballots. The current board will fill any remaining vacant positions by choosing from the applicant pool.

Board Positions

Current Board Positions

• President
• Vice President
• Communications
• Events Coordinator
• Treasurer
• Philanthropy
• Honorary President (filled by Base CO spouse or a spouse appointed by the Base CO).

Prospective New Positions

• Membership Coordinator
• Marketing
• Outreach & Fundraising (or will be added to Philanthropy)
• General Board Member
• New position you may propose

Dear Military Spouses,

The OSCWI is excited to announce a series of tours that will enable military spouses to tour the campuses of four companies with military spouse hiring initiatives.

Details

Subject

Empowering visits to spend half a day at the headquarters of prominent and global corporations.

Which Corporations

In order of tour dates:

1. Microsoft
2. Amazon
3. Nordstrom
4. Boeing

We will approach more companies in the near future that value military spouses and have partnered with the military.

Why

We have put thorough thought into Military Spouse Appreciation this year. The dinner on May 11 is one element of our appreciation project. Although our appreciation forum filled up in less than 20 hours, we have other opportunities for you to join and feel empowered, appreciated, connected and inspired.

What Is in It for You

This is a unique opportunity to see what’s behind the huge walls of these corporations, visualize yourselves working in such an environment, meet key personnel and military spouses like us on those companies’ teams, learn about initiatives towards empowering military spouses, and allow yourselves to leave inspired with ideas.

How to RSVP

Registration is now open for these tours. To register, simply scroll to the tour of interest below, and follow the link to the Google Form to fill out. It’s first come, first served. 25 to 30 spots are available per tour. We will offer the first 25 or 30 seats (depending on the availability listed below), keep a wait list after that, and notify you if a spot opens up.

Who Can Join

Military spouses of active duty Sailors and Officers serving on NAS Whidbey Island.

Transportation

The OSCWI is not providing transportation. You can ride your car or carpool with other spouses.

Spouses with Clearances and Navy Backgrounds

The Boeing tour will be at the Renton Technical facility. This will be a great opportunity for spouses with technical backgrounds but is open to all. NO PHOTOS ALLOWED on this tour.

Logistics

We will email each tour group the point of contact, parking info and other logistics info.\

The Tours

1. Microsoft Half-Day Brief with LinkedIn Headshots & Training (May 23)

Details

• RSVP Link: closed
• Date and Time: May 23, 2019 (8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
• Group size: 30 spouses of active duty Sailors and Officers.

Rough Idea of What to Expect

• Breakfast and coffee, followed by Microsoft introduction
• LinkedIn training and LinkedIn headshots by Microsoft professional photographer to use on your social media page or LinkedIn account
• Program briefing: MSSA, MSTA, and YouthSpark4MilKids
• Microsoft initiatives and resources for transitioning from military life to professional life
• Self-guided tour

2. Amazon Headquarters Visit (Friday, May 31)

Details

• RSVP Link: closed
• Date and Time: May 31, 2019 (9:00am to 1:00pm)
• Group size: 25 spouses of active duty Sailors and Officers.

Rough Idea of What to Expect

• Meet with the first Program Manager of the military spouses program who helped launch the initiative through a partnership with the Obama/Biden administration’s Joining Forces program.
• Coffee with military spouses hired into Amazon’s Recruiting Coordinator program in 2018. They will share their personal stories of their employment journey to Amazon and answer questions.
• Tour two buildings & the Spheres

3. Nordstrom Professional Workshop (June 6)

Details

• RSVP Link: closed
• Date and Time: June 6, 2019 (9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
• Group size: 30 spouses of active duty Sailors and Officers.

Rough Idea of What to Expect

• Our program will start at 9:30am with coffee and corporate life chat.
• Styling for success: Dress for success workshop
• Employee experience chat
• Lunch at Nordstrom café offered by Nordstrom
• Beauty consult session and personalization in beauty & lingerie
• Shop time

4. Boeing Renton Facility (P-8 & 737 Production) Visit (Monday, June 17)

Highly recommended to spouses with technical, manufacturing or Navy backgrounds. Open to all spouses. Full name as per ID and Citizenship are required for badges.

Details

• RSVP Link: closed
• Date and Time: June 17, 2019 (8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
• Group size: 25 spouses of active duty Sailors and Officers.

Rough Idea of What to Expect

• A very unique opportunity to tour around airplanes being built and put together.
• Tour is focused towards the technical manufacturing of P-8 and 737.
• You will meet with leadership production team and have the opportunity for Q&A.
• We will have the opportunity to tour two Boeing sites with a focus on production of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Initially, the group will tour the 737 production facility in Renton, and then transition to the P-8 line which is also located on site. The tour will then transition “over the hill” to the Installation and Check Out (I&CO) facility in Tukwila (across the street from Boeing Field).
• We will see P-8s in various stages of completion, as this is where military equipment is installed in the aircraft before delivery to the customer.

We hope you are as excited about these opportunities as we are! Take a look at the individual tours, consider which you want to sign up for, and get ready to sign up this Monday.

Regards,

The OSCWI Board

The submissions are in! OSCWI followers had fun coming up with some clever cocktail names for our upcoming auction, Time and Talent. Names could reflect our theme, Movies that Made Us; Navy life; or our current home, Whidbey Island.

With the submissions in, it’s time to cast your vote! Go to the Google Form linked below, and select your favorite three cocktail names. Perhaps you’ll get to enjoy one of your choices March 16 at Time and Talent.

And don’t forget! You can still purchase tickets at the discounted rate of $25; online discounted sales close tomorrow, so purchase yours now. Prices will be $30 each at the door.

The Submitted Names

The Inverted
Captain Arny’s Aviator
Polyjuice Punch
The Golden Snitch
Jet Fuel
Screamin’ Eagle
High Fliers
The Aviator
The Bond
MI-6
The Assassin
Casino Royale
Highest Bidder
Whidbey Sour
Night trap
Mandatory Fun
Wing Man
Feet Wet
Flight School
Bingo
Tally 1
Winchester
Dear John
Work Ups
PCS Move
Afterburner
NASWI Iced Tea

As you all know, Time and Talent is swiftly approaching. The Officers’ Club has generously offered to mix us a signature cocktail for the event. What will it be? That depends on you!

For the first time ever, we’re holding a Time and Talent Signature Cocktail Naming Contest. You provide the name, and the Officers’ Club will mix a cocktail to match, which we will all enjoy come March 16!

How It Works

Starting today, March 7, OSCWI followers can submit thematically appropriate cocktail names (either by commenting on our Facebook post or through the Google Form below). All submissions must be in by the end of Monday, March 11. On Tuesday we will announce the list and invite you all to vote on your favorites! Voting closes Wednesday, March 13. A cocktail going by the winning name will be served at Time and Talent.

Guidelines

Cocktail names can be thematic a number of ways. They can…

1. Reflect this year’s Time and Talent theme: Movies That Made You

2. Reflect our special NASWI community (Navy life, Whidbey Island, etc.)

Prize

The winner of the cocktail naming contest will receive a free cocktail at Time and Talent.

Join us Wednesday, April 10, at Wicked Teuton Brewing Company at 6:00 p.m. for a casual get together!