By Brian Quirk
mail@floridanewsline.com
The leadership of the local Native Sons and Daughters chapter (Timucuan Longhouse) served up a wide variety of exciting events during the summer that allowed the children to stay connected.
First up was the popular Ray Potts Summer Bowling league. In this event held over six weeks, the son or daughter bowls the first ball with the father bowling cleanup. The top six scores are averaged and categorical winners are determined. Final results were not available as we went to press.
The next event was organized by Todd “Iron Star” Janes. The braves and princesses were the special guests of the Jacksonville Sharks. They were escorted down to the playing field and were lined up at the 50-yard line as the National Anthem was sung. For most, dads included, this was the first time they had been on the field for a professional sporting event.
In August, members of the club headed west to participate in the annual Suwannee River overnight canoe float, organized by Eric Friday. The group launched from the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park and spent the entire day on the water. Multiple stops were taken so the children could swim in the springs, eat lunch on the river bank or rest up after splashing each other’s canoes. The canoes were unloaded at the midway point and camp was set so the dads could get the grills warmed up to feed a ravenous bunch of canoers.
Finally, members of the organization attended their first Jacksonville Armada soccer match held at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Again, for many in the club, this was the first time they had attended a professional soccer match. Mike “Crazy Wolf” Morando was instrumental in bringing this additional opportunity to the attention of the membership.
Upcoming events for the organization include: Tribe Information/Organizational nights on Sept. 15 at Fruit Cove Baptist Church in St. Johns and Sept. 22 at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church. These are great opportunities to either join an existing tribe or bring a few dads and form a brand new tribe of your own. Next up is the City Wide Pow Wow — the annual kick off event — held this year at Camp Immokalee in Keystone Heights on Oct. 1.
Native Sons and Daughters, Timucuan Longhouse is a group of fathers who seek to spend exceptional quality time with their children. As the program teaches, “You only have 18 summers to make a difference in your child’s life.” The group accomplishes this one outing at a time; the program with age-appropriate events is geared for boys and girls aged five to 12. Visit www.nsdjax.org for more information.
Brian Quirk (“Flaming Arrow”) is the State Chief of Florida, Native Sons and Daughters.
Photo courtesy Brian Quirk
Native Sons and Daughters members enjoyed the Ray Potts Summer Bowling event
