Pride Guide 2002 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Older gay men and friends gather in three Ohio cities

by Ken Walton and Victor Shonk

There are three chapters of Prime Timers, the top social organization for older gay men and their admirers, in the state of Ohio.

Prime Timers Cleveland is the city's premier social organization for mature gay men and their admirers. The same is true of the

At the first meeting, the attendees were asked to come up with a name for the organization. At the next meeting, there were 15 suggested. "Gray Ladies," "Old Farts" and "Wrinkle Rockers" were rejected. After much discussion, Prime Timers was chosen, which incidentally was the name suggested by Woody's partner, Sean O'Neill.

One of the great accomplishments of Prime

One of the great accomplishments of Prime Timers is that it has shown younger gays that there is life after age 30 or 40.

affiliated organizations in Columbus and Cincinnati. As chapters of Prime Timers Worldwide, they provide opportunities to come together in a supportive atmosphere to enjoy social, educational, and recreational activities. Regardless of a member's special interest, all Prime Timers enjoy the club's benefits and the opportunity to form friendships that begin in the area and can extend to Prime Timers the world over.

In 1987, retired professor Woody Baldwin started the first chapter of what evolved into Prime Timers Worldwide by placing ads in local Boston newspapers and soliciting his many friends. He expected only a small handful of men to attend the first meeting and was surprised when over 40 showed up. Now this organization has grown to over 50 chapters worldwide, located throughout North America, Europe and Australia.

Timers is that it has shown younger gays that there is life (and a lot of it) after age 30 or 40. Also it has shown many older men that they are still desirable and that sex and relationships are possible even when one is in his 60s or 70s.

Many activities are sponsored by the national organization. Individual chapters, however, hold large events to which all Prime Timers are invited. During Mardi Gras, a major New Orleans French Quarter hotel is reserved to celebrate. Other events sponsored by chapters to which all members are invited include the Halloween trips to Provincetown sponsored by the Boston chapter, the Labor Day gathering sponsored by the Oklahoma City chapter, and the formal black tie dinnerdance New Year's Eve celebration sponsored by the Desert chapter in Palm Springs, California. About 1,000 men attend the New Year's Eve event each year.

Prime Timers Cleveland, in addition to our monthly potluck social, dinners out with the Insight group, brunch at Union Station, or lunch at various restaurants, has several interesting events planned for this summer. Our very own Nile-o-phile will act as docent for a tour of the Egyptian collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. There is also a

trip to Akron to visit Stan Hywet Hall with lunch at an Akron restaurant, and an overnight trip to Windsor, Ontario.

This month includes an afternoon of comradeship at Rockies at 2 p.m. on June 29. Give us a call on our info line at 216-2914648 if you plan to join us on that occasion so Rockies will know for how many to prepare. We also invite you to visit our web site at http://www.ptclevleand.org, which contains our activities calendar and much more about our club.

The Columbus chapter currently has 51 members and is growing fast, 15% in the last three months.

Monthly meetings are held the fourth Sunday of each month, hosted by a member. Each meeting is a potluck which usually includes great food and door prizes. Every couple of months our quartet, the Prime Time

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Two Tuesdays of each month are our dinner nights out. The dinners are held at different locations around town.

Our bike club enjoys long and short rides. We are also organizing a weekend at Deercreek State Park for all three Ohio Prime Timers groups. Cabins, campfires, lake, hot tub, pool, and indoor-outdoor fun will be had by all.

For more information on Prime Timers Columbus, please call 614-341-7144, or E-mail colprimetimers@aol.com.

For information on the Cincinnati chapter, call 513-956-4398, log onto http:// www.primetimersww.org/tristate, or email primetimeoh@aol.com.

Victor Shonk is the treasurer of Prime Timers Columbus. Ken Walton is the president of the Cleveland chapter.

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