June 2016 - Tulsa Area Prime Timers

Prime Times
A NEWSLETTER FOR MATURE GAY
PRIME TIMERS WORLD WIDE
AND
BISEXUAL MEN
JUNE 2016
SINCE 1987
Artwork by Chuck Spady, www.ocd-studios.com
IN THIS ISSUE
BY LARRY LESPERANCE
PRIME TIMERS CHICAGO
Many Prime Timers remember that before the Human
Rights Campaign Fund with its iconic blue and yellow
equal sign logo there was the National Gay Task Force.
Now with alphabet inflation, it is the National LGBTQ
Task Force. This January the Task Force welcomed to
Chicago 4,000 activists for Creating Change, five days of
issues, education, training, inspiration, and fun. The Hilton, one of the world's largest hotels which served as an
army barracks when Chicago's lakefront parks were repurposed as a military base
where thousands of draftees were quickly trained after Pearl Harbor, now housed a
different breed of soldier.
(Continued on page 6)
LAS VEGAS REGIONAL A ROUSING SUCCESS
BY GARY PAYNE, LAS VEGAS PRIME TIMERS
WOW! What a success the 2016
Western Regional Gathering was. We
were concerned a little about having an
event like that at the Stratosphere. Turns
out that we had nothing to worry about.
The Stratosphere was wonderful as they
gave us great customer service and
were always there or available. Some of
the highlights were the food at the Meet
(Continued on page 5)
Page 2
Founder’s Filosofy
Eminent Elders
Celebration
Page 3
Better Meetings Are
Possible
Page 4
Being a Senior Citizen,
Gay, and Member of
Prime Timers
Page 7
Palm Beaches Prime
Timers: Aging with
Grace
Page 8
Here and There
Page 9
Partying and Trekking
at Land’s End
Page 10
Manage Your Chapter’s Membership with
PT Member Manager
Page 11
Book Review
Page 12
Travel Opportunities
Promoted by Prime
Timers Worldwide
2
PRIME TIMES
PTWW BOARD
Founder
Woody Baldwin
(1920-2016)
President
Michael Stone
941-359-8212
president@
primetimersww.com
VP—Chapters
Gary Payne
vpchapters@
primetimersww.com
VP—Independents
Jack Nimmo
vpindependents@
primetimersww.com
Secretary
Richard Tobiason
secretary@
primetimersww.com
Treasurer
Terry Kyweriga
treasurer@
primetimersww.com
Members-at-Large
Gary Copeland
gary@
primetimersww.com
Bill Curnutt
bill@
primetimersww.com
JUNE 2016
FOUNDER FILOSOFY
BY WOODY BALDWIN, FOUNDER, PRIME TIMERS WORLDWIDE
Remember the for the people who have not had the opstories you got from portunity to live to be 88. Then I wonder
why I, of all people, have been so blessed.
whatever
sources
As I have said in this column before,
about the birds and
my friend up there obviously likes me, or
bees? Well, one of the advantages of behe would not have allowed me to experiing old is that we know what sex is (or
ence all the pleasures and privileges that
was). I can't believe that I was brainwashed into believing that stork myth — or have made my life so memorable to me in
the days when memSanta Claus — or the
ories are the tool for
tooth fairy, etc. When
I owe many thanks to all you guys who
keeping me smiling.
I learned the truth
have made our organization so successWithout Prime Timabout these fictional
ful in enriching the lives of older gay and
ers, my older life
characters, my faith
bisexual men.
could have been
in my parents' veracidreadful and I owe
ty was forever slightly
many thanks to all you guys who have
tarnished. Am I sorry that these misrepremade our organization so successful in
sentations occurred? I don't know.
enriching the lives of older gay and bisexuOne thing I do know is that my maturity
al men.
(the socially acceptable word for old age)
Tears usually roll down my cheeks
has been enriched by my life's experiencwhen a Prime Timer expresses gratitude to
es, some not so good but far more that
have left me with pleasant memories — so me for founding the organization that has
changed their lives for the better.
pleasurable in fact that when I read the
What you have contributed in building
daily obituaries, I can't help feeling so sorry
Prime Timers surely overshadows what I
did in founding it. But if I am responsible in
Woody was not only our founder; he was our
my way, however small, for the successful
leader; he was our teacher; he was our menexistence of our organization, then I am
tor and without him this wonderful organizahappy. I have personally benefited as
tion would have never come about. We
much as any of you. My sincere thanks.
agreed to choose appropriate articles from
There are too many of you now to hug
the past and put those in the newsletter. He
each Prime Timer, but I would if I could!
called his columns ‘Founder Filosofy’ and I
think you’ll agree, the philosophy in ‘Filosofy’
is profound.
Woody
David Luby
david@
primetimersww.com
EMINENT ELDERS
CELEBRATION
A.J. Ratliff
aj@
primetimersww.com
Director Emeritus
Michael Stone
BY KEN SOUTH, PRIME TIMERS OF DC
director@
primetimersww.com
On Wednesday, February 3rd, we had
our first Eminent Elders Celebration. We
acknowledged three of our members who
will turn 90 years old this year: Ray on May
5th, Carl on May 27th, and George on September 18th.
Each of the guys received a rose bou-
Webmaster and
Newsletter Editor
Tom Hammond
webmaster@
primetimersww.com
Photo courtesy Ken South
THE NEWSLETTER OF PRIME TIMERS WORLDWIDE
tonniere when they arrived. The club picked up the
cost of their dinners and provided wine for the whole
crowd. (As another tribute, DIK picked up half the cost
of the wine for the evening).
After we ordered our dinners, the three guys came
to the front of the room for each to receive a toast from
a dear friend. Bill J. toasted George, Bill L. toasted
Carl, and Ryland toasted Ray. Following a rousing chorus of “For They are Jolly Good Fellows”, each of the
guys shared some thoughts with the club.
Ray told an amazing story of his experience in
World War II as an 18-year-old sailor and what can
happen in the midst of a Japanese attack! George told
us about his stroke of three years ago and how grateful
he is to have recovered so well. And Carl reminded us
about what it is like to reach 90, and its changes to
mind and body. He credits his friendships in Prime
Timers for keeping him as active as he is!
3
Photo courtesy Ken South
BETTER MEETINGS ARE POSSIBLE
BY JIM WILLIAMS, CLEVELAND PRIME TIMERS PRESIDENT
MEETING POINTS #4
REFER OR COMMIT
continued from April issue
Did you know that if the assembly needs more
information about the Main Motion or wants a study
to determine if the proposal is advisable, it can refer
the main motion to a committee? Referring can save
valuable time and allow the assembly to obtain the
Artwork by Chuck Spady, www.ocd-studios.com
information it needs to make an informed decision.
Sometimes a main motion will reach the floor in
such a poor state that the assembly does not have the
time or information to fix it through amendments. A
committee, either Standing or Special, is a relatively
small group of people assigned to carefully review a
main motion, gather more information, suggest
amendments to the motion to put it into better condition, or to make a recommendation about the adoption
of the main motion.
One advantage of referring a motion
to a committee rather than postponing it is
that referral allows the assembly to keep
a proposal alive for several meetings or
over a longer period of time while it is being worked on. The motion To Postpone
allows the assembly to carry a motion
over the next meeting only. A committee
works with a motion until it is able to report a recommendation or until the assembly requires it to report.
There are two types of committees.
Standing Committees are constituted to
perform a continuing function and remain
in existence permanently. In most organizations, the chairmen and members of
Standing Committees serve for a term
corresponding to that of the officers.
Standing Committees must be named
4
PRIME TIMES
JUNE 2016
BETTER MEETINGS ARE POSSIBLE, CONT’D...
(Continued from page 3)
Jim Williams
PRP, Parliamentarian
and described in the bylaws.
Special Committees (also
called select or ad hoc) are
appointed as need arises to
carry out a specific task.
When the special task is completed and the committee
makes its final report, the
Special Committee ceases to
exist.
EXAMPLES OF THE
MOTION TO COMMIT
nance Committee to review all costs associated with
hosting the July 9, 2017 Governor’s Conference and
to report a recommendation at our May meeting.”
To Refer a main motion to a Special Committee:
“I move to refer the pending motion to a special committee of five Board members to be appointed by the
President. This committee is instructed to review all
costs associated with hosting the July 9, 2017 Governor’s Conference and to report a recommendation at
our May meeting.”
The Committee’s Report has four parts:
 A description of how the committee
carried out its instructions
 The facts uncovered
 The conclusions derived
 Recommendations in the form of motions.
To Refer a main motion to a Standing Committee: “I move to refer the pending motion to the Fi-
— Jim Williams, PRP
BEING A SENIOR CITIZEN, GAY, AND
A MEMBER OF PRIME TIMERS
BY STAN ULBRYCH, PRIME TIMERS OF PHOENIX
Time has just gone by and so much has happened in the past year that it made me stop and remember all the good things that has gone by and a
few of the bad.
I'm 81, gay, and enjoying life to the fullest. I didn't
come out to myself and two close friends until I was
78. My health is pretty good for my age. My body
tells me that I'm not 50 anymore. But that doesn't
stop me from doing the things I like to do.
The year 2015 made me realize how the Rhode
Island Prime Timers has become such a large portion of my life. I have made many close friends and
one very close friend all thanks to a great group of
men. I'm active in our group, acting as the newsletter
editor and photographer of many of our events. This
past October, I attended the Prime Timers national
convention in Las Vegas. While there, I met others
and made new friends from all over the country. We
exchanged ideas (and in a few cases email addresses) so that we could continue to chat. Many of us are
looking forward to the 2017 convention in Chicago.
Our group meets
every month for dinner
and fellowship. A few
times a year, we meet
at members’ homes for
cookouts and pool parties. Two of our members every Thanksgiving open their house to
anyone that would be
alone on the holiday.
Every
Halloween,
we meet with the Connecticut and Massachusetts Prime Timers in
Photo courtesy Stan Ulbrych
Provincetown, MA for
the festivities.
These events and others are what make us what
we are. A group of gay senior citizens who enjoy
each other’s company and in many cases, develop a
close friendship with someone else in the group. I
Mark your calendar for the Prime Timers Worldwide Convention held in Chicago,
Illinois on October 29-November 2, 2017. Visit www.tinyurl.com/ptchicago for more info.
5
THE NEWSLETTER OF PRIME TIMERS WORLDWIDE
consider myself fortunate to be part of all this.
I try to remember the good things that has happened to me and try to forget the bad. I'm sad when I think of
the close friends that are not so close any more, when they found out I was gay. I'm sad when I remember the
friends that have passed away, one from old age, one from cancer, and one I remember the most, from AIDS.
To sum it up, I feel very fortunate to have the friends I have. I feel fortunate that I have my health. And perhaps the most important, I have Prime Timers. I can live my life the way I want too. If the world and some of the
people in don't like it...that's their problem, not mine. And for all this, I say "THANK YOU PRIME TIMERS.”
LAS VEGAS REGIONAL A ROUSING SUCCESS, CONT’D...
(Continued from page 1)
& Greet, the Private Pool Party, the Comedy Show, and
the Dinner Banquet.
We had wonderful speakers this year at the seminars
and the topics were all useful for us “older folks”. It was
also nice to have the beautiful views from the 24th floor
windows where all our events took place, except for the
Dinner Banquet.
The pool area was set up nicely and by each lounge
chair were soft drinks and snacks for those who didn’t participate in the pizza and beer. It was a three-hour event
where only Prime Timers were allowed. Many jumped into
the pool.
We filled the Comedy Club at the hotel where we were
truly entertained by three comedians.
The Dinner was held on the 108th floor of the Tow-
Thanks to all our volunteers. They worked very hard
and as everyone knows, you cannot have a successful
event without great volunteers. Truly, this was the most
successful event we ever had.
Private pool party for Prime Timers
Missy Parker with LVPT President Gary Payne
er...WHAT A VIEW! The food was served buffet-style and
was incredible. The lobster ravioli was wonderful as was
everything else. Everyone raved about the deserts.
After dinner, those who wished went upstairs to the
top and rode the theme park style rides for free. The Hospitality Suite was huge and, as usual, the drinks flowed for
free. Plenty of snacks and booze.
We have already received a lot of requests to have
our 2017 Gathering there again and the Stratosphere is
excited to have us back.
Prime Timers enjoying hors d’oeuvres and meeting other Prime Timers
6
PRIME TIMES
JUNE 2016
NOTICE ME, PLEASE, CONT’D...
(Continued from page 1)
mercial as part of a public information campaign, lobbying, or recording your past with a smart phone for
an archive at the Library of Congress.
SAGE gave everyone who attended the Institute
a gift card to pay for lunch. They weren't needed as
the Elder Hospitality Suite, already stocked with beverages and snacks, offered free catered meals. The
suite was not just a space to socialize but also hosted programming. Members of the Center on
Halsted's Senior Voice Speakers Bureau outlined
their activities. Gay historian John D'Emilio described
local gay history, how the Chicago Tribune, a promoter of the Republican Party, during the early 50's
published weekly articles
about perverts and degenerates who the public
should clean from OUT
midst, especially from government. Gays were outed
and fired. The newspaper
mysteriously dropped the
campaign once President
Eisenhower was elected.
Sound familiar?
The conference registration fee was $400. Those
over 65 attended for free.
At one of the plenary sessions, attendees over age
65 were asked to stand
Photo courtesy National LGBTQ Task Force and National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
and then those over age
50 asked to join them. The audience broke into wild
space, digital training, leather, and religious faith. Acapplause. There were dances, separate dances for
tivists for all causes could build skills for voicing our
those 24 and under, those over 50, and those in beconcerns and responding to critics, how to organize
tween. The difference was in the music being played.
politically and to lobby government, how to bridge
Boogie to what you like to hear.
across boundaries of race, age, gender, and ethnic
Ever hear a senior complain that he feels invisigroup to strengthen our institutions. The “Art of the
ble to the young? Ignored? Complain that the young
Schmooze” taught both extroverts and introverts how
don't care what he thinks? If you want to feel apprecito better work a room to meet contacts and make
ated and noticed, then just like cruising the bars the
friends, right down to tips on how to stand and what
first step is showing up.
to talk about at a buffet table or a bar, how to manage the business and personal cards you collect to
ease follow up, and how to gracefully break away
PRIME TIMES DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
from a conversation which goes on too long.
To receive this newsletter by postal mail for one
SAGE sponsored a day-long Elder Institute. The
year, address a check for $14 to “Original Prime
focus was telling your personal story to further supTimers Worldwide”, then mail it to: Tom Hamport for our community. That might mean speaking to
mond, 15439 Valley View Road, Doylestown,
an audience, maybe a college class or a community
Ohio 44230. You may subscribe for more that
event like OutSpoken, Chicago's forum held monthly
one year as well as larger quantities for your
at Sidetracks, answering a reporter's questions over
chapter membership. Thanks for supporting this
the phone, writing a blog entry, appearing in a comworthwhile organization.
Membership in this new army is skewed to the
young. Asking someone upon meeting what personal
pronoun they prefer, using gender neutral bathrooms, and a collective snapping of fingers to signify
agreement with what a speaker says are accepted
norms.
There were plenty of seniors attending Creating
Change; I met seniors from Honolulu, Brooklyn, and
Baton Rouge, and plenty of information for them in
the 200+ workshops. There were programs on social
security benefits, understanding health care options,
and about safe and affordable elder housing. Many
workshops crossed age barriers: yoga, an art studio
7
THE NEWSLETTER OF PRIME TIMERS WORLDWIDE
PALM BEACHES PRIME TIMERS
AGING WITH GRACE
BY BRITTANY FERRENDI, SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS (REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION)
The Palm Beaches Prime Timers is a social community of older gay and bisexual men – as well as their
admirers. They engage in a number of social activities
within the community such as bowling, movie going,
dinners, and more. They host monthly meetings in the
Compass Gay and Lesbian Center, 201 N. Dixie Hwy in
Lake Worth, Florida. Their meetings are every second
Saturday of the month from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. and
often have guest
speakers to present
new information to
members.
Although
the
chapter was initially
created in 2011, the
first meeting in Palm
Beach was on March
11, 2012 and became the official start
date. Four years later, PBPT has 120
members and growing, quadrupling from
their original member
base.
“The Palm Beaches Chapter is actively looking to
expand our membership by recruiting younger and
more diverse members, expanding our scope, and extending our geographical reach to adjacent counties
where there are no local chapters,” said Vinnie Primerano, the President and Communications Director of
PBPT, “We make it known that we are a natural progression from other gay and bisexual groups such as
youth groups and coming out groups.”
According to the Prime Timers main website, “No
single definition can describe Prime Timers, as they
come from all walks of life. But one thing is true of all
Prime Timers, they enjoy the opportunities and friendships that develop with other Prime Timers throughout
the world.”
Every Monday, PBPT hosts an event at
Strikes@Boca, a bowling alley on Commercial Trail in
Boca Raton. People are welcome to come and go as
they like and are highly encouraged to socialize. They
meet every Monday at 6:45 p.m.
“I think the Palm Beaches Prime Timers should be
extremely proud of what they are accomplishing,” said
Julie Seaver, Program Finance Director of Compass
GLCC, “As they continue to reduce isolation in the com-
munity hosting a busy monthly calendar and newsletter
of lunches, museum visits and walking tours, members
of the group are sharing resources and attracting new
members every single week.”
Palm Beaches Prime Timers is just one branch of a
larger Prime Timers network that spans across the
world. It began in 1987 when Woody Baldwin, a retired
professor, noticed the gay community focused almost
exclusively on the
younger generation.
He planned the first
event which had
over 40 attendees.
Since
then,
the
Prime Timers have
expanded
through
North America as
well as Australia and
Europe with over
eighty
chapters
across the world.
The organization’s
mission as they conPhoto courtesy Vinnie Primerano
tinue to expand is to
provide support and
help solve the needs and concerns of the senior gay
and bisexual community. One way they do this is to
provide a resource for local and gay-friendly doctors
using the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. They
also provide memorials on their website for PBPT
members that have passed away.
“We come together from all walks of life looking to
enrich our social lives, engage in diverse activities, and
take advantage of opportunities to make friends with
other Prime Timers locally and around the world,” Primerano added, “We are a leading force in the GLBT
community with our 80+ chapters worldwide, eight in
Florida alone.”
Just entering its fourth year, Palm Beaches Prime
Timers remains a valuable resource for the local gay
community as new members continue to join and participate. “Community members that have just moved
into our area, or perhaps lost their partner, continue to
join the growing membership of the Palm Beaches and
we couldn’t be happier the group continues to call
Compass their home,” Seaver said.
In addition to the Palm Beaches chapter, there are
other Florida chapters in Fort Lauderdale, Central Florida, Tampa Bay, Tallahassee, and Sarasota.
8
PRIME TIMES
HERE AND THERE
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: This is a very busy chapter. The chapter has something happening almost every
day of the month. They meet at the Betty Day Centre, 67
Argyle Street in St. Kilda, a suburb across the river.
Take a trolley. If you will be travelling this summer and
plan to visit their very interesting country, send email to
[email protected] ahead to plan a visit.
Phone (03)-9598-7356.
HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA: This newer chapter
has many activities each month, too. If you will be in
their city (not far from Toronto), every Wednesday the
bunch meets for coffee. The café is called Coffee Culture, located at 89 King Street East, across the street
from the Royal Connaught. They are a good looking
group, so if you’re nearby, join ‘em.
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA: 809 members. Here is
a chapter that is having a mixer for the singles in the
group. This is a large membership with the many gay
retirees in the desert. It is good to read of events for the
single guys. An excellent article entitled “Children of the
30’s and 40’s are the Last Ones”. Worth a read. Check
May’s newsletter.
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA: This chapter also has
a coffee group, but they meet in different places. First,
every Thursday at 2pm, a bunch will meet at Church’s
Express Bar. Friday’s coffee is also at 2pm, but at the
Croissant Tree (sounds like good pastries involved), and
Saturday morning’s get-together is 11am back at
Church’s Expresso. Busy, busy!
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: This bunch has a couple of every-week activities. With vacation time around
the corner and three interstates going through town, we
meet every Tuesday at 11am for lunch in Gusher’s Café
in the gay Habana Hotel. It is on I-44 at the Penn Avenue exit. Easy to see on the south side frontage road,
just west of Penn. If you have stopped at the Habana for
the night, join us. We’ll pull up a chair.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA: 70
members. Happy 25th Anniversary to the chapter going
back to October 1990. They are making a CD, going
through over 3,000 photos – no easy chore. As busy as
these guys are, it will be a CD filled with memories, for
sure.
COLORADO, DENVER: 186 members. The chapter will
be working the Coors Beer booth at the Pridefest on
June 18-19. This will be a good opportunity for the chapter to make some money. Rigid instructions and checking of the public wrist bands come with the job. I worked
JUNE 2016
BY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
ZACH, OKLAHOMA CITY PRIME TIMERS
the beer booth years ago at the San Jose Gay Pride; it’s
a fun way to meet hundreds of people.
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA: The guys have two
ongoing activities each week. Every Saturday morning at
10am, a group meets for coffee at Downtown Co-op.
Address is 1130- 11th Avenue SW. Monday evenings at
7pm for those that enjoy shooting pool and a bunch gettogether at Mr. Schnapps Pub and Restaurant located at
619 – 36th Avenue NE. Our thoughts are with their province, thinking of the terrible fire and evacuation of the
city north of them.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: 555 members. A detective from the police department was the speaker at
their monthly meeting. He gave the guys some clues as
to how to protect themselves from predators and conartists via the phone, on the Internet, the SilverDaddies
sites, plus in real life. This would have been a speaker
we all would like to have heard.
CENTRAL IOWA/DESMOINES: 64 members. The
bunch is planning a trip over to Springfield, Illinois to go
through the Lincoln Library. If enough want to go, they
plan to rent a large van so all can ride together. Talk
about giggles! A few from both Omaha and St. Louis
have expressed interest in joining them there. This
sounds like a fun trip that is intellectual to boot. Seeing
their photos, there appear to be several younger hunks
as members. Let’s hear it!
CENTRAL FLORIDA/ORLANDO: 83 members. This
group has a lot of action during the week also. Tuesday’s are for bowling at the Three Point Bowling. Get
there by noon if you would enjoy the activity. Thursdays
has a Senior Social at The Center from 1-3 in the afternoon. If you’re nearby, join ‘em.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: The Mother Chapter.
The chapter is planning their yearly trip to the resort
town of Ogunquit, Maine for a long weekend. Again this
year they will stay at the very gay-friendly Yellow Monkey Inn. The Inn usually packs out with Prime Timers for
that weekend. Breakfast is included, clothing optional in
the hot tub (oh-oh!), plus many gay places to venture in
town. Sounds good, guys! If this sounds like fun to others, and if the Monkey is full, try to get a room nearby,
and join them for a fun weekend.
RETRACTION: The Austin, Texas post in the December 2015 issue is inaccurate. The artistic event
described in the chapter newsletter and excerpted
in the Here and There feature was not a Prime Timers function. We apologize for the error.
9
Artwork by Chuck Spady, www.ocd-studios.com
THE NEWSLETTER OF PRIME TIMERS WORLDWIDE
BY ERIC WALBERG, PRIME TIMERS TORONTO
For the past
decade, hundreds
of
cross-country
skiers — nearly all
of them Quebeckers —have come
for a week-long ski
odyssey through
the winter wonderland at the eastern
edge of Canada’s
largest province.
Hardy hikers also started coming at the end of
September to see the fall colors and the caribou, and
I opted to join them two years ago. We were two Anglo males among 140 Quebecois (100 of them women).
The eight-hour trek from Toronto to Montreal
brought me to the bus station at 5 a.m., just in-time
for the Gaspé charter. We settled in for a 10-hour trip
that went from scenic along the St Lawrence, to
spectacular as we entered Gaspé, with a panoramic
view of cliffs and mountains.
Getting there really is half the fun.
Near our first stop, Carleton-sur-mer, I looked at
New Brunswick across the bay, and realized I had
been touching three provinces in one very long day. I
could be in rural France, but without the hassle of
airports, visas and glaring security officials.
The second day’s climb took us up to MontAlbert’s bald summit graced by Lac du Quiscale, surrounding a beautiful meadow, actually a massive bog
from annual snow melt. There is a boardwalk across
the open meadow on top of the mountain, “to keep
us from sinking — it’s really part of the lake,” a Belgian journalist told me.
On day three, a thick fog descended and, as we
climbed higher, a sharp wet wind chilled us. I was
ready to turn back, but finally reached a tower on the
peak for hikers and huddled inside out of the wind.
We tore open our bagged lunches.
The fog lifted and revealed a 360-degree view of
peaks, many tiny lakes and a hideous stone field surrounding the tower. A plaque explained that the
weather here is Arctic, even though it is at the same
latitude as Paris. The frightening stone formation is a
result of millennia of gelifraction, the constant melting
and freezing of the rocks, turning them into sharp
teeth-like shards, giving the feeling you are in a horror movie.
Carefully picking our way across the gelifracked
rocks, we spotted an elusive caribou. A plaque down
near the base explained that lichens and moss are
80 percent of their diet. Hard to believe that this can
sustain such magnificent
beasts through winter.
Strolling back to the bus
parking spot after our five to
seven hours of climbing each
day, we were greeted by our
resident accordionist Denise,
playing French polkas and
treating exhausted hikers
with a piña colada made from
maple cream, pineapple and
rum, or a sip of strawberry
wine, a local specialty.
Photo courtesy Eric Walberg
10
PRIME TIMES
JUNE 2016
PARTYING AND TREKKING AT LAND’S END, CONT’D...
On day five, high winds nixed the promised boat
ride to see endangered gannets on Bonaventure Island’s bird sanctuary, so we ventured farther south
along the Malbaie coast where a delicate sand causeway protects a unique salt marsh, now a preserve
where more than 200 types of birds nest.
I was befriended by a delightful 74 year old named
Lize who was on her sixth Tour de la Gaspésie trip.
She had done three by cross-country skiing and one
by bike, and was now on her second trek by foot. Her
family traces its roots to the 17th century, when a solitary fisherman came from Angoulême in southwest
France.
Everyone I met told a similar tale. Quebecers are
fiercely proud of their heritage.
Photo courtesy Eric Walberg
MANAGE YOUR CHAPTER’S MEMBERSHIP
WITH PT MEMBER MANAGER
BY TOM HAMMOND, PTWW WEBMASTER
PT Member Manager (MM)
is a complete system for managing your chapter's membership. In addition to the usual
information (such as name,
address, phone number, email
address, etc.), MM keeps track
of membership status, personal interests, contributions,
RSVP history, and more.
What makes MM really
shine is its varied and sophisticated reports such as
membership cards, applications, nametags, attendance worksheets, rosters, birthday lists, etc. All of
these features are accessible within an easy-to-use
interface.
The program supports chapters of any size. Each
member is listed on individual rolodex-style cards.
You can keep track of individual financial contributions, dues, and donations. You can also record each
member's personal interest, such as those who enjoy
playing cards, going on trips, etc. It also makes organizing your board members a snap!
Extensive reporting capabilities in MM make it
very useful. You can create address labels, envelopes, applications, monthly social check-in lists, rosters, membership cards, birthday lists, and so much
more. All of these reports can be fine tuned to dis-
play only the information that you need, such as mailing labels only for members who have not yet paid
dues. All within an easy-to-use interface.
Best of all, PT Member Manager is free to use for
all chapters. All that you need is a Windows computer running Windows XP, 7, 8, 10, or higher.
To download the program, please visit
www.primetimersww.com, then choose “Membership
> Online Services > PT Member Manager” from the
top menu. If you have any questions or need help
using it, please feel free to contact me at
[email protected].
11
THE NEWSLETTER OF PRIME TIMERS WORLDWIDE
BOOK REVIEW
BY ZACH MULLANEY
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PRIME TIMERS
Carsick
By John Waters
2014 - 320 pages
This is an autobiographical adventure of
John Waters hitchhiking across country
on Interstate 70 from
his home in Baltimore
to his condo in San
Francisco. As a young student, he had hitch-hiked
often. But now into his 60’s, would he be robbed or
beaten en route? Would cars even pick up an aging
man? Waters proposed the idea to his publishing
company. They jumped on it, gave him an advance,
so he knew he had to do it. With his trusty cardboard
sign saying “I-70 West”, this is Waters’ cross-country
adventure. It is divided into three different parts. The
first two parts, fiction, may have been written prior to
taking the trip.
The first part is called “The Best That Could Happen”. These are made-up fantasies about positive
pick-up situations. On one ride, “Harris” takes him as
far as West Virginia. There, Harris gives him five million dollars to produce another movie. The money is
buried out on the pot farm that Harris owns. Another
ride, “Highway Patrolman Laddie”, gives him a ride,
recognizing him, knows all the words and dance
steps from “Hairspray”. They end up dancing together on the side of the interstate to the many passing
honking horns. A third would be a ride with “Buster
and the Hipster Carnival Troupe”. That evening he is
part of the show, The Naked Man with No Tattoos.
There were thirteen rides in this section.
The middle section Waters calls “The Worst That
Could Happen”. This heads down the interstate being laughable, albeit quite a bit bizarre. One ride is a
Freddy Krueger doppelganger, speeding, driving
drunk, the car having no seatbelts. Another, two
weird drag queens pick him up, and take him to Indianapolis. They do weird things to him in a house
where a murder had taken place. Another, an aging
effeminate gentleman in a rest area stares at his
crotch, and says, “Get in, girl.” A strange string of
events follow. The middle section has many
“eventful” rides.
The last section Waters calls “The Real Rides”.
As the first two sections are fiction, they show Waters talented imagination. In this last section, he has
his real experiences going across country. One special ride is a twenty-year-old very likeable young man
from rural Maryland driving his mom’s Corvette. They
hit it off well, and the kid takes him clear into Ohio before having to turn back home. Among Waters’ eighteen real rides, they include a male nurse, a coal miner, a four-guy musical group on their way to a gig, a
trucker, and a married couple going all the way to
Denver. The Corvette Kid has texted him several
times along his route, and re-appears in Denver, now
driving a Kia Sorrento. A factor of that is the panic of a
concerned mother regarding her kid chasing west,
driving to San Francisco with an older single man. The
“Real Rides” is a feel-good third section, quite an upper.
John Waters book Carsick is a fun, easy read with
each chapter being one of the rides. There is nothing
raunchy in print, but your mind is certainly working.
Plus, if we were standing on an interstate on-ramp, I
would wager we’d sure be hoping it would be the Corvette Kid that stopped to pick us up. With Waters’ talent for imaginative description, he makes hitch-hiking
across country a hell of an interesting adventure.
Hopefully, this will be made into a fun movie someday.
Includes prologue, acknowledgements, and a musical bibliography.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?
Many Prime Timers chapters have annual or periodic events that are the highlight of the chapter’s
existence such as pig roasts, pool parties, anniversary dinners, and more. Please tell us about
these events so that members visiting your area
may partake in them. Send us your events via
email to [email protected]. They
will also be posted on the PTWW website.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Labor Day Weekend, Oklahoma City
September 2-5, 2016
River Cruise from Normandy to Paris
October 16-22, 2016
7-night Western Caribbean Cruise
January 14-21, 2017
Prime Timers Worldwide Convention, Chicago
October 29 - November 2, 2017
12
PRIME TIMES
JUNE 2016
UPCOMING TRAVELS
BY MICHAEL & ROBERT
Travel opportunities promoted by Prime Timers Worldwide
PRIME TIMERS FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND
COURTYARD TRAVEL
A River Cruise from the Beaches of Normandy to PARIS
Aboard Croisi Seine Princess
OCTOBER 16 TO OCTOBER 22, 2016
Main Deck Cabins - $2108
Insurance - $162
Included are ALL Port Charges, Taxes, Daily
Onboard Meals, Water, Juices, Wine, Soft Drinks
with lunch and dinner, and Cocktails at the Bar.
© 2002 Frédéric Bisson
Also included are Sightseeing Excursions and Museums. The only additional charges are
gratuities and $70 transfer fee from Paris Airport to Honfleur.
Deposit is $250 per person. Insurance is $162. Final payment due July 12, 2016. All fares
based on double occupancy. Cancellation Fees May Apply
For booking information, call Bobette at Courtyard Travel at 800-437-9685
or Michael Stone at 941-359-8212. Proceeds will benefit Prime Timers Worldwide.
COURTYARD TRAVEL'S ANNUAL PRIME TIMERS
FRIENDS AND FAMILY CRUISE
7-nights on JANUARY 14-21, 2017
from Miami Roundtrip on Celebrity's Reflection








Jan 14 Miami
Jan 15 At Sea
Jan 16 Cozumel, Mexico
Jan 17 Georgetown
Jan 18 Falmouth, Jamaica
Jan 19 Labadee, Haiti
Jan 20 At Sea
Jan 21 Miami
Early Bird Discount Pricing
Deposit of only
$250 per person
Insides from $494
Ocean View from $824
Balconies from $824
Port charges of $175
and taxes and fees
$152.82 per person
Final payment due
October 24, 2016
Fully refundable 'till
final payment
All fares based on double occupancy. For booking, contact Bobette at Courtyard Travel at
800-437-9685 or Marc Solomon at 917-359-3888 and reserve your cabin now.
Proceeds to benefit Prime Timers Worldwide.