Prime Timer's World Wide Newsletter — December 2007
From The President, Michael Stone

[Initial announcment copied from an undated newsletter xerox]

Our twentieth anniversary has given us the opportunity to honor, celebrate and pay tribute to our founder, Woody Baldwin. Without Woody none of this would exist. We are so lucky to have this wonderful man still in our midst, giving guidance and support.

What better way, then, to celebrate Woody than to honor him by starting a fund forever bearing his name? Some months ago Minneapolis/St. Paul past President Harry Hartigan contacted me telling me that he wanted the chapter to make a donation to Woody’s favorite charity and would like the other chapters to also do so.

About the same time current MSP President Denny Wiegle called, thanked the board and me for our support and mentioned that he felt we needed to ask for a raise at the upcoming convention for the work we do. He was dead serious, and was stunned to learn that we are all just volunteers (like himself) and that our work and the sometimes necessary travel we do are paid for by each of us, individually.

One of my goals for the future of our board is to form regional teams to facilitate the start-up of new chapters and to be able to meet, support and work with chapters in need. Denny and I discussed this and when we talked with Harry he felt it was right on. I told him I felt Woody’s favorite charity would be Prime Timers. Denny met Woody in Oklahoma City and asked him. Of course, his answer was ‘Prime Timers’.

Because chapters are so important to all of us and we wanted this to be something that would forever bear his name, I came up with “The Woody Baldwin Chapters Fund”.

Harry asked the MSP chapter to donate $200to start the fund and followed that up with letters to all 70 chapters. His plan was to honor Woody in Austin on November 17 by surprising him with the fund.

We have heard from many chapters. Some have generously given more than the suggested amount. It was my honor to announce the continually growing fund at the Austin dinner honoring Woody. The fund is strictly voluntary and we all understand that smaller chapters will donate what they are able to.

The funds have been set aside with very strict guidelines: the money can only be used for necessary costs involving travel when absolutely necessary, to work with local men in starting a new chapter or to work with present boards in resolving chapter issues (failing membership, inability to recruit board members, etc.) Use of the fund must have pre-approval by the full board.

We sincerely thank those of you we’ve heard from and look forward to hearing from the rest of you. The fund will be ongoing. Checks should be sent to our current treasurer, Pat Karr, and marked for the ‘Woody Baldwin Fund’.

Prime Timer's World Wide Site — Posting 2009
About The Woody Baldwin
Chapters Fund

In August of 2007 two past presidents of our Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter came upon the idea of honoring our founder, Woody Baldwin, by raising funds for his favorite charity. When checking with Woody they confirmed that at the top of his list was Prime Timers and the continued development and support of its chapters.

In a letter they send to all Prime Timers Chapters it was suggested that each follow their lead by making a one-time donation of a suggested $200 to kick off the fund. The intention was to raise $12,000 by November of 2007.

Since the start of Prime Timers in 1987 each Worldwide board member who needed to travel to conduct any necessary business related to the start-up and support of chapters did so at his own expense. Each board member (as in local chapters) is a volunteer and is not paid. In working with the Board of Directors of Prime Timers Worldwide it was suggested the fund be used only when necessary for the start-up and support of chapters, with pre-approval of the board. The name of Woody Baldwin would be attached to the fund as a way of forever honoring our founder.

Funds donated are kept as a separate item and not in the general treasury of Prime Timers Worldwide. We are suggesting making the fund permanent by inviting individuals and chapters to make donations to the fund as follows:

Please consider Prime Timers when doing your estate planning and making out your wills. We have nearly 7,000 members who know the value of the support, love and camaraderie our organization has provided for them. In the past 5 years our chapters have grown from 53 to 71. With your consideration and support we can all reach our goal of 100 chapters by the year 2010! Be part of making this happen.

When making donations to this fund please make out your check to "Prime Timers Worldwide", and attach a note designating this check for "The Woody Baldwin Chapters Development Fund" and send to:

Prime Timers Worldwide
c/o Patrick J Karr
3120 Southwest Freeway #616
Houston, TX 77098

For questions concerning this fund please direct them to me:
Michael Stone,
President Prime Timers Worldwide mstonefl@verizon.net
941 359-8212 (Eastern Time)

For a PDF version about the Fund please click here.

Prime Timer's World Wide Newsletter — June 2008
From The President, Michael Stone

Just a few short words of thanks to the many individuals and chapters who responded to the October letters, kicking off the Woody Baldwin Chapters Fund. We really appreciate your generous donations to this request; it got us off to a great start.

I want to remind the chapters we've not yet heard from (and Independent and chapter members) that there was no cut-off date for these donations. The fund was started in the fall, named in honor of founder Woody Baldwin, and announced at a dinner in Woody’s honor in November. Donations can continue to be made at any time. If you and your boards have not yet done so please consider a contribution. It's one way sharing the joy of Prime Timers with men in cities without chapters.

These donations are handled as a separate fund of PTWW, only to be drawn upon to cover expenses incurred, when necessary in starting new chapters or visiting chapters to help increase membership. This can only be done by board members with preapproval of the majority of the board. The Prime Timers Worldwide board of directors, like your local boards, is made up of volunteers. In order to serve on the board, members have to agree to attend at least one board meeting a year (most years there are two) at their own expense. We do this because we are committed to Prime Timers, and to making life easier for mature gay and bisexual men who otherwise may have little social outlet.

It is my hope that in the future individuals may wish to make their donations as part of their estate planning or wills. When you choose to donate, please send checks made out to "Prime Timers Worldwide" and mark them clearly for the Woody Baldwin Chapters fund to: Pat Karr, Treasurer; Prime Timers Worldwide; 3902 Roseland; Houston, TX 77006.