A Few Comments From the Online Blog
Postings while this web site was in progress

From Gene Gates — June 6, 2009

The Prime Timers  Worldwide Bi-annual Convention was held in Reno, Nevada, in October of 2007.  This was in celebration of the twentieth year since the founding of the organization in 1987.  In 2007, I was Secretary of the High Sierra Prime Timers and we were a very small group by most chapter's standards.  There was some doubt within our own chapter about our ability to manage a successful convention, but we did it!  More than 400 attended and we received many "Bravos".

Depending on when you read this, Woody Baldwin will be 90 in March 2010 or he was 90 in March 2010.  It was very exciting for me to meet him in person in 2007.  My partner (Lawrence Peterson) and I were included in a dinner party of eight along with Woody and his friend (Dale Spencer).  Woody kept us all laughing with his stories and one-liners such as: "If I can't remember what I ate for breakfast, I just look down at my shirt."

He told us about his recent visit to a comedy club with several of his younger (under seventy) friends.   He convinced them to sit in the rear because at least one of the comedians would always pick on him due to his age.  Sure enough, one of them picked him out and said, "Are you straight or gay?  I mean, do you prefer a man or a woman?"  Woody responded, "It makes no difference — at my age, you take what you can get!"

Woody was called upon to say a few words at the Saturday night banquet.  He needed no prodding and made a brief extemporaneous speech thanking everyone for being there.  He also thanked the Reno chapter for putting together an excellent convention. There were tears in his eyes as he expressed his gratitude to all of us for having accepted his idea of a social organization for elderly gay and bi-sexual men and their admirers.

I was especially impressed when Woody mentioned that members of Prime Timers can, of course, donate to charitable causes as individuals, but never using their chapter as an extension for charitable organizations.  We have added this statement as a clause to the by-laws of the Reno chapter, in order to avoid any confusion regarding charitable contributions.

The Board of Directors met at our house on the Monday following the close of the convention because the hotel did not have a suitable room available.  It will forever remain a thrill to Lawrence and me that Woody Baldwin was here in our house!   

Gene Gates

From Dick Bourbeau — May 19, 2009

First of all Happy 90th Natal Anniversary Woody!

I am a Founding Member of Boston Prime Times.  I was one of the 42 people who showed up to the very first meeting on 15 August 1987 at 15 Hamilton Place.  Woody greeted my arrival and bluntly indicated that since I was good looking and had fairly good penmanship I could be the Greeter and make name tags for the guests.  This was the very first time that I had been introduced to Woody but it was not the first time that I had come across him.  It turns out that Woody & Sean bought a pop corn machine in their retirement and set-up operations in the park beside Filene’s in Downtown Crossing, almost immediately across the street from where I worked for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.  I became quite the regular customer and missed him & Sean when they shut-down operations. 

At the 2nd meeting Woody asked me to join his Executive Committee because the group was growing and he needed help keeping things growing.  One of Woody’s favorite catch phrases was:  Have you hugged a Prime yet today?  I noted that bookkeeping was not one of Woody’s strong suits so I volunteered to be the Club’s Treasurer but Woody would not relinquish the newsletter.  He enjoyed banging it out each month oh his trusty old type writer; I don’t even think it was electric.

My favorite remembrances of Woody & Sean were on our theatre weekend trips to New York City.  Our gentlemen would swoop-in on the Big Apple and the locals and visitors would not know what hit them.  We would all dine together at the Milford Plaza and then go off in smaller groups to our favorite shows, always with the understanding that we would rendezvous later in the evening at Charlie’s East for cocktails and additional entertainment.  I was at these rendezvous that Sean took center stage and sang for us.  What a voice!  He got every one so engaged that eyes were welling with tears.

At a point in 1991, since Prime Timers had grown to 10 chapters all through the hard but most enjoyable work of Woody, I had the idea of having the Founding Boston Chapter host a Convention at the Provincetown Inn.  I got my Board’s permission and then called Woody in Austin to gain his permission.  I was sending our Prologue to all of these chapters monthly and realized that those to whom I was sending them to were merely a bunch of names and how nice it would be to put a face on them.  Of course Woody knew them all!  Woody was delighted with the offer and we had the very first Convention at the Provincetown Inn in October 1991; there were 132 attendees and at least one representative from each of the then 11 chapters.

It was at this Convention that Prime Timers International was formed with Woody as the President and me as his Vice President.  Years later the International name was dropped and replaced with World Wide; that’s a story for another day.  We all owe so much to you Woody.  Look at the thousands of great men you brought together!  Indeed, our time has come!  I’m looking forward to meeting everyone at the 9th Bi-Annual Convention in Toronto!  I haven’t missed one yet.

What a great idea; thanks for taking this on!  Woody deserves all that can be bestowed upon him!

From Jim Williams — May 16, 2009

WOODY, words are pitifully inadequate when it comes to thanking someone for offering hope and human contact during the bleak period known by some as the Golden Age or Sundown Years. I met you when you were touring Ohio during the early part of this decade. I was able to travel to Columbus and Cincinnati and to finally be a part of the Cleveland Chapter that hosted you on the final leg of your sojourn. Sean was with you on that trip. The glow of love and appreciation for each other was inspiring. I could tell by the time you reached Cleveland how exhausted both of you were but it did not prohibit you from enthusiastically sharing stories about the early days of Prime Timers and participating in the dinners and receptions we arranged.

Jim Williams, President of Cleveland Ohio Prime Timers.

From Carl Krause — September 7, 2009

I am Carl Krause, Secretary of the Boston (Founding) Chapter of Prime Timers WW. Here are some of my memories. I discovered the chapter in 1988 a few months after it was organized, when I was 58 yrs. old. I am now 79. Within the first year, Woody had established chapters in both New York City and Chicago, and organized exchange visits with both of them for our members. He organized travel for us to New Orleans for Mardi Gras every year, and while there, encouraged every person he met to go home and establish a chapter.

He attended all of the other "gay conventions" organized by Chiron Rising, Centaur or Swan magazines and their descendent club "Celebration of Friends," and again encouraged all participants to go home and start a chapter in their city. When they would call him and ask for help, he'd fly to their city at his own expense and get them going with his "Startup Kit for New Chapters."  Woody's partner, Sean had a beautiful baritone voice and would entertain at many of our meetings and dinners singing humorous as well as romantic songs.

He pointed out to us that there were even "younger men" who preferred the company of older men, and took us to Cocktail Lounges in New Orleans that catered to that crowd. He'd encourage us to travel to other cities that were celebrating their anniversaries or hosting regional events, which I did; and I've been hosted in 18 different cities in the past 21 years of membership. Prime Timers has literally changed my life. I would never have traveled this country as much or met so many hundreds of like minded people in those short amount of years.

We would be hard pressed to find another man in this country who has improved the lives of so many thousands of men by continuing to create more chapters of Prime Timers World Wide. Kudos to you, dear friend. Saying thank you is not enough, but we'll try to continue the wonderful work that you started.   

Carl K. Krause

From Emily Skjelstad Schimmel — September 22, 2009

I am not sure if you are the Uncle Woody I used to know...in your pictures you look as I remember, striking as ever. My mother was Vinette Skjelstad. I believe the two of you met through UCLA. My mothers smorgasbords were always an event and your presence was one of the bright spots. We last saw you at your brownstone in Boston, you made me a gingerale and cranberry cocktail ooh I felt so grown up.

I was pleased to read your bio and discover all that you have done. I would like to wish you a happy birthday.

Fondly,
Emily Skjelstad Schimmel

From David Evans — November 10, 2009

Woody Baldwin:

My memories of Woody and Sean go back a long way, all the way back to 1969 actually. Where did those 40 years go? My late partner Carl Banks and I first met Woody and Sean around February of 1969 when we were among the founding members of a Levi / leather  would be motorcycle club that became known as the Vikings MC.  At the time the leather community hung around at a bar on Huntington Ave. in Boston known as "The Shed."  It was fashionably located about 500 feet from Symphony Hall.  Anyway a leather club from New York City known as the Cycle MC came to Boston for a visit in February of 1969.  They held a party at "The Shed" and that visit was the spark that made we Boston guys think why not form a club of our own.

A week or so later a number of us met in a basement apartment in Boston's South End and started the formation of the Vikings MC.  It should be noted that at the time the gay community was still pretty much closeted.  I don't think there were any gay social organizations in Boston at the time so we were in effect trailblazers.  Over the next few years we enjoyed many social get togethers including camping trips to Sturbridge where we hosted similar clubs from other East Coast cities for weekends of good food, drink, musical productions staring our club members and much debauchery.  Woody and Sean were present at just about all of our events and they hosted many Viking functions at their beautiful duplex at 98 Pembroke St.  Outside of club events Woody and Sean, my partner Carl and I and our mutual good friends Ted and Jim often got together hosting dinner parties at our respective homes.

In later years the leather club scene faded and Woody and Sean moved to Reading Mass.  During those years we enjoyed going to theater and trips to Ogunquit with the Reading Showgoers a group that included both Gays and Lesbians.  Every New Year's Day Woody and Sean would host a Yankee Swap Party which was great fun.  Eventually Woody and Sean moved to Austin and we kind of lost touch.  In November of 1992 I lost my partner to cancer and in later years Woody lost Sean.  As it turned out we both had memorial services for our partners at the Unitarian church in Reading.

At Sean’s memorial there were several speakers who spoke eloquently of Sean and Woody and what an elegant couple they were when they appeared at the Lenox Hotel where Sean would sing on amateur night.  For those of you who have heard Sean sing he was anything but amateur.  At the reception after Sean’s memorial Woody came over to me and said   David Evans thank God you didn't get up and tell them about our less elegant side.  It seems that a number of years before I ran into Woody unexpectedly at a certain well known club known as the MS on New York's lower west side.  The details of the encounter will remain a secret but Woody and I have a good laugh about it when ever we meet.

Woody has been an inspiration to us all.  He has lived life to its fullest.  We have he and Sean to thank for forming  "The Primetimers" and it is amazing how it has spread around the country and overseas.

Here’s to Woody as you approach 90.  Thank you for being a friend these past 40 years and for your good consul at a time when I was in need.

Fond Memories
David Evans
Chelsea, Mass.

PS  I will be forwarding pictures by mail later.

From Robert — December 21, 2009

Hello Woody,

I just wanted to say "hello" from Boston and to let you know that I enjoyed your website tremendously. I told my friend of 27 years Ray Pierce that I was checking this out and I also told him that "he would enjoy it as well." I loved the old photos and especially the Boston related ones. I met you briefly one night at The Lenox but I was on my way out with Ray so I didn't get to talk to you or Sean. Someday I will sit with you and share a few stories of mine as well. {Hopefully}

Like I mentioned, I will try to hook up this site so that Ray can check it out. You are a well respected man and you have many exciting stories. I am happy that you documented them so well on this site. Keep up the great work. All the best and Merry Christmas to you.

Robert
Boston, Mass.

From Dale — February 5, 2010

Woody has helped me through a lot of low spots in my life, i feel very fortunate to have met him. He is a very caring and warm individual, he has helped me take a better look at myself. Woody does not judge people he takes them for who they are. Woody will always be a special friend no matter what happens.

Dale