Glen Pruitt
Originally from Berlin, Maryland, Glen and his partner, Ken Mahan, live in Angola by the Bay, just off Route 24. Glen is employed as the Associate Executive Director of the Delaware HIV Consortium, and was the former Executive Director of the Sussex County AIDS Council.
Glen is a Board member at CAMP Rehoboth, currently serving as its Secretary, and is an ordained clergy. On January 1 of this year, Glen conducted the second same-sex civil union service in Delaware.
Glen and Ken have two dogs, Ben and Jerry, both were rescue dogs from the Delaware Humane Association.
When/why did you start volunteering for CAMP?
In 1994, I started working at Atlantic Color Lab, a one-hour film processing store that was located in the Village by the Sea shopping area. CAMP Rehoboth was one of our customers, and I used to develop and print photographs used in Letters. My first volunteer gigs with CAMP were “working the door” at Love and Sundance in 1995. I think that I have volunteered, in one way or another, at every Sundance since. For the past couple of years, I’ve been part of the team that writes the descriptions for the hundreds of items in the Sundance Silent Auction.
What’s been your best memory volunteering here?
I have done lots of different things for CAMP, but nothing compares to being one of the “Men in Pink Tutus,” CAMP Rehoboth’s troupe for the annual Follies fundraiser. I remember standing in the wings, waiting to go on as the first number in the show. There I was, wearing nothing but a black t-shirt, black tights, combat boots, a pink tutu and a silver sequined tiara. I looked at John Hulse, Steve Elkins, and Thom Pemberton, the other members of the troupe. I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” I took comfort in the knowledge that it was for a good cause…and that I was surrounded by some great friends. (BTW, the “Men in Pink Tutus” were a huge hit!)
What does CAMP Rehoboth mean to you?
I think people do CAMP Rehoboth a disservice when they call it a gay and lesbian organization. It is so much more than that. That’s why I really like a phrase found on the front panel of CAMP’s new agency brochure. The phrase is “redefining inclusivity.” The value of CAMP comes out of its efforts to help people understand each other, whether they are lesbian, gay, straight, bi-sexual, transgender, pansexual, whatever. CAMP’s greatest value is realized when we move beyond the question of sexual orientation and learn to appreciate each other as individuals, with unique talents and flaws and experiences and beauty.
If you could spend a full day with one person, who would it be? Why?
I would love to spend the day with my father. He passed away in 1994, six months before I moved to Rehoboth Beach. He never knew me as an out gay man…or an HIV/AIDS advocate…or even as a Methodist! We’d have a lot of catching up to do and, as I did when he was alive, I’d like to ask his advice about a couple of things.
“Wouldn’t you like to be a CAMPer too?” How would you encourage someone to get involved with us?
I know the answer I’m supposed to give: complete the “Volunteer Sign-Up Form” on the CAMP website and then attend a Volunteer Orientation session. However, I suggest friend-ing CAMP Rehoboth on Facebook, paying attention to the volunteer opportunities that are posted there, and then saying, “YES!” It’s an easy way to lend a hand and to meet some great people.
Share a little known fact about you…
For a short while I was one member of a three-person band called “Prism” (named after the red Chevy Prizm I was driving at the time.) We had a couple of paid gigs before we disbanded, including a wedding reception at a fancy Ocean City, MD hotel…and, my favorite, providing the musical entertainment at a Rotary luncheon meeting. Somehow we worked into the program an acoustic version of the Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer hit “Enough is Enough.” And it was. Enough!
First thought that comes to mind when you hear the word “Rehoboth.”
That’s easy: Home. I feel a sense of connection and belonging here unlike anywhere else I have ever been. That didn’t change when I accepted a job with the Delaware HIV Consortium and moved to Wilmington in December 1999. True, my residence was in Wilmington, but I always considered Rehoboth to be my home. Not surprisingly, I moved back to the area four years ago, although it makes for a 200 mile roundtrip commute for me each week.
Assuming you have any, what else do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to read for pleasure, usually biographies or murder mysteries. Music has always been important to me. I play the piano. I play in an English Handbell choir at my church. And I sing: at weddings and funerals, in choirs, in the shower, in the car, and on very rare occasions, at Rotary luncheon meetings.
Cher’s not the only one who’d like to turn back time. If you could, what age/period would you return to? Why?
I would like to go back to my college years. What a gift, to be able to spend all day just learning things and having new experiences. I’d like to do it all again, and to do it better this time.
We know you already love Rehoboth, where’s your next favorite get-away? Why?
It would have to be Ocean City, MD. I grew up just seven miles west of there, and I spent seven summers selling Fisher’s Popcorn at Talbot Street on the Boardwalk. Going to Ocean City takes me back to those golden summers of my youth, at least in my mind.
Someone reading this wants to buy you a “thank you” beverage. What would it be?
My first choice would be a chocolate milkshake, though they are hard to get in most bars. Last month I did go out drinking at a bar with a new friend, and we each ordered a glass of milk…and the bartender obliged us! My alcoholic drink of choice would be an apple-tini, but only one. If I drink two of them, I lose all sensation in my lips. Seriously.
We’ve seen many iconic entertainers over the years. Who’s your favorite? Why?
For sheer longevity, it would be Debby Boone. I still remember the very first time I heard “You Light Up My Life,” which went on to become my absolutely favorite song. I have had the pleasure of meeting Debby several times, and once I even got to sing onstage with her (well, as part of a community choir singing backup for her during a Christmas concert). Another highlight is when Debby mentioned me by name in one of her Facebook comments last year. I guess we are on a first-name basis now!
As a teenager, who was your first celebrity crush?
I had a couple of posters on my bedroom walls. One was of Kate Jackson. One was of all three of Charlie’s Angels (From Season Two, with Cheryl Ladd instead of Farrah Fawcett-Majors). And last but certainly not least was a poster of Debby Boone. I don’t claim that they were really celebrity crushes, but it was the best I could do as a boy growing up in a small Eastern Shore town in the late ‘70s. The Debby Boone poster was the first piece of my now quite-extensive collection of Debby Boone memorabilia.
People often ask me, “What’s it like living in Rehoboth year round?” I love that question. How would you respond?
I like the seasonal nature of living in a seaside resort. I like all the activity and energy of Rehoboth Beach in the summertime, and just when all the traffic starts getting on my nerves, we get to autumn. The parking meters disappear. The pace slows down a little bit, at least during the week. It’s magical to walk the Boardwalk on a brisk October evening and watch the moon dance on the tips of the ocean waves. Winter has its own quiet charms, too. I once made snow angels on the beach at the end of Rehoboth Avenue. How many people can say that?
Entertainment: Favorite movie? Entertainer?
Movie…Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I know, I know… I still cry at the end when (SPOILER ALERT!) the Beast dies, but thank goodness for the happy ending. Entertainer…Oh no! Do I dare mention Debby Boone again?
Of course you can, Glen. Now I better understand the DB inclusion in your email address! Seriously though, it’s such a pleasure working with you on the CAMP Board of Directors. Among your many talents and offerings here, you’re an amazingly efficient Secretary! The organization is stronger in many ways because of your dedication and support.
Know someone whose efforts should be considered for the CAMP Rehoboth Volunteer Spotlight? Email your suggestion.