RVC 3 Columns
Mensa was founded in 1946 by two British barristers, Lancelot Ware and Roland Berill. Fourteen years later, American Mensa was founded in 1960. Over the last 64 years, Mensa has grown and evolved to where we are today.
Mensa International coordinates the various national Mensa groups that now span our planet, and works on membership development in areas where there is not [yet] a national Mensa group. Of note, Mensa International has the ultimate control over the name "Mensa." American Mensa is the largest member/affiliate of Mensa International.
Within American Mensa, we have 121 local groups, divided into 10 regions. Our region, the Great Lakes & Ohio Valley Region (aka Region 3), has 14 local groups. The local groups are operating divisions of American Mensa, and is where most Mensa activity takes place.
The Constitution of Mensa, our international governing document, starts by laying out the nature and purpose of Mensa:
Mensa is an international federated society composed of national Mensas and Direct International Members. Mensa's purposes are:
American Mensa has largely delegated the first two purposes to our charitable subsidiary, the Mensa Education & Research Foundation. For most of us, Mensa is a social organization, where we look to interact with other members in "a stimulating intellectual and social environment." Our interactions take place in many forms, including face-to-face, print publications, and various sorts of online communications. The interactions are organized by various portions of our organization, including nationally (e.g., the Annual Gathering & Mensa Mind Games ®, and the Mensa Bulletin), the Foundation (the annual colloquium), regions (leadership development workshops), local groups (a huge variety of local activities, newsletters, and online groups), and special interest groups (newsletters, SIG gatherings, and online groups among them).
My experience is that local groups are most successful not when they get big attendance in a signature event, but rather when they have a variety of events that appeal to a variety of members, so that total participation is greater.
Do you want to interact with more interesting people through Mensa? Encourage people you know to qualify and join, so that they, too, can bring in more members. Our membership has ebbed and flowed over the years, but we know that the number of possible interactions grows geometrically as our membership grows linearly. (For the mathematically inclined, x members can make ½ x^2 - ½ x interactions possible.)
May the new year be a good one for you and yours, and may your Mensa membership be a significant part of that!
I'm writing this column at the end of December, which has been an unusually busy month for me, both personally and as RVC. We had American Mensa Committee (AMC) meetings on December 6, 7, & 26, of which only the December 7 meeting was planned more than a few weeks ahead of time. My mother died at age 89 on December 8, with the funeral on December 10. I had cataract surgery on my right eye on December 20 (the left eye will follow on January 3). Add all that to everyday life (including my law practice), and it's safe to say that it's been a month to remember.
Why three AMC meetings? Our bylaws allow a majority of the 15 voting AMC members to call a special meeting on 14 days' notice, and that happened twice. And, if you think that this might reflect a division within the voting membership of AMC, you'd be right. I do think we'll get through this, but it's a bit bumpy in AMC world right now.
I've come to believe that three changes in our bylaws have each contributed somewhat to the problems. When I was on AMC from 2001 to 2003, there were 21 voting members of AMC; now there are 15. Then, as now, there were 5 nationally elected officers (Chair, 1st Vice Chair, 2nd Vice Chair, Secretary, & Treasurer), and 10 Regional Vice Chairs. While there are still 4 appointed officers (Communications Officer, Membership Officer, Marketing Officer, & Director of Science & Education), a bylaws amendment made them non-voting members of AMC. A separate bylaws amendment removed the two most recent Chairs from AMC altogether.
Each of the 4 groups of AMC members tended to have certain commonalities. The past chairs brought institutional memory. The national officers tended to be big picture thinkers. The RVCs brought a more regional perspective. The appointed officers represented important segments of organizational interests. And no one group of voting members (5 nationally elected officers, 10 RVCs, 4 appointed officers, and 2 past chairs) had a majority of votes on AMC. Today, we, as RVCs, have 2/3 of the votes on AMC.
The other change that happened is that AMC terms were extended from 2 years to 3 years. This was done to match terms on Mensa's International Board of Directors (IBD), and to have a larger portion of the terms be outside election season. But I think an unintended effect of this change is that turnover on AMC is now higher. It's one thing to run for a second term when that means 4 years on AMC; it's very different to run for a second term when that means 6 years of service.
So if you listened to one or more of December's AMC meetings, and thought it sounded mildly chaotic, I won't disagree with you. Debates can be intense, then issues get resolved by a vote. Do realize that AMC meetings are just the tip of the iceberg of organizational governance; a lot happens between meetings, either in person-to-person communications or in various committees,1 and we are successfully accomplishing a lot in ways that are not noticeable. (Many of the committees will gladly take new members; contact the committee chair if you'd like to volunteer, or you can contact me and I'll put you in touch with the committee chair.)
Dayton Area Mensa and Cincinnati Area Mensa are hosting a Regional Gathering March 7-9 in Sharonville, OH (a northern suburb of Cincinnati). It's a great chance to meet other Mensans without traveling too far from home, and have a generally great time chatting, hearing speakers, and playing games. You can find more information on the internet.2 Mensa MindGames, at which we test new table games, will take place in Portland, Oregon, from April 24-27, and be chaired by Region 3's own Stephanie Thornton; I'm not sure if there's still space, but you can find more information at this site.3 American Mensa's Annual Gathering, the largest gathering of Mensans on the planet each year, will take place July 2-6 in nearby Chicago; there is no cap on attendance, so you most definitely can register now for the AG.4
"May you live in exciting times." Supposedly, this is an ancient curse; I don't know if that's true or urban legend, but, as I write this column at the end of January, I can say that January has been an exciting month in American Mensa. On January 14, our National Hearings Committee (HC) released a decision that had the effect of removing 8 of the 10 RVCs from office, along with 2 non-voting appointed members of the American Mensa Committee (AMC), our board of directors. So AMC has gone from 15 voting members to 7, and from 4 appointed officers to 2. Curt Krambeck of the Heartland Region (Region 7) and I are the only RVCs remaining in place. Here's a link to the report.1
Our Bylaws set up the HC as largely independent of AMC; it consists of the 3 most recent past chairs of American Mensa not currently serving on the AMC. My fiduciary duty as a director of American Mensa requires me to accept and support the outcome of the procedures specified in the bylaws, so I will not be second guessing what the HC did. I will say that I was neither a party to the hearing, nor a witness. (I do not know where the hearing was held, and, until the report came out, I did not know that the hearing had been held.)
In my February column, I mentioned that "it's a bit bumpy in AMC world right now." That statement has proven to be understatement. AMC now has to appoint 8 Regional Coordinators (temporary non-voting RVCs), 2 new appointed officers, fill many vacancies on committees, and possibly start the process for permanently filling the RVC slots. I never expected things to be this bumpy when I chose to serve on AMC this term, but I'll do my part to clean up the mess we have, and move American Mensa in a positive direction.
I truly like most of the people with whom I've served on AMC. That's really not surprising; nice people are a lot more likely to get elected than nasty people. This applies to both those removed from office, and those remaining. The 10 people removed from AMC are banned from office, not from Mensa participation, and I truly hope to see them at Mind Games, the Annual Gathering, Regional Gatherings, and other Mensa activities. I hope that those of you reading this column will warmly greet them next time you see them.
The whole situation stinks. What got us to this point is bad, and the aftermath is bad. I can assure you that the extra work that comes from serving on a hollowed-out AMC is not something I would have chosen, but, given my position, I will do my part in helping us clean up and move on with a successful, functional American Mensa. The good news is that the governance is a minor part of what Mensa is (albeit a necessary part). Our activities, our publications, our local groups, our SIGs, our gatherings, will all go on largely as if this hadn't happened. I won't say that Region 3 is unaffected--all of American Mensa is affected--but Region 3 (along with Region 7) is, thankfully, affected less.
Speaking of activities continuing: Most of you will read this in time to attend the Regional Gathering that Dayton Area Mensa and Cincinnati Area Mensa are hosting March 7-9 in Sharonville, OH (a northern suburb of Cincinnati). It's a great chance to meet other Mensans without traveling too far from home, and have a generally great time chatting, hearing speakers, and playing games; I'll be there, doing a program as RVC. You can find more information on the internet.2 Mensa MindGames®, at which we test new table games, will take place in Portland, Oregon, from April 24-27, and be chaired by Region 3's own Stephanie Thornton; I'm not sure if there's still space, but you can find more information at this site.3 CultureQuest®, our annual significa competition, will take place on May 4; teams need to be entered by March 31.4 American Mensa's Annual Gathering, the largest gathering of Mensans on the planet each year, will take place July 2-6 in nearby Chicago; there is no cap on attendance, so you most definitely can register now for the AG.5
American Mensa was founded in 1960, and incorporated, under New York law, as a not-for-profit corporation1 in 1971. The Internal Revenue Code exempts organizations from taxation under the 29 subsections of 26 USC § 501(c); we're exempt as a social welfare organization under subsection (c)(4). Unlike the Mensa Education and Research Foundation ("the Foundation"), our charitable subsidiary, we are not a charity under subsection (c)(3).
Mensa is not a governmental organization. We are not subject to sunshine laws like most governmental units. Generally, the American Mensa Committee (AMC) makes our own rules on transparency versus confidentiality; things are confidential for all sorts of reasons, including privacy (especially on personnel matters, both member and staff), legal matters, matters of ongoing negotiations (e.g., hotel contracts), and yet-to-be-announced awards. We do have rules in place for many situations, and sometimes the rules catch all of us by surprise. The rules that AMC has made can only be changed by AMC as a body, not by individual members, and it can be quite frustrating for us when unexpected situations arise. And, let there be no doubt, the Hearings Committee (HC) decision released in January was a very unexpected situation, unprecedented in the history of American Mensa.
A proposal was made at a December AMC meeting that we should review and codify our confidentiality policies. It's being taken seriously, and will be addressed, but I can't say how quickly; as always, it's better to do things right than to do them fast. We will be informed by all sorts of situations that have arisen, including the situation that led to the HC decision. Stay tuned.
We are trying our best to move forward from the HC decision. Interim Regional Coordinators have been appointed for the eight regions (not Region 3) that lost their Regional Vice Chairs, and the process has started for those regions to elect new Regional Vice Chairs who will be able to fully represent those regions; we hope that new RVCs will be in place before July's Annual Gathering in Chicago.
A regular quarterly AMC meeting will take place on March 15, at our National Office in Texas. I'm writing this column in late February, so I won't be able to include results of that meeting until my May column. I expect we'll adopt a budget for our new fiscal year, and otherwise work to move American Mensa forward. Summary "mini-minutes" are usually posted to the American Mensa website within a few days of the meeting; let me urge you to take a look. You'll find the mini-minutes, along with various other reports, here.2
Upcoming events: Cleveland Area Mensa is hosting an adults-only nerd prom in Avon, OH on Saturday May 31, followed by an after-prom at Cedar Point on Sunday June 1.3 And American Mensa's biggest event of the year, the Annual Gathering, will take place in Chicago from July 2-6.4 I hope to see many of you at either or both.
If you're a life member, or your multi-year membership doesn't expire this year, this paragraph won't matter to you. If you've already renewed, thank you! If you're reading this in March, you still have time to renew without lapsing; if you're reading this in April, you can still renew with minimal consequences (you won't be able to play on a CultureQuest® team this year) if you renew before April is over - and I know you wouldn't want to miss being able to read my future columns! You can renew here.5
I'm writing this column at the end of March. Once again, it's been an eventful month - and the March AMC meeting is an unexciting part of it. Because we're not at full strength, most non-urgent matters were postponed, and more urgent matters were handled by the Executive Committee. You can read the Mini-Minutes on the AML website for more information.1
The bigger news is that American Mensa, Ltd. (AML) has been sued; the case was filed in Kings County (Brooklyn), New York. I will refrain from commenting on the merits of the litigation, but there are a few things I will say. First, this is not a suit for money; it is an action in equity, seeking injunctive relief. Our out-of-pocket cost is likely to be limited to our insurance deductible. I do not know how long the case will take to be resolved. If you're interested, you can find the case on the New York Court system's website.
The plaintiffs in the action attached many exhibits to their complaint. The effect of those exhibits is many of the things I have been unable to talk about previously are now in the public record. So I will gladly pass on what I learned from those exhibits. There were two Complaints before the Hearings Committee (HC); the HC consolidated the cases for hearing. The first Complainant filed seven charges (including one against himself); all seven of those charges were dismissed. The second Complainant filed one charge, that the ten Respondents had violated American Mensa bylaws; the HC found that this charge was proven to be a deliberate action that harmed or resulted in harm to Mensa, and thus issued sanctions against those ten members. The provisions of the AML bylaws that were violated can be found in Article III, ¶¶ 10 (b) & -(c).2
The final piece of big news is that AML will hold its first ever recall election between now and the Annual Gathering. A petition, with the requisite 250 signatures, was submitted to recall AML Chair Lori Norris. Because of the way our bylaws are written, the Elections Committee has determined that this election will be held by the use of paper ballots, mailed to the members, and mailed back in; this will cost us approximately $30,000. As far as I'm concerned, the reasons for the recall election ceased to be relevant once the petition was accepted; the effect of the recall vote will be to determine who will serve as AML Chair for the rest of this AMC term (through June 30, 2027). If the recall vote fails, Lori Norris will continue as Chair, as if the recall petition had never been submitted. If the recall vote succeeds (it needs a simple majority of votes cast to pass), First Vice Chair Jon Gruebele would immediately become Chair.3
Upcoming events: Cleveland Area Mensa is hosting an adults-only nerd prom in Avon, OH on Saturday May 31, followed by an after-prom at Cedar Point on Sunday June 1.4 And American Mensa's biggest event of the year, the Annual Gathering, will take place in Chicago from July 2-6.5 I hope to see many of you at either or both.
If you're a life member, or if your multi-year membership didn't expire this year, the rest of this paragraph won't matter to you. If you've already renewed, thank you! On the other hand, it's never too late to renew if your membership lapses; you never have to re-qualify. This will probably be the last newsletter you'll see until and unless you renew; I hope you're not gone too long.
I'm writing this column on May 1. I just returned from Mensa Mind Games in Portland, OR, an event I love (I think this was my 25th time participating). Mind Games is not for everyone, or even every game player; we don't so much play the games as test them, and we play all sorts of games, many of which we wouldn't choose to play if we weren't judging. Next year's Mind Games will be held April 16-19 near Dulles Airport, much closer to those of us in Region 3 (if you're in Keyser, WV, it's about 115 miles); I expect registration to open this autumn.
American Mensa's largest national event is coming up this summer in Chicago, also not far outside Region 3 (if you're in Holland, MI, it's about 150 miles [less by boat]). It's coming up July 2-6. It will have an eclectic mix of speakers, games, contests, Mensa business (including leadership training), hospitality, along with an opportunity to explore the Windy City (including a NASCAR street race right outside the gathering. We will have a Region 3 Meet-and-Greet. It's a great chance to meet Mensa friends, old and new.1
What else do members get out of Mensa? Our surveys show that the Mensa Bulletin and local newsletters are favorites of members. We have a wide variety of special interest groups (SIGs), which appeal to a variety of members. And we have local group activities closer to home, with Regional Gatherings not so far away.
We also know that our surveys show our members have a high interest in travel with other Mensans. The Hell's Ms SIG is sponsoring a 14 day cruise from February 24 to March 10 next year, that will visit 8 countries in Southeast Asia and nearby islands. All are welcome; you don't need to be a member of the SIG to take the cruise. (And, as for almost all Mensa social activities, accompanied guests are welcome.)
As I write this, we don't yet have a decision in the lawsuit against American Mensa. If you're interested in reading the documents in the action, here's a link to the Court's website.2
By now, you should have received your ballot for the recall election; it's due back to the National Office by the end of the day on June 19.
It's probably not too late to come to Cleveland Area Mensa's adults-only nerd prom in Avon, OH on Saturday May 31, followed by an after-prom at Cedar Point on Sunday June 1. (You can do either or both parts.)3