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Region 2 Archives
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2008 Maryland-Metropolitan
Washington Mensa Joint RG
Early Cinco De Mayo: A Mensa Fiesta
Gaithersburg, May 2-4, 2008 |
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Mark your calendars! See the
RG Flyer
for
details!
Registration includes a sumptuous banquet, two pool/hot-tub parties,
chocolate orgy, Fishbowl, and three tracks of programming, plus
round-the-clock Hospitality and games.
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Help wanted!
American
Mensa member to serve on the International Elections
Committee.
Desired qualifications:
= Experience in
conducting Mensa elections.
= Visibility at
the International level.
= Experience at
the national level in the US.
Interested? Contact American Mensa Ltd. Chairman
Russ Bakke! |
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Scholarships and Awards |
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The
Mensa
Foundation scholarship program is unique in that awards are given based
only on essays. Grades, test scores, and financial need are not
considered in the scholarship process.
Visit the
Mensa Education & Research Foundation's
website
for more information on awards and scholarships
“Human intelligence is
the world's most important resource. We should do everything we can to
nurture and protect it.”
Phyllis Miller, Foundation Vice President
The Foundation is accepting
nominations for the
Copper Black Award for Creative Achievement (through April
15, 2008). The latter award is presented to a Mensa member who has
made the most outstanding creative achievement. The creative achievement
may be an invention, an innovation, or a unique improvement that has
actually worked. Artistic accomplishments are not eligible. Copper Black
was a Mensan who valued creativity and left a legacy of a special award
for creative achievement, in the amount of $500. You may nominate
yourself, or another Mensan. Award applications are available online
at the Foundation's website.
NEW AWARD!
Do you have a great Gifted Children
Coordinator in your group? If so, please take time
to nominate that person for a Gifted Children Program
Award! This award will be given for superior service as
a Gifted Children Coordinator. Examples of this might
include outstanding writing/publications related to
gifted children; hosting a contest or workshop for Young
Mensans, gifted children or their parents, or
establishing a program, service or scholarship for Young
Mensans. Nominations are due by April 20 and
should be sent to gcpc@us.mensa.org.
Please include the GCCs name, Local Group and the
reasons for the nomination.
#######
The nomination forms for the Abbie - Proctor of the Year Award
and the Dr. Salny Award for Outstanding Service are due by April 18,
2008. They can be downloaded online at
www.us.mensa.org/officerresources.
If you have any questions regarding the program, please feel free to
contact the Salny Award
Committee Chairman or the Testing and
Admissions Coordinator.
#######
The Foundation's
newest award program!
ââââââââââââ
Intellectual Benefits Award
Deadline: April 15, 2008
This award program recognizes the application of
intellectual abilities that result in tangible benefit
to society.
Eligibility:
Only American Mensa members whose dues are fully paid at
the time of nomination may apply. Innovative activities
(be they paid or unpaid) relevant for consideration
include:
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Education programs for employees;
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Client or business associate education programs;
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Programs designed to educate the public;
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Intellectual research and development.
Excluded are
political activities, or activities appropriate for the
Foundation's other award programs. For more information,
contact the Foundation
Director.
__________________________
The
National Awards Committee is calling for nominations for
the American Mensa National Awards program. These
nominations are for those members whose service to
American Mensa as a national Society, or achievements
benefiting the Society, have resulted in a significant
contribution to the organization (as distinguished from
service or contributions to local groups, regions, SIGs,
etc., which may have their own awards programs.) Please
send nominations of members you feel are deserving of a
National Award to:
National Awards Committee,
David Felt,
PO Box 515, Sierra Madre, CA 91025
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American Mensa's Tenth Annual Testing Day took place on
Saturday, October 20, 2007.
This year a record-high
number of local groups--120! (surpassing the previous
high of 112 groups in 2001) hosted 267 test sessions.
Over the years, thousands of candidates have challenged
themselves by taking the
Mensa Admission Test as part of this event. The test fee
is $40, and a photo ID is required. The test is open to any
person age 14 and older, but parental permission is required
for anyone age 14-17. |
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Central Pennsylvania Mensa's
2007 Winter
Solstice
at
the
Bird-in-Hand Family Inn,
in Bird-in-Hand,
PA
December 14 - 16, 2007
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Plans are underway for the 2007 Winter Solstice RG, December 14 -
16. We are moving to a new hotel, the Bird-in-Hand Family
Inn (1-800-665-8780), in
Bird-in-Hand, PA. The hotel has two indoor pools, a large hot tub
and a game room, and it offers a free tour of Amish Farmlands. This
hotel is completely non-smoking. The RG will feature a Friday
night pizza party and a chocolate orgy. Saturday night there will
be an all-you-can-eat buffet with more choices than we've had in
previous years, followed by our traditional gift exchange. Please
bring a $10 wrapped gift. We are still working out details for a
pool party.
This year we are
lowering our prices. Our introductory rate has dropped from $60 to
$55. And as a special bonus, everybody who attended last year can
register by June 30 for only $50. That’s right, $50. And that
includes the Saturday night dinner. And in addition, each person
who registers by June 30, and books a hotel room by June 30, will
be entered into a drawing to receive one free hotel room night. |
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Happy Thanksgiving Day! |
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2007
Leadership Development Workshop.
11/09/07—11/11/07
Four Points Sheraton
351 York Street,
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Phone: 757-229-4100
Room Rate: $70.00 / night
Mention “Mensa” when making reservations. |
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Join us the
weekend of November 9-11, 2007 as we gather to listen to leaders in
American Mensa talk about the issues facing Region 2 and discover
all of the ways in which you can help to make Mensa better through
your involvement. Registration is free and includes some meals and
hospitality.
Contact RVC2
Leah Kinder to find out how
you can help, suggest a topic for the workshop, or sign up. |
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"Make a
Difference" Day |
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Make A Difference Day is the largest national day of helping
others -- a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone
can participate. Millions of Americans
helped their communities on October 27. Coast to coast,
citizens braved rainy weather, the aftermath of massive
wildfires and cooling temperatures to spruce up their
surroundings and perform countless acts of good will. |
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INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MENSAN?
TAKE THE MENSA
HOME TEST!
The
Mensa Home Test doesn't
qualify you for Mensa membership, but it
is a
great way to help you prepare for the
Mensa Admission Test in the privacy of your own home. This test
costs $18 (U.S.) and will be scored by American Mensa's National Office.
Fill out
the order form,
then get more information on
how to join. |
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This just in!
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American Mensa announces
PsySource, a new online directory that
connects state-licensed mental health professionals with
gifted people nationwide. This is a new service from
American Mensa, helping to fulfill one of the organization's
primary goals - to identify and foster human intelligence.
While it is not a referral service or endorsement, the
PsySource
directory provides information about mental health
professionals who perform intelligence testing and provide
support services to gifted people. If you know psychologists
who would be interested in listing their practice, please
share this information with them.
Registration
is quick and easy. State licensure will be verified for all
mental health professionals listed.
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There's now an online
directory of Local Group officers, and the best
part is that it's updated each business day! The new
directory is under the Members menu on the main AML
site, and can also be reached
directly, or under Group Officers on
Inside
AML. If you are an officer and your information
listed is incorrect, please visit your
Profile
Update to make the necessary corrections. If
your group website or officers are listed
incorrectly, please contact
Heather
Spillers. |
Jonathan Elliott
is the newly-appointed national SIGs Officer.
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Back to School
Pittsburgh, PA, Aug 31, 2007 -- Sep 03, 2007 |
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Still having nightmares about high school? Our Back to School RG can
resolve those nagging issues but possibly leave you with a few new
ones. Detention, lunch ladies, another go at the prom, all-night
hall passes and some hands-on classes. This time we’re the cool
kids! $65 until 5/1, $75 until 7/1, $80 at the door. Children 5-17
half of current adult registration. MP: all meals including Monday
hotel brunch but excluding Saturday night. Checks payable to Western
Pennsylvania Mensa.
Airport Doubletree, 8402 University Blvd., Moon Township, PA
15108; 800/222-TREE. Room rate $75, guaranteed until 8/10; use
reservation code Mensa. S CD 16 and under, H RP SA H/AS. Contact
Betsy Hetzler. |
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The Local Group
Scholarship Participation Agreements were mailed to the
LocSecs in the April month-end packet. Groups have until
Wednesday, Aug. 1, to sign up; however, it’s a good idea to
send in the paperwork sooner if possible to ensure it’s received
and the record of your group’s participation is in good order.
Is your Local Group
planning to participate in the Mensa Foundation’s national
scholarship program? All you need is a local Mensan to
coordinate the process and a few local volunteers (Mensan or
not) to read the essays submitted within your group’s geographic
area and to vote on your local winners. Then those winners are
sent to the regional level for judging, and so forth to the
national level. |
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AG updates
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Annual Gathering 2007
Give Me That
Old Time AG'n!
Central Alabama Mensa
Birmingham, AL July 4-8, 2007
Print out the
Registration Form or register
online!
A good, old-fashioned
coming-together to socialize, explore and experience. Abundant
Hospitality, programs, dances, sightseeing opportunities ... and
still affordable!
Questions? E-mail
the Registrar!
Help create the fun!
Volunteer! |
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PRP
process gets easier for 2007 competition
AML's
Publications Recognition Program recognizes and rewards Local Groups
and contributors for their activities in Mensa print and electronic
media. Several changes have been made to this year’s program, some
of which are designed to ease the application process and to save
groups much-needed funds. Some of the changes include:
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Contributions
to newsletters and websites have been combined into one
competition; their submission has been combined into one
Application for Contributions.
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Newsletters
may now be uploaded
electronically.
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All local
group websites linked from
American Mensa Ltd.'s home page
by March 1, 2007, will be automatically entered and judged. No
application for websites is required. Judging began on
April 1.
-
Website
Awards categories are: Overall Presentation, Overall
Entertainment, Calendar, Member Recruitment, “Members Only"
Section, Outstanding Website, Special Mention, and the Owl.
All details are
explained in the
PRP Guidelines.
For more information, email PRP Chair
Claire Natola. |
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Join Mensa! Take the
Mensa
home test!
A completed Home Test returned by June 30 will
earn you a coupon worth $5 off the Mensa Admission Test, valid
until August 31. |
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A site is
still needed for the AMC meeting for March, 2008. If any
group is interested in hosting this meeting, please submit the
AMC Meeting Bid forms found on the website to the Site Selection
Committee and National Office no later than
June 9. This
is the last opportunity a group will have to submit a bid to
host the March meeting. If you have any questions, please
contact Cyndi Kuyper.
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2007
M-COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
at Maryland and
Metropolitan Washington Mensa’s Joint Regional Gathering
Memorial Day weekend
May 25-27, 2007
Laurel West Holiday Inn
15101 Sweitzer Lane in Laurel, MD 20707 |
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“MM and MWM invite you
to join them in a very special gathering that may not always be
quite what it seems…”
We can’t tell you anything else about this
event, because then we’d have to kill you. So if you want to learn
more, spy out our flyer! And
once you are there, scroll down, and register! We know who you are,
and we also know that you won’t be able to resist! |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're not
already receiving the CultureQuest®-ion of the
day,
sign up, and you'll receive a different
question via email each day along with the
answer to the previous day's question. Do you
know people who aren't Mensa members who love
trivia and games? Feel free to let them know
about the CultureQuest®-ion of the day as well!
This service is open to the public.
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Mind
Games®
2007 event
was held April 20-22 in
Pittsburgh, PA.
Mind Games® is an intense
weekend of play. Mensans judge and critique games
released in the past year and award the coveted Mensa
Select® seal to the top five.
Mensan
judges name Mensa Select® games for 2007
More than 200 Mensans
gathered in Pittsburgh April 20-22 for Mind Games® 2007. During
the three-day event, members played and rated 59 board
and card games. The top five games have earned
Mensa Select® distinction and may use the
Mensa Select seal on their games.
Congratulations to the winners!
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Community Activities
Program
Please consider
entering some or all of your Local Group’s community service
activities in the Community Activities Program. Your entry can
serve as an inspiration to groups all over the country! This
year the
form has been greatly simplified. There are only three
questions — relating to the plan, the procedure and the outcome
of your project — and you may answer in as much or as little
detail as you like. All entries must be received at the National
Office by May 1, 2007.
Entries will be rated by a panel of volunteer judges, on the
basis of contribution to your community, to your Local Group,
and to Mensa. The winners will be announced at the Awards
Presentation at the Annual Gathering this July. |
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Mensa Bulletin
The
April/May issue of the Mensa Bulletin is the election
issue. While you would normally receive the Bulletin
around the first of the month, this issue will not mail until
April 12 due to the election. Because the issue contains a
ballot, households with more than one Mensa member will receive
multiple copies. As in prior years, there will be two ballots
included with the Bulletin. These ballots must be mailed
separately to each destination in order to be counted. This year
members have the option of voting online for the national (but
not the international) election. Information for voting
online will be included on the white, American Mensa ballot.
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Colloquium 2007: Aspects of Humor
Chicago, Ill., March 23-25, 2007
Do you enjoy Mensa because other members get your jokes? Then
have we got an event for you! Now's the time to sign up for
Colloquium 2007: Aspects of Humor: The Art and Science of
Laughter. This weekend event will take place March 23-25
in
Chicago.
The program's keynote speaker is
five-time Emmy winner Merrill Markoe; the event also features
Chicago improv franchise and Colloquium sponsor
ComedySportz(tm), Mensan Rubi Nicholas (winner of Nick at Nite's
Search for the Funniest Mom in America 2), speakers, workshops,
a panel discussion, entertainment, and more.
Read the
full
program! Print out the
Registration Form or
register
online! Do it today and save yourself some money!
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Make your nominations for
national awards
The National Awards Committee is
calling for nominations for the American Mensa National Awards
program. These nominations are for those members whose service to
American Mensa as a national society, or achievements benefiting the
society, have resulted in a significant contribution to the
organization (as distinguished from service or contributions to
local groups, regions, SIGs, etc., which may have their own awards
programs).
Your nomination submission should detail the reasons why the member
is especially deserving of a national award Questions or nominations
should be sent no later than the end of April. Please
send nominations to:
National Awards Committee,
David Felt,
Subject: Mensa Awards |
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2010 is American
Mensa's 50th anniversary
Bidding
is open for proposals to host the
2010
Annual Gathering
of American Mensa. AG's may be hosted by one or more local
groups, a SIG or a consortium (committee) of interested members
from various groups. AG proposals for 2010 will be considered
January 12-13, 2007 at the AMC meeting in Birmingham, AL. A
Letter of Intent must be submitted by the hosts to the site
selection committee chair by March 2007. An outline of
what is required for a successful bid (including a sample letter
of intent) is available on the
website
under the "more forms" section, or you can request a copy from
the National Office. If you have questions, please contact
Cookie Bakke, National Events
Hotel Consultant, or Site Selection Committee Chair
Cyndi Kuyper.
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The Site
Selection Committee would like to remind local groups
that if you wish to submit a proposal to host the March
2008 AMC meeting, those proposals are due to the Site
Selection Committee Chairman prior to the March 25 AMC
meeting. Information about hosting an AMC meeting is
available on the Web site at
www.us.mensa.org/officerresources
(under forms).
If you
have any questions regarding AMC meeting bids, please
contact Cyndi Kuyper,
Site Selection Committee Chairman directly.
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October 19, 2006
Leah Kinder Named Regional Vice Chair of American Mensa
Leah Kinder, a Felton, Delaware resident, has been named a
Regional Vice Chair of American Mensa, Ltd., the high IQ
society. Kinder will represent American Mensa’s Region 2
(Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C. and parts of
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia) on the
organization’s board of directors. |
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Colloquium
2006: Revolution in Cosmology
Albany, N.Y.,
Oct. 6-8
The
Revolution
in Cosmology is bringing a panel of internationally
renowned experts together to share their knowledge of the
recently discovered accelerating universe and "dark energy"
responsible for it, galaxies surrounded by invisible "dark
matter," extra dimensions, string theory, loop quantum gravity
and much, much more! Join us to participate in this stimulating
mix of information, revelation, and discussion.
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Mary Pat Collins for
these
four AG pictures! Anybody else?
J |
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One hundred ninety-eight Mensans gathered in Portland this weekend
for
Mind Games® 2006.
During the three-day event, members played and rated
62 board and card games. The top five games have earned Mensa Select
distinction and may use the Mensa Select seal on their games.
The winners are:
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Following Judy Vasiliauskas'
unexpected resignation from the AMC for health reasons, the
ExCom has appointed Marc Lederman to fill the remainder of
Judy's term as Secretary and as NatRep. The full AMC will be
asked to make this appointment permanent at the October
meeting.
Update: The AMC has selected Leah Kinder
to be Interim RVC2, pending her formal election to the post at
the October meeting. Congratulations, Leah! |
Candidates
The following individuals have submitted Candidate Information Forms to
the Nominating Committee
for consideration. Please send any comments about these individuals to
NomComm Chair
Stormie Kullman before
September 15.
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Chair - Russ
Bakke
Chair - Marghretta McBean
Chair - Michelle Wojtaszek - not eligible
1 Vice - Elissa
Rudolph
2 Vice - Dan Burg
2 Vice - Charlie Bruce
Treas - Cyndi
Kuyper
Treas - Ray O'Connor
Treas - Matt Metzler – withdrawn
Treas - Allan Derum
Sec'y - Judy
Vasiliauskas – withdrawn
Sec'y - Marc Lederman
Sec'y - Mike Seigler
Sec'y - Scott Rainey |
RVC 1 - Lori Norris
RVC 1 - Walter Wakefield
RVC 2 - Nancy McMahan Farrar
RVC 2 - Leah Kinder
RVC 2 - George Cooper
RVC 2 - Jere Lull
RVC 3 - Dave Swanka
RVC 4 - Steve Jones
RVC 4 - Ken Silver
RVC 5 - Nick Sanford
RVC 5 - Zarya Steele-Weinberger
RVC 5 - Lewis Gosnell |
RVC 6 - Ralph
Rudolph
RVC 6 - Karen Brack
RVC 6 - Jeff Dommenge
RVC 7 - Peggy
Pannke-Smith
RVC 7 - Kevin Myles
RVC 8 - John
Recht
RVC 9 - Ronald
Kaufman
RVC 9 - Clark Jones
RVC 9 - Cary Chilson
RVC 10 - Maggie
Truelove |
&&&&&&&&&&
Hopland Elementary School
in Hopland, California (NW part of the State) was the only
school in the State that was completely closed as a result
of the New Year's flooding. Thousands of books were lost.
The school is scheduled to reopen this September after
extensive repair. The children
need books.
Hopland
Elementary is a small rural community school with about 170
students in grades K-6, plus a preschool. It serves a mostly
Native American and Latino population.
Books
should be developmentally appropriate for ages 4 to 11.
Science, poetry, lots of picture books. Books about horses,
farm animals, gardens, and nature. Books with Native
American and Latino themes. Books in English, or Spanish, or
bilingual. Classics as well as contemporary. And those
series that children love like the Goosebumps, Animorphs,
Babysitters Club, Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, etc.
Well, just about everything!
New or
gently used books would be nice. Even one would be welcome.
If you send many, please limit each box weight to 30 lbs
maximum.
Send
books to:
Hopland
School/Warehouse
130 Fircrest Ave.
Ukiah, CA 95482
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Bibi Sandstrom of Mid-Hudson Mensa has asked if we could help replace
some damaged books at a New York State county Library (Elting Library,
93 Main St., New Paltz NY 12561.). The library, like many others, has
suffered a cut in funding. Several older books need to be either
replaced or have their binding repaired. Repair would be expensive. You
can request a list of the desired books from Michael
Paul Beetham, Project Inkslinger
Coordinator.
&&&&&&&&&&
PRP
The Publications
Recognition Program (PRP) deadlines are rapidly
approaching.
The PRP exists to
confer awards upon local groups and members of
American Mensa, Ltd. for their official print
and electronic publications and for
contributions to their official electronic
websites and their print publications.
Submissions for
the Print Media and Print Contribution
competitions must be postmarked by February 24,
2006 and received by March 4, 2006.
Submissions for
the Electronic Media and Website Contribution
competitions must be emailed by March 1, 2006.
If you have any
questions on this program, please contact Marc
Lederman, 2006 PRP Chair at
prp@us.mensa.org .
The PRP
information for 2006
(cover
letter, PRP print media application PRP print media contributions
application, and PRP Guidelines) is at
www.us.mensa.org/OfficerResources.
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PRP
The
Publications
Recognition Program (PRP) annually confers awards upon local
groups and members of American Mensa, Ltd., for official print
and electronic publications. This voluntary program is intended
to draw attention to deserving newsletters and Web sites among
the local groups and at the national level, resulting in wider
distribution and in the fostering of greater communication among
Mensans. It allows a local group with any level of editorial
experience, regardless of group size or publication budget, to
compete fairly and win awards.
2006 PRP
nominees
2005 Print Winners
2005 Web Winners
2005 Print Contribution Winners
2005 Web Contribution Winners
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MENSA FOUNDATION RECEIVES PRESIDENT'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD;
MEMBERS RECEIVE INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Arlington, TX (May 18, 2006)
The Mensa Research & Education Foundation, the philanthropic arm
of Mensa, announces that it has received the Gold-level
President’s Volunteer Service Award for outstanding community
service. Additionally, eleven of the Foundation's volunteers
have been awarded the President’s Call to Service Lifetime
Achievement Award. Both awards are presented on behalf of
President George W. Bush, and encourage involvement in local
communities through volunteer service and civic participation.
The Gold-level award is granted only to individuals or groups
that have completed at least one thousand hours of community
service in a twelve-month period; those who have completed at
least four thousand community service hours earn the Lifetime
Achievement Award.
The eleven Mensans who won the President's Call to Service
Lifetime Achievement Award are Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., J.D.,
Greg Timmers, Phyllis Miller, Dave Remine, David Felt, Shirley
Loges, Ph.D., Marie Mayer, Jean Becker, Ph.D., Francis Cartier,
Ph.D., Mary Dwyer Wolfe, Ph.D., and Steve Wolfe. |
|
_____________
Region 2's
Leadership
Development Workshop (LDW)
took place in King of
Prussia, Pennsylvania, on May 12 and 13. It was our
first LDW in more than a dozen years and, judging from
the enthusiasm from the attendees, we won't be waiting
12 years for the next one. There were 34 attendees,
representing 9 of the 10 groups in our region, who
showed up for our Saturday programs, and many came in
early Friday night to join us for pizza.
_____________
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Mensans
going to Pacific Northwest to play Mind Games®
Oregon
Mensa will host Mensans from across the country for Mind
Games® 2006, April 21-23
in Portland. This annual event brings together Mensa's most
avid board game enthusiasts for an intense weekend of play
and critique. Game manufacturers enter their latest
creations in the contest, hoping to be named Mensa Select®.
Get more information on
Mind Games,
past and
future.
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_____________
The National Awards
Committee is calling for nominations for the American Mensa National
Awards program.
The national awards (Certificates of Appreciation,
National Service Awards, Distinguished Service Awards, and the Life
Membership Award) are to recognize those members whose service to, or
achievements benefiting American Mensa as a Society have resulted in a
significant contribution to the organization. Nomination submissions
should detail the reasons why the member is especially deserving of a
national award - the more information provided, the better the Committee
can consider the nomination.
Questions may be
sent to Dave Felt, Chairman,
National Awards Committee (please use subject: Mensa Awards), but award
nominations should be sent to the National Office (National Awards
Committee,
American Mensa,
1229 Corporate Drive W,
Arlington, TX
76006-6103) no later than the end of April.
____________
Th is
annual event is American Mensa's largest testing effort. This year, the
National Testing Day was held on Saturday, October 22. Local
groups administered the Mensa Admission Test at more than 150 test sites
nationwide.
Hundreds of candidates across the country sat for the Mensa Admission
Test. If you missed out, it's not too late; many local groups are
continuing their testing activities through Nov. 5. Anyone who scores in
the top two percent on the Mensa Admission Test will be invited to join
Mensa. The test is open to any person age 14 and older. The test fee is
$30 and a photo ID is required. Parental permission is required for
anyone age 14-17.
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Mensans support hurricane relief
Thank you to all members
who have offered their homes, money and time to help those
affected by Hurricane Katrina. More than $2,500 in Red Cross
donations has been collected in the past few weeks. Please
email us
if you have
assistance to offer (housing, supplies, transportation,
employment) or if you are a Mensa member who has been affected,
or had family affected, by the hurricane. The National Office
will attempt to connect members.
Project Inkslinger
The
American Library Association
website has a front-page link to its updated information on
hurricane Katrina news and relief. At present it has a statement
asking that no more books be sent to the area library
associations for the time being. Financial donations are still
welcome. Many schools and libraries have been damaged or
destroyed. Information is given on the number and status of many
of the schools and libraries. The ALA will periodically update
the information so that we will know when and where to continue
donating books. Project Inkslinger will continue to monitor and
report the relief situation as it evolves.
Shortly, redevelopment will begin
on the philanthropic side of Project Inkslinger. The process
will provide methods by which a Mensan can provide a single
student with a single book, or a Local Group can choose to
improve the lot of a community that suffers a chronic shortage
of library books. One or more Local Group can choose to improve
a community up to the modern Library of/for the Future
standards, in which the library is both a modern information
center and a cultural center. For the most part, the concept is
consistent with the original, and successful, work of Project
Inkslinger in the early 1990s.
The philanthropic side differs from
the basic book-donating side in that it suggests that a Local
Group take ownership of a project, and follow up after the
initial work is complete. The process and methods will be
designed consistent with Library of Congress and other
guidelines. Stay tuned. Please save your books.
---From
Michael Paul Beetham, Project Inkslinger Coordinator
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American Mensa
Forums
All about SIGs, Ask
Mensa, Brainstorm, Gatherings,
Hospitality, and Puzzles and Games are the initial general
interest forums.
Any new forums must have at least one member moderator.
All ABOUT
SIGs is the forum where you can chat with Special Interest Group
coordinators or the national
SIGs Officer. Ask questions. Find interest for
your own SIG.
ASK MENSA is
a question-and-answer forum for specific topics about Mensa.
BRAINSTORM
is the forum where you can pose a question to the general
membership about anything--from
managing your Local Group to global issues to how
to get a spot out.
HOSPITALITY
is to meet and mingle before moving on to other programs or
activities. The Hospitality forum is for general
discussion of any topic of
interest.
PUZZLES AND
GAMES is for general discussion of puzzles, games and gaming.
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NTD enjoys coast-to-coast success
Saturday, Oct. 22, was American Mensa's
eighth annual National Testing Day, when more than 1,200 candidates sat
for the Mensa Admission Test. Local Groups hosted more than 200 test
sessions in October and early November. Learn more about the
Mensa Admission Test.
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AMERICAN MENSA FOUNDER DIES AT 88
Peter A. Sturgeon, the man
considered to be the founder of American Mensa, passed away in Vienna,
Austria, on Friday, July 22. He was 88.
Sturgeon was a medical writer living in Brooklyn, N.Y., when he read an
article about Mensa. He wrote to the Mensa Selection Agency in England
in March 1960, passed the Cattell test above the 99th percentile that
May and became a Mensa member later that year. He was authorized to
start forming a New York City regional group in August 1960 and assumed
the title of Provisional Secretary, although the “provisional” was soon
dropped. This group was the first outside of Britain to be recognized
and has since evolved into American Mensa, Ltd., the largest of more
than 50 national Mensa organizations. |
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Sturgeon served as
American Mensa’s Secretary until 1965, when he resigned after
accepting employment with the World Health Organization in
Switzerland. During his tenure as Secretary, many of the
foundations of American Mensa were laid including the Local
Group and regional structure, the Annual Gathering national
convention, Regional Gatherings, Local Group newsletters, the
American Mensa Committee, national recruiting efforts, the
American Mensa Bylaws and the creation of the National Office.
Sturgeon published the first edition of the American Mensa
Activities Report in 1961 and served as its editor through July
1962; this publication soon evolved into the Mensa Bulletin, the
organization’s national membership magazine. He was also
American Mensa’s first National Representative to the Mensa
International Board of Directors, serving from 1962 to 1965.
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MENSA INDUCTS FOUR TO
HALL OF FAME
American
Mensa has named four historical figures to the organization's
Hall of Fame. Marie Sklodowska
Curie, Euclid, Louis Pasteur and William Shakespeare are being
recognized by the organization for their remarkable vision and
accomplishments.
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Publications
Recognition Program
The
Publications
Recognition Program (PRP) annually confers awards upon local
groups and members of American Mensa, Ltd., for official print
and electronic publications. This voluntary program is intended
to draw attention to deserving newsletters and Web sites among
the local groups and at the national level, resulting in wider
distribution and in the fostering of greater communication among
Mensans. It allows a local group with any level of editorial
experience, regardless of group size or publication budget, to
compete fairly and win awards.
2005
Print Winners
2005 Web Winners
2005 Print Contribution Winners
(Congratulations to
Tom Tyson, TJM!)
2005 Web Contribution Winners
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Scholarships and Awards
Winners of American Mensa's national awards
programs were announced Friday, July 9, during the Annual Gathering
Awards Luncheon in New Orleans. Winners are both individuals and Local
Groups.
View the winners of the
Abbie Proctor of the Year Award
(Congratulations to
Sallie
Banko, Lehigh Pocono Mensa!),
the
Community Activities Program
awards,
CultureQuest® 2005,
(Congratulations to MWM's two teams, The Gordian Knots and Who
Knows?) the
Group of the Year Awards,
the
National Chair Awards
(Congratulation s
to Steve & Lesley Slepner!),
the
National Service Award,
the
Owl Awards for
membership and the
Publications
Recognition Program.
_____________
Forms for
Gifted Children Program Minigrant Awards
were mailed to local groups. There are 15 $100 grants available for the
next fiscal year.
Read more on the National website under officer resources:
https://secure.us.mensa.org/members/only/officer_library_data.php?section=gcc#Programs
and Awards
_____________
The
Mensa
Foundation scholarship program is unique in that awards are given based
only on essays. Grades, test scores, and financial need are not
considered in the scholarship process. Last year, nearly $55,000 was
awarded to students across the nation.
Visit the
Mensa Education & Research Foundation's
Website
for more information on awards and scholarships
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One hundred sixty-five
Mensans gathered in Tampa for
2005 Mind Games®.
During the three-day event, members played and rated 51 board
and card games. The top five games have earned Mensa Select®
distinction and may use the Mensa Select® seal on their games.
This year’s winners
are:
DaVinci’s Challenge
– This game uses the ancient Flower of Life symbols to create
patterns and pictures to outsmart your opponent. (Briarpatch)
Ingenius
– Players place colored tiles on the hexagonal board, scoring
points, blocking opponents’ tile placement and trying to protect
themselves from being blocked by their opponents. (Fantasy
Flight Games)
Loot – Set sail for an exciting
adventure of strategy and skullduggery in this captivating card
game. The player with the most loot rules the high seas.
(Gamewright)
Niagara – Players move their canoes up
and down the Niagara river to pick up gemstones. The player who
gets the most gems wins the game. (Rio
Grande Games)
Zendo
– An inductive logic game in which the Master creates a rule and
the Students compete to be the first to figure it out by
building and studying arrangements of pyramids. (Looney
Labs)
Mind Games®
2006 will be held April 21-23 in Portland, OR. More information
about Mind Games may be found at
mindgames.us.mensa.org.
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Scholarships and Awards
Winners of American Mensa's national awards
programs were announced Friday, July 9, during the Annual Gathering
Awards Luncheon in New Orleans. Winners are both individuals and Local
Groups.
View the winners of the
Abbie Proctor of the Year Award
(Congratulations to
Sallie
Banko, Lehigh Pocono Mensa!),
the
Community Activities Program
awards,
CultureQuest® 2005,
(Congratulations to MWM's two teams, The Gordian Knots and Who
Knows?) the
Group of the Year Awards,
the
National Chair Awards
(Congratulations
to Steve & Lesley Slepner!),
the
National Service Award,
the
Owl Awards for
membership and the
Publications
Recognition Program.
Visit the
Gifted
Children pages!
The Gifted
Children’s committee would like to remind local groups that there are
numerous links to organizations and resources for gifted children and
families on the American Mensa website at
http://www.us.mensa.org/activities/gc_resources.php.
For additional resources by state, please send an email to the Gifted
Children Outreach Coordinator, Keri Guilbault at
young_mensa@yahoo.com.
Also, the new
GCC handbook can be downloaded from the following link:
https://secure.us.mensa.org/members/only/includes/handbooks/GCPHandbook.pdf
This handbook may be useful not only to local GCCs
but to other members who host events for Young Mensans in your group.
In addition to Kids Trek, the Gifted Children’s Program committee will
hold a session at the AG to introduce the new handbook, as well as a
session on how to run an effective local Gifted Children’s program.
Stay sharp with daily brainteasers!
Need a mental
workout? Jumpstart your brain each day with the Mensa Page-A-Day
Calendar. Calendars for 2005 are available in bookstores
nationwide and offer a daily dose of Mensa-style word, math, and logic
questions.
Want more brain games? Visit the
MensArcade,
take the
Mensa Home Test, or play this year’s
Mind
Games winners.
MINUTES
Mini-Minutes of the July 9, 2005
meeting of the American Mensa Committee
New Orleans, Louisiana
You can view the pictures at the
Mensa Event Photo Galleries,
and more at
June 30,
July 1,
July 2,
July 3
and
July 4.
And
2004 AG pictures by our former
RVC, Ed Gordon
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