August is here, and this will be the last time I hype the World Gathering (WG). American Mensa will be celebrating Mensa's 60th birthday in Orlando at the WG. At last count, close to 2,000 people have registered and more than 350 programs have been scheduled. Every local group from our region will be represented, and several of our members will be giving programs. I hope to see many of you there, August 8-13, 2006, at the Coronado Springs Hotel. More information about the WG can be found at our website, http://wg06.us.mensa.org.

The WG also will include both the summer American Mensa Committee (AMC) meeting and the Annual Business Meeting. Agendas for both of these events can be found in the members only section of the American Mensa website, http://www.us.mensa.org. Please join us in discussing these meetings on our Region 2 Yahoo Group. You will find the group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AML-Region2, and you can join by going directly to the website or sending an email to AML-Region2-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Once the World Gathering ends, a lot of activity will begin in and around our region. In late August, I will be visiting Thomas Jefferson Mensa for their annual Corn Boil. In September, I will be attending the Rivers 3 RG in Pittsburgh. Our Region will be hosting 3 RGs this fall - Delaware Valley Mensa's Liberty Bell XVI in October, Tidewater and Richmond Mensa's Mensalot in November, and Central Pennsylvania Mensa's Winter Solstice in December.

The National Nominating Committee is looking for qualified candidates to run for the elected positions on the AMC. This includes the Chairman, the First Vice Chairman, the Second Vice Chairman, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the 10 Regional Vice Chairmen. Their goal is to try to have at least two candidates who have gone through the NomComm process for each position on the ballot. The AMC voted to extend the deadline for candidates to submit a Candidate Information Form (CIF) to August 18. You can download the CIF from www.us.mensa.org/nomcomm , and email the form to NomComm Chair Stormie Kullman at nomcomm@us.mensa.org .

In regional news, Bill Baker has become the new LocSec for Maryland Mensa, replacing Jean O'Donnell. Marcia Stutzman has become the new LocSec for Thomas Jefferson Mensa, replacing Donna Bonzagni. Many thanks to all four of them for the time they've given, and will continue to give, to Mensa.