Terminology

It is the beginning of summer, and I have already been asked, “What are you going to write about?”  That is a good question, what should I write about?  Some of my duties are to be responsive to the membership and to provide them with information on what is going on with American Mensa, as a whole. Thus, this is the purpose of this column. If there is information that you want disseminated, let me know, and I will make every effort to get it through to the appropriate channels. We need to work together to make the local groups, region and American Mensa work for the membership, and I appreciate all efforts to help me make Mensa a positive experience for all. Things have been quiet for a number of reasons, and some would say that that is a good thing.

ProxyQuest has been an unparalleled success. The number of proxies exceeded our expectations, and we were not required to use all our motivational techniques to get the vote out. The number of proxies needed must be greater then 50% of the membership as of the date of the Annual Business Meeting on July 1st. As of today, May 27th, we have 26,384.  The current membership level is above last years at this time, but we are sure that we will have proxies to spare. We, of American Mensa, should be proud that we were able to accomplish such a high, quick participation level.

This brings us to the Annual Gathering. It is taking place in Las Vegas this year, and it is poised to be a roaring success. The Paris Hotel is one of the premiere hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, and it is in the heart of the strip. There was a need for an overflow hotel, and it is also filling up quickly. It is Bally’s, and it is connected to the main hotel by a shopping mall. Since the weather is a bit hot in Nevada in July, it will be good to be able to do most walking indoors. We will be having a good time. The AG starts on June 30th, so some of you will read this column before, and some after, the event.  There will be two AML events at the AG, one is the Annual Business Meeting on Thursday, where we will officially accept the vote on ProxyQuest. The American Mensa Committee meeting is on Saturday, where your elected officials will pass the legislation, and since we will now be legally allowed to conduct business, we will be a happier crowd.

Your input is desired, always, on the agenda, and I will need to know your views on raising membership dues. We feel that it is a necessity, for with rising expenses, and the need to defray the cost of ProxyQuest, we foresee a future deficit.  Some local groups need additional income to help defray the costs of publishing a newsletter, and the local group stipend will increase with the dues increase. I am already receiving feedback on the issue, and that will help me in making my decision. Another topic for which there is much discussion is online publications. The Communications committees are discussing guidelines, and also how to balance the need for an online versus a print edition of all publications. I have been made aware that over 50% of all members have given an email address to the National Office, so we can start the migration to online dissemination, and we will definitely need input in that area. By doing this, we will be keeping in step with the technological progress that other organizations are making.

On the local front, my “staff” is in place, and doing their jobs. As is the Mensa custom, there is no news from the Ombudsman, Dave Cahn. Marianne Demkό has been able to successfully take over the website from Marc Lederman, and she is doing an excellent job.  The region owes Marc their thanks for his mature, responsive efforts in keeping the website up to date. Marianne is doing every bit as good a job as Marc, so we can expect the same quality of service from her.

There is no new news on the Regional Gathering front. Delaware Valley and Tidewater both have their gatherings coming up in the late fall, and I have been informed that Central New Jersey has everything ready to go for Snowball XXXI.

Next month, I will be reporting on the Annual Gathering, and might even try to bore y’all with pictures from Hoover (or is that Hoovah?) Dam.