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Gatherings

This column is being written while the Today Show cast is sitting outside the studio, trying to broadcast, while New York is in darkness. The city is cast in the shadow (pun intended) of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The human creature is resilient, capable of coping and adjusting to the environment, almost too resilient, but that is a discussion for another time. We are talking history, as in, just how many of you were aware of the Northeast Blackout of 1965. Your humble servant was a teenager, and spent several hours waiting for his father to debark from the MTA, the one of Charlie fame, and then home. We were at a quandary, what could we do without television, so I started to do my social studies homework by candlelight, which involved the study of our Founding Fathers crafting this nation, staying up to all hours, by candlelight, forming this more perfect union. The irony was not lost on me. Today's teenagers couldn't do their homework, for their tools require that the electrons flow.

This column should be short and to the point, informing the region of the necessary information, so here we go. Right now, the newly elected AMC is scurrying to get their reports into the Secretary and their agenda items filed in time for the deadlines. We are accustoming ourselves to the functioning of the web, the bylaws, and the National Office. The mood is frantic and excited, I personally, am a little reticent, for I know that the AMC meeting at the National Office in Arlington, TX in September, will not be a vacation, but hard work, with little time for much besides listening, coordinating, and legislating. Listening is always an important function, for one can perform more effectively as a team, when one listens.

The national office is pushing for Regional assistance in two programs, and we are doing admirably in both. The MERF Scholarship Program being the first, and Dr. Sheila Gross has volunteered for another year. I am seeking someone to assist her, so that she can reduce her load and train her successor. MERF told us that we had a 60% participation rate, and with some communication, we were able to raise the level to 80%, and we are not done with the effort. The National Testing Day participation rate is pegged at 70%, and with all the good publicity that Mensa is getting; there should be an impressive turnout.

I've made my reservations for "Mensans Just Want to Have Fun" in October, being run by Delaware Valley Mensa (DVM). It should be a great time, and I hope to see you there. The rate that the local group is quoting is less than any Internet rate that I could find, including my AAA and AARP discounts! The success of the Regional Gatherings depend on the attendees booking with the group, so please, remember that you are with the group, and register as such, so that DVM can get the necessary reservations to fulfill their obligations. If they don't, then the cost of running the RG goes up, sometimes catastrophically, which can ruin the fun. If you find a lower rate, inform the RG Chair, so that the RG Committee can do everything possible to adjust the rate and/or use the booking to fulfill the obligation. Up to date information for the Region 2 Gatherings is always available on the regional website, www.region2.us.mensa.org.