MWM's 2012 RG is On!

Hear ye, hear ye! Matrix 4: A Renaissance Affair is going to be taking place at the now-familiar Hyatt Dulles hotel, site of the recent 2011 RG (A Capital Time) and the upcoming 2012 Mind Games (r) taking place April 20-22, 2012. (http://mindgames.us.mensa.org) The 2012 RG will be taking place May 18-20, 2012.

Registration rates start at $79, reduced rates for minors. Room rates (double or king) are $99/night (single/double/triple/quad). See the January issue of CapM for the initial article by co-chairs Herb Guggenheim and Leslie Carroll, and the registration form. We've got PLENTY of space for lots of programs, Hospitality, and the games room. And, remember, along with plenty of games from members' personal collections, we will have a copy of all of the games that were played at 2012 Mind Games, many of which may be hard to find.

Come join us for what will be a great time!

Marbles: The Brain Store's post-testing Mensa Shopping Event

About a month ago, I held our very first testing session at the Marbles store in Montgomery Mall. (Our next such session is Sun., Feb. 19, 2012.) Marbles very generously offered to hold a Mensa Shopping Event during the first two hours after the conclusion of the test session, during which Marbles would give us 15% of their sales from the event. As the arrangements for the session (and, hence, the shopping event) was very much last-minute, we had precious little time to spread the word to get people to the store.

That said, though, the store's sales during that time period amounted to over $620, and MWM wound up getting over $90 from the whole deal. And I think that money will likely be put towards our scholarship fund. Way to go, everyone, who helped make this possible.

AML lawsuit

The lawsuit documents from the plaintiff's side have been secured and are posted in a few Yahoo groups (m-grapevine, M-Pol, and the Region 2 group, at least). As suspected by most, Barry Levine filed the suit; he is seeking reinstatement, a public (within Mensa context) apology, and attorney's fees.

Let's Get George Takei to Join In

Rob Salkin sent an invite on Facebook to George Takei to come to the 2012 AG. We're looking to get as many people adding posts to the thread and "Liking" it as possible. I've also added the idea of him coming to Mind Games (if he'd rather just be "another" participant)

If you're on FB, cross-post the thread to your Wall, "Like" the original, and add a comment to the original, encouraging others to do likewise. Let's see what this Facebook can accomplish.

https://www.facebook.com/georgehtakei/posts/252729901457441?refid=52

Another AML lawsuit - sigh

Well, apparently there's another lawsuit. This time, AML is being sued for reinstatement of membership by a former (presumably expelled) member. However, AMC has decided, in its infinite lack of wisdom (IMO), to not state the name of the person who filed the case, what the jurisdiction is where the case was filed, or where we might be able to locate this typically public information.

I do not understand what the problem would be with giving any of the above facts. It is not admitting any guilt, not taking any position on the case or the merits thereof, nothing that could be used against AML in the court case itself. It would merely be stating the basic fact of what was alleged and by whom, and what our publicly filed response to the suit is.

I tried to find a record of it online myself and was unable to find any record where AML was the defendant in New York State, Tarrant County (where the National Office is in Texas), DeKalb or Fulton County (where Atlanta, GA is, former chapter of Barry Levine), Hawaii (former chapter of Eddie Conway), or Minnesota (a former webmaster out there, whose name escapes me at the moment). I don't know how long it takes for court filings in any of those areas to be placed online. Nor, obviously, do I know if I'm really even looking in the right places.

If someone has a Westlaw or LexisNexis account, it should be much easier to do a quick search rather than the hunt and peck method that is at my disposal.

Upcoming Test Sessions - Including A Major One

We have two tests coming up in the chapter. On January 28, at 10am sharp, we will start testing at the Centreville United Methodist Church. This is a very large venue where we will be able to handle many dozens of test candidates simultaneously. Spread the word to your friends and family who are interested in testing that this is definitely a great day to come join us; it's hard to believe that we would fill up to capacity. Registration for the test will start at 9:30am, possibly earlier if we've set up enough of the venue to accommodate the influx.

The other test session is February 19 at 9:30am sharp (registration starting at 9am). This session will see us returning to Marbles: The Brain Store, located on the lower level of the Montgomery Mall by Nordstrom. Given the size of the venue, this session is limited to a maximum of 6 test candidates.

For additional information on either of these tests or to RSVP, please contact our Testing Coordinator, Bob Pugh, at testing@mwm.us.mensa.org.

Mind Games (r) 2012 Hotel Info

We already have 75 rooms booked at the hotel on Thursday night (wow!), and we're well on our way to our 300-person ceiling of Mind Games registrations (226 as of yesterday); surely many of the extra people soon to register want to arrive early as well. The problem, as noted by several people already, is that our hotel will not provide any additional rooms for us on Thursday night. So, here's what we are going to work out with them:

The nearby Hyatt Place hotel (several blocks away, and unrelated, despite the common name) has rooms available. Yes, they are less expensive than the Mind Games venue. (Varying price, depending on what deal you take and whether you pay in full in advance, etc.) The Hyatt Dulles, understanding that we're putting on a pre-event on Thursday night and that we have a large number of people who are already slated to be in town by then, is willing to run their shuttle bus between the two hotels (which is something they would not ordinarily do). Similarly, they are willing to have their shuttle bus bring people from the Hyatt Place over on Friday morning with the understanding that these people are actually coming over both for the event AND to check in for a likely 2-night stay. They will NOT run the shuttle between the two hotels past that Friday morning.

We recommend that anyone who does not yet have a hotel room and wants one makes a reservation for Friday and Saturday night at the event venue -- the Hyatt Dulles. If you are looking to arrive in town Thursday (or earlier), make a reservation for those few additional nights at the Hyatt Place hotel located in Herndon. (Yeah, switching hotels mid-stay is annoying, but it's the best we can get.) We'll work something out a little closer to the actual event in terms of either scheduling a regular shuttle timing between the hotels on Thursday afternoon/night or at least making sure that the proper phone number to call is distributed so you can request a pick-up.

(Note: Availability of Double rooms at our event venue Hyatt Dulles is sporadic. Those currently with kings looking for doubles instead should periodically check back to see if they can change. That's the best we can do on that score, too, since there are so few Double rooms in the Hyatt Dulles.)

While we recognize the temptation of saving the difference in the room rate between the hotels, we think you would be best off staying Friday and Saturday nights in the event venue of the Hyatt Dulles for the most obvious reasons: you can stay up as late as you want playing games and be able to merely stumble upstairs to collapse in bed rather than have to wait however long to catch a cab between hotels; and in the morning, you can quickly rush downstairs to start playing again without need to wait for a cab or walk on Saturday or Sunday morning.

Looking forward to getting Mind Games 2012 started already. We hope you're as excited about it as we are.

Mind Games (r) registration going strong!

Registration for the upcoming Mind Games 2012 being held at the Hyatt Dulles hotel in Herndon, VA from April 20-22, 2012 is going fast. As of today, we have 215 people already registered, and registrations are capped at a maximum of 300 - which we'll surely hit before the closing date of March 25, 2012. (We'll have a waitlist to get additional members registered as people cancel registrations - there are always a few who cancel, for various reasons.)

We're even in negotiations with the hotel to expand our room block and figure out something for overflow space on Thursday night, as we already have 75 rooms on Thursday and, given their regular business, they're sold out for that night.

And with how well everything is going, we've secured a program room so people can bring games to play on Thursday night in a decent-sized program room. I'll bring many of my games (several past Mind Games winners), some MWM chapter games, and hopefully we'll have people driving in who are willing to bring down some of their own collections to play Thursday.

Go to mindgames.us.mensa.org to register and find additional information, and the link to reserving a sleeping room at the hotel, too.

Testing at Marbles: The Brain Store

We have just gotten the green light to conduct a Mensa Admission test session at Marbles: The Brain Store in Montgomery Mall, Bethesda, MD.

As of now, it looks like we will be conducting this test session on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 9-11am.

If someone you know would like to take the test at this session, contact our Testing Coordinator at testing@mwm.us.mensa.org

Weem is next week!

I've heard about Weem for about 10 years now, but have not managed to get to Chicago for it yet. I'm finally going to see for myself what it's all about. The program looks great, and Oriel's logic tournament is surely going to kick my @$$ as usual - last time for an unknown amount of time that I have an opportunity to finish 4 of the 6 puzzles correctly in time. (I only ever get 3 -- grrrr...) And with 240 games in the chapter's game collection, surely I'll wind up missing many/most of the programs I might want to attend because of being involved in gameplay.

Hope to see some of you there.

Are You Smarter Than a Young Mensan?

Test out your own skills with these questions, put together by yours truly for this Mensan take on the Jeff Foxworthy game show that I emceed at MWM's RG - A Capital Time - last weekend. I'm doing work on putting together questions for future such "shows".

-----

1^st Grade Music:

True or False: The trombone is a woodwind instrument.

2^nd Grade Spelling:

How many letters are in the word which means the same thing as getting a check-up at the doctor or the type of education where you play sports outdoors?

3^rd Grade Ancient Cultures:

This was the name of the Egyptian god associated with chaos – the jealous brother of Osiris who killed Osiris, despite Osiris being the divine ruler in Egyptian mythology. It is also the name of an 81-card card game which won the Mensa Mind Games® Mensa Select® seal back in 1991. What is this name held in common?

4^th Grade World Geography:

What is the capital of Australia?

5^th Grade Measurements:

If the spherical grapefruit that you ate this morning had a diameter of 6 inches peeled, what was the volume (in cubic inches) of the fruit you ate?

6^th Grade Social Studies:

Shot by Charles Guiteau in Washington, DC on his way back to our alma mater, Williams College, for his 25th reunion, he was the third U.S. President to fall victim to what was termed “Tecumseh's Curse.” Who was this 20^th President of the United States?

7^th Grade Algebra:

Factor the following trinomial: x³+x²-x-1

8^th Grade Grammar:

The following is part of a description of a Runespoor, a three-headed snake mentioned in Newt Scamander's (a.k.a. J.K. Rowling's) Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them: “The left head...is the planner. The middle head is the dreamer... The right head is the critic and will evaluate the efforts of the left and middle heads with a continual irritable hissing.” This has at least three examples of what literary device?

[NB: OK, so I was told that "grammar" isn't quite right for this category. Maybe "Literary devices" is more apt?]

9^th Grade U.S. History:

With the invention of the internet, Twitter and various other social media outlets, and the ubiquitous nature of cell phones, Samuel F.B. Morse's observation regarding the telegraph in 1844 is as apt today as ever. What was the first telegraph message?

10^th Grade Chemistry:

What common substance has the chemical formula C₆H₁₂O₆?

11^th Grade Shakespeare:

What is the name of the character who speaks the last lines of the play in Hamlet, “Take up the bodies. Such a sight as this / Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss. / Go, bid the soldiers shoot”?

12^th Grade Poetry:

In Piers Anthony's “Juxtaposition”, the newly minted Citizen, Stile, was smuggled into the central court in a trash bin, given all those who are out to harm him. During the formalities, he emerges from the bin quoting “[h]is flashing eyes, his floating hair! / Weave a circle round him thrice, / And close your eyes with holy dread, / For he on honey-dew hath fed, / And drunk the milk of Paradise.” From what poem by what 19^th century poet does this verse originate?

College-Level Astronomy: Our Sun is approximately 29% less massive than this, the mathematical dividing line between where white dwarfs are massive enough to become black holes or not.

[NB: This is the original phrasing. Apparently, it's not as clear as I thought, as white dwarfs don't go directly from that state to black holes.]

Additional Testing Site in October

We have set up another testing session in October -- this time it's a weeknight!

October 19, at Insight Wealth Management in Gainesville, VA, from 7-9pm. Contact our Testing Coordinator Bob Pugh (testing@mwm.us.mensa.org) for the address and to RSVP.

Upcoming Test Sessions

Have a friend, family member, or co-worker looking to join, or, at least, take the test to see if they qualify to join? We've got several test sessions on the schedule:

Sept. 24 - Claude Moore Recreation Center, Sterling, VA
Oct. 1 - Odenton Library, Odenton, MD
Oct. 22 - Claude Moore Recreation Center, Sterling, VA
Nov. 12 - Odenton Library, Odenton, MD

If you are interested in getting more of the specifics, contact our Testing Coordinator (testing@mwm.us.mensa.org) or me. RSVPs are highly desirable, though walk-ins are welcome (room permitting).

No More ExComm Meetings This Term

Even though the current ExComm remains in office until the end of October, we have decided to forego having a meeting at the Election Party in October. (We're only required to meet 10 times per year, and we've already met 11, with no additional pressing items for us to handle.)

The next ExComm meeting will be under the 2011-2013 ExComm, taking place at Jenifer Foster's home on Nov. 20 from noon-2pm.  Closer to that date, if you're interested in getting a copy of the agenda, you'll need to contact the new LocSec, Karen Caron, at locsec@mwm.us.mensa.org. (Don't try her yet at that address, as it's still going to me through Oct. 31.)

Sept. MWM ExComm Meeting

The penultimate (possibly the final) meeting of the current ExComm will be held this Sunday at Toni Smiley's home in DC. (Hopefully as many of the incoming ExComm as possible will also be in attendance.) There is very little on the agenda, given the waning days of this ExComm. We will set up the next ExComm with what we can, finish any planning re: the Election Party, and consider the possibility of purchasing a portable screen. If you're an MWM member and would like a copy of the agenda, drop me a line.

Incoming MWM ExComm declared elected

Debby Morris, MWM Election Committee Chair, has certified the results of the 2011 MWM election. All races were uncontested, and the respective candidates declared elected to their respective offices sought. The ExComm for Nov. 1, 2011 - Oct. 31, 2013 is:


LocSec:        Karen Caron
Treasurer:      Scott Emmel
Scrivener:      Brian Harrison
Publications: Jenifer Foster
Membership: Thomas Wright
Programs:     Bruce Ford
Member at Large: Joel Kaplan

Hurricane Irene

Thankfully there wasn't much on tap for today, and the word was sent out pretty well about the few cancellations that we had thanks to our most unwelcome visitor - Irene.

For those people as far out as me in Sterling (or even further), this is merely a long-lasting rainstorm - nothing special. But for those people who are closer to the coast, this is a pretty big storm, causing some damage and taking out power for LOTS of people in its path.

Stay safe out there.

More testing available, finally

Within the past month, three more MWM'ers have become fully certified proctors of the Mensa Admission test: Carol Shumate, Ray Strackbein, and yours truly. All of us are in NoVa. We've got one person in the pipeline who, assuming she locates a good testing site after she becomes a certified proctor, will be able to give the test in DC. Slowly but surely, we are expanding our testing program and bringing in more people (both to test and as members).

If you're an MWM'er interested in becoming a proctor, you can contact me or our newly appointed Testing Coordinator - Bub Pugh (at testing@mwm.us.mensa.org).

If you have a space that would work for testing (not within your home, as that's strongly discouraged), please contact us; you needn't be an MWM'er, or even a Mensa member. While we can (and have) paid for use of space (like the conference room I just rented this past weekend), we would much rather avoid such costs, since testing candidates frequently enough cancel or are no-shows. If the testing session is arranged far enough advance, we can give you a mention on both our website and in our newsletter, which could be decent free "advertising".

ExComm Meeting Sunday

There isn't much on the agenda: appointing a testing coordinator, determining timing-wise how to deal with the bylaws amendment balloting, election party planning, and discussion re: event hosts/attendees.

If you are a member of MWM and would like a copy of the agenda, contact me directly and I will e-mail it to you. (Hopefully it will get on the MWM website soon.)

And if you are contemplating running for the ExComm - or have already submitted your paperwork to do so - please come so that you can see first-hand what we're doing, how we're doing it, and figure out for yourself what you think should be continued (especially methodology) and what should be done differently; there are plenty of different styles.

Are You Smarter Than...

...a Young Mensan? Well, we'll have to put that to the test, won't we? One of the programs we are in the process of putting together for the upcoming RG is our peculiar take on the "...5th Grader" game show.

If you are a Young Mensan registered for the RG who would like to be involved, please contact our Gifted Children Coordinator, Donna Campbell.

If you are an adult Mensan and have registered for the RG, you will have your opportunity to take a preliminary test during the RG - highest score(s) moves on to the final. (We're still working out the precise logistics we want to implement. We may have more than one full game to play.)

If you haven't registered for the RG yet, go to http://mwmrg.org

Discount on Mensa Home Test

Since most of the country is enduring 100+ degree temperatures, we thought you'd enjoy a fun indoor activity. For the next 100 hours, we're dropping the price of the Mensa Home Test from $18 to $10. Give your brain a workout this week!


(Note: This discount expires Friday, July 29 at 3pm CDT.)

Upcoming Mensa Admission Testing sessions

There are three upcoming sessions in August, between two separate weekends.

On Saturday, 8/20, there will be two separate testing sessions being conducted at Claude Moore Recreational Center.

On Saturday, 8/27, there will be one testing session being conducted at the Anne Arundel Public Library.

For more detailed information as to the precise location and timing of each of those, as well as RSVP and payment information, please contact Testing@mwm.us.mensa.org.

GCP Games Day

Yesterday was the first Gifted Children's Program Games Day (alas, opposite another regularly scheduled gaming event, but schedules couldn't be shifted). It was very well-attended (about a dozen kids, plus parents or other responsible adults). The kids seemed to gravitate to the magnetic game Yikerz! as well as to Ninja vs. Ninja. And making their own pizzas was a pretty big hit, too.

Big kudos to Donna for being a great hostess, as usual, and going out of her way to make all the kids feel as welcome and comfortable as possible. (I know my godson had a good time, and I think he's looking forward to the next time he can attend a Mensa GCP event. Maybe I'll even get him signed up sometime in the near future.)

Seeking Testing Locations

I've made a big push in recent months to get some more proctors (check - a few of us are nearly fully certified) and for a Testing Coordinator (check - we have a few candidates for the position, and I think all are willing to be an assistant coordinator if someone else is chosen as the big cheese). The one thing that we very much need are testing locations.

I've intermittently looked around to see what venues are available in Northern Virginia for testing. (Need to have a quiet space, free of distractions, with sufficient space for testing candidates to spread out; ideally it can accommodate 10+ candidates, but as few as 5 is fine -- spaces in one's home are highly discouraged.) Libraries have a rule against it, given we charge for our tests. (Looking to see if there's a legitimate way around that.) Some local schools will work, but cost about $50/hr. Other venues are available at far less amounts. All need to be looked at in person to see if they're viable spaces.

Do you have a viable space available to loan or rent us for 2-3 on a test date that would be set up weeks (if not months) ahead of time? If so, please contact me so we can attempt to work something out. If far enough in advance, your office/company would get a sort of free advertising with a listing in the newsletter and on our website. Win-win.

This is a very easy way to give a huge boost to the chapter, and help us get on top of Chicago as the 2nd largest chapter in the country. (!)

Sunday's ExComm Meeting

There's very little on our agenda for Sunday: appointing a new Testing Coordinator (and possibly one or more assistants) and talking bylaws. If you are a member of MWM and would like a copy of the agenda, please contact me.

Final Report on 2011 AML Election available

Get comfy, because it's 90 pages long. Here's the announcement that was sent out a couple of hours ago alerting the membership to the report.

Upon review of the circumstances of the 2011 AML board elections, the data provided by the election house and verified by independent auditors, and the final reports of independent auditors reviewing the data collection and tabulation processes of the election house, the Election Committee has released its final report. The report in it's entirety can be downloaded fromhttp://www.us.mensa.org/election - select 2011 Board Elections from the left menu and the report linked at the top of that page.

If you do not have your login information available, please contact WebServices@americanmensa.org.

July MWM ExComm meeting

The next ExComm meeting is set for July 12. At the moment, the agenda is VERY light, having only one discussion item on it, related to the potential upcoming bylaws amendment balloting.

If you are a member of MWM and would like a copy of the agenda once it is, essentially, finalized somewhere around July 8, please contact me.

Interim Election Committee report

Here is the interim report that was released by the national Election Committee on June 21. It is unknown at this point when the final report will be handed out or when the three candidates' complaints cited will be addressed.
------

As the Election Committee announced previously, we sent a third-party forensic auditor to certify the results of this year's board elections after the election house informed us of an error in the tabulations for the preferential races. While an extensive report will be forthcoming, the Election Committee felt it best to convey an overview of the circumstances to the membership as an interim report.

Since that time, we have been in communication with the election house and the audit firm regarding the circumstances that led to the initial decertification of results of the two preferential races.

Both print and Web votes were collected accurately and stored securely, and the votes for all races remain intact and untouched. The tabulation process was separate. The error occurred when electronic votes for the preferential races were tabulated.  A programming error by a technician involved with our election caused the electronic votes in those races to be counted incorrectly. The error went unnoticed until the election house ran a report for us of the breakout of the print vs. Web results that made the error apparent.

Because the failed portion of the programming code only involved the preferential tabulations, the plurality (two-candidate) race results were not in question.  The tabulation of those races was a simple majority of the collected votes in each case.

The votes for all races were provided to the independent, forensic auditor for verification, whose results mirrored the final results from the election house on June 9. The Election Committee has since requested additional reporting and review of the election processes at the request of the election house.

We have received three complaints from election candidates, contesting the election results, and will address these complaints once we have received the additional reports.

Maggie Truelove
Election Committee Chair
ElectionChair@us.mensa.org

Awaiting a Report on the Election

Several of us have submitted disputes of the election, given the "revised" election results. Such a spectacular snafu in tabulation and certification of the results can't be permitted to go unchallenged. A thorough report must be given. And the members' remaining questions should be answered directly by the election house and the forensic auditor at the ABM itself.

I have heard that the Election Committee is looking to have its report completed by the end of next week. I hope that it is finished by then, and as thorough as possible.

Updated AMC Election Results

This was announced late Friday, June 10, but I'm only just getting a chance to post it here.


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The following are the updated results for the offices of First Vice Chairman and Treasurer. After a re-tabulation by a CPA/forensic auditor engaged by the Election Committee, the committee reports the following results. This is a change for the declared-elected First Vice Chairman and Treasurer. All other races remain as previously reported. 

First Vice Chairman - Dan Burg is declared elected 

Round 1
Dan Burg 2781 47.8%
Cookie Bakke 1791 30.8%
Robin Crawford 1245 21.4% 

Round 2
Dan Burg 3560 61.6%
Cookie Bakke 2215 38.4% 

Treasurer - Nick Sanford is declared elected. 

Nick Sanford 2165 38.0%
Cary Chilson 2110 37.%
Guy Conti 1426 25.% 

Second Round
Nick Sanford 2966 52.9%
Cary Chilson 2640 47.1% 

The error in the initial election results, as reported by the election house, was the result of human error when a technician failed to use the proper query to tabulate the preferential races. The collection and/or security of the ballots was never in question. 

The election committee congratulates the winners and thanks all of the candidates for the professional and dignified manner in which they handled the uncertainty of the last few days. The Committee will be issuing a full report to the AMC detailing the circumstances of this election. 

Regards to all, 
Maggie Truelove
Election Chair
ElectionChair@us.mensa.org

Sunday's ExComm Meeting

MWM's ExComm meets on Sunday at the home of Gifted Children's Coordinator, Donna Campbell. (See CapM for the address)

On the agenda are a couple of appointments (a new Programs Officer and an additional Assistant Gifted Children's Coordinator), bylaws changes, and discussion related to the possibility of paying volunteers (initially focused on paying proctors) and job descriptions for various appointed offices.

If you are a member of MWM, To get a copy of the agenda as it currently stands, please contact me.

2011 AMC Election Results

Survey and Ballot Systems, our election house for the 2011 board election and amendments, reported the following certified results this afternoon. These results include 5,966 returned ballots from 45,043 eligible members with a final participation rate of 13.25%. It is also worth noting that 2,317 ballots were submitted via Web voting and 3,649 paper ballots were returned via regular mail.

Congratulations to all of the winners. To those who were not elected, thank you for being willing to serve Mensa; I hope that you will continue to be active members.

My thanks to the Election Committee members: Nora Foust, Megan Edwards, Conrad Pomykala, Deb Skinner, AMC liaison Greg Timmers, and staff liaison Howard Prince

Best regards to all,

Maggie Truelove 
Election Chair 
ElectionChair@us.mensa.org

______________________________________________________________________

The following positions were unopposed and the candidates were declared elected: RVC 1 - Andrew Heffernan; RVC 2 - Marc Lederman; RVC 3 - Betsy Mark; RVC 4 - Ken Silver; RVC 5 - Bob Cox; RVC 8 - Debra Reiger; and RVC 10 - Mel Dahl. Treasurer candidate Cyndi Kuyper withdrew from the election.

______________________________________________________________________

Chair: 
Elissa Rudolph 4,159 
Lee Berkovits 1,670

Elissa Rudolph is declared elected.

1st Vice Chair:

Round 1 
Robin Crawford 2,871 
Dan Burg 1,758 
Cookie Bakke 1,188

Round 2 
Robin Crawford 3,319 
Dan Burg 2,365

Robin Crawford is declared elected.

2nd Vice Chair: 
John Recht 3,426 
Lori Norris 2,271

John Recht is declared elected.

Secretary: 
Heather Poirier 3,453 
Jared Levine 2,283

Heather Poirier is declared elected.

Treasurer: 
Cary Chilson 3,379 
Nick Sanford 1,414 
Guy Conti 910

Cary Chilson is declared elected.

RVC 6: 
Roger Durham 385 
James Franzen 161

Roger Durham is declared elected.

RVC 7: 
Peggy Pannke-Smith 282 
VeraLouise Kleinfeld Pfeiffer 53

Peggy Pannke-Smith is declared elected.

RVC 9: 
Clark Jones 460 
Joan Johnson 269

Clark Jones is declared elected.

______________________________________________________________________

The following bylaw amendment was put before the membership. It required 2/3 of the voting membership to pass. You can find full text of this amendment online at http://www.us.mensa.org/election.

Bylaw Amendment 1 
For 3,008 
Against 2,478

Bylaw Amendment 1 fails.

Tapping My Toe

It feels like the AMC election has been going on an interminable time. "Get on with it!" is the one thing that comes to mind, regardless the results. I know there's no reasonable way to shorten the period of time we use, but that doesn't mean I've got to like the length of time it is. :-)

Many people have asked me if the results have been announced yet. No, still not just yet. However, whereas the candidates were told that we'd find out on June 9, as of earlier tonight on the AML Forums, Howard posted that the counting house is contractually obligated to have the results in to the National Office by June 7. (Maybe that June 9 was a typo.)

So, we should find out tomorrow. Depending on what time of the day that gets sent out, the AML Newsflash announcing the results will be sent out either tomorrow or Wednesday. (Not that the info won't have already spread pretty fast from the people on the initial list of recipients.)

Publications Recognition Program Nominations

Congratulations, Dave Aronson, former Editor of Capital M, for your two nominations in this year's PRP contest: Member Recognition and Mensa Awareness.

And, somehow, I also managed to snag a PRP nod for Non-Fiction (Mensa-related) with one of my LocSec columns (June 2010).

We'll see if we take home any of the owls that get handed out at the AG in July. Good luck, Dave!

Last-minute voting?

For those of you who have not voted yet in the AML election, there's still time, though realistically only enough time to do so on-line. (Online voting ends 11:59pm CDT on May 31, 2011.)

To be able to do so, you need both your Membership Number and the specially provided E-Signature (election passcode) that was mailed to you with the ballot materials in mid-April. Once you have those on-hand:

--Go to https://www.directvote.net/mensa

--Login using the Member Number and E-Signature (election passcode) provided

That should bring you to the ballot for you to vote; hopefully it is self-explanatory from there. (I voted via paper, so can't provide any more directions, not having ever seen directions for filling out the ballot itself online nor coming up with them from memory.)

Please vote. And make sure your fellow Mensans vote, too! (And, obviously, I would appreciate it if you voted for me for AMC Secretary while you're at it.)

Incentivizing proctoring?

There are some members (both proctors and non-proctors) who have stated they think that proctors should be paid something (unstated in the general conversation) for proctoring the Mensa test, be it some set amount for the test session or a fee per person tested.

The main arguments seem pretty straightforward to me:

Pro:
Proctors are the main driver in terms of bringing testing candidates into the organization; if you've got a bad proctor (especially one who can't well-represent the organization and/or one who can't give sufficient answers as to what is done in the chapter), it is quite possible to turn that candidate off from joining should they qualify.

Con:
1) There is a current prohibition in paying officers. (NB: Either the outright prohibition or proctors' inclusion within the term "officers" could be changed, though, if desired.)
2) Why should we pay proctors but not other officers in the organization, especially some that may spend more time and energy than proctors in many cases: Editor and LocSec are the two most obvious examples; there may be many others.
3) Paying one category of officers but not others may be a disincentive for people to volunteer for those other unpaid positions.

Thoughts on other pros/cons for paying proctors for testing (beyond expenses related to the testing, which should be reimbursed, of course)? And do you favor paying proctors or not? (So far, the consensus seems to lean towards not paying them, though strongly acknowledging the pro argument listed above.) And if you're from a different chapter than MWM, what does your chapter do regarding payments to proctors.?

I've vacillated a bit on this myself, because of all of the above; I'll likely wind up abstaining on a motion that specifically provides for a stipend of some sort (above and beyond simple expense reimbursement) since I'm in the process of becoming a proctor, even though it will take a few months to complete that.

MWM LDE a Great Success

The LDE - Get the Lead Out: Time to Take the Lead - went VERY well today. We had 34 of the people who RSVP'd show up and most of them were there the whole day.

Hospitality (put on by George and Chris Cooper -- our upcoming RG's Hospitality Chair and Registrar, respectively) was VERY good. Plenty of food for everyone throughout the day. Snacks. Healthy stuff. Tasty "junk" (such as doughnuts). More than enough soft drinks and water.

The speakers, by and large, went over VERY well. Thank you to:
Loren Kropat
Karen Caron
Dave Cahn
Eileen Roberts (with additional assistance from both Karen Caron and GCC Donna Campbell)

Also thanks to Nancy Vogel, our emcee, for her intros of the various speakers. My apologies for not realizing where the microphone was during the first couple of intros.

Kudos go out to Leslie Jane Fahrney, for showing up very early to help out with the set-up, and to staying to the bitter end helping with breaking things down, clearing out the room, and even volunteering to hauling out the trash!

The people who stacked the chairs to the sides of the room -- THANK YOU! I was distracted enough by other stuff I was doing and people I was talking with, I didn't notice who was doing the stacking. It made clearing things up SO much easier.

For the several people who handed in the sheets re: volunteer -- THANK YOU! We will do our best in terms of taking "advantage" of your interest/offers as soon as possible. And all of the comments that were handed in will be helpful, especially if/when we hold another such event.

And, once again, a big thank you for the person who kicked this all off by putting in an entry into last year's contest and winning the Region 2 version -- Hal Handerson.

Proctors Needed!

We have an approximate 1,000-person backlog, in our chapter alone, in people who have, at one point in time, indicated some level of interest in testing for and joining Mensa. With more people being added onto that list all the time, it's a daunting task to whittle that down.

How can we do it? With as many proctors as we can possibly get certified from among our ranks.

What do you need to do to get certified?
1) Fill out and mail in the Proctor Application which you can find at https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/certifications/proctors/ -- making sure to have (either on the hardcopy of that form or as separate e-mails to the National Office) the endorsement of both the LocSec (me, through the end of October) and the Testing Coordinator (currently Nancy McMahan Farrar). You'll get a manual and need to send back an open book exam.
2) Attend one or two testing sessions as an observer - dependent on your background and having conducted such tests previously. Depending on timing, you might be able to attend a webinar instead, "bypassing" this requirement. (The next webinar is on May 26 at 8pm CDT. The one after that is tentatively scheduled for late July or early August.)
3) Proctor one or two testing sessions while observed by a Mensa-certified proctor.

It's really that simple.

The benefits? You help out the chapter by whittling down our backlog, describing just what Mensa is and does to the testing candidates, and bolster the number of members in the chapter with each person who passes your proctored test that decides that they want to join after all. You also get to meet lots of new people and be "the face of Mensa"/the authoritative expert for everyone who attends your sessions.

So, if you're a member of MWM, contact me and our Testing Coordinator. If you're a member of a different chapter, you need to contact your chapter's LocSec and Testing Coordinator.

Interested in ExComm Positions?

This year is an election year here in MWM. As is the case with each election, all positions are available for election (or re-election, if an incumbent runs again for the same seat). Ideally, we will have as many contested offices as possible; there is no individual that is so indispensable or whose vision is "the only" one that they shouldn't have competition for the office. Competition for the Executive Committee (ExComm) positions is a healthy way of getting the members involved, getting additional ideas into the mix, and improving the chapter.

If you have been curious about just what it is that the ExComm as a whole or any of the individual ExComm members actually DO in their capacity on the ExComm, please ask us. To reiterate (compared to CapM) what the specific positions on the ExComm are:
Local Secretary (a.k.a. President)
Membership Officer (a.ka. Vice President)
Programs Officer
Treasurer (a.k.a. Exchequerer)
Publications Officer
Scrivener (a.k.a. Secretary)
Member-at-Large

Earlier today we, essentially, officially kicked off the election season in the chapter in two ways:
1) Appointing the Chairman and members of the Election Committee: Deb Morris (chairman); Nancy Vogel, Paul Bethe, Jody Carlson, and Stephanie Smilay (committee members)
2) Re-affirming that the Election Party will be conducted on Sunday, October 9, within the venue of the RG. (NB: The Election Party is free to all members of MWM.)

Consider running for the ExComm and making a difference for the better in the chapter. There's lots to be done, lots that can be done, and new ideas and energy are vital to keeping the chapter vibrant and thriving.

What are your opinions of the local, regional, and national status quo?

Are things in Mensa going the way that you want them to and/or approve? That question can and should be asked regularly, and is applicable at all levels of Mensa - locally, regionally, and nationally.

If you answered "no" with respect to any of those three "levels" of Mensa, are you doing anything about it? That doesn't necessarily mean running for office, running a local event, or even attending the local ExComm or national AMC meeting. It could be as simple as talking with an officer at an event you both attend, making a phone call, or sending an e-mail or snail-mail letter to them.

Letting one's opinion be known can be some of the most powerful tools at one's disposal. That said, ideally one won't hold everything back until there's one straw that finally breaks the proverbial camel's back. That does no one any good. To do so and then finally let loose with a litany of previously unstated complaints lessens the impact of any of them and potentially lets fester legitimate problems that might be going on unrecognized by anyone else.

Make your voice heard. Vote in elections to help steer the organization where you want it to go, and provide timely feedback.

May 15 ExComm Meeting

At the next meeting, these are the major items that will be on the agenda:
--Appointing the Election Committee
--Appointing a new webmaster
--Discussions related to AMC's March motion re: electronic default for newsletter delivery, bylaws, and the timing of this year's Election Party

If you are an MWM member and would like to get a full copy of the agenda (once it's finalized earl-mid next week), please let me know. Also, if you would like something addressed, please let me know by, say, Tuesday May 10.

LDE almost full

With the deadline tomorrow (Saturday), there's very little time left for you to RSVP to the Leadership Development Event we're holding on May 21. And, to boot, there's precious little room left. RSVPs are set to be cut off at 50, and we are currently at 48 people already signed up. Should be a good time. Take advantage of it while you can.

Late-breaking edit: As of May 6, we are completely FULL -- we've hit our max of 50. So, if you STILL want to attend the LDE, send me an e-mail to place you on the waitlist. If people cancel in advance of the event, I will proceed down the waitlist to add people in to fill up to that 50-person limit. Only members of MWM and their immediate family members, now, please.

Which is more important in voting for an AMC Secretary?

Recently, I have been asked which I consider to be more important in an AMC Secretary: the secretarial skills or the "AMC skills", ill-defined as the latter is.

I think that, first and foremost, when one is electing someone to a position that calls for specific skills and tasks, which AMC Secretary certainly is, that specific role is more important in the calculus of voting than the general role as shared by the entirety of the AMC.

If someone is elected to the office of Secretary who is unable to fulfill those specific duties (or, at least to the AMC and/or membership's satisfaction), then the AMC is left with the unenviable position of appointing someone to take over that role. (And that's been done previously.) Whereas, if someone is elected to the office of Secretary who can well fulfill the specific duties but isn't adept at the rest of the AMC matters that are spread across the AMC as a whole (or shared among them all, more likely), there is nothing that really needs to be done to rectify the deficiency; the odds that their individual vote will turn the tide on matters is small.

In the ideal situation, the person being elected to the office of Secretary will be able to not only do the secretarial skills well, but will also be able to fulfill the other AMC "skills" well, too.

Clearly, I feel that I will be able to fulfill the secretarial and general AMC skillsets well.

LDE Almost Filled Up

We currently have 42 people who have registered for the Leadership Development Event we're holding on May 21. We'll likely put people on a waiting list once we hit 50. After all, we want some room to move around a bit, have space for the Hospitality we'll be bringing in, etc. So, if you're an MWM'er inclined to attend, make sure you RSVP soon. Deadline is May 7, but we may be full-up before then.

Happy Zombie

Mind Games (r) up in Albany was, by and large, a great success. Currently, I am more zombified than I've been in a long time, having stayed up until about 3am (again) playing games, and then I started doing some clean-up to make searching for "orphaned" game pieces easier... "re-fluffing" of the games started at 4:30am and went until 8:30am with a slowly increasing amount of help from a few others (ugh - I need sleep!).

Enough time to stumble to breakfast, and get to the main room early for good seating to see and hear well at the game giveaway. I was astonished at just how long all of my preferred games were still available during the giveaway (as usual, I was about 3/4 of the way down the list) -- I got my 3rd and 6th choice of game, and 3 of my top 6 games were announced as the Mensa Select (r) winners for 2011.

The Mensa Select winners were:
InStructures
Stomple
Uncle Chestnut's Table Gype
Pirate vs. Pirate
Pastiche

I am going home with a copy of Train of Thought (very funny game) and Scruble Cube (think 4x4x4 Rubik's Cube combined with Scrabble).

After lunch out of the hotel with some friends, I conked out in a chair in the hotel lobby for a couple of hours, but I still look and feel like the walking dead. I can't wait to collapse on my bed... in 4 hours. (ugh)

Once I have returned to the land of the living in the next day or two, I should be able to take a look at e-mail and approve any blog comments that may have been sent in over the weekend.

Questions?

So, do you have any particular questions related to the AMC, Secretary, AML, etc. that you would like me to answer here? Click on the comments link and send it/them in to be posted and replied to. (Some may get separated out into additional blog entries, even.)

E-mail address

Thanks to a helpful comment, I would like to correct an oversight on my part in having not included an e-mail address in my campaign statement. Hopefully some of the many people who navigated to my blog because of the e-mail blast that, coincidentally enough, came out on my birthday will be willing to return another time to continue reading (as there's a bit much for just one sitting). In addition to simply clicking on a "comment" link which would sent the comment to me for moderating and then posting onto the site in the appropriate location, you can e-mail me directly and it won't be something that gets posted to the blog.

You can contact me at locsec@mwm.us.mensa.org

ExComm Meeting - No Quorum

For any MWM'ers who may be thinking of attending today's ExComm meeting, be advised that we will not have a quorum and, hence, will not be able to conduct any business. This was only just confirmed a little while ago. Sorry for any inconvenience.

MWM ExComm Meeting

Items on our agenda for Sunday's meeting include appointing MWM's Election Committee (since we have our chapter election in October), appointing a new webmaster and editor, talking about the recent AMC decision defaulting the local group newsletters to electronic delivery and how it may affect us, and more on revising MWM's bylaws.

For those members of MWM who want a copy of the agenda, please contact me.

My Advice on Building a Local Group SIG

Earlier this evening, I had a phone call from one of MWM's members that, in part, was about one of our listed SIGs and the low number of members who belong to it. While I have sent an e-mail to the person who runs that SIG offering some advice for growing the SIG, it seems appropriate to share that advice more widely.

SIGs are different things to different people. Between the three groups I've been a member of in my years in Mensa, I have had, essentially, three different types of local SIGs:
1) Community-oriented
2) Mailing list-RSVP essential (a "lesser" version of the first type, IMO)
3) "SIG" as term of art

In the first instance, a sense of belonging, ownership, and membership is desired. You are getting together because of some sense of a common bond, moreso than "just" the activity at hand. To me, this is the appeal of such groups as the GenX, GenY, and other such "affinity" groups. Building these requires the most time and effort, as the ideal situation would have the SIG leader building and maintaining some online venue for conversation and discussion - yahoogroup, Facebook, Twitter, whatever. Bring that online venue up in in-person conversations. Encourage people to join, get to know the others in the group, and come out to events that are held (be they scheduled on-calendar or impromptu off-calendar events).

The second instance seems, to me, to be a slightly less involved group than the first. This is what I used for my Bridge SIG back in New York and what I know the Bridge SIG here does as well. There is an e-mail list where advance coordination is necessary. In bridge, if you don't have full tables of 4, it pretty much kills the game. In New York, I struggled to have 4 people (from the about 10 or so on my list) coming in any particular week. If we knew in advance there wouldn't be enough people coming, we'd cancel. While intermittent non-SIG e-mails might have been sent, that wasn't the primary purpose of that SIG up in NY. So, while we got along, no sense of "community" was fostered. The only effort involved was sending out the reminder in advance and a cancellation when necessary.

The final instance is, essentially, what I do with the Tourist SIG. There is nothing "formal" about this SIG. People come to the events that interest them that fit into their schedule. There are times when I get about a dozen people. There are other times when it's just me. It truly is just a conceit/term of art using "SIG"; it's an excuse for me to get off my duff and do something I otherwise might not expend the energy on, and invite others to join me. The sense of community from the SIG lasts for the event, but is not an ongoing feeling, per se, in the context of the SIG. No e-mail list is maintained, and rarely is an RSVP of any sort needed (though they're usually requested so I can know if I should look for someone, or just march on solo or with a small group).

All of these methods work. It depends on the type of SIG that you are trying to run. What's more, publicity is also needed. The two primary methods of publicizing the SIG are: 1) putting an event in the calendar (using the SIG name in the title, of course), and 2) writing up an article (even if it's just a small paragraph) for the newsletter. Even when you are alone at an event you're running, write everything in the plural "we" instead of the singular "I", and you can make it sound like you had a large turnout for the SIG activity - which is always more attractive to fence-sitters than a group that sounds like there's no interest out there.


Interested in running a SIG? Contact our SIG Coordinator - Member-at-Large Chuck Divine - with the SIG's name, brief description, and your contact information to be included.

Interested in putting together a calendar entry, whether it's for a SIG or not? Contact our Programs Officer - Ben Paul - with that information. All calendar entries are due in by the 5th of the month for publication in the following month's CapM.

Interested in submitting an article talking about the great time you had host an event, whether it was for a SIG or something else in the chapter? Contact our Editor - Dave Aronson - with that. All submissions to the newsletter outside of the calendar are due in by the 10th of the month for publication in the following month's CapM.

Interested in having something related to your SIG (any of the above, or something else you may come up with) posted onto our website? Contact our Webmaster - Chris Rittweger - with that. There are no specific deadlines for submissions to the website, though the further in advance of your event, the likelier it is that it will be noticed by your target audience.

All of the contact information for the above individuals is listed in the inside front cover of CapM each month.

Leadership Development Event Fast Approaching - Family-Friendly Event!

Before you know it, May 21 will be upon us - the date that MWM will be hosting its Leadership Development Event all day in Falls Church (10:30am - 4:30pm; early arrivals are welcome, especially to help us set up). Are you an M interested in leadership either within Mensa or that is fully applicable outside of Mensa? If so, you should RSVP that you'll be attending. (see below)

The topics are:
Running Effective Meetings
Getting People Involved
Dispute Resolution
Whole Family Activities

Your fellow Mensans will be giving these approx. hour-long presentations and taking questions. As of tonight, we have 30 people (including several families) who are already expected to attend. Reserve now, as space is limited. (MWM members and their immediate family get first preference, then non-MWM Mensans, then non-members.) The event is FREE, snacks and lunch will be provided, and there will be door prizes (one free registration to the 2011 MWM RG and/or Mind Games(r) 2012) for Mensan attendees.

RSVP to locsec@mwm.us.mensa.org or 202-OK-MENSA

If you're a Mensan (or the parent of a child Mensan who will be attending), to find out the location of the event, you can contact me (see above), look in the April or May issues of CapM, or look in the Gatherings listing in the April/May issue of the Bulletin.

Going Forward with Electronic Default for Local Group Newsletters

While I posted about a week ago that I was opposed to the motion on the AMC's agenda regarding changing the default for members who don't express a preference between print and electronic delivery of their newsletter from the Local Group, since it did pass and is to be in effect as of September 1, it is up to the National Office, the AMC, and, most of all, the Local Groups to make sure the word is spread about the necessity for selecting whichever of print or electronic you want.

In MWM, we do have an electronic version of the newsletter for download, and highly encourage everyone to get it. (After all, it's in full color and the pictures are much nicer to look at, rather than the B&W hardcopy.) If you want to be on the list for electronic, you will need to update your profile (see the bottom of the March 23 post) to make sure that you include your e-mail address, select the radio button that asks for delivery of local group publications via e-mail, as well as the button to release your e-mail address within the organization. If you can't/won't go to the AML website to do this, you can either send an e-mail to the National Office or drop me an e-mail (preferable, so I can easily forward it on), or you can call the National Office.

Similarly, if you would prefer hardcopy, please make sure to go to your profile on the AML website and select that button. This is NEW - it didn't previously exist, given it was the default. For anyone who is currently receiving hardcopy, PLEASE make sure to update your profile to ensure that you will continue to receive hardcopy. Again, you can do this by going to the national website directly, or e-mailing the National Office or me, or by calling the National Office.

In the coming months, we will have additional reminders in the newsletter. What we are hoping to achieve in the end is for as many members of MWM as possible (read: 100%, preferably) to have made a choice: electronic or print delivery. The only thing which we don't want to see if lots of people being "defaulted" to electronic delivery because they haven't taken the time to express their choice.

Help us help you get the newsletter the way you want it. Update your profile today.

Notes from AMC Committee Meetings

Below are the notes that I took during the various committee meetings held last weekend, preceding or following the AMC meeting. 

March 2011 AMC: Planning Committee Meeting

This committee meeting focused on coming up with some more mega-issues, several of which were written onto Post-Its during Item A1 of the AMC meeting the subsequent day. All the committee members in the room, staff (Pam and Howard), as well as any observers (I was the only one), were encouraged to mention some of the issues/problems facing AML which should be addressed. The following is a list of those questions, suggestions, and comments that came out during the brief meeting.

• How do we build more leadership? How do we encourage people who have no connection to the AMC but do have relevant skill sets to volunteer for/apply to be on committees? (There was mention of a new Volunteer section on the upcoming redesign of the AML website which will enable creation of a volunteer base locally, regionally, and nationally.)
• There are some volunteers who are not at all suited for the task they are volunteering for. How can their energy be redirected/refocused into something they are more apt for without offending them?
• How can the AMC best communicate with the Local Groups?
• How can the AMC inspire the Local Groups to mentor possible leaders – locally, regionally, and nationally?
• How can the AMC or Local Group ExComms motivate inactive members to come out and do anything with the Local Group?
• The AMC needs to “walk the talk” and set the example that it wants the Local Groups to follow, making sure to proactively address problems rather than let them fester, increase positive communication, etc.
• There were many concerns re: membership numbers and testing talked about. How do we encourage more proctors? How do we get more people actually testing? Are we reaching out to the public in sufficient numbers? Is the economy to blame for our lower testing numbers or are there other factors more at play?
• Many people drop out of AML because we aren't what we say we are. We don't provide intellectual stimulation.
• There is a fine line re: getting peoeple to do something. There are many people who have absolutely no desire to do anything other than be secure in the knowledge that they qualified for membership and maybe even receive their various newsletters. How much time and energy should we really spend on those members to change how they get value out of their membership to more closely match what the more active people see as getting value out of their membership? Agreed that there should be some energy devoted to bringing people out of the shadows who have an inkling of wanting to get involved in some way but, for some reason, don't. Again, though, how much time and energy should be put into that effort as well?

---

March 2011 AMC: Site Selection Committee Meeting

Las Vegas is looking to host the December 2011 AMC meeting within the confines of their RG. They have been informed that by putting it as part of the RG, that the Local Group itself will be responsible for all of the financial aspects of the AMC meeting, as the room would be provided as part of the rooms they contract for for their RG. The Site Selection agreed by consensus to Las Vegas hosting the December 2011 AMC meeting.

There will be a blast e-mail sent out to the LocSecs soon about bids being accepted for the March 2012 AMC meeting.

Letters of Intent for the 2015 AG are due May 1. Despite that, there was conversation regarding one consortium bid which is being put together but that hasn't formally submitted the Letter of Intent yet.

---

March 2011 AMC: Finance and Audit Committee Meeting

It was noted that there would be an in-depth description at the AMC meeting the next day about the relationship between the membership totals and the total income. It isn't precisely a matter of setting a number for membership and then calculating income based off of that. (Though, given my observation of the explanation during the AMC meeting, it's not so far off from that.) Rather, the membership total figure was said to be “backed into” based off of the total income that is budgeted.

There was a brief conversation of how the budget should be explained at the AMC meeting.

Just as in the Planning Committee meeting, there was a longer-than-expected conversation about the testing process and proctors, whether this is the best system we can have to generate members, or if there is something different that should be done. Several issues about lack of test takers, how to reach them, frequency of proctored tests, etc. were raised.

There was an in-depth discussion regarding Frost Bank's proposal as far as the AMC considering investing up to 15% of our funds in equities, in order to grow our principal, and because equities have risen a lot in the past couple of years. Suggestions were made as to how to adjust the language in the proposal, many questions were asked. While the original intent was to have this policy proposal turned into a motion for the AMC meeting, there was insufficient time to do so, so the unstated motions were going to turn into a discussion item, with a motion to be drafted for the July AMC meeting. It was noted during the discussion that if we do this that we will have to be willing to weather “down” markets, lest we “realize” the losses on paper – do successive AMCs have the stomach for that?

Question was raised about why not invest in corporate debt, many of which are AAA-rated bonds. They have more return than our current bond investments and are less risky than the equities that are being considered.

---

March 2011 AMC: Governance Blueprint Task Force Meeting

The personalities, expertise, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the people who will be on this task force are important. They need to know what is going on and what the cultural hurdles in Mensa are. There can also not be anyone with a “dog in the fight” as a member of the committee. Several names of possible candidates for people to appoint to the committee were raised. If Robin didn't know who the person was, she asked for a brief description to get a feel for whether that person might have what she is looking for. There are about a hlaf-dozen or so people who Robin will contact in the near future to discuss this possibility with them and inquire as to their interest in joining the committee. Her ideal number of committee members is approx. 7 or 8.

There had been a question raised as to why more of the membership beyond the confines of the committee can't be involved with this process. Robin noted that they have been previously and that they would be again, but that at the moment the AMC needs to direct what the task force is to look at and consider.

Looking at her proposed timeline for the work of the committee, the timeline regarding getting bylaws on the ballot was pointed out, and how it was unlikely that the committee would accomplish its goal early enough to get it out in time for a Special Election that would need to be held before the entirety of the next election cycle. Given that, the time pressure should be removed somewhat, so that any such amendments could be placed on the 2013 ballot to take effect for the subsequent election cycle.

Robin also envisions having yet another committee formed to explain to and involve the membership in the eventual proposed changes.

There was a question about what was meant by a NomComm “with teeth” and what the appopriate role of the NomComm and the petition process is and should be.

UNOFFICIAL Mini-Minutes of March 2011 AMC Meeting

Were I the current Secretary of the AMC, the following is what I would be sending out as mini-minutes, minus any of the header-type information for now, so that this doesn't come across as the official mini-minutes of the March 2011 AMC meeting here in Atlanta.

Section A: Strategic Issues

Item A1: Recap of progress on mega-issues; discussion of upcoming year

After a brief recap, the AMC and those members of the audience present were guided on how we would go about identifying some of the larger issues that are facing American Mensa. Those members present wrote Post-It notes with specific open-ended questions and placed them into the following categories: membership, governance, leadership development, public awareness, finance, and other. These would then be handed to the next AMC as recommendations for the larger issues to be addressed by the next AMC. 

A similar exercise was undertaken by just the AMC members regarding things that the AMC as an entity and/or AML should stop doing organizationally. This list will also be forwarded on to the next AMC.

Item A2: Discussion of Strategic Dashboard

There was a brief recap of what items were available for viewing on the Dashboard on the AML website. Additional items that people would like included in some manner would relate to leadership as well as more granularity regarding demographics, if possible. The lack of financial information was noted. In order to put financial information in a Dashboard format, the AMC needs to direct the National Office on what the specific goals are so that they can be properly represented. For example, one of AMC's goals is to maintain a strong financial position; what does that mean numerically to put on the Dashboard? What number would be the benchmark where the members can see if we have met, exceeded, or fallen short of that generic goal on financial strength? Several other items of comparison were discussed.

Section B: Review and Adjustment to Strategy

Item B1: Budget approval

After some Q&A, the budget was approved as presented with no changes. 20-0-0-1 (RUDOLPH not voting)

Item B2 and B3: Finance and Audit Committee motions. No motions were submitted for these placeholders. Instead, there was a discussion item related to a proposed change to the investment policy. The committee distributed a policy proposal from our financial advisors (Frost Bank) regarding investing in equities, in order to grow our principal (as opposed to grow income). Suggestions were taken as to what changes should be made to the proposal to send back to Frost. This information will be placed into a motion to be submitted for the July AMC meeting.

Section C: Policy Determination

Item C1: Electronic signatures for bylaw referenda petitions.

After brief Q&A, this motion was approved. 20-0-0-1 (RUDOLPH not voting)

Item C2: Standardization of group mailings

After brief recap and Q&A, this motion was approved. 19-0-0-2 (RUDOLPH not voting; BEVARD not present)

Item C4: Executive Session (taken up out of order)

As Item C2 was finished at 12 noon, the AMC broke for lunch and moved up the Executive Session to occur immediately after lunch. The AMC discussed award and volunteer personnel matters. AMC meeting resume at approximately 1:45pm.

Item C3: Information and Privacy Policy

After Item C3a was approved to be separated out from this item, the remainder of this motion was approved without further changes. 20-0-0-1 (RUDOLPH not voting)

Item C3a: Motion to divide Item C3

This motion removed a portion of the originally submitted Item C3 so that it could be considered separately. Approved. 19-1-0-1 (NORRIS against; RUDOLPH not voting)

Item C3b: Electronic delivery of local group newsletters

The item removed according to Item C3a was considered. Below is the finalized wording after several amendments were made:

"As of September 1, 2011, electronic delivery is the default release for members to receive Local Group newsletters. Members may, via their online profile or by contacting the National Office, select print delivery of their group newsletters. Members who do not have email addresses on file, who do not release their emails within the organization, or who select to receive print communications via their profile will receive print communications."

Motion approved. 14-5-1-1 (REIGER, SANFORD, BURG, MARK, and DAHL against; POIRIER abstain; RUDOLPH not voting)

Item C5: Deadline for electronic receipt of items (moved into Consent Agenda as Item D3)

Item C6: Policy and Guidelines for Administrators of Internet Communication Services (moved into Consent Agenda as Item D4)

Section D: Routine Business

Items D1 - D4 Consent agenda

Item D1: Approval of consent agenda

Item D2: Receive Reports of Officers and Committees

Item D3: Deadline for Electronic Receipt of Items (previously Item C5)

Item D4: Policy and Guidelines for Administrators of Internet Communication Services (previously Item C6)

Approved 20-0-0-1 (RUDOLPH not voting).

Item D5: Presentation regarding redesign of AML website

Howard PRINCE demonstrated the new features of the AML website, primarily focused on new navigation.

Section E: Conclusion

Adjourned 4:10pm