Vote YES on the MIL Constitutional Questions

In short: vote YES on all three. Read on for further details of my rationale. (Very similar to what's published in the election material booklet that was sent out.)

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While there are many changes listed within Question 1, these mostly seem like reasonable housekeeping-type adjustments, as indicated in the explanatory statement. I am voting YES on this question.

While I think the final portion of that question is actually a potentially contentious issue and not actually a housekeeping change, and should have been put to a separate vote lest the housekeeping changes be voted down if there is a strong enough "no" sentiment on this one portion, I agree that people should only run for one office at a time. If we were to keep a system that permits running for multiple offices at the same time, a process should be instituted whereby the runner-up, in an election where the winner chose to accept a different office that he also won, would be declared the winner. Also, the process might well need to include a provision where someone runs in two (or more) races and is unopposed in one of them must accept the office where he was unopposed, lest it remain vacant. (Particularly problematic if that person were to run opposed in more than one race.)

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Question 2 lowers the threshold of needed petition signatures from 200 down to 100. Considering the threshold for seeking to get on the AML ballot via petition is only 50 signatures, and AML comprises approximately half of the total membership of MIL, it seems reasonable for this to be proportional, which would make 100 be the more appropriate number of signatures. I am voting YES on this question.

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Question 3 clarifies that Direct International Members are not simultaneously considered members of Full or Provisional National Mensas. If you are a member of a Full or Provisional, then you are not a DIM. (i.e., if you were a DIM and your country has finally been recognized as having a Full or Provisional National Member, your status as DIM will go away simultaneous with your status as a member of your national Mensa starting.) While unstated (and it would be a good thing to add in, I think), it seems likely that if a national Mensa loses its status for some reason, then all of its members would become/revert to being DIMs. I am voting YES on this question as well.

Providing the Full Answer to Question 7

For those who have read the Q&A in my section of the election materials, you likely have noticed that Q7 as written doesn't make much sense, and it indicates that it was truncated. Material was actually removed from the middle of the answer that I submitted for that question, not only truncated off the end. No input from me was solicited on the edit.

So that you can have the full answer I provided to that question, here is what I submitted:

"I organized MWM's 2011 Leadership Development Event, though I have not yet held a formal role related to leadership development. As Co-Chair for Mind Games 2012 and MWM's 2013 RG, I have encouraged many people to join the respective committees as well as volunteer informally."

Sad news re: Hell's M's founder, Skinner

This was posted to the Hell's Ms SIG list earlier this evening by his wife, Yvonne:

Skinner died peacefully at Hospice of Dayton this afternoon just as he lived;
with dignity, intention, and surrounded by love. Skinner donated his body to the
Wright State University Medical Center, so there will be no funeral service. 
There will be a celebration of his life on Saturday, May 4th in Dayton Ohio, and
details on place and time will follow. This was his expressed wish, that his
friends and family would gather and tell each other stories about him and enjoy
the company of the assembled group - he had a wide range of communities and
friends, and he wanted them to celebrate his life together. Those who wish to
honor his memory may donate to the Skinner HELL's Ms Memorial scholarship fund,
via the Mensa Education and Research Foundation online at
http://www.mensafoundation.org/how-you-can-help/honor-someone-special/ or by
mail to Mensa Foundation, 1229 Corporate Drive West, Arlington, TX 7600c6-6103.
In either case, please indicate that your gift is for the Skinner HELL's M's
Memorial Scholarship.

AMC and MIL elections underway

If you haven't yet, you should receive your ballot for both of these elections soon. Please note that the election for AMC and the two AML bylaws amendments will be voted on the WHITE ballot (or done electronically), while the election for MIL and the three constitutional questions (comprising a total of seven amendments) will be voted on the BLUE ballot (no option for electronic).

http://www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/elections/voting-instructions/

Please vote for me, Jared Levine, for Secretary. And vote "yes" on both of the AML bylaws amendments. Once I read through the materials for the constitutional questions, I'll give you my opinion/rationale on how to vote on those.

Mind Games 2013

For those who missed out on Mind Games this year, you missed out! As always, it was a good time. Sure, we were in a tent (yes, really), but it worked out just fine, IMO.

What were the five winners?
Forbidden Desert
KerFlip!
Ghooost!
Kulami
Suburbia

What were the duds? Ask me (or any of the other attendees) individually? It's not quite right for me to post which were clearly the worst games submitted. But there were a handful of true "gems" in this category.

Mind Games

How many games will be "on tap" at Mind Games this year? (Only a few currently know the answer to that.) Which five of them will be ranked tops to earn the Mensa Select (r) seal? (Find out on Sunday.) What other games from the full list are good enough to want to buy? (Time will tell.) And the most amusing question: which game is just a big ol' dud? (There's always at least one that is roundly panned by everyone in attendance. It's entertaining to see how quickly that consensus grows and spreads.)

Campaign Statement and Q&A thread

Below is my campaign statement that was sent out in an e-mail blast on April 11. Please use this at least as the initial thread for Q&A, until something else potentially more pertinent to you is the base post.

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My name is Jared Levine, I am running for Secretary, and I would appreciate your vote in the upcoming AMC election.

You can see my writing on my qualifications, history within Mensa, and some Mensa-philosophical items in some local group newsletters, the official campaign material that will be mailed out soon, and on my blog at http://boxmasterscorner.blogspot.com. The focus of this brief missive, however, is on increasing trust within the organization – not only trust of the membership in the AMC, but also AMC being more trusting of the membership than some current impressions (accurate or not) would seem to be.

Frequently, members of past AMCs have done several things to undermine the essential underpinnings of trust with and by the national board, even if that was not their intent. Being overly secretive about actions being considered, providing only minimal information on certain situations that have arisen, taking what appear to be rash and/or ill-considered actions, and pooh-poohing rank-and-file member concerns and/or criticisms sowed the seeds of distrust. All it takes is one or two instances of this and then members are more inclined to “assume the worst” and ascribe motives to AMC members, the AMC as a whole, and the continuing “institution” of the AMC regardless of its constituent membership, even when there will be as much turnover as there will be with this election, regardless of who wins each race. These actions on both sides feed a cycle that is very difficult to escape.

While trust certainly can't be re-established overnight, building it back up is vital, and something for which I will strive with every AMC meeting held, every set of minutes I write and disseminate, every communication I put forth in my role as Secretary. I will push for providing as much information as possible to the membership. At the same time, I ask that those of you who ascribe motives and assume the worst in people's thoughts and actions take a step back and recognize what you are doing. With members on both sides of this “divide” working to better relations between the AMC and the rank-and-file membership (and similarly on the local level in local groups where there is such a divide), we can begin to heal some of Mensa's institutional problems. With increased trust and open minds, we can all help to make American Mensa something we can all be proud of.

Again, go to http://boxmasterscorner.blogspot.com for more of my Mensa-specific writings and background. Send a comment to the blog and let's carry on a conversation. Or, if you want a more private conversation, e-mail me at boxmaster@alumni.williams.edu. And please vote - Jared Levine for Secretary - when you get your ballot in the mail in the near future.

Thank you.

Official Mini-Minutes released

Mini-Minutes
American Mensa Committee
23 March 2013

The budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year was approved, with an estimated excess of revenue over expenses of $127,287.

An administrative fee of $20 to be added to the 2014 AG registration rates was approved.

The minutes of the March 6, 2013, teleconference and the January 21, 2013, teleconference were approved.

The next meeting of the AMC will be a teleconference to be held before May 31, 2013.

Respectfully submitted,

Heather Poirier
AMC Secretary

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You can compare the above mini-minutes to an unofficial version of mini-minutes I put out on March 25, two days after the meeting:
http://boxmasterscorner.blogspot.com/2013/03/unofficial-mini-minutes.html

Just over One Month to MWM's RG

It's been a fast-paced year. Believe it or not, Matrix V: Superhero Edition is almost upon us. Come join us at the Hyatt Dulles in Herndon, VA from May 17-19. Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/superheroedition) and peruse (and subscribe to) our blog at http://superheroedition.wordpress.com. Go to the Register tab to register for the RG (currently $94 for adults for the full weekend, $55 for 17-and-under for the full weekend; partial weekend rates also listed) and to purchase a souvenir t-shirt! Lots of Program information is available and an ever-increasing list of games, too.

Come Marvel at the DC RG!

Tell the AMC to vote NO...

At the March AMC meeting, among other last-minute items put forward by the Nominating Committee was the following bylaws amendment proposal (emphasis added mine):

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1a.  Moved BECKER , MARK AND REIGER:  The following is passed to a referendum of the membership on the next regular ballot after the 2013 election:

Article VI, section 3 of the bylaws of American Mensa are amended as follows:  In the first sentence, "No later than the October 1st preceding each election" is changed to "No later than one month before the deadline for submitting candidate petitions";  also in the first sentence, "the nominees(s) for the position of Chairman" is changed to "all nominees for Executive Committee positions"; and in the second sentence, ", and the list shall be published" is added at the end of the sentence; and the third sentence is deleted.  The resulting section will then read:

(3) No later than one month before the deadline for submitting candidate petitions, the Nominating Committee shall nominate one or more candidates for each of the elective offices of American Mensa Ltd., of whom all nominees for Executive Committee positions shall (unless no individuals with the requisite qualifications are willing to run for that office) be members of the American Mensa Committee then in office, or have served at least one year on a prior American Mensa Committee. The Nominating Committee shall submit a list of the nominated candidates to the American Mensa Committee and to the Election Committee, and the list shall be published.

EXPLANATION:  This is the first of two motions to implement a recommendation from the Nominating Committee Process Review Task Force.  It allows the nomination and election process to be shorter than it is currently.  It also extends the requirement of at least one year experience on the AMC to the entire Executive Committee.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:  The cost of putting a bylaws amendment on the ballot and tallying the votes.
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Given how close to the meeting itself this and the other Nominating Committee-originated proposals came out, the AMC only had a brief discussion on the items, but voted to postpone an up/down vote on each of the proposals until their next teleconference, sometime before May 31.

I strongly urge you to contact the AMC (at least your RVC) to ask them to vote AGAINST this proposal.

It goes the wrong direction with respect to requirements for nomination. Currently, the bylaws require that candidates put forward by the NomComm for the position of Chairman must either be serving on the AMC at the time, or must have previously served at least a year. This precludes people who have relevant outside experience from even being considered by the Nominating Committee. This also assumes that the only way to have good knowledge of AML is to have served (or be serving) on the AMC itself. While it certainly gives you *more* insight than you would have otherwise, it isn't necessary to have that, in my opinion.

And, rather than removing this requirement (like MIL did with a similar requirement that used to be in the Constitution), this proposal would expand it, applying to the positions of First Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary, too.



Also, it seems like the timeline would be narrowed *too* much. (Some is certainly welcome.) As it currently stands in the bylaws, the candidate petitions are due on Feb. 1. Therefore, the list from the NomComm (per above) would be due on Jan. 1 and published. While there are lots of people who would be able to see any e-mail/online notification, there are plenty of members who would not, and would require seeing it in hard-copy. The amount of time they would then have to collect signatures on petitions (either for themselves or someone else, prompted by seeing one or more names they think should be run against) is unduly short. Sure, in the ideal world, people would have already been gathering signatures before the announcement, but there are times where it is only the knowledge of the nominated candidates that galvanizes some people to take action.