Clean Slate's working principles

The Clean Slate:
Working Principles for a 21st Century Mensa
Version 1.0

1. Make member services and "the Mensa experience" the primary focus of the entire organization. Make members not just satisfied in, but active contributors to, and advocates of, This Smart Thing of Ours.

2. Embrace that individual and local group activities are the primary interaction members have within Mensa. Actively fund local activities. Actively share successful activities across local groups. Actively document support information. Actively quantify critical success criteria to enable evaluation and doing more of what works, less of what doesn't.

3. Mimic what makes the internet the most successful invention in history. Experiment, learn, & enable tight/quick feedback loops. Let adoption, promulgation, & extension determine success.

4. Embrace social media & mobile culture. Make member interaction a 24/7/365 possibility. Use video to capture & share the joy of being a smartie. Integrate publications, events, & discussions via social media. Minimize lead times. Maximize coverage. Enable every member to customize their Mensa experience based on their tastes/preferences.

5. Quantify everything. Collect data obsessively. Use it to make data-based decisions. It's not science unless it can be measured.

6. Use SMARTER principles to enable objective, data-based creation & evaluation of goals & objectives: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely, Evaluated, & Re-evaluated. Actively compare objectives to results. Make course corrections as soon as a problem is evident.

7. Actively train local leaders in the nuts & bolts of running a successful local group. Update & futurize handbooks. Create FAQs. Hold regular training
workshops. Capture sessions on video for easy sharing & reference. Embrace remote & net-based education to expand reach while lowering costs.

8. Establish a sound financial base for Mensa now & into the future. Align expenditures with member services. Justify & control expenses. Budget revenue on data-based, realistic membership retention & growth. Establish transparency in budget & actual expenditures. Cut expenses & hold the line on dues.

9. Establish a culture of transparency, openness, & inclusiveness. Broadcast & capture AMC & budget meetings. Enable members to see how time, effort & money are spent representing them & governing the corporation. Explain decisions. Minimize/eliminate time spent in "executive session."

10. Embrace viral/word-of-mouth/recommendation marketing. Make every member's experience so good that they can't wait to share Mensa with their friends.

Desire for Change in AML

From what I have been told, there are already approximately 30 candidates for AMC who have submitted their paperwork to the Nominating Committee, and almost all (if not all) of the races already have at least two candidates. (I don't have a full list. It might be possible to get that directly from the NomComm.) There will surely be others, like myself (running for Secretary) and Alan Baltis (running for Chairman), who will only be using the petition process for various reasons.

Given how many people are running and contesting (nearly?) all of the positions on the AMC, it should be fairly obvious that there is a large desire for change. What the change is that each individual wants, and how compatible those various visions are with each other, is another story. And something that will hopefully play out meaningfully over the next several months.

To that end, there is a new yahoogroup (yep, ANOTHER list) that is dedicated solely to the current AMC election cycle: M-US-Elections. Any current AML members who want to subscribe to it, just send an e-mail to M-US-Elections-subscribe@yahoogroups.com -- the plan is for this to be an area where the candidates can both proactively describe their vision, background, etc., but also for members to ask questions of the candidates that go beyond the standardized questions that are part of the Candidate Information Forms. 

Growing AML

One of the members on M-Pol posed the following questions: How do you propose growing the organization? Mensa has about 50,000 members out of a potential pool of 7,000,000 - my numbers may be off, but as an order of magnitude there aren't many dues-paying members. Why do you think the numbers are so low, and what do you propose do do about it?

Here's how I answered:

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As a likely member of the slate [as candidate for AMC Secretary], I'll take a stab at this one. The best thing that we can do towards increasing our membership numbers is increase the pride that people feel for being members of Mensa. So much logically follows from such a simple premise:

--Increased positive word-of-mouth about the organization. If friends, family, and co-workers see just how much enjoyment one gets from Mensa, they are likelier to test/submit prior evidence and join themselves.

--Increased volunteerism. When people feel good about an organization and like what it is doing and what it is about, they are more likely to participate in ways that are beneficial. Not only will we get more hosts of local activities, but we will get more people willing to lend a hand for the officially sponsored activities, and even run for local group boards as well as AMC. We will also be able to recruit more proctors to hold more tests more frequently, increasing opportunities for candidates to test and join.

--Increased community awareness. There will be more people who are inspired to do their community-oriented volunteerism in the name of Mensa, such as those of us who judge for Odyssey of the Mind, local science fairs, Mathletes, school trivia bowls, or whatever.

--Increased donations to MERF and/or local scholarship funds. This feeds back in increased community awareness and positive word-of-mouth.

So, how do we go about fostering that increased sense of pride in Mensa?

--Increase transparency among the AMC, National Office, and the membership writ large.

--Increase regular, meaningful communication between the AMC and the local groups.

--Assist local groups develop additional leaders, enabling local groups to have a “deep bench” so as to avoid the burnout that so many suffer from.

--Share lessons learned among the local groups.

--Solicit ideas and volunteers from the membership before engaging an outside firm whenever possible.

--Modernize our communications efforts so that we can reach the members in the ways they want to be reached.

--Do a better job of recognizing achievement on a more regular basis.

--Correct problems and/or inequities within our bylaws and make sure that we, as an organization, live up to our bylaws.

--Make sure to have fun at AMC meetings and have attending members also enjoy themselves, making it obvious that it is possible to be light-hearted while doing serious work for the benefit of AML; this can then be translated to the local group level.

Numbers are low at least in part because of ineffective marketing efforts and our having more of a social stigma placed upon our name than a sense of pride. Adjusting our marketing will need to be something that the AMC takes an active role in guiding, having it be the new AMC's vision being the driving force and the marketing staff's experience in the business to implement that vision effectively. Shifting the social stigma will be a much more difficult hurdle, as we suffer from the confluence of a general anti-intellectualism in the country and a disregard for many groups that are branded as “elite.” These are long-held, ingrained social mores that take many years to break down, and likely would require more than just the resources that Mensa can bring to bear.

But with the results of the increased pride in AML, we will get more people willing to become proctors and hold test sessions. The more frequently we can test, the faster we can capitalize on the curiosity of inquiring test candidates. The more those proctors are involved and can talk up the local group in a fun way, the more likely the test candidates who pass will join and come out to their first event relatively quickly.

Granted, this is all a very tall order. And anyone who promises to actually get all of it done within the span of a single term is kidding you. However, what we can promise to do is to start adjusting the stilted culture by our very presence, words, and deeds in such a way as to make much of the above more readily accomplished in the medium-term.

MWM's RG: Superhero Edition

Marvel at the DC Regional Gathering, May 17-19, 2013, at the Hyatt Dulles in Herndon, VA!

Keep up with the latest happenings by subscribing to the RG's blog at
http://superheroedition.wordpress.com/
and link to us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SuperheroEdition

You can register online at http://superheroedition.wordpress.com/registration/
(It takes you to the same page that the registration link on mwmrg.org takes you to.)

You can also reserve your hotel room at http://superheroedition.wordpress.com/hotel/
(It takes you directly to our room block's page at
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=9661405)

Interested in giving a program? (It can be superhero-themed or not.) Drop us a line with a brief description of the talk. Willing to volunteer an hour or two of your time during the RG? (Many hands make light work.) Have any suggestions of what might make for a good program (especially if you have a connection)? Let us know.

Bylaws Amendments -- Comments

Amendment #1 (Do away w/ 2VC)

Generally speaking, I think this is a good amendment, as the duties of the 2VC really could be taken on by the rest of the AMC. A couple of items, though:

--I think better phrasing in IV(2) re: what happens when the VC is absent would be "In the absence or inability to serve of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman, their duties will be assumed by the senior-most elected directors of the AMC based on uninterrupted time served on the AMC."

--If this were to pass during this election, then the person who would have just been elected to the position would immediately be out of office, as the position will be simultaneously done away with. Perhaps a "date effective" (say, July 1, 2015 -- the beginning of the *subsequent* term) should be added to this?

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Amendment #2 (Change appointees to be non-voting; remove Past Past Chair & keep Past Chair for no more than 6 months)

Mixed bag. First of all, this should be split into two separate amendments, as the limitations on Past Chairs and the change of appointee voting rights are totally unrelated to each other.

I agree with the sentiment that only those people elected to the AMC should be the ones to have a vote on AMC motions. Why should these particular AMC appointees get a vote and not such others as the various counsel (Interpretive Counsel, Intellectual Property Counsel, General (?) Counsel)?

And while I would prefer to just outright get rid of both of the past chair positions (they can always be left on the AMC e-list for consultations, etc.; that's an administrative call that the AMC can make whenever it wishes to, IMO), this is a step in the right direction.

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Amendment #3 (RVC roles)

I understand the point behind this: define the duties of the office just like the other AMC offices have defined roles within the bylaws. I do wonder about a couple of items in here, though:


Are proxies on the Board of Directors permitted per NYS NFP law? (I've not gone and looked for myself yet. It's something which will need to get answered at some point.)


Also, is removal of the Asst. RVC by the majority of the AMC permitted per NYS NFP law? It would seem that this runs afoul of the same issue as we currently have with removal of RVCs. (The way this is otherwise written, surely the RVC can remove his own assistant, but I don't see how the AMC could do so.)

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Amendment #4 (Add a LocSec Representative to AMC's appointees)

This one I don't like:
--Why do LocSecs, specifically, require a special representative on the AMC, any moreso than the rest of the membership?
--Isn't this just an extra, and more cumbersome, layer of bureaucracy than the RVCs? RVCs communicate with about a dozen LocSecs currently, at least in theory, to represent the chapters in their region on the AMC. This position would have 1 person communicating with over 130 LocSecs to be able to represent them on the AMC, when they're already represented by their respective RVCs.
--The mechanism for appointing the LocSec Representative is extremely clunky.

I think this one could benefit from a rewrite to improve the clarity before the membership should be voting on it. (Granted, by improving the clarity and not changing the underlying amendment, I still would want the membership to vote this one down.)

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Amendment #5 (Reduce # of RVCs down to 3-5)

This one I very much don't like. And while it could benefit from slightly improved phrasing, it's clear enough to be put on the ballot, I think. (Well, once the date effective is also dealt with, as with Amendment #1.)

Why dislike this one? Well, doing the math with 3 RVCs, we get the "large" region with about 12 groups, then the "medium" region with over 20 groups, and finally the "small" region with over 90 groups. Really? *90* groups can be adequately represented by one RVC? And effective if Amendment #3 were to pass also? Even if you break the "small" region into 3 regions of 30 each (for ease here), that's still far too many for one RVC to handle.

Nevermind the fact that the various groups within any one region will be so far-flung that it's unlikely that the vast majority of members within the region will have the opportunity to even meet their RVC.

Governance Discussion -- Bylaws Amendment #5

Amendment Summary
Reduce the amount of RVCs from ten (10) to three (3). Divide the groups into large, medium and small classes in such a manner that approximately one third (1/3) of the membership falls into each. Each RVC can only be elected from local groups that fall into that class. The existing funds used by the other seven (7) RVCs would be added to the budgets of remaining three (3) to facilitate RG travels and awarding of discretionary funds for local use. Groups would be redrawn prior to each election cycle in order to continue to provide optimal representation.

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Affected Bylaws
Article III, Item 4
There shall be no fewer than five (5) and no more than ten (10) Regional Vice-Chairmen. The Regions represented by the Regional Vice-Chairmen shall be defined in terms of postal ZIP codes and shall be established by the American Mensa Committee after it has considered the membership distribution, membership growth trends, local group preferences, and administrative feasibility.

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Revised Bylaws
Article III, Item 4
There shall be no fewer than three (3) and no more than five (5) Regional Vice-Chairmen (RVCs). The Regions represented by the RVCs shall be divided into large, medium and small groupings based on local group size in such a manner that approximately one third (1/3) of the membership (or divided evenly if additional RVCs are added) falls into each. Final groupings will be completed and delivered to the American Mensa Committee by the National Office for approval at the AMC meeting at least four (4) months prior to the appointing of a Nominating Committee.

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Pro-Position Statements for Amendments
Many members see the RVC as our elected representative to the AMC, much in the way our House Members and our Senators represent our congressional districts in Washington. The reality is this is not the case. RVCs don't represent membership, and local groups actually report up to the RVC instead of the RVC reporting down to the members that elected them. This restructuring will allow a few things to start happening. By structuring regions based on size of the local group rather than geographic proximity, we can begin to select RVCs who have experience being successful at the local level with groups of a certain size. RVCs will then have an experience level and a focus on the needs of a specific size/type of local group. RVCs can identify local group needs and introduce best practices to other groups that face similar challenges and help integrate them in a more efficient manner. Local RVCs can begin to be identified and elected based on their track record at the local level and not just by their popularity at a national level or on their longevity as a member. The one third approach by general membership numbers also will accommodate those who may oppose such a change due to perceived equal representation. However, in reality that majority of Mensa members may never directly interact with their RVC or even meet that individual during the course of a RVC's elected term. RVCs would continue to interact directly with Local Secretaries, but if the actual number of local secretaries a RVC has to work with becomes too great to manage, a buffer of up to five RVCs has been worked into the amendment to allow for growth.

Governance Discussion -- Bylaws Amendment #4

Here's proposed bylaws amendment #4.

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Amendment Summary
Add an appointed position to the AMC, consisting of an active LocalSecretary who is appointed to the AMC by a vote of Local Secretaries. The term of this position shall be for a non-consecutive year. The individual filling this position must be unique to the AMC, and may not be filled by any other existing elective or appointed position serving on the AMC and as a Local Secretary.
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Affected Bylaws
Article 3, number 5
(5) The appointive members of the American Mensa Committee shall include the following: Membership Officer, Communications Officer, Director of Science and Education, Development Officer and such other officers as shall be required for the orderly administration of the business of the society.
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Revised Bylaws

Article 3, Number 5

(5) The appointive members of the American Mensa Committee appointed by the American Mensa Committee shall include the following: Membership Officer, Communications Officer, Director of Science and Education, Development Officer and such other officers as shall be required for the orderly administration of the business of the society. The appointive members of the American Mensa Committee appointed by the collective of Local Secretaries at the time of appointment shall include a 1 year, non-consecutive (not eligible for a second term for at least 12 months) term of a sitting Local Secretary who is not serving in any other capacity on the AMC.

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Conflict Mitigation

In the even that both amendment 2 and amendment 4 pass, the revision to Article 3, Number 5 that is present in amendment 4 shall override the revision present in Amendment 2.

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Pro-Position Statement on Proposed Amendment

By adding a sitting Local Secretary to the AMC, we can continue to encourage dialog between the local level and the national level, along with bringing a grass roots perspective to board members who may no longer be familiar to its challenges. Its non-voting status maintains the will of the elective in giving decision making power to those who can be held accountable at election time. The term limit of 1 year will maintain that a fresh local level perspective is constantly provided to the AMC.