MenTally - The Newsletter of Tallahassee Area Mensa
RVC Columns
THE TENTH STORY for December
As I write this column, I am preparing for the December 7th virtual AMC Meeting. By the time you read this, the agenda will be on the website (go to Lead, Board of Directors, meetings and pull down the date) so that you can see what we are working on. Most of the work is done before the meeting, and then the motions are presented and voted on. That way we hope to accomplish more in meetings.
Mind Games registration has opened and at last check still had a few slots left. Check it out if you are interested, because it is a lot of fun. I will be attending Mind Games and working as the Volunteer Coordinator. Hopefully, most of my work will be done before the event starts! Register at www.mensamindgames.com
Registration for the Annual Gathering (AG) has also opened. This is American Mensa's largest yearly event, and I think well worth attending. We host over 1,200 Mensa members and their spouses and families at this event. What better place to meet and mingle with your people? It is being held in Chicago from July 2 - 6, 2025, at the Chicago Hilton.
https://ag.us.mensa.org
The hotel is located downtown, overlooking Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and Museum Campus. According to our magnificent AG Crew website, "It is within walking distance of State Street and Magnificent Mile shopping, Soldier Field's games and concerts, and near Pilsen neighborhood's bar and restaurant scene. Hop on the 'L' to Chinatown, absorb the arts featured in Wabash Arts Corridor or simply wonder in the sights of the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium." There are plenty of things to do in the area, so take a few extra days at the excellent hotel rate and make it a vacation. Early registration has started so make your plans now to lock in the lowest rate!
The calendar is not yet available but consider attending the Gala Dinner to hear the keynote speaker Ken Jennings of the legendary Jeopardy! He not only was a host but also a champion and a New York Times best-selling author. His topic is Artificial Intelligence: Are Humans in Jeopardy? Jennings will reflect on the rise of AI - an evolution he's witnessed firsthand, having famously faced off against IBM's Watson in a groundbreaking 2011 match.
This year's Colloquium, Human Intelligence in the Age of AI: A New Perspective, will explore the core distinctions between human and artificial intelligence. The Foundation presents on July 1st. These events are packed with cutting edge information and give you an opportunity to learn about what is happening in the field of artificial intelligence.
https://www.mensafoundation.org/what-we-do/education-and-outreach/colloquium/
I hope that you can take advantage of these marvelous opportunities presented by Mensa. These are the reasons why so many feel that we are a great organization. With much to do and many interesting people to meet, what better way to receive value from your membership? Imagine if you paid for tickets to the opera season and only went to see Swan Lake, that would be a very expensive performance and you would miss out on Rigoletto, La Boheme, and Carmen.
Kay Klasen, RVC 10
Email: RVC10@us.mensa.org
Phone: 954-227-8188
Mensa Connect https://connect.us.mensa.org/communities/local-groups/region-10
THE TENTH STORY for November
I have returned from the AMC meeting at the National Office in Hurst, Texas. It was a whirlwind weekend! I flew in late on Thursday, met on Friday and Saturday,
and was home around noon on Sunday. The AMC met on Friday for a planning meeting. We reviewed the strategic plan, governance, finance, and the search for an Executive
Director. We also worked to prepare for the meeting on Saturday.
Saturday was the AMC Meeting. We had 37 guests who attended either in person or through the conferencing system. I encourage you to review the session's
minutes, reports, and video to see your AMC at work. They are available on the website - use the menu and select 2024 09 21 - Hurst, TX. Here is the link for your
convenience: https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/meeting-reports/
Here is a summary of key points from the meeting, in no particular order. We formed a National Technology Committee to analyze and support improving our current
systems. It must be realized that change will come slowly; nothing good happens overnight. We have a lot of good expertise in our membership; let's leverage it. If
anyone is interested in being involved, please apply on the AML website in the Volunteer Marketplace. The post should be up when you read this.
It is time to start working on the new strategic plan, as the current plan ends in 2025. Franck Mounier will lead the team tasked with developing our 2026-2030
plan; they are already up and running, so if you are interested, let Franck know at RVC1@us.mensa.org. The upcoming Mensa Bulletin will publish an article on this
SPC, its aim, and the process.
We approved a motion to put the local groups' subsidy back into the ASIEs so members can find the amount. Currently, it is $0.96 per member per month. To be
consistent with our budget documents, the word "subsidy" will be replaced with "stipend."
The First Vice Chair, Ian Randall Strock, resigned and was replaced by Jon Gruebele, as our governing documents stipulate. This leaves the Second Vice Chair
position vacant. That position will be posted in the Volunteer Marketplace for interested members to apply.
On an interesting note, according to Becky Folger, Associate Director of Membership, more than 2/3 of the monthly mail received is from candidates, who want
to join, sending prior evidence documents. Remember that we have local group and private testing also available as an avenue for membership; please encourage
candidates to use what best suits them.
Kay Klasen, RVC 10
Email: RVC10@us.mensa.org
Phone: 954-227-8188
Mensa Connect https://connect.us.mensa.org/communities/local-groups/region-10
THE TENTH STORY for October
I announced the Jewel Awards for Region 10 on Connect. Congratulations go out to the groups that worked hard and earned recognition. Ruby Awards go to Broward Mensa, Palm Beach County Mensa, and Tallahassee Area Mensa. An Emerald Award goes to Manasota Mensa. The awards recognize the work a group does to encourage membership and retention which helps to make a group active and viable for its members.
Speaking of members, October is Mensa Membership Month. Testing promotions are available, so make sure you schedule a test. You will also earn Jewel points. Advertise the date with the information regarding promotions that you can find on the calendar:
https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/localgroupresources/marketing-and-public-relations/national-promotions-calendar/.
As you read this report, I will be returning from the September 21st AMC meeting. As I write this, I am getting ready for that meeting. The agenda is on the website at https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/meeting-reports/ Just click on the date in the drop-down menu.
I have not received the agenda yet but have been working on items for the meeting for the last couple of weeks. One of the items is a motion, that I am supporting to create a Technology Committee to look at our computer systems in regard to Industry Standards and Best Practices. We are also working on a motion to put the local group stipend back into the ASIE's. It was removed by the last AMC. The current feeling is that buried in the budget is not where people will go to find the number. A discussion about live-streaming continues, and I have to ask how many of you cannot make the meetings watch the live-stream when it is posted? Look at the Region 10 Connect site next month for a survey about items of interest to our members.
This brings to mind a discussion I had at the AG, with various members, regarding attending the AMC meetings. Many find it boring and, since much of the work is done before and finalized at the meetings, they do not understand our processes or reasoning. We, as RVC's, have been trying to figure out how to convey our thoughts and concerns to the members. The short answer is in our columns, but this is not an ideal solution. Only Region 10 members receive my column. Other groups get their RVC's column, and even at that, not all will get the same explanation.
Mensa Connect is one of the places to communicate your ideas, interests, wants, and desires to your region's members and leadership. It is the perfect place to create dialogue about the issues we all face. Is that to say that members will listen and use the tool that has been provided? No, but it is one of the best ways for us to communicate amongst ourselves since we all cannot be in the same room, at the same time! Let's all keep the lines of communication open! "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." - Ernest Hemingway
Kay Klasen, RVC 10
Email: RVC10@us.mensa.org
Phone: 954-227-8188
Mensa Connect https://connect.us.mensa.org/communities/local-groups/region-10
See our new proposed by-laws (PDF format).
See our current local by-laws (PDF format), and the
national minimum standards for bylaws (PDF format).
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