Mensa relies on its volunteers to keep the organization going, and we appreciate all of them. There are some who go beyond the nuts and bolts of day-to-day service, and they deserve special recognition. Each year several awards are presented at the Annual Gathering, including National Service Awards (AKA National Achievement Awards), the Distinguished Service Award, and the National Certificate of Appreciation. While these are presented by the American Mensa Awards Committee, all of these winners are nominated by members. Your opportunity to nominate these superstars is now! Nominations are being solicited through April 30. More information about these can be found at www.us.mensa.org/recognize/national-awards/ or by emailing Awards Committee Chair Robin Crawford at nationalawards@us.mensa.orgwith questions and nominations.
Recent award winners from Region 10 in the past five years have included Mel Dahl, Ruth Danielle, Debbie Freeland, Brian Reeves, Elissa Rudolph, and Maggie Truelove. Who else would you nominate?
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While on the topic of volunteers, I continue to encourage anyone who is interested to volunteer at their Local Group level. There are many opportunities for both long- and short-term contributions, and engaging in helping to build and run the group provides a greater personal stake in its success. Contact your Local Secretary/President or Programs Officer if you are interested, or let me know and I’ll offer some suggestions.
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March 31 is the last day to renew your membership if you want to participate in this year’s CultureQuest, which will take place on April 28. Although some people see this as a trivia contest, it runs deeper than mere trivia. CultureQuest was established in 1990 based on the book “Cultural Literacy”, which posited that each culture has common information that becomes shorthand for communication. For instance, almost everyone in Western Culture would know what you meant by “Sherlock”, whether they had ever read any of Arthur Conan Doyle’s works or not. Each contest has approximately 200 questions which run the gamut from literature, geography, science, religion, history, and yes, some trivia. Each team can consist of up to five members with two alternates, and each chapter may have more than one team. But all persons on the team must have renewed before the registration date on March 31!
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You must also have renewed by the end of March in order to participate in the American Mensa elections, which include five nationally-elected positions as well as the Region 10 Vice Chair (RVC) and the Mensa International Election. There are also four bylaws referenda on the ballot this year. The election period will run from April 15 through May 15. More information will be coming over the next couple of months, but if you’d like to get a preview there is information available at www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/elections/2019-board-election/. So make sure your membership is current in order to participate!
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The next meeting of the American Mensa Committee (AMC) will be on March 2, 2019 in Woodbridge, NJ. The main items on the agenda are the approval of the 2019-2020 AML Budget, and proposed changes to the bylaws for the Mensa Foundation. The agenda has been posted at www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/meeting-reports/, in the dropdown under “2019-03-02 – Woodbridge, NJ”.
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Until next month (or until I see you online),
Thomas George Thomas
Email: RVC10@us.mensa.org
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