General
Feel life is passing you by? Activities with fellow Mensans will turn this around. Think coffees, martinis, movies, dinners, quizzes, anything that ravels up the tired sleeve of care. We’re informal and unstructured, on occasion intellectually stimulating. Mensa Calgary is a community where members interact, network, support each other, and enjoy each other’s company. For further info, contact Patricia at kathleen4057@yahoo.ca ["There's no pleasure on earth that's worth sacrificing for the sake of an extra five years in the geriatric ward of the Sunset Old People's Home." (John Mortimore)]
MensaTest
September 25, 2008. Email or telephone Vicki at vherd@shaw.ca, 403-243-6144. Testing should take just over an hour and is user-friendly.
The testing fee is $90. This covers the cost of writing 2 tests, receiving feedback on eligibility for Mensa membership, plus the first year’s membership fee if you qualify. You write 2 tests so you have 2 chances to qualify for Mensa. Full time students pay only $70.
A pictorial test is available if your mother tongue is not English and you do not want your test scores to be disadvantaged by language.
You need to score in the top 2% of the population in one of the two tests to qualify.
Please contact Vicki if you have questions about Mensa or the testing, and let her know if you want to write the tests so she can plan resources and give detailed directions to the test site, likely at meeting Room 2 in the basement of the W R Castell Central Library, 616 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary.
MensaGenerationX
Viva the under-30s! Thursday, Sept 25 at Bottlescrew Bills, 140 – 10th Ave SW. Beers galore, as you can see on http://www.bottlescrewbill.com/80beers.html. Meet around 7:30, Leslie will reserve a table and a copy of Twisted will be on it for the first 15 minutes. RSVP to Leslie at august_83@hotmail.com and check the Facebook group Mensa Calgary Under 30’s.
CoffeeFests
Next occasion is Wednesday, September 24th, 7pm, at Kaffa Coffee and Salsa House in Marda Loop. Exact address: 2138 33Ave SW. Diverting discussion as always. No subject too hot, no view too contentious, no humour too sublime. Confirm with Patricia at kathleen4057@yahoo.ca or not, as you like. Look for the Harry Potter book on the table.
DinnerNight
Our September feast of reason and flow of soul is Friday, September 26th, at 5:30 pm. The place: Brava Bistro, voted best Calgary restaurant in 2003, located at 723 – 17th Ave SW. RSVP please to Patricia (almostp@shaw.ca). Reference the links below for a full review of the restaurant.
http://www.bravabistro.com/
http://www.calgaryrestaurants.ca:80/basic.php?name=Brava%20Bistro
BookClub
In August, the club conducted its Banff roadtrip. The big question was why novels written almost 200 years ago by a clergyman’s daughter, who moreover lived a short and unspectacular life, should still be popular in the 21st century. The bookclub took in a performance of Pride and Prejudice at the Banff Centre on August 22nd and then met to discuss the performance and Austen’s novels over tea at the Banff Springs.
Like to read? Got some good ideas for ways to enhance our understanding of novels or authors? Join us! We’re always happy to welcome new members and ideas. Our next meeting is Friday, September 19th when we’ll be discussing Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Contact Patricia at almostp@shaw.ca if you’re interested.
Previous Mensa Club books have included Literacy and Longing in L.A., Night, The Alchemist, Water for Elephants, Pride and Prejudice and A Thousand Splendid Suns.
SecondTuesdays(of the Month)
September 9th is our casual gettogether at Vicki Herd’s home, 2469 Sorrel Mews SW, a couple of blocks south of 33 Ave, east of Crowchild Tr, at 7:30pm. BYOB. Contact Vicki (vherd@shaw.ca / 243-6144) or Patricia (almostp@shaw.ca / 212-1461) for additional info. RSVP isn’t necessary.
OtherUpComings
Thursday, September 4, at 7:30 pm. The Jack Singer Concert Hall. A Taste of the CPO. Tickets are free. Contact Patricia (almostp@shaw.ca) and look up http://www.cpo-live.com/main/biography.php?id=418
Haysn Hornbeck will lead a hike to Grassi Lakes on Saturday, September 13th. The hike is 3.1km including return, with only 350m elevation gain. Even the slowest slowpokes should make it. The area is sandwiched between Mount Rundle and Ha Ling, in a rocky canyon with plenty of natural beauty. It’s also five minutes from Canmore. If anyone wants an extension, we can add Policeman’s Creek (4km loop in Canmore, no elevation) or Grotto Canyon (5km with return, minor elevation). Since we’re so close to Canmore anyway, dinner at the Sage Bistro would be a nice way to end the day. The bistro has excellent food and a good atmosphere, plus a wall of exotic teas to choose from. If you are interested in joining us for the hike and/or dinner, please RSVP to Patricia (almostp@shaw.ca). We’ll organize a car pool or you can make your own way to the hike.
We have a unique Japanese POW documentary to present and Haysn has generously offered to convert the video to NTSC format. Watch this space for a date to see the footage.
We’ll hold a Mensa Sunday brunch at the Banff Springs Hotel in October. All Mensa members are welcome. Details to follow.
Mensa Calgary will host a weekend Regional Gathering in Banff in the fall of 2009. This seems a long way off, but it involves some serious (and not so serious) planning so we’ve started discussions already. Considering the location, we aim to attract Mensans from around the globe and your ideas and support are greatly appreciated. If you’d like to be part of the committee or have thoughts about speakers, activities etc., please contact Patricia (almostp@shaw.ca). There are many Mensans who’d like to take a more active role in the organization, and this is a golden opportunity to place your favorite subjects front and centre. Mensa Calgary has blossomed over the past year and we look forward to further excitement as the Regional approaches.
Congratulations to Mensa member David Coulibaly who has a new son, Noah Matys Coulibaly, born August 22nd. David and his family moved to Calgary from Paris a few years ago.
For other and general event queries, email Vicki Herd (vherd@shaw.ca).
