N&Q2 – MensaSurvivorsClub
PartOne
TimeCapsule (Message in 2001 from the Loc Sec)
I have finally put my fingers to the keyboard (as opposed to pen to paper) for Cal-Amity [now MensaMag]. My name is Vicki Herd and I have been a Mensan since 1987. I formerly served as Loc Sec in 1992 and have also held other posts such as Program Director, Secretary/Treasurer, Proctor and Games Night Host.
The question I am pondering right now is why do people join Mensa? Do we join Mensa so we can get mail each month telling us how smart we are (as was implied on The Weakest Link)? Do we join to meet other people sharing our "abnormality"? Do we join just to prove we can? Do we join hoping Mensa will provide us with some mental stimulation not found in our everyday lives? As Loc Sec I am trying to come to grips with what I can do to stimulate attendance at a Mensan event. What motivates and inspires Mensans?
From first hand experience as a reasonably active Mensan it is apparent the majority of people join Mensa, receive MC2 and Cal-Amity and appear to want to derive nothing else from their membership dollars. Some maintain memberships for many years on this basis while others come and go from our membership list. Some bolder Mensans show up at an event or two, decide everyone else is anti-social or unappreciative of their unique contributions and disappear from sight. A small minority become Second Tuesday stalwarts and show up at Catherine’s place to share in the trials and tribulations of their fellow Mensans.
I would like to change this comfortable but tired complacency by challenging each and every member to become more committed to making Mensa Calgary an active chapter of our international organization. All Mensans have strong opinions, tell us what we are doing wrong or aren’t doing to give you the "warm and fuzzies" as a member.
When I first joined Mensa Calgary back in the late eighties a Regional Gathering (RG) was held in Calgary each year. I attended several RGs and enjoyed them immensely. Unfortunately the strong organizational team who arranged these events all suffered burn out and subsequently dropped out of Mensa. In 1991 Calgary hosted Mensa Canada’s Annual Gathering (AG) at the Palliser Hotel. As Chair of this event, Catherine Ford rallied many of these burnt out former members to help organize an exceptionally fine weekend of entertainment and stimulating speakers making the Annual Gathering a great success. In 1993 Carey Taylor-Forbes (then known as Carey Forbes) organized a Regional Gathering almost single-handedly which all attendees enjoyed. Since 1993 Mensa Calgary has held no large-scale functions. Mensans wishing to attend large-scale events have had to travel outside Alberta.
I am proposing we hold a Regional Gathering in Calgary in May 2002. I would like to invite all Calgary Mensans to attend and also extend invitations to other Mensans from Alberta, Canada or the world to come and enjoy our hospitality. From brainstorming sessions held at our board meetings we have some intriguing ideas for an exciting weekend of speakers, field trips, games and entertainment. What do we need? We need your support. Let us know if you like the idea of attending a weekend of Mensa events, if you want to meet more Mensans, if you have topics you would like to present or hear about at our RG. Calgary is famous for its volunteering spirit – would you like to join our team of volunteers for the RG?
What do you do next? Please put your fingers to the keyboard and pound out your opinions. Let me know what you think about the issues raised on this page and the contribution you can make to improve the excitement quotient of Mensa Calgary.
[No Calgarian responded to this note in 2001, but a Toronto Mensan said he thoroughly agreed with it. He and Vicki formed a Survivors Club with membership of two. Query whether we shouldn't all skip Mensa and leap immediately to the Mensa Survivors Club (MSc) whose qualifications might be passing the Mensa test and remaining inactive for 12 months. MSc Activities: an e-letter to share post-Mensa experiences, lawyers to claim for post-Mensa stress disorder, periodic reunions on tropical beaches.]
PartTwo
Einstein on Crack (letter posted in LA, February 28, 2005)
And I thought I had issues…
Recently, my Mensa membership came up for renewal, and I was contemplating if I should shell out the $52 fee so I can have the privilege of carrying around a gay little laminated card (which, I don’t do … anymore) and read their cutesy little monthly magazine, the Mensa Bulletin (ranked right up there with Reader’s Digest for fine bathroom reading literature). Oh yes, and dine locally with other members.
As a Mensa member, you would think I would learn quickly from past mistakes… but oh, no. Not me. Not this genius.
Two years ago, I went to my first Mensa dinner. 15 seconds into the restaurant where the dinner was being held, I was in a full on anxiety attack as I realized that the wife and I probably lowered the average age by about 20 years. While the people were very interesting as individuals, and only a small percentage of them were actually pocket-protector wearing geeks, I got absolutely nothing out the group as a whole. In a word, BORING.
Discouraged, I decided to wait a while, and maybe try again down the road. Like, when I am 87.
So, earlier tonight, while procrastinating doing my biochem homework and prompted by the email renewal reminder, I decided to see if there have been any changes to the Mensa web site and if there was anything new in my local group that might interest me. (Like I said, not a fast learner.) I quickly discovered that there was a new Special Interest Group for Mensans added recently: Mensans with ADD/ADHD.
This, I thought, has to be good! I eagerly clicked over to the online order form, submitted my $52, and then requested my password to be resent because genius here forgot it.
1 minute later, I am sitting here at my desk having a brain hemorrhage because I am trying to follow the conversation thread.
It was like listening to Good Will Hunting after drinking 97 cans of Red Bull. Nothing like 100 people firing off intellectual jokes and then forgetting to tell the punch line and instead discussing the chemical components of rocket fuel.
Actually … it wasn’t too different from a conversation with my mother.
I think I’ll stick to watching the Family Guy reruns and looking at pictures of gorillas with nipple fetishes for my intellectual stimulation.
