Palm-Mensa | Newsletter | March, 2001

 

Palm-Mensa©

Palm Beach County Mensa
Newsletter for

March, 2001

 

 

 Last updated Wednesday, February 28th, 2001


Contents

RVC Update - Karen Lary

Notes From the Underground - Barry Karas

Member News and Updates - Glen Moulder

PBCM 2001 Elections - Glen Moulder/Barry Karas

February Events Review - various

Book Box - Dustinea Jacquette

An Elderhostel Program in New Orleans - Blossom Meyerson

AMC Office Candidates for 2001 - Cher Burnham/Maggie Rubin

Personal Biographies of AMC Chairperson candidates - Glen Moulder

Advertisements - Glen Moulder

Editor's ForuM - Glen Moulder

This month's calendar  Events for other groups

 

Correction!

The article in the February issue entitled " Vikings: the North Atlantic Saga" by Carole Seuling contained an error. The author submitted the correction that Viking campaigns lasted from the 8th through 11th centuries, not through the 14th as reported.

 

 

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RVC Update

Karen Lary

As I write this in late February, the biggest news from the national front
is the resignation of our National Chairman, Bob Beatty. Bob has informed
the AMC that his doctor has all but ordered him to resign for health reasons
(he told us his blood pressure - trust me, he made the correct decision).
Since the news got out, quite a few people have asked me for information
about "you know - what really happened?" I was not present at any AMC
meetings prior to December, so I have not been around for many discussions,
but there is no secret information to impart. Bob set his priorities
correctly - his health and family over his position with Mensa. Jean Becker
became Chairman immediately upon Bob's resignation.

The most important thing you can do for Mensa right now is RENEW YOUR
MEMBERSHIP! If you have your membership number you can pay your dues via
the AML Web site. This process allows members 24-hour access to pay their
dues in a safe and secure manner. Dues must be received by March 30, 2001
(March 31 is a Saturday!) in order to ensure that your Mensa membership is
uninterrupted.

And from around the region...

The Heart of Florida RG, hosted by Central Florida Mensa was a big success.
We had a great bunch of people attending, the weather cooperated, the
speakers were interesting, the food was good, and there were plenty of hugs
to go around. I had such a good experience, that I agreed to co-chair the
RG with Maggie Truelove next year.

You should definitely make plans to attend Busch Bash (formerly Beach Bash)
May 25 - 28 in Tampa. This year, the RG is adjacent to Busch Gardens and it'
s on Memorial Day Weekend, so you get an extra day! For information, check
out the web site: http://www.sports-pac.com/home/mensa/bash.html or contact
Dana Groulx, 5410 Bold Venture Place, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544; (813)
991-7868. Don't miss this one - these folks know how to throw a party!

 

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Notes From the Underground

LocSec - Barry Karas

E=MC³. I came upon an article recently that said that 85% of science textbooks used in middle schools throughout the U.S. have many *basic* errors each. I'm not talking "rocket science" here - I'm talking basic information. One example: the Equator runs through the U.S. This is one reason why U.S. kids do poorly when compared to kids of other countries in science. And our kids lack basic knowledge for everyday usage. This does not portend well for their places in an increasing technological society. Who's to blame? There's a lot to go around. The authors? The textbook editors? The publishers? The school boards? The teachers? What do you think about this?

HUMILITY? Yesterday, it was announced that humans have only about 30,000 genes instead of 100,000 as previously thought. This is only twice as many genes as the common fruit fly or worm has. (To save us from being totally humiliated, it was revealed that the protein in our genes is much more complex than the protein in the genes of fruit flies or worms.)

ACRO-REDUX. The latest overused acronymS, courtesy of the computer industry: "2" for "to," surrounded on both sides by letters signifying nouns - such as "B" for "business," "C" for "consumer," and "P" for "peer." Examples: B2B, B2C, and P2P.

I have nothing against acronyms when used sparingly or in trade publications. But when they leak into the general media in a big way (or even when one in common usage is in a trade journal but with a different meaning) that's when I get concerned. Years ago, I read about "ATM" in a telecommunications journal, and I wondered what in Hell does an automatic teller machine have to do with this?

SPEAKER. Later this month, we are having our first speaker in a long time. SHARRY ISRAEL is kind enough to host this event. Details are in the calendar section.

RENEWALS. If your membership expires on March 31, 2001, please renew. You can renew by telephone (817-607-0600).

CULTURE QUEST XII. It's on April 29th this year, at 4:00 PM. Ed Gross, the Team Captain, has almost completed assembling a team, but there is a space left. The only requirement is that a team member be a current Mensa member. Our own criteria include having a sense of humor - some of the questions are so ridiculously hard, that all we can do is sit back and laugh after guessing at what *we think* sounds like the best answers. Contact Ed (561-487-3874) for details.

AMC MEETING. There's going to be an American Mensa Committee meeting during December of this year at West Palm Beach. While this is not an "official" event of PBC Mensa, it is quasi-official, and it would be very nice if we could provide some members to 1. pick Committee members up at the airport and transport them to the hotel (which is very close to the airport); and 2. staff the hospitality suite for a few hours. Please contact Elissa Rudolph (561-272-0475) for details.

NEW CHAIRMAN. As you are aware, Bob Beatty resigned as chairman due to health problems. Dr. Jean Becker has assumed the chairmanship and Russ Bakke is now first vice chairman. The second vice chairman position will be filled soon. Bob is now past chairman and is still a member of the AMC.

COMPUTE. Mensa has been mentioned in an advertisement that IBM has been running: "Web hosting the Mensa Way." You may have seen it. Together with the sample quiz on the backed the Kellogg's Raisin Bran box, Mensa has been receiving a lot of good publicity lately.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE. For this month's dinner, we are planning to meet many of the northern members (from St. Lucie and Martin Counties) in Stuart on Saturday, March 17th. Stuart is about half way between PB and SL Counties. Bill Whitesell, our northern area coordinator, has done an admiral job. Let's show Bill and the northern members our spirit and have a numerous contingent be at Stuart.

 

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Member News and Updates

Glen Moulder

At the end of January, 2001, Palm Beach County Mensa had 297 members, increasing the total by 7 members since December. American Mensa, Ltd. reported membership at 46,562 up by 875 from the previous month. We welcome new members Swartz Matthew, Joan Zieff, Margaret McKenzie, Jeffrey Schector and J. Foster Chapman, Welcome also to Sarah Fauer and Kevin Mitchell who just moved to our area and reinstating members Howard Engelsen, Richard Block and Katherine Johnson.

Please note: If you don't see your birthday shown in this section when it should appear, you probably indicated to the national office that this information should be withheld. If so, and you do want it to appear, simply contact the national office and change your information withholding preferences.

 

Happy March MensAnniversary (year and persons) to:

26! Christopher Burgon
25 William Cofer, Deena Nathan-Strauss and
Judge C Trowbridge
22 Steven Modell
21 Jo Gayne
19 Milo Eischens and Louis Priore
18 Charles Grande
15 Theodore Babbitt and Bruce Packtor
14 Dr. Sharron Ronco and Daniel Tobias
13 Lynn O'Dwyer
12 Anne Matson
10 Steve Linehan and Norman Moore
09 Dr. Jerome Blumen and John Murray
08 Avraham Adler and Kay Skoog
07 Angy Brooks
06 David Pomerance
02 David Accetta, Hilda Dennis, Robert Gelbman,
Mark Miller and Norman Robbins
01 James Muro, Dr. Andrew Stone and
Thomas Winchester

 

Happy March Birthday (day and persons) to:

1st Ann Kasper
2nd Robert Abbott
4th Dr. Norma Schulman-Waltzer
5th Brad Perron
6th David Lustgarten
8th Marc Manis
9th Steve Greenberg and Richard Harris
12th Dr. Morton Chalef
13th David Saxon
14th Robert Swedo
15th Stephanie Cooper and Craig Wallace
18th Robert Gelbman
20th Thomas Winchester
21st Richard Haney
22nd Michael Davis
23rd Nancy Greenberg
25th Mohan Thampi
26th Margaret Kiggins
27th Robert Dolson, Craig Gathman, Kenneth Olsen and
Thomas Zarate
28th Lila Arango and Rory Burton

 

PBCM member BOB ABBOTT has just put some new mazes on his web site named for Alice (of Wonderland fame). Click here: http://www.logicmazes.com/alice.html. Quoting Bob: "These are called "Alice" mazes because they recall the scene in Alice in Wonderland where Alice eats a piece of cake with the sign "Eat Me" and grows larger, then she drinks from a bottle marked "Drink Me" and becomes smaller. This maze won't make you larger or smaller, but the distance you travel in a move will get larger or smaller."

 

Members Ken and Julie Cooper would like to announce the birth of their daughter, Annabelle Rose Cooper, January 16, 2001, weighing in at 8lbs, 3 oz. They hope they'll be able to come out and visit with us at a First Friday sometime soon. Best wishes for the proud parents and their new baby!

 

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PBCM Elections

Glen Moulder

According to our By-Laws (Article IV appears below), it's time for our group elections. The process is simple -- nominations are submitted to the Elections Committee and then votes are sent to the committee from the ballot mailer that will be sent to all members. The committee is responsible for collecting and tallying the responses and resolving any questions that arise during the election. The elected offices are Local Secretary, Editor Program Director and Treasurer. Nominations must be for and from members who are currently in good standing with American Mensa, Ltd. and must also be members of PBCM. Nominations must be received by the committee by March 1st, 2001. Ballots must be signed on the outside of the envelope and must be received by the committee by April 20th, 2001. Any questions or comments should be addressed to the members of the committee. You may contact them at:

Ms. Amy E. Shaughnessy, Chairperson, 44 Coconut Row, #B, Palm Beach, FL 33480-4069 (phone 659.3620) or Donald Spero, Member, 1618 Twelve Oaks Way, #201, North Palm Beach, FL 33408-3266
(phone 627-4720)

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Palm Beach County Mensa By-Laws (excerpted).

ARTICLE IV. ELECTIONS:

1. By majority vote the [Executive Board] EB shall choose an Election Committee (hereafter EC) of two to four members who must be members in good standing but not members of the EB, who shall serve for the forthcoming election only, and who may not be candidates for election. The EC shall be responsible for receiving and tallying the ballots and certifying the results.

2. The February issue of the newsletter shall announce the forthcoming election for officers to serve for two years and shall announce the name and address of the members of the EC. It shall announce that nominations must be received by the EC by March 1 and must be signed by the person making the nomination who must be a member of PBCM in good standing to be valid. Persons may not be nominated unless they have agreed to serve.

3. The EC shall announce the names of persons nominated in the April issue of the newsletter. Ballots shall be printed in the newsletter or in a separate mailing and sent to all local members indicating that only members in good standing may vote, that the envelope containing the ballot must be signed to be valid, and that ballots must be in the hands of the EC by April 20. For offices for which there is only one valid nomination, the EC shall declare the nominee elected.

4. The EC may decide to permit candidates to provide the newsletter with a set amount of campaign material. If so, each candidate who chooses to avail himself of this right shall have an equal word limit. The newsletter shall remain completely impartial.

5. The EC shall inform the candidates of the time and place of the ballot count and invite them to be present in person or by proxy for verification. The ballots shall be counted no later than April 30. A plurality of valid votes cast for each office shall constitute election. If a person is elected to more than one office, his vote for the lower office in terms of succession shall be invalidated and the next highest candidate shall be deemed elected to that office. Order of succession for purposes of elections shall be: Local Secretary, Program Director, Editor, Treasurer.

6. Challenges to the election must be submitted in writing to the existing EB by June 1 following the election. Any actions taken by the EB in the meantime will not be affected by the outcome of any such challenge.

 

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February Events Review

Super Duper Chili Bowl II - Elissa Rudolph

January's Superbowl game between the Ravens and the ?? wasn't nearly as exciting as our "chili-tasting," which took place just before kick-off. Six different kinds of chili intrigued the palates of the judges until they settled on a nearly uncontested winner. Unlike the recent presidential election voting, the votes needed to be counted only once (there were only 13 votes). Carol Seuling's traditional chili won the prize. In attendance and/or judging the tasty treats were Tom and Allicyn Winchester, Sharron Ronco, Barry Karas, Pat and Paul Couture, Glen Moulder, Pamela Berteau, Sean Zullo, Tom Peck, Kentuckiana Mensans Mark McCarthy and Bill Ragains, Miles Stoerfer, Bob Dolson, and Elissa Rudolph. Maggie Rubin, Broward Mensa, and Evie Rabin, Miami Mensa, stopped to say hello on their way home from Heart of Florida RG. With Kentuckiana and other south Florida Mensa groups represented, this year's Chili Bowl was wonderfully diverse!! Who won anyway?

 

First Friday at Chesterfield's - Glen Moulder

The groundhog must have seen his shadow, 'cause I think he scared some of the previous Chesterfield's crowds away. This month, only Bob Dolson, Barry Karas and I attended from our group along with guest Pamela Berteau and from Broward, Jerry and Merrell Fortner and Lya Korda came. We squeezed in around one table and the food, as usual was scrumptious.

Breakfast at the Crab House - Glen Moulder

Richard Linett hosted a breakfast here in Jupiter on the 3rd at 9 A.M. We again had a good turnout and some lively discussion about politics (dictators), education, Buddhism, Paganism (Wiccan), food and Mensa. Although it was a rainy, drizzly day, we sat out on the deck, where the staff had lowered the storm shades and watched a flock of pelicans flying around the world-famous lighthouse. We befriended the multitude of small sparrows that came begging under our chairs with bits of toast and helped our waitress to call her mother in Texas to wish her happy birthday. A very pleasant two-hour affair attended by Richard and Alex Linett, Bob and Ann Abbott, Tim Hunter, Bob and Peg Peyton, Glen Moulder and Pam Berteau and Bettye Pfau.

MensAdventure! - Elissa Rudolph

Dinner at Antonio's Mama Rosa restaurant in Delray on the 9th proved once again that Italian food never goes out of style. A pleasant ambience, attentive servers, and homemade pasta gave our Mensadventure dinner 7 out of 10 points. Out of Denmark's dinner is still unequaled. Dr. George Kovacs, Glen Moulder, Pamela Berteau, Bob Dolson, Sharron Ronco, and Elissa Rudolph attended.

Trivia Challenge - Barry Karas

We met at G. W. Sharkey's in Coral Springs on the 13th. You'll be pleased to know that your representatives won. I think that MERRELL FORTNER, the BrowBeat editor who made the arrangements of where we'd play tried to squeeze some extra points and arranged for a smoky place with backless bar stools. Although some of us were coughing ands sputtering, and visited chiropractors for our aching backs the next day, we still prevailed.

I got to meet PHIL HALES, the Broward Mensa LocSec. It was the first time that we met, and it was nice putting a face together with a name, and a person to whom I've spoken and corresponded with for almost two years.

Attending for Broward were: MICKI HAWN, IVAN GORDON, PHIL HALES, MERRELL and JERRY FORTNER, LYA KORDA, and two college-age people ERIC AND SEAN (I think - and I apologize for not getting their last names).

Our team: ED GROSS, PAT and PAUL COUTURE, CAROLE SEULING, and me.

Many thanks to Merrell, who I really don't think tried to "torpedo" us - although she does have a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Oh yeah. Because we placed #1 at Sharkey's, we won $25.00. I split the winnings up among our team. Therefore, we're not strictly amateurs any longer.

Games Night - Barry Karas

The Games night was held on the 16th at Pat and Paul Couture's home. Pat and Bob Dolson played backgammon while the rest of us played convoluted (my name for it) [actually, Double Deck Cancellation - Ed.] hearts. John Swick brought his sister Sally Becker along, who brought her friend who was visiting her from northwestern Pennsylvania, Delphine McFate. Thank goodness Delphine was there - she saved me from being last in the hearts game. Some of us thought that Sally's name was Charlotte, because she was wearing a shirt that said "Charlotte" on the front. She patiently explained that it came from Charlotte, NC where her daughter works for US Airways. Paul kept his neighbors up by playing choral music on his tape player. Actually, the noise level was low and his neighbors could only hear if the listened hard with glasses pressed up against the wall. Both he and Pat sing choral music, and we were entertained by the tape and by a special in-person performance.

Attending were: MYLES STOEFFER, ELISSA RUDOLPH, DELPHINE McFATE, PAUL COUTURE, JOHN SWICK, a friend of Pat and Paul's from Broward whose name I've forgotten (I'm sorry) [but if that person reads this, please e-mail Barry and give him the business - Ed.], SALLY BECKER, PAT COUTURE, BOB DOLSON, and me.

Perkophiles - Glen Moulder

I wasn't able to attend the February Perkophiles due to suffering from the flu that's been going around. Nevertheless, I understand that David and Michaele Saxon, Bob and Peg Peyton and Bettye Pfau were able to get together and have a little breakfast chat. No reports of what was discussed, but I'm sure I missed something important in our ever-entertaining and enlightening get-togethers. See you in March!

NORTH COUNTY GATHERING - Bill Whitesell

The February NCG was at The St. Lucie Draft House. In attendance were Rosemary Elliot, Bobbie and Julius Kadlecz, Mike Purcell, Laura Bulawski, Donna and David Bognar, and Bill Whitesell and daughter Jennifer.

  

Movie Night - Glen Moulder

Our first Movie Night held in recent memory occurred on the 24th at Linda Madison's home. The turnout was small consisting of our host Linda, LocSec Barry Karas, me and Pamela Berteau. We enjoyed watching a quirky, funny little film called "The Gods Must be Crazy" about the adventures of a Kalahari bushman trying to rid his family of an unwanted gift of technology from the sky. Linda showed us an electronic device called an eBook that has a very nice backlit screen and 16 megabytes of memory and will hold a good number of books that can be downloaded from the internet. Linda is celebrating her retirement from Bellsouth with 32 years service! Good for her and we wish her the best! Thank you for the movie and entertainment Linda. Now, who'll host our next Movie Night?

 

 

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About Books

Dustinea Jacquette

Time for only one review this past month because I am building brain cells by reading classic philosophical thought instead of brain candy. There's much to be said for the latter, but it's the former that probably carves deeper grooves in our brain mass.

 

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson, Australia is the star player. Bryson planned to spend several weeks exploring the oddities of this vast country and found that he could spend months and only scratch the surface. Even though Australia is the driest, most infertile, and "climactically aggressive" country on the planet, it has more things that can kill you than anywhere else: the ten most deadly snakes in the world, toxic caterpillars, seashells that attack you, and the deadly box jellyfish.

It is a very old country also, not only geologically, but in the appearance of humans. Probably 60,000 years ago the Aborigines appeared. They have no evident racial or linguistic relationship to their neighbors in the region. This means that somehow the Aborigines must have crossed the ocean from Indonesia (the nearest land) long before, 30,000 years before anyone else even thought of ocean-going craft. It is still an unexplained phenomenon. And the Aborigines aren't talking.

Eighty percent of all that lives in Australia-plants, animals, insects, etc.-occurs nowhere else. Bryson writes, "This is a country that is at once staggeringly empty, yet packed with stuff. Interesting stuff, ancient stuff, stuff not readily explained Stuff yet to be found." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Take Ayers Rock. This is geologic wonder almost smack dab in the middle of the continent. Bryson writes that driving south to Ayers from Darwin on the northern coast, he experienced what he said was an eerie feeling of not being on planet Earth any more. He describes the surroundings: The soil took on a reddish glow, more Martian than terrestrial, the sun seemed to burn more intensely, and the emptiness to the east and west, shows up as hundreds and hundreds of miles of featureless blank on the map. Thirteen hundred miles later, Bryson and his friend stand in front of Ayers Rock, known as Uluru to the Aborigines. It is 1,150 feet high, a mile and a half long, and five and a half miles around. And there is nothing but flat, dry land surrounding it. It seems plunked down by some giant hand. To the local Aboriginal people, called Pitjantjatjara and Yankunyjatjara, it is a sacred site formed during the Dreamtime when the rest of the Earth was created.

Click here for link to Ayers Rock site

buy me at Amazon.com

Readers, there is a new "Cat Who..." book out! Lilian Jackson Braun has done it again with "The Cat Who Smelled a Rat," her 13th book about Jim Qwilleran and his two detective Siamese cats, Koko and Yum-Yum. Look for a report on this lovely little time waster next month from your favorite retired librarian, Miss Dustinea Jacquette.

That's all for now, my pretties! Visit your local library soon!

 

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An Elderhostel Program in New Orleans

Blossom Meyerson

I recently attended an Elderhostel in New Orleans lasting five days. We were lodged at the Great Western Landmark Hotel in Metairie, outside the city. We were two groups of 40, the "purple" and "gold". Our leader was charming and the program well planned so that everything ran smoothly. Bus transportation was provided to and from all our destinations and we were free to participate in the day's activities or go out on our own.

After registering, we had dinner followed by a class, "So, what is the French Quarter?" Each of the following days included two classes at the hotel with lunch and dinner at different restaurants. The classes were taught by brilliant, enthusiastic professors from Tulane, Loyola or LSU.

We learned about the history of "New Awlins", jazz, literature, architecture, the Mardi gras, and Huey Long. We attended a class at a Creole cooking school where we had the food for lunch.

Though limited by poor weather, our trips included; a walk in the Garden District to identify the many different styles of architecture, a tour of the Hermann Grima house in the French Quarter, and a bus tour of the city with stops at the City Park and cemetary. On our own we visited the Jax Brewery (a shopping complex), Riverwalk, the Cabildo, Jackson Square, the French Market, the roof of the Royal Orleans Hotel, and took a free ferry.

Among the things I learned were that most of the New Orleanians are blacks, the next largest group are Italians. Creoles are people who have at least one European ancestor and Cajuns are descendents of French Canadians fleeing the Protestant English Acadia. I also learned the differences between Creole and Cajun cuisine. Mardi Gras is a period of religious origin when a person can pretend to be someone else and whose uninhibited behavior is expected and accepted.

 

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AMC Office Candidates for 2001

Cher Burnham


The following is a list of candidates for AMC offices who have chosen to run in the spring of 2001 through the Nominating Committee (NomComm). If you, or any other member of Mensa, has information regarding any of these candidates pertaining to their expected performance in the office for which they are running, please send it directly to me. I will then forward the information to the candidate for response before circulating it to the NomComm and all other interested parties.

OFFICER

CANDIDATE(S)

Chairman

Bob Beatty
Tony Jackowski

1st Vice Chairman

Jean Becker
Linda Hathaway

2nd Vice Chairman

Russ Bakke
Bob Cox

Secretary

Dan Burg

Treasurer

Jim Werdell

RVC 1

Betsy Burke

RVC 2

Sallie Banko

RVC 3

Wil Huff
Rick Magnus

RVC 4

Stacey Kirsch
Cyndi Kuyper

RVC 5

Ike Kullman
Oscar Ziegler

RVC 6

Ray O'Connor
Dan Wilterding

RVC 7

Steve Burnham
Marcia Lannan

RVC 8

Scott Rainey

RVC 9

Barbara Lytle

 

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Personal Biographies of AMC Chairperson Candidates

Glen Moulder

Two candidates for AMC Chair have sent campaign materials to us, requesting that we publish them in our newsletter. We will do so, stating that Palm Beach County Mensa is impartial and does not endorse or support the campaign for any particular candidate. All candidates for AMC positions are welcome to submit materials for us to publish, which will be done with NO editing except to create web links as appropriate and make references to them in the text. Materials will be published in the order that they were received chronologically.

Allan Neuner - for Chairman

Hello. I'm Allen Neuner, past Ombudsman of American Mensa. As you may already know, this is an election year for American Mensa. This coming April, you will be asked to vote for those who, for the next two years, will be running our organization to the best of their abilities. The decisions they make will affect not only you for right now but all Mensans and for years to come. That's why I'm urging you, when you receive your election materials in the April/May issue of the Mensa Bulletin, to read over the candidate statements, mark your ballots carefully, and mail in your vote.

Why am I writing to you about this? Partly because I believe in the responsibility of every member to cast his or her ballot and exercise his or her say in the running of Mensa. And partly because I am running for the office of Chairman. I believe it's time to turn Mensa away from the business of mandating "one size fits all" solutions to the local groups and members, and away from the business of the explosive proliferation of rules and regulations. It's time to turn Mensa back towards the business of listening to the members' concerns and utilizing the members' intelligence and imagination to come up with workable responses to those concerns. I believe that my 23 years in Mensa, which include terms as national Ombudsman, Local Secretary, proctor, and RG co-chairman, give me the experience and communication abilities needed to turn Mensa in this direction. I would like your vote for Chairman.

Mensa's strengths have always been the diversity of its members and the power of their minds. Mensa has always been whatever its members have conceived it to be.

Click here for Allen Neuner's web site

 

Tony Jackowski - for Chairman

Dear Fellow Member of Mensa:

PLEASE DON'T READ THIS IF...

...you are getting all that you want or need out of Mensa. BUT...

...if you not only enjoy the social aspects of Mensa (AGs, RGs, SIGs, and parties), but feel that our organization can, and should, be just a little bit more, then read on! Please.

My name is Tony Jackowki, and I have been a member of Mensa for nearly 17 years, and I am running for Chairman. In November of last year I became a Life Member because I believe in the future of this organization. During my years of membership I have held numerous elected positions (locally, nationally, and internationally), performed many tasks (1991 Annual Gathering Co-Chairman, InterLoc Editor, IBD member, 2nd Vice-Chairman AMC, and RVC7), and chaired or been a part of committees too numerous to list here. (Please look over the resume on my web site for complete details of my contributions to our Organization). I hope you will agree that my experience more than qualifies me for the office of Chairman. In fact, in the recent nominating process, more members of the Nominating Committee voted in favor of my nomination for Chairman than any other candidate. (They like me...they really like me!)

While it is good to know that the members of the NomComm have placed their trust in my abilities, I want you to know that you can believe in me as well. I have a very strong track record. When I accept a task or position I tackle it with both enthusiasm and diligence, and I follow through on all my undertakings. As Chairman, I would like to direct this energy towards making Mensa a social organization with a conscience. I support MERF and our Gifted Children's Programs, and believe that Mensa needs to become more involved in our communities and schools. Our future members will come from these activities.

I am also concerned for the health of Mensa. We seem to be on a path to becoming an organization where disrespect for one another are the rule rather than the exception. I want to change this direction before it's too late. When elected Chairman I will stress respect, tolerance and understanding as qualities I expect form all Mensa leadership. And what better way than leading by example. I expect to focus the work of the AMC on setting policy based on what is best for the whole membership by listening, and more importantly, hearing what the members expect from their organization.

I invite you to join me at the round table, where your voice will be heard. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss my campaign, my philosophy or my vision for Mensa. Together, we can begin the rebuilding of Mensa -- a Mensa where we embrace our uniqueness and share it with others -- a Mensa where all members will be proud to say they belong.

BECOME MORE THAN JUST A MEMBER -- BECOME AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE FUTURE OF MENSA.

YOU CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN TONY JACKOWSKI

VOTE FOR TONY JACKOWSKI FOR CHAIRMAN

Click here for Tony Jackowski's web site

 

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Advertisements

Glen Moulder

Wanted! We are looking for someone who can offer relevant educational commentary on a wide variety of subjects during normal daily after school activities for our 2 boys, Mensa members, aged 6 and 8. We are not looking for a 'tutor' in the classic sense of the word. Except on rare occasions, we do not wish to have specific didactic sessions. However, we would like for our children to learn science, literature, languages, history, math, etc. both in school and during their recreational activities. If you feel that you can assist us in accomplishing these goals, please contact Eric at 561.775.1950.

 

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Editor's ForuM

Glen Moulder

A few years ago, I moved into a condominium that had been vacant a long time. The previous occupant left behind some wormy old furniture and books that her relatives did not want to keep. Among the books, I found a copy of Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom The Bell Tolls." It was an older hardbound edition, poorly made. I turned it over in my hands a few times, examining the mold patterns on the covers. Did I want to read it? I wasn't sure. I had never previously read Hemingway and wasn't sure this book would be worth breaking my streak. I set it on the nightstand and turned away. Very few other books from the collection were saved.

My only previous experiences of anything having to do with Hemingway came from visiting his Key West home in 1995. It was early summer, hot and muggy. I thought they charged me too much admission at the gate and had a brief, unpleasant exchange with the woman in the booth. No, heck, they overcharge everyone too much. I forget how much it was now, something like eight dollars. The house is comfortable and breezy-looking, the grounds well kept. The organization that runs the place permits the descendants of Ernest's polydactyl (many-toed) cats to live there in peace unmolested. You are warned against any interaction with them, but the cats don't give a hang. You walk through the house and look at some of Ernest's possessions, can see the room where he wrote. As with the Hemingway shrine at a hotel in Havana, there's a typewriter in the room. Don't know who used it, he reportedly wrote longhand in pencil. I hung around the house for a couple of hours, soaking up wispy fragments of Hemingway spirit and imagining bits of conversation that occurred between he and many of his famous guests. According to biographer Carlos Baker, Hemingway was nearly always open to entertaining guests whether hunting, fishing, discussing literature, drinking or fighting. Somewhere along the line, maybe started by Marlene Dietrich, Hemingway received the appellation of Papa that stuck with him the rest of his life. I stuck my foot in the algae-coated pool and left. I went down Duvall Street to Sloppy Joe's where Papa drank and argued. The place is dirty, noisy and stinks. Not far away, tourists can now come directly into town from the new cruise ship docks on Mallory Square. Maybe that's Papa's ghost puking up the noxious substances on the sidewalk outside the bar.

One night, I picked up the book, intending to read a few pages before bed. This was a mistake. I was instantly drawn into the world of Maria, Anselmo, Pilar, Pablo and Robert Jordan until about 3 A.M. Over the next week, I devoured the book in the evenings. I had never read fiction that was so engrossing and entertaining. I rented the two-part video and watched it. Also very good. Now I could understand a small part of why Hemingway was such a tremendous force in American literature. Soon after, I read The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell To Arms, To Have and Have Not and a complete collection of his short stories. I then read the Baker biography and a remembrance of Papa by A. E. Hotchner, a friend during Hemingway's last twelve years. Papa was larger than life. What exaggerated tales of him did not come from others, he made up himself. He traveled to many places in the world and left his mark on most. Last year, Michael Palin (of Monty Python fame) retraced many of Hemingway's travels and revisited places where Papa worked and played. His show aired on PBS over two nights and examined, sometimes humorously, the life and times of the writer.

The world is a smaller place without Hemingway, who died by his own hand of a shotgun blast in 1961. Today, the market is filled with writers and the mall bookstores are bursting with fiction of every shade. But I must say that I haven't read anything like the gems produced by this most famous of American writers. Haven't read Hemingway? Try it. Start with The Old Man and the Sea. It's outstanding.

 

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Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and DO NOT reflect opinions of Palm Beach County Mensa, its officers, or of American Mensa, Ltd., which holds NO opinions.

 

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