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Palm-Mensa
Palm Beach County Mensa Newsletter
September, 2004
Contents
Mensa - What Good is it?
by Keith Johnson
[Reprinted from DelaMensa, newsletter of
Delaware Mensa, July, 2003; Keith Johnson, Editor]
Many people, both members and non-members, ask, "What is the point of Mensa?" Many people have an image of what they think Mensa ought to be. Some imagine a group of elite leaders, reaching a reasoned consensus, solving the world's problems, and presenting answers to a grateful public (that was the original idea, I am told). Some are afraid they will find a bunch of intellectual snobs, who will prove, once and for all, that "you never did belong here." Many members experience Mensa as the "smart" friends and family they never had.
All of these ideas are right, and all of them are wrong. A few months spent reading the letters column of the Mensa Bulletin (or the Congressional Record, for that matter) will destroy the idea that rational, intelligent people, working with the same set of facts, will eventually reach the same conclusion (or maybe "rational" is asking too much for that large a sample). There probably are a few intellectual snobs around, but I haven't met them in Mensa - even someone as socially inept as your editor has always gotten a warm welcome at any Mensa event I stuck my nose into, and I think you will, too.
When people ask me what is the point of Mensa, I tell them that it is just that there is no point. The only common characteristic is that, on a certain day, we all got a certain score on some objective test of intelligence. The organization has no purpose, other than to bring these people together and see what they do. Mensa is a blank piece of paper, for each member to do with as they wish. For some people, that brings forth creativity, as they fill the paper to suit them. For others, it sets off a freeze, while they wait for instructions - instructions that aren't going to come.
If you want to make the best use of Mensa, then embrace that blank sheet of paper. Try things you don't know about, have new experiences, polish skills you are proud of. Make Mensa your laboratory, and experiment. We know you have a life already; everyone in the organization does. Make your own choices, but it might be that what you get out of Mensa is worth more than you ever put in.
Member News
Our group totals 320 at the end of July. These members rejoined, moved in, or became new Mensa members recently: Craig Behrman, Boca Raton; Philip Bock, West Palm Beach; Hollyce Hoover, Stuart; Pedro Marronetti, Delray Beach; David Rosenston, Boca Raton; David Todd, Wellington; and Michael Wolynski, Boca Raton. Welcome to the new people and welcome back to the renewers!! Come to an event or plan your own event--we would like to meet you!
Common Sense?
1. What do the following philosophers have in common? St. Augustine, Plato, Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, Kant, Nietzche??
2. What does this group of Americans have in common? Johnny Cash, Cher, James Garner, Burt Reynolds, Oral Roberts??
3. What did these renown personalities have in common?? Davy Crockett, Dorothea Dix, Andrew Johnson, W. C. Fields, Damon Runyon, Hedda Hopper, Clare Boothe Luce, Mike Mansfield, Rod McKuen, Flip Wilson??
Send your answers to Elissa, elissa12@bellsouth.net for un-common praise.
The Tenth Story - September 2004
By Elissa Rudolph
A challenge for all Mensans in Region 10: Since the World Gathering 2006 will take place in our area-Orlando-wouldn't it be great if the logo for this momentous occasion also came from someone in this region? There is a logo contest. Its deadline is September 30-very short, but I know it can be done. This is your challenge: Come up with something that typifies Mensa's 60th year. Use the Mensa logo but follow the guidelines**. Think "world," "global," "one community," etc. Our general theme is "Visualizing a Global Community."
Send your logo as a .pdf to MensaDiamond@yahoo.com. All entries from around the world will be on display at the International Board of Directors (IBD) meeting in Oslo, Norway, in early October. The board will choose one. That winning entry will be used on letterhead, to announce local events throughout 2006, not just in the U.S. but in the 40 plus national Mensas worldwide also, and on all commemorative materials.
Put your creativity to work! I would love to see one of Region 10's members be the winner! I will even offer a $100 prize if your entry is the top flight, outta sight, best in class, blue ribbon, front runner, far out, champion, victor-but you get my drift.
Mensa Trivia: Name the last five Annual Gatherings by event name, location and year. Bonus points if you can name the AG chairs for all five events. Send your guesses to me at the eddress below. Your prize? Fame. What else is there? I'll mention your name as well as the answers next month.
Coming: "October Masquerade RG," hosted by Space Coast Area Mensa, Oct. 22-24; Holiday Inn Oceanfront (great location!); Registrar: Joe Smith, jsmith@arachnaweb.com.
Colloquium 2005, Earth in Mind: Fueling the Future,: March 4-6, 2005, Tucson, AZ, www.colloquium.us.mensa.org
**To access the guidelines you can go to www.us.mensa.org/officerresources; select List All, then Other Forms and Documents. This is in the members only section and will require UserID and Password.
Elissa Rudolph
RVC10@us.mensa.org
5054 Lakefront Blvd., Apt. D
Delray Beach, FL 33484
561-496-0124
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.
© 2000-2007 Palm Beach County Mensa. The Mensa logo is a registered trademark of Mensa International Limited and American Mensa Limited, all rights reserved. Mensa does not hold any opinion or have, or express, any political or religious views.