(Link to PDF version for printing)

January 2007
Newsletter

Fu Dog Summer Palace Beijing

Contents

LocSec Column Coming Soon... The Tenth Story

 

LocSec Column

Your ExComm wants to improve your experience of Palm Mensa for 2007 in several ways.

Our first goal is to have more events, and to have them spread out widely across our coverage area from Boca to Fort Pierce so we provide something for every member, where ever they live in our area. We solicit your suggestions for the type of programs and events you want, and we welcome volunteers who are willing to plan events. Your officers are already very busy and cannot arrange all events, especially ones for a locale that is far from their home.

Our second goal is to have some Family events that Parents may bring their Young Mensans to. To have events specifically for young Mensa we need a volunteer to be a Young Mensa Coordinator.

Our third goal is to find volunteers for our six open positions; you can see them in the frame above. If you feel you would like to try for one of these please call, or send an email to the LocSec.

Our fourth goal is to have at least two events, one North, and one South, specially for new members to meet each other and to meet their Mensa Officers and staff volunteers, who keep the local organization running.

Our Executive Committee meetings will be announced in the PALM- MENSAN, please feel free to visit with us as we attend to the inner workings of our local group.

  Brian K. Johnson / LocSec Palm Beach Mensa

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Interloc, Dec-Jan edition, the publication for involved Mensans had an article which gave me a sad feeling, and a resolve to see that Palm Mensa does it better. What I am referring to is the experience of a new member, (name withheld in original article) who on his first visit to a Mensa event (not Palm Mensa) with his wife and daughter was treated with distain, indifference, and veiled hostility. As a result, this new member did not attend another Mensa event for 8 months. I sympathize with the writer, and I am disappointed that any group of Mensans could be so cold, insensitive, and unwelcoming to a new member. I believe we must create an environment within our Palm Mensa group that ensures the new member feels welcome and wanted. If not we will find our group declining and dying.

As a start I want to strongly recommend to all hosts that they take responsibility for welcoming all guests, and make a special effort to introduce new members, and spend a little time with them to make them feel at ease. Introduce them to some other members and check on them through the event a few times to see if  they are feeling OK. If you set up an event and cannot be present to host, make sure you delegate the hosting to someone who will be present, and who will be a gracious host especially to new members. The Host need not be the organizer of the event, the Host is the person who greets attendees and makes them feel welcome.

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I can't open your attachment!  How often do you receive this response to an email. How do you fix it? Is it the recipients problem or the senders? If the sender wants the recipient to read the attachment, and not be informed that the recipient cannot open it, then it is the senders problem. What can one do?

Sending the simplest attachment file, such as a *.txt file will ensure that most recipients have the means to open it. Most text processors will open a *.txt file. However *.txt files cannot contain images, or multiple fonts or font sizes, which severely limits their content. For more complex files that contain multiple fonts and images you can use a *.pdf file. They are easy to make and there is no cost. Just send the original file to URL: https://www.pdfonline.com/convert_pdf.asp and receive a *.pdf version back a minute or two later. The *.pdf file can be read using a free download known as adobe reader. It is available from URL: http://www.adobe-reader.org/default.asp?aff=3.

Why not send all files as *.pdf then? First the *.pdf file is generally much larger than the original file, and may exceed the recipients maximum receivable file size. Next, for a dial up subscriber, they are generally inconvenient because they take so long to download.

What about image files, such as *.jpg, *.bmp, *.tif etc. these are usually opened by Windows viewer, but for the email recipient who does not have a client, they may have to download them as attachments from their server. A free image viewer which can view many kinds of image file is IrfranView, which is downloadable for free from URL: http://www.irfanview.com/main_download_engl.htm. This application can also convert from any on of 19 formats to any other of the 19. For more help with opening attachments try URL: http://help.expedient.com/mailnews/attachments.shtml.

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Confucius say..     

Man who eat many prunes get good run for money.

War doesn't determine who is right, war determines who is left.

Don't eat the snow where the huskies go!

Man who drive like hell bound to get there.

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Home insurance rates in Florida have soared recently due to the large claims from hurricane damage in the last two years. If you have a home built to the most recent code you may be able to reduce your premium by shopping for alternative insurance. One company we were recently successful with is Universal Property and Casualty Insurance Co.  1-800-425-9113

 

Coming Soon...

Smarti Gras 2007

January 26 - 28, 2007 Maitland, Florida.

Sponsored by Central Florida Mensa:

http://www.cfm.us.mensa.org/rg2007

@ Sheraton Orlando North.
600 N Lake Destiny Drive Maitland, Fl 32751 (407) 660-9000
http://www.sheratonnorthorlando.com/  - $85 per night SR/DR
$10 rollaway charge extra for TR/QR    Rates guaranteed until 12/27/2006
Registration includes meals except for Saturday Dinner on the Town.

Rates:  $60 through 12/31/2006; $65 through 01/19/2007; $70 Walk in rate

Mail registrations to:
Eddie Truelove
Registrar Smarti Gras 2007
3333 Honeysuckle Ln
Belle Isle FL 32812

Checks payable to 'CFM'

 

The Tenth Story

And a Happy New Year to you! Did you make any New Year resolutions this year? I have decided to give up on lofty and uplifting resolutions, as I never manage to accomplish them. Instead, I think I will opt for more pleasurable to attain resolutions. Like - I resolve to read more books. And - I resolve to attend more Regional Gatherings. Those will be much easier to achieve.

Speaking of Regional Gatherings, there are two coming up within the next several weeks right here in Florida:

Smarti Gras, hosted by Central Florida Mensa, will be January 26-28, 2007. It will be held at the Sheraton Orlando North, the hotel at the Maitland Blvd. exit from Interstate 4, on the north side of Orlando. 

CFM is known for its great programs and excellent hospitality. 

Details and a registration form are available on the Region 10 website (region10.us.mensa.org  then scroll down to "upcoming events"), or you can contact registrar Eddie Truelove at etruelove@cfl.rr.com or 407-855-9078.

ValenTime, hosted by "the little group that could," Northwest Florida Mensa, will be February 9-11, 2007. It will again be at the Holiday Inn in Destin in the panhandle. This year there will be a wit tee shirt contest, and they say to bring your pirate costume, as well. 

You can also access information and registration form for this Regional Gathering on the Region 10 website (as above), or contact John Mochan at jmochan@cox.net or 850-585-3194.

These two RGs are an 8 hour drive apart, but I can recommend both of them as a terrific weekend event. Each of these two groups have committees loaded with members who know how to do it right. If you haven't yet been to a Regional Gathering, or haven't been to one in a while, either one of these should be a pleasant experience and provide you with that much needed RG fix. I will be attending both, so SEE YOU THERE!

Last month I mentioned that I was planning to become a life member. Well, I have done so. Now I can paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara - "As God is my witness, I'll never pay dues again!"

Every year, enough people don't renew by March 31, that there is a quick drop in membership level on April 1. Some of them simply forgot and eventually do so, but it does take several months before we return to the membership level of March 31. The good news is that in 2006 the membership increases were such that we bypassed the March

31 numbers nearly 3 months sooner than usual. Evidently 2006 was a very good year! Was this due to the World Gathering and its publicity? Was this due to the excellent efforts of the proctors around the country? I don't know, but it is good to know that Mensa is alive and well and kicking!

Maggie Truelove

Regional Vice Chair, Region 10

3333 Honeysuckle Lane Orlando, Florida 32812

407-855-9078 

truluvs@cfl.rr.com
rvc10@cfl.rr.com