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VOL 1 ISSUE 2       OCT 2007

October 2007
Newsletter

Perpetual Harvest

 

Contents

LocSec Column Many Thanks to departing SIGHT coordinator, John Swick. The Tenth Story DAG (Dining Adventure Group) Review and next Adventure Happy Birthday to our members with birthdays in October Working Committee Coming Attractions

 

LocSec Column

You may think of volunteer work as a waste of time, or something that millionaires or retirees do to fill their spare time. Volunteer work is for people who don't need money or who are bored, right? Let me suggest that there is another valid opinion. Volunteer work is not just something people with altruistic tendencies do to fill their time, it can also be an excellent source for beefing up your resume, helping your community and making you feel good about yourself.

If you are suffering from mild depression, volunteer work can often give you a whole new perspective on life. Volunteer work helps you see that you are needed and important and that you can make a difference in the lives of people in your community. You may not have considered it, but your highly paid members of the US Congress today, in the early days of this great nation were all volunteers. They had farms and other businesses to run, yet they found time to serve their country.

People in your volunteer group, and others you serve will depend on you and you will gain a greater sense of purpose in life. Not only can you learn new skills, but you can do volunteering in your area of expertise and teach your skills to others. Oftentimes just having something special to do can help lift our spirits and put us on the a more positive track.

Volunteering is easy all you need to do is Google: Volunteering, your town and ZIP. Lots of opportunities will be displayed. One good URL is:

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Here you can type in your ZIP, range in miles, and the areas you are interested in volunteering for. There are a myriad of opportunities presented.

If you are pursuing a profession or looking for a new job, volunteer work can do wonders for your resume. You can find volunteer work in just about any area and profession and it gives you noted experience, which your prospective employers will not be able to overlook.

Volunteering shows you are ambitious and enthusiastic about your field and also shows that you take your work seriously and are interested in keeping your skills honed. Whether you volunteer for a community organization or start your own volunteer project, your resume will glow with the reference.

Many opportunities require no previous experience, so they offer an opportunity to learn as well. Most organizations that need volunteers will help you to succeed if you are a little uncertain of your abilities. These organizations want their plans to succeed, that is why they will help you to succeed.

Your own great organization, Mensa in Palm Beach has many openings that need your services to. We need a program coordinator, an Editor, a SIGHT coordinator, a Membership Director, and a Public relations director. We have over 300 members, and I am sure many of you have skills that will enhance these volunteer positions. Please give it very serious thought and if you are moved to help contact your LocSec, see page 2 for contact info.

Brian Johnson
LocSec.

 

Many Thanks to departing SIGHT coordinator, John Swick.

John has resigned from his most recent active roll in Palm Beach Mensa due to health issues. We sincerely hope he will recover and become active again. John took the test and became a Mensan in Puerto Rico around 1975. In Puerto Rico John was active on programs, Program Chairman, the News Letter, and eventually he served as LocSec for a year.

He came to Lake Worth in 1991 and became active in Palm Beach Mensa, again hosting monthly programs on subjects of interest, working on the newsletter. Since then he has held the positions of Treasurer and of SIGHT coordinator. John was treasurer up until two years ago

John regrets that he has not put more effort in Mensa activities. He says he has had a lot of fun. John remembers the years when Anne Abbott was the editor of the Newsletter and he participated in FSM (fold, staple, and mutilate) evenings every month, assembling the pages. There were 6 or 8 regulars and it was like a party every month.

In Puerto Rico he remembers they had the same night every month at a local Italian restaurant where they had an arrangement for plain spaghetti dinner at a reduced price (or menu items). Usually 12 to 15 turned up and we had a secluded corner for conversation. John has hosted meetings on Antarctica (about 20 came to see his movies) and another he hosted was a discussion of changing the tax structure.

John feels we have many members with unique knowledge and experiences who could and would put on a lively evening program. He feels we need a Program Chairperson to get more activities going.

We wish you the very best and wish you have a full recovery.

Brian Johnson
LocSec.

 

The Tenth Story

Labor Day Weekend found us in Ft. Lauderdale for the Florange a Trois RG, and it was delightful. A few interesting points to make about it: a 3 day RG, it had two tracks of excellent interesting speakers, it had a first time RG chair, who did a great job, and it had a first time Hospitality chair, who did an outstanding job. (Monday morning someone's comment about her was that she has now set the bar really high for other RGs to follow!) All of those facts are interesting things to make note of for future RGs. Kudos to Broward Mensa and all of the volunteers for such an outstanding job!

We had an interesting RVC Rap Session on Monday morning at the RG. Interesting questions were raised by some people, answers to which I have found and sent to the questioning members. Problems being faced by local groups were aired, and interestingly, many of these were things that will be dealt with at the Region 10 LDW on November 3 in Plant City. So far volunteer leaders and potential volunteer leaders from 6 of Florida's 12 groups are signed up to attend the LDW. I have high hopes that most if not all of our groups will have someone attending. If you would like more information about the LDW, check my RVC column in the September newsletters. If you have misplaced your September newsletter, the column is on the region 10 website (region10.us.mensa.org), either under RVC COLUMNS or LDW UPDATE. At the time of this writing there are approximately 1/2 of the spaces still available to sign up, but don't delay! We are limited to 50 attendees.

There are many good things coming up in Region 10 -

In December the AMC will be meeting in Palm Beach County. AMC meetings are open to all members. If you are going to be in the Palm Beach area on December 1, why not stop in to see the AMC in action? You can also socialize with your national leaders in the evening after the meeting.

In January, CFM's Smarti Gras will be January 18-20, at a newly remodeled hotel, the Renaissance Orlando Hotel Airport, not far from Orlando International Airport.

In February, Northwest Florida Mensa will be back again with their Valentime RG, February 15-17. (not yet approved)

Tampa Bay is beginning the planning for their next ARRRRR-G, in May 2008. (not yet approved)

And wonderful news: SCAM IS BACK! As many of you know, SCAM had to cancel their RG in 2004 due to their hotel being severely damaged by the hurricanes. Well, they are now ready to resume their great RGs! More info to come, but keep your eyes open for the details for this one to return in October 2008. (not yet approved)

This month sees 2007's annual Mensa National Testing Day. The official date is October 20, but includes testing dates for a week or so before and after that date. Each member will have the opportunity to help make Mensa Testing Day a success. In your September issue of the Mensa Bulletin, you should have found two coupons worth $5 off the Mensa Admission Test. Please do share these coupons with friends, family members, or colleagues who are interested in Mensa membership. Be sure to have them contact your local proctor coordinator to sign up.

Maggie Truelove, RVC 10

3333 Honeysuckle Lane   Orlando, FL 32812    407-855-9078

rvc10@cfl.rr.com

 

DAG (Dining Adventure Group) Review and next Adventure

DAG needs restaurant suggestions -- where would YOU like the group to meet?

 

Happy Birthday to our members with birthdays in October

If your name is not shown in your birth month it is because Mensa Ltd does not publish your birthday. (Approximately 30% of members request their birthday to be unlisted.)

Cary A Bakker	Anita M Kirchen
Fred Bohle	Charna L Lazar
Eileen Burke	Fernando Libertella
Benjamin Cuningham	Dr Ronald E McCord
Mary Lou DeSensi	Leo J Mercier
Charles Hagan Freeman	Torrance Miller
Allan Gentile	Steven Modell
Charles Grande	Rene Revert
Carla A Gubana	Gregory F Veltri
Roy Douglas Hughart	Donald Thomas Walker
Ruth Kass	Linda D L Weiksnar
John Kiefer	Robert Stephen Zeeman

 

Working Committee

Our bylaws are in need of revisions to stay in compliance with Mensa's Minimum Standard Bylaws. In relation to this revision, we should change the name of our group from Palm Beach County Mensa to Palm Beach Area Mensa, a much more appropriate name. Or maybe some other name?

While we're in the change/revision mode, let's change the name of the newsletter too. Suggested names have been The Palm, Palmtela, The Palm Reader, Palmist, Book of Psalms, and more.

Want to be part of the change? Help with the bylaws and help choose a new name for the group and the newsletter. Contact Elissa to be included in this working committee elissa12@bellsouth.net.

 

Coming Attractions

Don't forget -- the American Mensa Committee (AMC - Mensa's board of directors) will hold its fourth quarter meeting at the Holiday Inn in West Palm Beach, Saturday, December 1, 2007. On Friday evening, November 30, the AMC members hope to meet local Ms in the hospitality suite, made inviting with appetizers and beverages. Interested in helping Palm Beach County Mensa throw out the welcome mat? We need volunteers to ferry arriving AMC members from the airport to the hotel and to keep the hospitality suite stocked. Contact Elissa ( elissa12@bellsouth.net) for details.

NEW!! On Saturday evening there will be a catered dinner at a private home on Jupiter Island with views of the ocean. This dinner is open to everyone including spouses, partners, friends at a per person cost of about $35.

Anyone wishing to stay at the Holiday Inn in West Palm is welcome to do so. Room cost is $99.