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(Link to PDF version for printing)
Vol 2 ISSUE 2 FEB 2008
"That boy is way over his head"
Contents
LocSec Column
The time has come, now that the present Palm Mensa officers are nearing the end of their two year terms to plan for an election of new officers. By the 14th of February the Editor, that's me, needs to have our inputs if you plan to run for office. All candidate statements will be published in the March Newsletter, the deadline for which is the 14th of February. You need not have been an officer before to run, and all that is necessary is to send in your candidacy statement. What will you do for Palm Mensa in the position you are running for. Now is your chance to make those changes in Palm Mensa you think of all the time and wish someone would institute.
Being an officer does not require a lot. We are required to have 4 ExComm meetings which you will be expected to attend. The duties of your chosen office can be read from the AML web site under handbooks. You will need to know your logon ID to read them.
I wonder if there is a budding legal mind out there in PalMensa land? Our local group needs to bring its byelaws into compliance with AML guidelines. Changes in risk management and the legal implications require these changes. AML has created a template which can be a starting point to create our new local byelaws. Please let your Editor or LocSec know if you would like to contribute to this effort.
Our treasurer has given the year end report below. We seem to be making progress, having increased our balance by $664. Now if we can get enough support it would be nice to plan a spring outing for families at one of the great parks in Palm Beach County. If you would like to support such an event on either a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon, please let us know so we can plan accordingly. A likely day would be March or April while the weather is so great for the outdoors.
Brian Johnson
LocSec.
The Tenth Story
One of our Region 10 editors has taken me to task in his December column for holding and promoting attendance at the November LDW, and I feel I must respond to that, since many of you may have had occasion to read his writings.
He stated that only those wishing to become a regional or national officer would want or need to attend an LDW. I can only guess that his erroneous views about a Leadership Development Workshop may come from the name of the event. Perhaps it would be better called a Local Group Improvement Workshop, as that is the function of an LDW. The sessions held included such things as "ExComm Basics" and "Whole Family/Child Friendly Events" and "Welcoming New Members" and "Special Events and Speaker Meetings". These were all things listed as items of interest from those leaders and members around the region who responded to a survey sent out back in the spring, things they felt their groups needed help with. They are also topics designed to improve either the workings or the activities of local groups, not grooming someone for higher office, as the editor stated.
He also stated that I implied that "local group officers are somehow obliged to attend such a workshop as part and parcel of their positions." If anyone else felt that I had made such an implication, I certainly apologize. The LDW is put on for those current or future officers wishing to somehow improve the things done by their local group. No one is obliged to attend, although I hope that most of the 36 people who did attend benefit from it in some way.
On December 1, the AMC held its Winter meeting in West Palm Beach. Most of the Mensans attending, other than AMC members, were from the West Palm or Broward groups, except for another of our regional editors, who drove all the way from Orlando to see the AMC in action. As far as I know, no one told him he was "obliged" to attend.
Maggie Truelove, RVC 10
Mensa Upcoming Events:
February 15-17 - Valentime RG - Holiday Inn in Destin - link is on the region 10 website
May 23-26 - ARRR-RG - Hampton Inn and Suites in Ybor City - Contact registrar katshe@aol.com
Palm Mensa Group Elections!!
As required in our byelaws, Palm Beach Mensa is ready to run its biennial election this spring. Members who wish to run for an office (see list below) should send their names, position(s) they desire, contact information, and a short bio to the current editor, Brian Johnson (briankj@bellsouth.net) by February 14th 2008. Names and candidate statements will be published in the March newsletter along with a ballot and directions. New officers take office May 1, 2008 for two years, until April 2010.
*Local Secretary -- main contact for the group, disseminates information among other officers, a great way to find out how American Mensa, the organization, runs. Many resources exist to assist the new local secretary including handbooks, retired officers, national office staff.
*Editor -- publishes monthly newsletter --you're holding it in your hands (unless you're on the Internet) -- information comes from local members, local officers, national office, national website. Annual contests nationwide for best service to the members. Editor gets to read other 100+ newsletters, a perk for all but the postman.
*Treasurer-- handles the group's finances, provides a bank statement twice a year to the Editor for publication.
Membership Officer -- welcomes new members by phone, mail or email, reports monthly standings to the Editor, should know what a warm fuzzy is.
Events Manager -- develops events that local members might enjoy including but not limited to speaker events, community events, brunches, lunches or dinner events, holiday events, field trips to museums, parks, the movies. Brainstorms with local members, other groups, and the region to see what works and what doesn't.
Election Tellers -- for this Election period, we need two people willing to collect ballots, count them, and report the results to the Local Secretary for publication in April's newsletter. The Election Tellers cannot be running for an office this term. Volunteer tellers contact the Local Secretary
*Executive Committee members.
Palm Mensa Treasurers Report
10-334 Treasurer's Report
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Profit & Loss 7/1-12/31/2007
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Our treasury is healthy! Great printing rates, higher testing rates, more testing, better bank account interest and advertising in the newsletter are a few of the things that changed since the last report. We were even able to buy baskets for 2 local members at the AMC meeting.
Tom Winchester, treasurer 10-334
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