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Palmensan

March 2014      Volume 8, Issue 3

Contents

LocSec Message RVC Message An Irish Friendship Wish March Birthdays March Mensaversaries 2012 - 2014 Palm Beach Area Local Group Officers & Volunteers Local Election Materials Second Half 2013 Treasurer’s Report 10-334 1st Friday Taking Chances Mensa Testing Resumes Culture Quest 2014 Metropolitan Washington Mensa RG Mensans Eat, Meet & Greet and... Reading Mensa Scholarship essays... Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition The Youngest Mensan

 

LocSec Message — Laura Bulawski

             Many many thanks to those who read at the Scholarship reading on February 9. Bruce Benson was kind enough to set it up, which involves copying and collating the essays among other things. Many of the usual suspects showed up to help choose a scholarship winner. Veterans Robert Schindler, Molly Leban, Bruce and  I  were there, joined by new readers Richard Manno and Pat Walker.

             In my opinion, there were more well-written essays this year than last. I'm tough on spelling and grammar errors since the Internet should make it easy to check these things. But for the most part, those with impeccable grammar and spelling were also the best writers. Not only did they follow instructions but their essays listed the useful steps they had taken so far to achieve their stated goal.

             The following Sunday, Feb 16, was our Executive Committee meeting. I arrived with odd feelings since it was the last Executive Committee meeting I would be leading. I was 15 minutes early, a record for me, and found four committee members already there who'd arrived 15 minutes before I did. That made me feel even more odd. What nefarious reason could three Mensans have for arriving  a half hour early to a meeting? The details of this meeting are in a separate section of this trusty newsletter.

             I rushed from the ExComm meeting to the North County gathering at CW's Barbecue, only to discover I'd forgotten where the restaurant was. I arrived remarkably late. And I didn't have a phone with me. My good ole buddies waited a while for me. Finally, pressed by gnawing hunger, they ordered their food.. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for the hungry attendees, the order came out late and somehow we were all served at once. And I got to enjoy the company of a Mensan who attended her first gathering with us. Her name is Jill Mitchell and she was with her husband, Jack Mitchell. Present also were Bob Schindler and May Eaton, George Iliff and Shirley Vincent. Food was outstanding. Service was snarly but effective.

             Well folks, this is the last LocSec message I'll ever write for you. It's the last time I'll tell you just how much I really care. (Oh . . .  Sorry .  . . Those song lyrics just popped into my head!)  But a new LocSec will be elected this month, and take office in April.  It's time to pass the baton.

             Since I became your Local Secretary, we started our first Special Interest Group, the Magnificent Mensa Scribes, thanks to Prudy Board and Tim Hunter.  We've begun participating in the national CultureQuest competition and started local group Trivia Night SIG, thanks to Molly Leban, who has also worked hard as our newsletter editor. Julia Hindle agreed to be our secretary and has done that job loyally, as well as volunteer in other areas; Mike Yamrick has taken on the job of Testing Coordinator as well as introducing a new SIG for foodies.

             But I'll still be around, organizing events and free lancing with the goal of attracting and engaging more Young Mensans. To this end, I've suggested we meet and bring youngsters to Port Saint Lucie High School in June to see their production of Cinderella. It's only $15 for a ticket and they really do an extraordinary job of putting on a show.

             We would still love to have a game night but lack a site for one.  Surely somebody in this group has or knows of a room we can use! 

             Molly asked what I'll miss upon my departure as LocSec. Well, I'll miss the camaraderie of the Executive Committee and the honor of being your Local Secretary. I'll miss learning who our new members are.  I'll even miss writing this column.       

             Thanks to all for your support and cooperation for the last four years.

Laura

RVC Message - Thomas Thomas, Region 10 Vice Chair

             I attended the Central Florida Mensa "It's All Sun ‘n' Games" RG over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, and it was one of the best, if not the best, regional gatherings I've been to in Florida over the past ten years. Kudos to Debbie Freeland, David Fleming, and all their team for putting together a great event. They're already working on next year's RG, which will be held at the same great hotel near SeaWorld. In the meantime, many of the Tampa Bay Mensa RG team were inspired by Central Florida's gathering, and are working to assemble an equally fine event for "MaRGaritaville" over Memorial Day weekend. If you missed CFM's event, try to make it to Oldsmar in May.

             Gatherings are one of the most obvious social aspects of Mensa. There are in fact many social opportunities in Mensa, depending on your local group. But while many long-time members consider social events the most important mission of Mensa, this seems to be less and less of a value for many of our members. As social media takes on more emphasis, a smaller percentage of our membership participate in the face-to-face events posted in the local group calendars and social media.

             Is Mensa primarily a social club anymore?

Consider: The Constitution of Mensa has, since 1982, listed three main purposes.

1. 1) Identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

2. 2) Encourage research in the nature, characteristics and uses of intelligence.

3. 3) Provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for members.

             Social interaction is the third item, not the first or second. It seems as though we spend more time addressing this than the first two, and yet a 20% member participation level is considered wildly successful.

             I acknowledge that my purpose in joining Mensa back in 1989 was to join a social community after I'd moved to a new city where I didn't know anyone, and I knew I could belong here in Mensa. And I still feel that way. Participating in, or even just listening in on the sidelines to the sorts of free-wheeling conversations I find during Gatherings are some of the high points of my year.

             But what about the other 80% of you? What do you get out of Mensa? What do you find valuable enough to renew, some of you for decades, even when you don't come to events?

             Certainly we achieve the first purpose through our testing programs. (An aside: Please tell your friends to take the test during March -- your chapters will receive an extra $10 per prospect testing through the end of the month!) Our Scholarship programs also help with this goal. And the Mensa Foundation works to accomplish the second goal through its programs and publications, such as the Mensa Research Journal and the (mostly) annual Colloquium.

             I get feedback from our social members frequently, since I often encounter you at events. But how about the rest of you? What do you get out of Mensa? Write to me at rvc10@us.mensa.org and let me know!

Thomas George Thomas
RVC10@us.mensa.org

 

An Irish Friendship Wish

May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
And may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead.

 

March Birthdays

Jill F G Mitchell		March  3
Brad Perron		March  5
Robert Charles Clark		March  6
Ronald A Capute		March  7
Bill Carducci		March 10
Leslie Smith		March 17
Joshua Joseph Gibbons		March 18
John A Pula		March 18
Holly Knight		March 19
Barbara Chudzik-Lea		March 19
Richard Haney		March 21
Nancy A Greenberg		March 23
Mohan V Thampi		March 25
Robert L Dolson		March 27
Thomas John Zarate		March 27

 

March Mensaversaries

(Members of Mensa for five or more consecutive years)

Julia Ruth Hindle		42
Judge C Pfeiffer Trowbridge		38
Steven Modell		35
Louis Vincent Priore		32
Charles Grande		31
Sandra Mae Groover		28
Theodore Babbitt Esq		28
Daniel R Tobias		27
Anne B Matson		25
John Neal Murray		22
Kay Skoog		21
Dana Galloway		18
Thomas D Winchester		14
Jess C Ball		14
Connor A Elkin		12
Devin Burns		12
Caitlin Burns		12
Lindsey Reymore		11
Ian Burns		11
Heidi Grohne		10
Thomas J G O'Reilly		9
Peter Widing Frey		8
Antoinette Erdheim		7
P Geoffrey Hammond		7
Susan Marie Recchia		7
Jay Alpert		6

NOTE:  Mensaversaries are calculated according to the  National Office records and reflect the length  of continuous membership. Lapses of  1 year or more "reset" the date since which you are considered to have been a member. If you believe your membership record is in error, contact the Membership Officer at: membership@palmbeach.us.mensa.org.

 

2012 - 2014 PALM BEACH AREA LOCAL GROUP OFFICERS & VOLUNTEERS

Local Secretary	Laura Bulawski	locsec@palmbeach.us.mensa.org
Deputy Loc Sec	Bruce Benson	bb779@aol.com
Secretary	Julia Hindle	jrhindle@ctc.net
Treasurer	Tom Winchester	treasurer@palmbeach.us.mensa.org
Member at Large	Tim Hunter	timhunter@juno.com
Member at Large	Prudy Taylor Board	prudytaylorboard@comcast.net
Palm Mensan Editor	Molly Leban	Mollyban@aol.com
Scholarship Chair	Bruce Benson	bb779@aol.com
Membership Director	Brian Reeves	Brian@BrianReeves.com
Proctor	John Mayfield	chassagne.montrachet@gmail.com
Proctor	Deche Hamill	deche1702@aol.com
Webmaster	Dan Tobias	webmaster@palmbeach.us.mensa.org
Regional Vice Chair	Thomas G Thomas	rvc10@us.mensa.org
Ombudsman	Jim Wilson

 

Election Materials

PALM BEACH AREA MENSA
Local Group 10-344
2014 EXCOMM OFFICIAL BALLOT

LOCAL SECRETARY  (Vote for 1)
  
Bruce Benson (Nominating Committee Candidate)                              ______
  
Molly Leban    (Petition candidate)                                        ______
  
Write-in:  ________________________                                        ______


DEPUTY LOCAL SECRETARY
  
Ruth Berge  (Nominating Committee Candidate)                               ______
 
Write-in: _______________________                                          ______


TREASURER
  
Tom Winchester  (Nominating Committee Candidate)                           ______
 
Write-in: ______________________                                           ______


MEMBER-AT-LARGE  (Nominating Committee Candidates)  (Vote for 2)
  
Tim Hunter                                                                 ______
  
Prudy Taylor Board                                                         ______
  
Write-in_______________________                                            ______
  
        _______________________                                            ______

---

INSTRUCTIONS:  Tear off ballot, complete, and mail to:

Rich Haney, Chair
Palm Beach Mensa Election Committee
3950 Barkis Avenue
Boynton Beach, FL 33436

-OR-

Email your choices to:      Rich@Haneys.net

BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 31

BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER MARCH 31 WILL NOT BE COUNTED

---

CANDIDATE STATEMENTS

Candidates for Local Secretary

Bruce Benson (Nominating Committee Candidate)

             My name is Bruce Benson and I am the Nominating Committee choice for LocSec of Palm Beach Area Mensa. I am honored by the trust placed in me by that nomination. I look forward to the enormous possibilities it brings, as well as the responsibilities it encompasses.

             For the last two years, I've served as your Deputy LocSec under the capable leadership of Laura Bulawski. I've chaired dinners for new members and put together a dinner to honor our members who have been members of American Mensa for 35 years or more. I've also served you as Scholarship chair and have assisted in our membership outreach efforts. Serving on the American Mensa Membership Committee has allowed me to create relationships with many who serve at the national level.

             All of that is to say, I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve you and the other members of our local group in a number of ways. I envision increased membership outreach, activating our Gen X&Y age groups, and finding ways to create deeper purpose in our memberships in Mensa.

             I ask for your vote and, more important, your help when I call you in the next couple of years to ask if you can do just a little to help your fellow members.

Thank You,
Bruce Benson

Molly Leban (Petition Candidate)

             I joined Mensa in 1973, when I lived in Broward County.  My late husband and I always enjoyed the activities (especially the monthly poker game), the pot luck suppers, the fellowship and the speaker meetings.  Ask me about my past life regression at a psychic phenomena night!  When I moved to Lake Worth after I was widowed, it didn't take long to find  the Palm Beach Mensa group.  I started attending the First Friday dinners back in the days when it was at Payet Thai  on Lantana Road and have been with the group through the years to its current site at Orchids of Siam on Forest Hill.  There may have been problems with the food or the service, but never with the company!

             In 2011, when our former newsletter editor Brian Johnson resigned, I volunteered to give it a try, and have been editor of Palmensan ever since.  Part of my job was to publicize and report on the many meetings which we had  at area restaurants. As a result, I have met many Mensans, made new friends, learned a lot, and gained weight.  I've  read and judged the essays submitted  in the Mensa scholarship contest for the last  four years.  As a trivia buff, I reintroduced the national CultureQuest competition; 2014 is the fourth consecutive year Palm Beach Area Mensa has fielded a team for this event.  An offshoot of this is our Local Group's bi-weekly Trivia  game.

             I believe that my 40+ years in Mensa, sometimes in leadership positions and sometimes just enjoying it all  (including 6 AGs), have blessed me with the knowledge and experience necessary to be a conscientious and effective Local Secretary with the will and ability  to follow through.  I would appreciate your vote.

Molly Leban

Candidate for Member-at-Large

Tim Hunter

             I am running for reelection because I have found the experience of serving on the Board as an At-Large Member to be particularly illuminating. MENSANs were kind enough to elect me to the Board last time, not knowing what to expect, I imagine. I made no promises directly but implicitly I held myself out as qualified for your vote because of my longtime membership in MENSA and my work with MENSA SIGs.

             I want you to know that my role on the Board is to be available to help the Palm Beach area MENSA. I have been a member of MENSA since 1972, though there were some periods when I was not "active" due to military and Foreign Service. In this cycle I have "stepped in" several times when Prudy was unable, because of her medical situation, to take the helm at the Magnificent MENSA Scribes and have done a few chores for the Local Secretary. I claim the right to ask for your vote because in another year I will have served you and our friends and along with you enjoyed the great experience of being a MENSAN of MENSAs great conversation and generous fellowship.

             I ask for your vote for Tim Hunter in this election.

 

Second Half 2013 Treasurer’s Report 10-334

July 1 2013 Beginning Net Equity       8712.75
    PNC Money Market                   8397.31
    PNC Bus. Checking                   447.89
    Total Checking/Savings             8845.20
    Accounts Receivable (Support)       330.19
    12/31/2013 Net Equity              9175.39
    Local Group Support                1899.78
    Testing Income                       80.00
    Bank Acct Interest                    0.80
Total Revenue                          1980.58
    Newsletter                         1348.04
    Meetup Website                       72.00
    Banking Fees                          0.98
    Testing Expense                       0.00
    American Mensa Board Meeting         75.00
    Lapsed Member Mailing                21.92
Total Expenses                         1517.94

7/1/2013 to 12/31 Total Income (Loss)   462.64

Tom Winchester—
Treasurer

 

1st Friday

Ten Mensans, including founder Barry Karas, Ann Kasper, Carole Seuling, Jim Brandt, Molly Leban, Richard Manno, Jim Wilson, Kirk Orlovsky, Chuck Allard and new Mensan Addison Johnston (Welcome!) enjoyed another spicy Thai meal and stimulating conversation on February 7 and will do it again on March 7.  This group keeps getting bigger  and bigger!

 

Taking Chances...

Q:      What are your chances of being legally executed?

A:   We know, just don't commit treason or murder and your chances will fall significantly. And unless you live in China, North Korea, Yemen, Iran, or the United States, you can't be legally executed anyway. Still, your chances would be  1-in-58,618

 

Mensa Testing Resumes

Mike Yamrick, a recent transfer from Washington state, has accepted the position our Testing Coordinator.  Welcome, Mike, and thank you!

Mensa Test Day for March will be Saturday, March  22 in West Palm Beach (near the new outlet mall).  There is room for a maximum of 8 candidates.  For the specific address and directions to the testing site, contact Mike  at fusingmike@gmail.com.

NOTE:   This test for people who have English as their first language. An alternate test is available for those whose first language is not English. 

 

Culture Quest 2014

The 2014 Culture Quest® competition will take place on Sunday, April 27.  If you are interested, contact Molly at Mollyban@aol.com.

 

Metropolitan Washington Mensa RG

Come to VIllainous VIrginia May 16-18 for a great time at the Metropolitan Washington Mensa Regional Gathering! We have VIciously good programs and VIbrantly tasty Hospitality offerings! VIsit our blog at

http://villainousedition.wordpress.com

to register, learn more about our great location, programs, games, youth track, and more!

Registration $80 thru April 30, ●$85 thereafter and walk-in $55 youth (under 18 years old) ● $20 Saturday Dinner 

             Ed. Note:  If you are going, host hotel is Hyatt Dulles, a free jitney ride from Dulles Airport.

 

Mensans Eat, Meet & Greet and...

Sunday, Mar 2 at 5:30 pm	First Sunday South Area Dinner The Living Room restaurant, 1709 No. Congress Ave., Boynton (561-742-4399); (Facebook.com/LivingRoomBoynton) will seat us in a little nook so we can talk and nosh. A reviewer on Yelp wrote, "I am such a fan of this hole in the wall. I always feel transported to a different place when I go to this restaurant. It's hard to believe I'm in a shopping center in Boynton." Homemade potato chips, mac & cheese casserole, hot dog panini -- how cozy!  RSVP by noon March 1 to elissa12@bellsouth.net OR through the Palm Beach Mensa's MeetUp site. Once reservations are made, seats go to those who RSVP'ed FIRST.
Tuesday, Mar 4 at 6:30pm	Trivia Johnny Q's, 3801 10th Avenue North, Lake Worth RSVP to Mollyban@aol.com or Meetup site.
Friday, Mar 7 at 7pm	First Friday Orchids of Siam Thai-Sushi Bar, 3027 Forest Hill Boulevard, (west of I-95) RSVP to Barry at 561-964-4360 or MeetUp.
Tuesday, Mar 11 at 12pm	Lunch Bunch Agora Mediterranean Kitchen, 2505 N. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach (Northwood); 651-7474. (Spoiler alert: scheduled for last month and postponed!) An assortment of Mediterranean cuisines -- Greek, Turkish, etc. -- with soups, salads, hot and cold mezzes, wraps. Also a grocery/deli section with olives, cheeses and such to go.  RSVP to MeetUp.
Tuesday, Mar 11 at 6pm	Mensa Scribes  Denny's on east side of Congress between 10th Ave & Forest Hill Blvd, Lake Worth
Tuesday, Mar 18 at 6:30pm	Trivia Johnny Q's, 3801 10th Avenue North, Lake Worth RSVP to Mollyban@aol.com or Meetup.
Wednesday, Mar 19 at 6:30pm	Moveable Feast Chris' Taverna, 4774 Congress Ave., Boynton Beach; 223-2868. Neighborhood Greek restaurant with fresh traditional dishes -- lamb shank, kebabs, moussaka; beer and wine. Easy parking.
Tuesday, Mar 25 at 6pm	Mensa Scribes  Denny's on east side of Congress between 10th Ave & Forest Hill Blvd, Lake Worth

 

Reading Mensa Scholarship essays...

             Under the leadership of Bruce Benson, Scholarship Chair, five Mensans met on Sunday, February 9 at the office of Brian Reeves to read, evaluate and rank 58 essays submitted by  students in  our Local Group area competing for a Mensa scholarship.

             Pictured are (clockwise, left to right):  Richard Manno, Bob Schindler, Pat Walker, Molly Leban and Laura Bulawski.  Mark Levy  and Ruth Berge also read and reported independently. 

 

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

Saturday, April 12 at 11am

             We have planned a trip, of interest to parents and children, to see the Titanic exhibit at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach. The exhibit is a walk through the infamous passenger liner that departed Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912, and struck an iceberg and sank five days later.

             On display are some 100 actual artifacts recovered from the ship's wreckage trail, including cracked perfume vials, chipped china plates and bent chandeliers.  As you enter, you are given a "boarding pass" with the name of a real passenger who sailed on the Titanic.  When you leave, there is a list of passengers who survived, and you can discover what happened to the person whose boarding pass you hold.

             Visitors can press their palms against a simulated iceberg and stroll through re-created first-class cabins and third-class steerage. One painting depicts women and children boarding lifeboats, leaving behind the men, as the ship's string ensemble plays "Nearer, My God, to Thee."

             We need at least 15 people in order to qualify for the group rate, which is  Seniors 12.00; Adults 13.50; Child 10.00; Under 3 free.  If we cannot finalize the group by April 1, we will have to cancel the event.  Contact Molly at Mollyban@aol.com for further information.

 

The Youngest Mensan

Three year old Alexis Martin is the youngest member of Arizona Mensa.  Her IQ has been estimated at around 160.  She reads at a 5th Grade level and has taught herself Spanish from an app she found on her father's computer.  We found her on Huffington Post but she'll probably be in the Mensa Bulletin before long.

 

Photo by Brian Reeves