Contents

LocSec Notes by Elissa Rudolph

In Memoriam

A group of Prudy Taylor Board's friends and family gathered last month at one of her favorite dining spots to celebrate her life with their stories and memories. What was most amazing about the stories was the variety of topics, in which Prudy was the main character. One friend remembered Prudy as a worker at the Democratic headquarters early in the 2000s. Another wrote poetry with her. An author dedicated her book to Prudy as her mentor. One man knew Prudy when she was in broadcast news in Fort Meyers, her hometown. Several admired Prudy for her guidance and advice during monthly book meetings. The owner of the late Murder on the Beach bookstore described Prudy's tarot card reading during Halloween celebrations. And there were more stories -- I wish we had recorded the stories so that her son Byron and daughter Jennifer could hear them again and again. RIP, dear friend.

Partial list of friends and family -- Charna Lazar, Steve Ruediger, Sam Aurillo, Brian Reeves, Joe Faracci, Joanne Sinchuk, Buck Buchanan, Alice Silver, Stacy Schwartz, Dan Tobias, Randy and Athra Flint, Joan and Mike Cochran, Ruth Berge.

Second Sunday Dinner Review

It was SuperBowl Sunday, which I didn't take into account when I made the reservation. Maybe no one would attend. But I needn't have worried. The Gourmet Diner was happy to have us; they had just been interviewed for a Florida TV program -- Check, Please! -- and were excited to tell us their specialty, the Lobster Melt, was ordered and enjoyed by the TV crew. And it was to be featured on the program in a future episode. Some of us ordered the Lobster Melt (on a toasted croissant!); it was delicious. Our group: David and Nancy Jauvitz, Ed and Alice Wujciak, Laurie Siem, Don Jacobs and yours truly. Join us for the next Second Sunday Dinner!

Notes from the Disk of the Editor... by Dan Tobias

I'm keeping my editorial short this time, because there's so much other content to fit in the issue. Be sure and vote in the group's election (see ballot on p. 4). Later this year you'll also have national and international Mensa elections to vote in. The national candidates have been officially announced in the American Mensa website. Some positions have only one candidate, who is officially declared elected since the Mensa national elections don't have a write-in slot (unlike our local one). These include our own RVC 10, where Thomas chose not to run again; our new RVC starting in July will be Kay Klasen, current Broward LocSec (a position she'll have to step down from since a new rule requires AMC members not to have a local group officer position because this is deemed a conflict of interest). The chair and first vice chair positions are also unopposed, but some other positions have multiple candidates. Read their candidate statements and make an informed vote when the ballots come out in April.

There are also some bylaw proposals to vote on, and there will be a separate international election ballot you will receive around the same time. The international election is conducted entirely electronically, while the national one is primarily electronic but they will send paper ballots if you have set your preference this way or do not have a valid email address on file with Mensa.

Google just unveiled a new AI image generator, and it turns out it's been gimmicked up to always give a politically correct "diverse" assortment of ethnicities in any pictures of people it generates, even when specifically asked for pictures of a time and place where this makes no sense. In that, it's similar to Hollywood and BBC casting directors for historical dramas these days. I, for one, welcome our woke AI overlords.

Creators! In memoriam to Prudy Taylor Board

In this world, there are many kinds of people.
I admire creators, those who share their arts and skills with others.
In a certain way, they are farmers, who sow and cultivate seeds.

I had a dear friend, a writer of books,
Who inspired me to join her merry band of writers,
It was glorious!.

Like the plant called "Hen and Chicks"
My friend, at the center, propagated tendrils
That nourished and inspired her chicks

She recently left the world,
Her "chicks" will all miss her.
But in reality, there is a little bit of her,
Germinating in each of us now.
And thus, her spirit still lives.

Elka-Laya

Left: Hen and chicks plant (Jovibarba globifera), via Wikipedia. Right: Hen and chicks as drawn by Dall-E.

A Question by Sam Aurilio

Why is the United States the most envied and copied country in the world? Countries that can't speak English sing our rock ‘n' roll songs word for word in English. Russian theater goers gave a standing ovation when Darth Vader entered the auditorium, in costume, when they played the theme from Star Wars, why? Our technology, our products and ideas, our fads, even our bad habits and the practices of our underground societies, why? What is the source of these enviable and copied uniquely American items? I believe it is in our philosophy towards our people. Many countries place the most value in the government, the state, the royalty, but not the people, not as individuals. In my country we will do anything, and I mean anything, to rescue one person. Look at the philosophy of our criminal code, we would rather have nine guilty people go free rather than have one innocent person wrongly incarcerated. In other countries they would say, "it's only one person he doesn't matter". In my country, he does. That one person may be the one who comes up with an idea so envied that it is copied by the rest of the world. We think he is worth it; they don't. That is probably the reason that other repressive societies have so many individuals whose sole purpose is to steal our ideas. That is the difference and that is what makes us great.

RVC Message by Thomas George Thomas, Region 10 Vice Chair

On January 27, Angie Christie resigned as First Vice Chair of the American Mensa Committee (AMC), and withdrew from the upcoming election. As a result, Baker Ring moved from his position as Second Vice Chair to First Vice Chair, and Second Vice Chair position is again vacant. Other adjustments regarding voting members on various action committees will be discussed at the March AMC meeting.

Speaking of which, the next meeting of the AMC will be held in Dallas, TX on March 9, 2024. The full agenda has been posted at https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/meeting-reports/ under the dropdown "2024-03-09 -- Dallas, TX".

There are six motions on the agenda:

A. Motion to Increase Membership Dues

B. Motion to Adopt the 2024-2025 Budget

C. Motion to Update the AMC Job Descriptions

D. Motion to Update Minimum Standard Bylaws for Local Groups

E. Motion to Update the Model Bylaws for Local Groups

F. Motion to Delete ASIE Defining Annual Gathering White Hats

There will be a webinar to present the budget (Motion B) to the membership before the AMC meeting, but the date has not yet been set. An announcement will be sent out once this has been determined.

The other motions (C, D, and E) are too lengthy to include here, but they are included in the appendices of the agenda. There are also details regarding two sections of the Consent Agenda, the repeal of 19 Actions Still In Effect (ASIEs) and modification of 6 other ASIEs, which were undertaken as part of the Governance Task Force project.

The calendar on the national website was updated in February, and now there is a search function to allow members to search for events by Local Group, Region, Event Type, SIG (Special Interest Group), Date range, and more. The new calendar can be found at https://www.us.mensa.org/attend/calendar/.

For this to succeed, local groups will need to add their events to the calendar, but this is easily done by clicking the "Add an Event" link at https://www.us.mensa.org/attend/gatheringslisting/. Since not every local group has a functioning online calendar, this will allow those groups to take advantage of a new resource to serve their members (you!).

Don't forget - March is your last chance to renew before the anticipated dues increase takes effect on April 1! If you are late, your renewal will be at the new rate, so don't delay - renew today!

The petition period for the American Mensa election has now ended, and barring the possibility of a candidate submitting written petitions, Kay Klasen, current Local Secretary of Broward Mensa, will be the new Region 10 Vice Chair (RVC 10) starting in July. But don't bother her just yet -- I'm still responsible through the end of June, so if you have any questions or comments, you should still reach out to me.

Until next month (or until I see you online),

Thomas George Thomas
Email: RVC10@us.mensa.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.g.thomas
Mensa Connect https://connect.us.mensa.org/communities/local-groups/region-10
Region 10 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MensaRegion10/

Palm Beach Area Mensa Election Ballot

The Election Committee -- Chair, Amy Shaughnessy, Kelton Joyner and Ed Wujciak -- presents the Election Ballot below. There were no petition candidates as of the published deadline of February 15, 2024. Please use this ballot from your printed or emailed newsletter, mark it with your choices, and return it to the Election Committee Chair, Amy Shaughnessy, 1 South Lakeside Dr., A4, Lake Worth, FL 33460 or present it to her in person. To preserve your anonymity in voting, you must mail your marked ballot in a sealed envelope marked only "BALLOT" and enclose it in another envelope that bears your name, address, and membership number. The ballot, whether mailed or delivered in person, must be received by Amy Shaughnessy by March 31; thereafter, no ballots will be accepted. The Election Committee plans to meet in person on Friday, April 5, 2024, to count the ballots -- location/time to be announced in the April newsletter. Any Palm Beach Area Mensa member is welcome to meet with the Election Committee and observe the counting of the ballots. Contact Amy for questions: aesdth@yahoo.com

5 / 10 / 20 / 40 Years Ago in Palm Mensan

5 years ago: March 2019

"The Norton Museum celebrated its long-awaited grand reopening February 9, 2019. adding 12,000 square feet of gallery space, new classrooms, a restaurant, and a 210-seat auditorium, in addition to the sculpture garden. Anxious to see the new Norton, we hope the crowds and seasonal residents will have eased up by April. Admission is FREE on SATURDAYS, and there is a FREE tour of the Architecture and Sculpture Garden Tour starting at 3pm and lasting 60 minutes."

10 years ago: March 2014

"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. "

20 years ago: March 2004

"An oversight made 30 years ago has led to an inconsistency in American Mensa's Certificate of Incorporation.This was recently discovered... Until this is resolved, American Mensa cannot hold elections or vote on referendums. The best solution is for ALL members to submit a proxy to support modification of Mensa's Certificate of Incorporation, allowing them to correct the oversight."

40 years ago: March 1984

"Wouldn't it be a good idea for American Mensa to invite all presidential candidates to take a culture-fair IQ test with the proviso that the results be made public? Isn't the electorate entitled to know whether or not our Chief Executive is of Mensa grade, i.e., among the 5 million brightest Americans? And is this not particularly important in 1984 in view of the massive evidence of declines in fluid intelligence among the aged?" --Nathaniel Weyl

Gifted Youth, by Parisa Hamzetash, GYC

Greetings Young Mensans (YMs)!!
You are cordially invited to a YOUTH GATHERING¹ on Saturday March 16th at 2:00 PM.

Play Together! Make Friends! Have Fun!

We will be gathering at the beautiful Playground @ Seaview Park² in the Town of Palm Beach. Let's enjoy the last weekend of Winter together outside!

While we will be hosting our Youth Gathering at The Playground, the adjacent Recreation Center will also be open. Although not required, it would be helpful if you would RSVP via email so we can be best
prepared for you since we have Young Mensans aged 3 to 17 in our local group!

Additionally, we are always looking for Young Mensans who are interested in serving in a leadership capacity for our Gifted Youth programming here in the Palm Beach Area. There are opportunities to serve on the Gifted Youth Council for all age groups so that you can plan and organize events that interest you!

As always, please feel free to email the giftedyouth@palmbeach.us.mensa.org mailbox with any thoughts, suggestions, feedback, or questions and please include a telephone number.

Magically,

Parisa

___________________

¹ In accordance with American Mensa's guidelines for Gifted Youth events, all Young Mensans should have appropriate chaperones with them (e.g. parents or guardians). Palm Beach Mensa and the Gifted Youth Coordinator are not responsible for monitoring the safety of anyone that attends the Youth Gatherings. This disclaimer applies to all risks, such as injury on the playground, bee stings, exposure to COVID-19, and any other risk or damage from attending the event.

² Per Town Ordinance Number 12-96, animals (except Service Animals) are prohibited at Seaview Park.

Birthdays

Mensaversaries

New Arrivals

Joined: Elizabeth Acevedo (Palm City)
MoveIn: Carleton Dodge (Stuart)
Joined: Sophia Escoffery (Jupiter)
Joined: Aiden Orlando (West Palm Beach)
Joined: Adam Palas (Stuart)
Joined: Lucas Paun (West Palm Beach)
MoveIn: Carol Schlitte (Port Saint Lucie)
Joined: Ryan Watach (Boca Raton)
MoveIn: Elle Weitz (Boca Raton)

NOTE: Above items (birthdays, Mensaversaries, arrivals, and departures) are taken from reports out of the American Mensa national office. If something pertaining to you is missing or incorrect, contact the office at 817-607-0060, or MembershipDirector@americanmensa.org. The editor will sometimes add, remove, or correct something to suit individual preferences if you ask nicely, but it's always better to get it correct at National. (Same goes for your address to receive the newsletter, paper/electronic choice, and privacy preferences; see the national website.)

Member-submitted items are welcome; deadline is the 20th of the month for the following month's issue. The editor reserves the right to edit for content, space, etc. E-mail: editor@palmbeach.us.mensa.org. Snail mail: Dan Tobias, 27 Royal Palm Way #301, Boca Raton FL 33432-8740.

2022 - 2024 PALM BEACH AREA MENSA LOCAL GROUP OFFICERS & VOLUNTEERS

* ExComm Board

Web: palmbeach.us.mensa.org   Facebook: PalmBeachAreaMensa
Meetup: mensa-100   Mensa Connect: Palm Beach Area Mensa
Gifted Youth Program: giftedyouth@palmbeach.us.mensa.org

Mensans Eat, Meet & Greet and...

Check for updates on Meetup and Facebook, and be sure to RSVP there or by phone/email, as details are subject to change.

Love Trivia? Do You Know the Answers Before the Contestants on Jeopardy Do?

Mensa has the perfect game for you, no buzzer required. It's the annual CultureQuest^® experience that takes place in April; 2024 will be its 35th year. Each Mensa group in the U.S. may have a team (or two) of up to five members who participate in this annual cultural literacy contest on the same day and time. CultureQuest^® consists of about 100-120 multiple choice questions that teams discuss and answer via Zoom within the 90-minute time frame. The captain of the team then sends in the team's answers to the National Office to be scored. High-scoring teams win money for their group. See the website for more details/history (https://www.us.mensa.org/attend/culturequest/). If you would like to be a team member or captain, please contact Elissa Rudolph (elissa12@bellsouth.net) before March 31.

CURRENT STATS: 192 paper, 279 electronic.

Color Pixel Page

Have any photos or artwork you want to see here? Send it in! editor@palmbeach.us.mensa.org

Here comes the sun... Elissa Rudolph (left) and Lauren Demchak (right) have both submitted pictures of sunrises.