Purr-oxy. Absolutely no bad felines here. We did it! The motion to amend American Mensa, Ltd.'s (AML) Certificate of Incorporation was passed with a total of 26,717 votes to approve and 2 opposed.
Wrong Move. Dave Remine was awarded the Margot, American Mensa's highest award. Cited as one of his big accomplishments was moving the American Mensa office from Brooklyn, New York, to Texas. It was Chairman Richard Amyx who moved the office from New York to Texas, thus changing the financial picture for the better. Dave Remine engineered our move from quarters in Fort Worth, Texas, to accommodations rented from MERF in Arlington, Texas — a town or so over. Still, Dave did get a lot of mileage out of it.
No Hidden Meaning. One of the "finest" moments at American Mensa's 2004 Annual Gathering (AG) occurred when, at the Annual Business Meeting, the Chairman announced, proudly, that the American Mensa Committee had decided to make the SIGs (Special Interest Groups) a "member benefit"; then she went on to say that they still didn't know what that meant.
Suiting Up. Our AML legal team went after the big score — and got it. We reached an out-of-court settlement with Carlton Books. All parties now recognize that AML owns exclusive rights to use the name "Mensa" in this country. This is an extremely important decision.
Coffee Clutch. The Las Vegas AG saw something new: coffee drinkers clutching their coffee cups as if they were thousand-dollar chips. Having cost the AG $56 a gallon, the coffee was removed early each morning. Alcoholic drinks, however, were free, 24/7. Perhaps this is a new trend in "caffeine free;" but we have to wonder whether Risk Management was consulted …
Last Mango in Paris. Also in short supply at the AG, held at the Paris hotel, was food. There were some snacks. Some dried fruits and nuts. Next year's AG committee promises a better assortment; can we chalk this one up to the "Last Mango in Paris"?
52 Pick-up. Dues paid after January 1, 2005 for the 2005–2006 membership year have been increased to $52 annually. Don't we remember a child's card game with that number in it?
Safety Nyet. Any organization needs to safeguard against dangers to itself and ensure its financial survival, but the last AMC meeting and the upcoming one seem to demonstrate a mitigation strategy of Maximum Possible Action. Write to your Regional Vice Chairman and ask that he or she examine closely all proposed programs that make volunteerism more difficult. If official policies continue their trend toward restriction, then Mensans won't need to wonder whether the barn owl or the great snowy owl is their true symbol; it will, obviously, be the moot owl.
— compiled by Staff