I ask you to vote for me for regional vice-chairman of region 6. I know the job and I'll get it done!  But you need to do your job first.  Mark the ballot you received in the April/May Bulletin and mail it.

I am a professional manager with over forty years of experience.  With your support, I plan to continue to apply that management experience to address the issues facing American Mensa. I am task oriented and have demonstrated my ability to work with the board members of American Mensa to get the job done.

If you've been to any region 6 gathering in the past six years, you know me. I have been on the hospitality committee or hospitality chair at almost all region 6 gatherings for the past six years.  When the safety of meals in hospitality was raised, I took the National Restaurant Association Food Safety course. I became one of the instructors for the food safety session of Leadership Development Workshops and offer that program at every gathering I attend. The AMC proposed a motion to require the hospitality chair to be food certified.  I urged my friends on the AMC to amend the motion to require a member of the hospitality committee (not the chair) to be food safety certified.  That amendment passed.

As the current National SIGs Officer I am responsible for resolving an issue that the AMC has discussed over four decades.  SIGs are now a recognized benefit of American Mensa. Since 2003, I have submitted to the AMC a number of recommendations all of which passed and now provide the framework for the operations of SIGs.

I have been a Mensa proctor since 1999 and NTM's Proctor Coordinator since 2003. A successful testing program is a major source of revenue and new members.  I was honored to receive the 2004 Abbie Award for the accomplishments of my local group's testing program.

The National Office has a wealth of information, but the local group officers must know for what to ask. As proctor coordinator of my local group, I receive a Prospect Report each month that identifies all who contacted the National Office requesting information about joining Mensa.  I now have over 500 prospects to whom I send a reminder email each month with the dates, times and locations of the Mensa Admissions Tests.  I was shocked to discover that a friend, who is the Proctor Coordinator for her local group, did not receive the Proctor Report.  Her LocSec did not know to instruct the National Office to send the Proctor Report to her. When the issue became known to the National Office, the policy was changed and now all Proctor Coordinators receive the monthly Proctor Report. There is a wealth of information available through the National Office.  The challenge is to get it to those who need it. As SIGs Officer I have developed close working relationships with the staff at our National Office.  I believe that will facilitate my being a more effective RVC.

Over Memorial Day weekend, May 27 to 30, Gulf Coast Mensa is having their annual regional gathering.  If you have never been to a Mensa gathering I strongly urge you to consider this one.  Four days and three nights of Mensa companionship, conversation, interesting presentations, and fun activities. As hospitality chair I and my hospitality committee will strive to deliver to you an outstanding meal program, all included in your registration fee. Go to http://www.gcmensa.org/RGNews.asp for more information.  I hope to meet you there.

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Stanley Alluisi, Candidate for Region 6 RVC:

Hi. My name is Stan Alluisi and I am running for the position of RVC for Region Six. I have enjoyed my twenty-odd years in Mensa and I have met some of my best friends through Mensa. To me, Mensa has always meant my local group. I also enjoy Regional Gatherings but these, too, are also organized by a local group and run by local members. As RVC, I have no desire to make Mensa any more bureaucratic than is necessary to serve the local groups.

Over the past twenty years, I have held a variety of positions in my local Mensa group. I have served on the ExCom and NomCom, been a program coordinator, and a newsletter editor. I also have a day job: I served for over 11 years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and I was stationed at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma, Mather AFB in California, and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Currently, I am the chair of the Department of Aviation Management at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where I have been twice elected to the Faculty Senate. In all of these positions, I believe my best quality is the ability to listen to others and to build consensus. I believe that my experience overseas, in the Air Force, in academe, and in Mensa will all help me, and therefore help you, as your RVC.

If you agree that the primary focus of Mensa should be on local members in local groups, then I sincerely ask for your consideration as your next RVC.

If you have any specific questions, you may contact me via email at: salluisi@netcommander.com.

Please include "MENSA" in the subject line so I don’t mistake your email for spam.

Thanks,   Stan.

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Vote for Stan 
by Becky O'Neal

I first met Stan Alliusi in 1986.  We were having a TGIF in Midwest City when, out of the blue, a man approached me wanting to give me a check.  Although I am not adverse to accepting money from perfect strangers, I asked what the check was for.  It seems that this Air Force Captain/AWACS Navigator had just been accepted into Mensa and was so impatient to  become an official member that he wanted to pay his dues to me on the spot!  After I convinced him that he had to pay his dues to the National Office, Stan mailed his check and became one of the most active members Central Oklahoma Mensa has ever had. 

In the many duties I have had within COM, I could always count on Stan's help anytime it was needed.  I could depend on his presence at events and feel assured that he would help get, and keep, things going.

Stan has served as Membership Chairman, as Deputy LocSec (writing the most interesting and amusing ExCom Minutes) and as an Owl award-winning Editor.  He  was also appointed by the AMC as liaison for Mensa members serving in the 1991 Gulf War.  In every job, he was a conscientious and dedicated officer.

I have no idea how many times Stan opened his home for meetings.  Every one was well attended because our members knew anything hosted by Stan was bound to interesting.

We attended our first AG together (in Dallas in 1987).  It was the first of many gatherings I shared with Stan.  Each one is memorable.  I was there when Stan married Gisele and I was there when he received his Masters Degree.  I don't remember why I didn't see him become DOCTOR Alliuisi but it must have been something really important!

Stan understands the importance of following rules but is nobody's toady.  He will not shrink from asking, and answering, the hard questions.  He will vote his conscience and take into consideration the wishes of those he represents.  I have no doubt Stan will make an excellent RVC and urge all those who reside in Region 6 to vote for him.  Let's band together and elect Stan Alliuisi to the AMC.  It will be a vote for returning to reason and sanity.

Becky O'Neal   Former Many Things in the Mensa Community

BJOneal100@aol.com

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AMC Chair  Russ Bakke vs Sander Rubin <> 

RUSS BAKKE for AMC CHAIRMAN

My name is Russ Bakke and I'm hoping you'll vote for me to be the next Chairman of the American Mensa Committee (AMC), the group of representatives speaking for you, the member.

Mensa is a living, growing, changing entity, and it needs a leader who will bring a knowledge of the past and a vision of the future to bear on the present. I believe I am the person best qualified to represent the changing membership of American Mensa.

I've been a member of Mensa since 1970, and actively involved in its leadership for most of those 35 years. I'm currently in my eighth consecutive term on the AMC, so I believe I have an understanding of Mensa greater than that of many other officers. I understand its concept, its history, and its potential. I know the issues facing us today and, as a life member, I truly care about Mensa's future.

Today's Mensa is not the Mensa of 40 years ago, 20 years ago, or even five years ago. We're 50 thousand members strong and we have a $3M-dollar yearly budget. We face daily decisions that require both an in-depth knowledge of our history and a vision of our future. We need AMC representatives who know how and why to continue our past 8 years of steady growth. I believe I am one who can, as your next Chairman of the AMC, do just that.

No substitute exists for experience and a proven track record. Whoever becomes the next Chairman of the AMC must recognize the here-and-now of our organization, deal with the fact that it is changing, and accept that its leaders must be prepared to lead within the framework of that change. I believe I am the one who can, as your next Chairman of the AMC, do just that.

American Mensa as a group has been growing, until recently, older. Our average age has been that of the baby boomers. Now, particularly with the advent of the Internet, we've made ourselves more accessible to younger people and they are joining in greater numbers. As a result, our average age has been lowering, and many of our local groups have thriving Gen-X groups.

I strongly advocate prideful growth. With the changing face of Mensa, our leadership must stay ahead of the curve to retain current members and recruit new members. With each new member comes another opinion, another chance to learn something new and, perhaps, another new friend.  Expanding technology, however, and most specifically the Internet, has led to a social phenomenon sometimes referred to as cocooning. It's often easier to sit at a keyboard munching Doritos while enjoying social interaction by email, chat groups, or e-lists, instead of getting dressed and driving across town to a face-to-face Happy Hour event. The hoped-for outcome is, of course, that members will get to know each other on-line and feel compelled to put names to faces at enjoyable in-person events. As Chairman of the AMC, I'll do everything I can to encourage this activity.

The AMC necessarily takes its business seriously, but we can do that and still enjoy what we do. I plan to put more fun in the function of leading our membership into the next generation. I'm certainly not going to do this all by myself!

One of my prized strengths is delegation. I can - and will - form a team of capable advisors who have not only the relevant strengths their tasks require, but the ability to work within and maintain a cordial volunteer environment.

I'll build consensus in all ways possible - the old-fashioned way, by talking person-to-person or by phone, and the current way, by email. By knowing ahead of time where the differences lie among AMC members and why, I'll be better equipped during meetings at negotiating agreement. We'll discuss issues cogently, come to agreement, solve problems, and do so in a non-contentious manner.

In order to do this effectively, though, I'll need your participation. First of all, VOTE in this election. That action alone will empower you to become a happier member of Mensa. It's a small action, but its powerful. Second, after the election is over, talk to your local AMC representative, your Regional Vice Chair. Let him or her know what you think, regardless of subject or opinion. Explain why something matters to you and what request or solution would make you happy.

Join me in the next generation of Mensa!  -Russ Bakke   824 S. Greengrove St.

Orange, CA 92866   rbakke@compuserve.com   714-771-5477  

Ps. Don't know how to vote?  Look for a ballot in the April Mensa Bulletin, which you'll receive about April 20.  Follow the instructions, it's due back May 31.

 

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Sander Rubin, Davis, California for AMC CHAIRMAN

Mensa has lost its way, fallen into a rut in which it has lost its vision and ignored its own resources and potential. I am an “old hand” but also a vigorous proponent of new initiatives.

Mensa is its members in all their diversity of skills and values. The “official” structure of Mensa should exist to serve us, not to govern us.  The core idea is to provide fluent person-to-person contacts among our members, for whatever legitimate purposes they desire. (See the official Mensa Constitution at www.mensa.org for the important three purposes of Mensa, each of which has equal standing with the others.)

I do not believe that a policy of “steady as she goes” will make Mensa a vital and growing community. We need a policy of innovation at whatever rate our resources will permit.

Without neglecting the reasonable expectations of long-time members, we should devote resources to bringing our electronic infrastructure up-to-date. This is essential, as it will enable us to achieve:

Economy of services through a tangible lowering of overhead costs;

Easier interactions among members – at both the national and international levels – to fulfill our interpersonal commitments, and to help build the Mensa community by encouraging e-lists;

More fluent communication among all the elements of Mensa, helping transform a self-perpetuating, authoritarian hierarchy into a vital, interactive network.

See: http://members.dcn.org/sander/mensa/Trees_Nets.html

Start treating Special Interest Groups (SIGs) as resources, not as risks, by dealing with them as individual components of Mensa, not as a class.

Complement the Annual Gathering with an annual (or eventually more frequent) colloquium on topics of general interest to intelligent people.

Rein in the scope of risk management so that speculative risks are not used to quash promising initiatives.

Encourage and reward volunteerism among the members.

Trust members generally; trust individuals up to the point that they prove untrustworthy.

Work with other national Mensa groups to create a unitary international society as originally envisioned.

Emphasize transparency. Do not let Mensa business be conducted behind closed doors – that type of non-transparent process is neither logical nor justified.

I'm running for chairman of the American Mensa Committee in order to help build Mensa as an important, honest, solid, meaningful community. The essence of Mensa is our members, and I believe that our emphasis must be on our members. I invite you to visit my web site at www.sanderrubin.info or by going to http://members.dcn.org/sander/mensa/#Elec04  .

We don't need more of the same. We need better.

Thank you,     Sander

P.S.    The election ballot is in the current issue of the Mensa Bulletin. I would appreciate your considering voting for me.

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THE ELECTORATE’S LAMENT  
By: Jim Werdell

AML Treasurer and MJL Director of Administration

Okay, it’s May. The robins have arrived, the cherry blossoms are falling from the trees, April Fool’s Day is but a distant chuckle and Christmas is still 230 or so days away. All this, and you probably have not yet even thought seriously about voting in the Mensa elections.

The election materials and ballots have been out for a couple of weeks now. And you probably have not yet made up your mind whether or not to invest the time and effort. Well --- been there, felt that way. Reading 200-word campaign statements is not my idea of the best way to spend my free time either. It could be worse. You might have had to write one.

We Mensans pride ourselves for our logical thinking, our imaginations and our ability to speak intelligently on any subject for you. that arises. We consistently outguess the contestants on Jeopardy or Who Wants to be a Millionaire. We relish the thought of burying ourselves in a Dan Brown novel like the Da Vinci Code. The New York Times crossword puzzle is a worthwhile effort, even if a couple of three-letter words escape us. But I have to admit that bullying our way through the myriad of election issues and candidates is a daunting dilemma. After all, there are AMC candidates, MIL candidates, AML By-Laws changes and MIL Constitution changes. And after plowing though all that, you still have to tear out a couple of ballots, find and attach some stamps and wend your way to the mailbox in time to beat the May 31 deadline. (Did you know that if one of the MIL Constitution changes passes, you will likely be able to vote electronically in the next election?)

Well, consider it a challenge. I have found that Mensans are very good at sifting though hype (I thought of using another noun, but decided against it) and culling the truth while discarding the fluff. Make it a challenge. Find something you want to change or someone you want in office. Your perspective is important and is translated into action by your vote. Don’t let someone else decide what or who is best

So, please take the time to read the various motions and candidate statements, both American and Mensa International. Come to your own conclusions and support them with your vote.   From May 2005 M-PRESS Coastal Carolina Mensa.

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Mensa International - Mini Tutorial
by Jim Werdell
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Ever wonder about the structure of Mensa and its membership outside of the U.S.? Well, perhaps I’m a bit slow, but it took me several years of membership to realize the extensiveness of the worldwide Mensa organization. American Mensa was fairly easy to fathom ---  one hundred and thirty-something local groups with a total membership of about 55,000. And although I knew that Mensa was an international society, I was unaware of just how pervasive it was. For those of you who have not yet delved into the mystique of Mensa International (generally called MIL for Mensa International, Ltd.), here is a short tutorial that should bring you up to speed.

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Countries and Membership

Similar to American Mensa, members outside the U.S. are grouped by country. As of the last official reporting period, June 2004, there were 30 “National” Mensa countries (including the U.S.) and 7 “Provisional” National Mensa countries with a total of just under 100,000 members. To be officially recognized as a “National Mensa”, a country must have more than 250 members and have met a number of requirements as specified in the International Constitution, such as: an approved national constitution, a testing program, scheduled activities and a national publication. “Provisional National Mensas” may have met some of the requirements, but have not yet met all of them.

In addition, there are presently 14 “Emerging National Mensas” --- an informal category assigned to countries with fifty-plus members who are trying to get their act together and begin to meet the requirements for provisional status.

To summarize, MIL is comprised of 51 recognized  countries and about 110,000 members.

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Governing Bodies and Elected Officials

There are two primary MIL governing bodies, the International General Council (IGC) and the International Board of Directors (IBD). The IGC is comprised of the Chief Executive Officer of each National Mensa and the International Chairman. The IGC meets annually to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information and to review and evaluate Mensa’s policies and programs. The IGC provides recommendations to the IBD and may place items for consideration on the IBD agenda.

 

The IBD, which also meets annually, is comprised of the four International Elected Officers and National Representatives from the National Mensas. Each country is assigned a number of votes based on the country’s membership. A country with fewer than 1,000 members has one vote; countries with 1,000 to 4,999 members have two votes; each country with 5,000 or more members has three votes plus one vote for each additional 5,000 members. As an example, American Mensa, with an officially recognized membership of 45,000, has eleven votes --- three for the initial 5,000 members, plus eight more for the additional 40,000 members. The number of National Representatives is determined by the requirement that no Representative may have more than three votes. Thus, American Mensa has four Representatives.

As mentioned above, the four International Elected Officers are also members of the IBD. They include the Chairman, the Director of Administration, the Director of Development and the Treasurer. The Chairman acts as the Chair of both the IGC and the IBD. The Elected Officers generally act as the day-to-day MIL managers.

To summarize, MIL is governed by the IGC and the IBD and has four elected officers.

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Election of Officers

Elected officers serve for a term of two years, but may not serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. Candidates may be nominated by petition or by the Boards of National Mensa countries. Although only one nomination is necessary, candidates often vie for nominations from a number of National Mensas. Any Mensa member in good standing is considered eligible to serve as an international officer.

Candidates in the international election run on slates more often than seen in American Mensa elections. Similar to American Mensa, slates may pool their candidates’ campaign statements, thereby submitting a common platform of ideas and intentions. Voting is also similar to that in American Mensa elections --- a preferential voting system is used, where each member may vote for any individual candidate, even those attached to slates, and may indicate a declining preference when more than two candidates vie for an office.

The next election is scheduled for mid-April through May of this year, concurrent with the American Mensa Elections.

To summarize, International Officers are elected every two years through a preferential voting process.

The author, Jim Werdell, is currently AMC Treasurer and Mensa International Director of Administration.