American Mensa Region 10

RVC Column

February 2025

First Vice Chair Jon Gruebele wrote this column to substitute for the removed RVCs' columns this month.

Happenings at National

We've had some big changes on the American Mensa Board of Directors (AMC). Pursuant to a complaint, the national Hearings Committee determined eight Regional Vice Chairs (RVCs) and two appointed officers should be removed from their offices and be prohibited from serving in any capacity -- including local and regional positions -- for a number of years.

The announcements from our Chair Lori Norris and the Hearings Committee are posted on the national website under Lead -> Board of Directors.

Since you may not be seeing your usual RVC newsletter article, I've been asked to help keep members informed. There have been many questions raised since the announcements were made:

How will this affect me? You probably won't notice a difference. Your local group can still offer dinners, game nights, and various outings. Several Regional Gatherings and the Annual Gathering in Chicago are proceeding apace. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and online events will continue. You'll still get your Bulletin and Local Group newsletter.

How does the hearings process work? The process is outlined in our bylaws (IX.5). It's designed to have respected, disinterested parties hear the evidence and make a decision. Normally that's our three most recent past Chairs, currently Deb Stone, Timmy King, and LaRae Bakerink. These are people our members elected to lead the entire organization, so presumably they have the wherewithal to conduct a hearing that's fair to both parties. Each side is afforded the opportunity to be represented by counsel, present evidence, and question witnesses. The Hearings Committee is fully independent of the AMC.

Why weren't more details released? Hearings were long ago made confidential to protect all parties in the process. If someone is unjustly accused, they don't want their name broadcast to the world and forever be associated with something they didn't do. Conversely, victims shouldn't be required to give up their anonymity to seek redress. That's particularly important for people who may have been subject to things like sexual harassment. A public hearings process can feel like a second violation.

Who will represent me on the AMC? Members vote in each election for up to 6 representatives: Chair, First Vice Chair, Second Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and RVC. Four of the six are still working to serve you, and a new Second Vice Chair was appointed by the AMC in December. Meanwhile, LocSecs are working to nominate Regional Coordinators (RCs) to represent you. RCs have the same rights and responsibilities as RVCs, but due to New York state law, they don't have a vote on the AMC. They will serve until elections for new RVCs can be held, likely later this year.

What can I do? Renew your membership. Continue to enjoy the friendships and experiences Mensa offers. Sign up for the Chicago Annual Gathering in July. Volunteer to host an event. Join a SIG. Encourage a smart friend to join. Have some fun.

Floreat Mensa!

Comments? Email me at firstvicechair@us.mensa.org

Kay Klasen wrote this RVC column for February 2025 soon before being removed from office.

The holiday season has come to a close. There is still snow on the ground in many areas, we have bright sunshine to be thankful for! The kids are back in school and we are all heading back to work. Oh wait! I am retired, so you may be headed back to your job, but I am doing the work of volunteering. Locally I volunteer at least 20 hours a month to another organization and really enjoy that.

Belonging is very important to our well being and nothing makes me feel better than doing for others, so volunteering fits the bill. As a volunteer organization Mensa also needs our help as members and volunteers. The membership year closes on March 31. If you have not yet renewed, I hope you will head over to http://us.mensa.org/renew after reading this column. (If you prefer to pay over the phone rather than online, call the National Office at 817-607-0060 ext. 199.) This organization thrives because of its diverse membership. Our members are the source of constant inspiration to me.

Please make sure to renew so that you can enjoy all that Mensa has to offer.

January 2025

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Mine was cheery and bright! As I write this column, I am preparing for the AMC quarterly meeting. The meeting information is published on the website at https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/meeting-reports/ Choose the date (2024-12-07), and all the reports and agenda are there. By the time you read this, the mini-minutes may also be available. I have been asked to chair the Principles of Conduct Advisory Task Force, and if all goes as planned we should be working on that by late January after the task force members have been selected.

As I said in my last column, we have many events coming our way. There are still some spaces for members at the MindGames event but they are going fast. The hotel also has rooms still available. Registration for the Annual Gathering has already reached 1,100 participants and keeps climbing. CultureQuest is also around the corner. If you are interested in competing, now is the time to start thinking about setting up a team. Teams are made up of five players and up to two alternates. All participants must be dues-paying members as of next Aptil 1^st. The top 20 teams not only get bragging rights, but also earn cash for their local groups.

For interested local groups, the Bylaws Committee will help with your update! If you request assistance, per the December report they will "review your current bylaws, rolling in as many of the required items as we can, and sending that file back to the local group in Track Changes mode so they can see what we did." This can save you a lot of time and effort, and help smooth the process for your volunteers. Just get in touch with Dan Burg at
bylaws@us.mensa.org.

Past columns: 2024

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