Hmmm...
By
April 2006
Greetings Fellow Mensans - spring is officially here and I am ready! The school year is drawing to a close and the days are getting warmer. Soon we can put away the textbooks and immerse ourselves in pleasure reading for the summer - YEE HAW! (hmmm - perhaps I am getting a bit burned out on teaching - you think?)
Last month I welcomed new officers to CAM - this month I want to welcome new members to Mensa. As you may recall, April is the first of our New Member Events at Monthly Gathering and Esther Charleton has planned a great one. Don and Bernice Craft will be hosting a Potluck Dinner and we will be having a speaker - Brenda Krekeler will speak on Covered Bridges. It sounds like it will be a wonderful evening. New members are invited to attend and meet the members of Ex Comm and a few other members as well, no doubt. You can find further details on the Upcoming Events page. I hope to see you there!
April has another significance in Mensa - it is renewal time and it is easier than ever to do. Online is probably the fastest if you do not mind using your credit card. Look at it this way: if you do not renew, this might be the last of my columns that you will read! (Wait a minute - hold that - I am supposed to be talking people INTO renewing, not discouraging them!) On second thought, remember this - if you do not renew now you will regret it forever. Trust me, you will. Where else can you get stimulating reading material (and I am most definitely NOT referring to my column with this line!) for an entire year for such a paltry sum? Add to that the social opportunities and regional and national events, and well - it is just a steal!
While you are at it, why not invite one of the qualified people that you know to join Mensa? During the month of April the fee for approving prior evidence is waived for all new members. A smart person like you probably knows several people qualified to join Mensa, so pass the word on the free offer.
April is also a month for Regional Gatherings. The first weekend it is the Dayton RG - Chaos in Motion. Cincinnati usually sends a sizable contingent to the RG north of here and I am sure that 2006 will be no exception. The first RG I attended was in Dayton in 2003 and I have not missed one yet - I am even taking the kids this year. If you have not tried an RG this would be a great one to start with. Wonderful food, tournaments, speakers and much camaraderie - surely this is Mensa life at its best.
The final significance of April (as it relates to Mensa, at any rate) is Culture Quest. This is a national event, intended to test and promote cultural literacy and it is held on April 30. Cincinnati will have at least 3 teams this year, including (hopefully) a teen team for the first time. You can read more about the event on the national website. Even if you are not competing, we hope that you will support our local teams. OK, so cheering is not appropriate perhaps, but we hope you will at least check out our final standings - we hope to be in the money!
Here's to seeing you on the dance floor in Dayton on April Fool's Day as I put my chaotic life in motion!