From the LocSec
By
September 2009
The Annual Gathering of American Mensa is our "big event" of the year - more Mensans gather at the US AG each year than at any other Mensa event. (In fact, Chicago's late October Region Gathering is usually the second largest gathering of Mensans.) The 2009 AG took place in early July in Pittsburgh, PA; by my count, Cincinnati Area Mensa was responsible for at least 32 attendees. The AG is so multi-faceted that I'd expect you'd hear about a different gathering from each of the people who attended - the sort of description the blind men gave of the elephant in the famous poem. I know I had a great time, and I think just about everyone else did also. The AG committee, co-chaired by CAM's own Mary Lee Kemper did a truly great job.
The highlight for CAM as a group occurred at the Awards Luncheon, when the results of the annual CultureQuest® (culturally significant trivia) competition were announced. One of our teams - "MECCA" (named for the initials of the team members) finished third, earning over $220 for our scholarship fund. The team consisted of Barry Austern, Sean Cannon, John Cunningham, Tiffany Everett, and yours truly, with Peggy Stapleton as our alternate. (Look for an announcement early next year that we're looking for players for the 2010 competition that will take place next April.)
The great turnout of CAM members can be explained in part by how close the AG was held - Pittsburgh is only about 290 miles from Cincinnati. Well, the 2010 AG will be held even closer; mark your calendar now for June 30-July 5, 2010, when the AG will take place in Dearborn, MI, about 250 miles to our north.
They say that when you want a task done right, you should ask a busy person. Well, no sooner had Mary Lee Kemper finished hosting the AG, she agreed to become CAM's Scholarship Chair. CAM has a history of great scholarship chairs—specifically, the late Bob Keiter and retiring chair Tom Vonderahe, and we expect great things of Mary Lee. Thanks go to Tom for a job well done over many years, and to Mary Lee for agreeing to carry on the tradition.
And, yes, we're always looking for volunteers to help make CAM work. When Excomm makes an appointment, we’re looking for people who will put their egos aside, and do the best job for CAM; if you think you would like to contribute this way, please let me or any Excomm member know. We try to advertise vacancies we need to fill - on the website, and in this column - but sometimes we need to act quickly, and knowing of your interest is always valuable. Or step up and create something for yourself and for CAM - schedule an activity. Whether it's organizing an outing or hosting an event at your home, we're always looking for new ideas and newly involved people. (Let me offer my personal thanks to Steve Homer, who organized a day at River Downs that eleven of us loved!)
--Rick Magnus
CAM LocSec