American Mensa - Region 2

Welcome to American Mensa Region 2
– The Middle Atlantic Region

Welcome to the American Mensa Region 2 web site. Region 2 represents the Middle Atlantic region of the United States, covering Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Please visit the local groups of Region 2:

Central New Jersey Mensa
Central Pennsylvania Mensa
Delaware Mensa
Delaware Valley Mensa
Lehigh Pocono Mensa
Maryland Mensa
Metropolitan Washington Mensa
Richmond Area Mensa
Thomas Jefferson Mensa
Tidewater Mensa

THIS JUST IN!

The website of Thomas Jefferson Mensa has moved!
Come visit us at our new location!

Mensa Testing Day 2009

was officially Saturday, Oct. 17, but test sessions are scheduled around the country throughout the month of October and into early November. More than 1,200 people took the challenge last year! Just in time for Mensa Testing Day, American Mensa launched "Testing Vouchers"! These vouchers are similar to gift certificates in that the bearers can redeem them for a testing session. The vouchers can be purchased for $40.

Take the Mensa Home Test challenge!
There are a lot of "IQ tests" online these days, but ours is a formally developed, normed — and fun! — home test that will give you a true sense of your brainpower. Oh, and it'll give you an idea if you
qualify for Mensa. Buy the Mensa Home Test online and have it mailed wherever you like, then return it to be professionally scored.

Congratulations to the following members of our region who received awards at the AG:
Heather Poirier, from Metropolitan Washington Mensa (MWM), received the Chairman Certificate of Appreciation for taking over the AMC minutes when we needed help.

Bill Murray, from Delaware Valley Mensa (DVM), received an American Mensa Certificate of Appreciation for a noteworthy contribution. Bill is a moderator in the AML Community (aka the Mensa Forums).

Adriana Platner, from Lehigh Pocono Mensa, won a PRP award for best web site calendar.

Two of our teams finished in the top 20 on CultureQuest. The Gordian Nots, captained by Stephanie Smilay from MWM, finished in 8th place. The Carbon-based Life Forms, captained by Elaine Brody from DVM, finished in 18th place.
Central Pennsylvania Mensa was Region 2's winner of the first annual PEP Rally contest. They won a $1000 one-day LDW to be held sometime before June 30, 2010.

American Mensa's Web team is proud to announce the newest Web service that you'll appreciate:
online archives of the Mensa Bulletin!

If you've been looking for an article you read last year, if you're traveling abroad and want to catch up on back issues, or if you're new to Mensa and want to learn what Mensa is all about, you can now browse back issues of the magazine in the online archive. You will need Adobe Flash Player (version 8 or higher) installed in order to view these pages

THE RESULTS OF MENSA ELECTIONS ARE IN!!!

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT MENSA ELECTIONS!

^XX^The ^{competition took place on Sunday, April 19th}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From film to politics, from literature to geography and from music to history, Mensan teams of up to five members gather in their neighborhoods on a single day and, for 90 minutes, compete for cash prizes and cultural literacy bragging rights. Since its inception, more than 3,000 cultural questions have been answered by Mensan teams across the U.S. and Canada.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Answer the Mensa

If you're not already receiving the CultureQuest®-ion of the day, sign up, and you'll receive a different question via email each day along with the answer to the previous day's question. Do you know people who aren't Mensa members who love trivia and games? Feel free to let them know about the CultureQuest®-ion of the day as well! This service is open to the public.

Mind Games® is an intense weekend of play. The Mensa Mind Games^® competition provides an opportunity for game manufacturers to compete in one of the most respected and recognizable national games competitions, while having their games reviewed by some of the nation's most avid game-players — members of American Mensa. Mensans judge and critique games released in the past year and award the coveted Mensa Select® seal to the top five. Board games, card games and other types of table and party games are eligible. Games are judged on aesthetics, instructions, originality, play appeal and play value. Judges fill out comment cards for each game.

Mind Games^® 2010 will be held April 16-18 at the San Diego Hilton, Mission Valley,
901 Camino Del Rio South, San Diego, CA 92108; 800/682-6099.
To get the special Mensan room rate of $95, call and mention "2010 Mensa Mind Games," or reserve your room online. Please note that registration for this event is capped at 300 participants. Register online now, or if you prefer, you may download this form and mail it to:

Mind Games Registration
c/o American Mensa Ltd.
1229 Corporate Dr W
Arlington, TX 76006-6103

♠♣♥♦♠♣♥♦♠♣♥♦♠♣♥♦♥♣♠♦♥♣♠♦♥♣♠♦♥♣♠
The Mind Games® 2009 event was held on April 24-26 in Cincinnati.
More than 200 Mensans gathered April 24-26 in the Cincinnati area for Mind Games® 2009. During the three-day event, members played and rated more than 50 board and card games, designating the top five as Mensa Select®. The winners are Cornerstone (Good Company Games), Dominion (Rio Grande Games), Marrakech (Fundex Games), Stratum™ (Family Games America) and Tic-Tac-Ku™ (Mad Cave Bird Games).

Renew your membership!
Annual dues are $59, second-family-member rates $39, 3-year memberships $160 and
5-year memberships $260. Renewing is easy by visiting http://www.us.mensa.org/renew
or calling 888/294-8035 ex

Join Mensa!

The Mensa Home Test ($13 U.S.) is designed to give you an understanding of what to expect from American Mensa's supervised test. However, it is not mandatory for membership, cannot be used as qualifying evidence of prior testing, and will only be scored for those aged 14 and older.

Prospective members can apply by submitting evidence of qualifying scores (see a partial list of scores or get more information) from prior intelligence testing, or by taking the Mensa Admission Test. The test fee is $40, and a photo ID is required. The test is open to any person age 14 and older, but parental permission is required for anyone age 14-17.

Do you know someone who is Mensa-smart? Invite them to experience Mensa, and you'll be entered to win a $30 Mensa Dues Gift Certificate. When you enter the referral information, include your member number in the space provided and hit submit. There will be a quarterly drawing for a $30 Mensa Dues Gift Certificate, which can either be used for yourself or a Mensa friend. Please note that you must be a current member to partake in the drawing.

Questions? E-mail Lauren A. Fernandez Marketing Coordinator!

Detroit "Rock City" will be home to the 2010 Annual Gathering 20, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Mensa in North America. The event will be held June 30 to July 5 (yes, we've added an extra day of fun!) at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency in the eclectic and historically significant suburb of Dearborn. Expect all of the usual AG greatness as well as special events and activities in celebration of the anniversary. Get more information and register online!

*** If you've already registered online or if you turned in your form at the Pittsburgh AG, never fear. The folks at the National Office are busy processing your registration! ***

American Mensa announces its newest member benefit - a Web-based career center that connects job seekers with prospective employers. Don't get lost on the commercial job boards! American Mensa's CareerLink is tailored just for you!

As a job seeker, you can:
* Manage your job search
* Access hundreds of corporate job postings
* Post an anonymous résumé
* Be notified by email of new opportunities that match your search criteria

As an employer, you can:
* Quickly post job openings
* Manage your online recruiting efforts
* Take advantage of advanced résumé searching capabilities
* Reach targeted and qualified candidates
* Browse résumés for free

CareerLink is available to Mensa members and nonmembers alike. However, only current members can post résumés and apply for jobs at no charge; they can also post job opportunities at discounted rates.

2008-2009 Community Activities Program

Many Mensa Local Groups make their communities better by participating in community service activities. These community service efforts are recognized yearly by the national Community Activities Program (CAP). As well as providing recognition, the program encourages Local Groups to share their experiences and ideas with other Local Groups. Members of Local Groups participate in any community service activity they choose and enter their projects (and results) in the program. Over the years, over 200 entries have been submitted. There were 17 entries last year.

CAP is NOT a competition or contest. All legitimate entries will receive the public recognition and appreciation that they so rightfully deserve during the Annual Gathering, and will be listed in the Bulletin. The CAP entry form, in PDF format, can be found on the American Mensa Website (login required). After filling out the form, have it signed by the Local Secretary, and send it to the National Office by May 1st. The Community Services Committee members look forward to reading about and celebrating your community service activity.

Scholarships and Awards

The Mensa Foundation scholarship program is unique in that awards are given based only on essays. Grades, test scores, and financial need are not considered in the scholarship process. Visit the Mensa Education & Research Foundation's website for more information on awards and scholarships

“Human intelligence is the world's most important resource. We should do everything we can to nurture and protect it.”
Phyllis Miller, Foundation Vice President
__________________________

Apply now for scholarships
Attention, college-bound students: The Mensa Foundation's scholarship programs are accepting applications through Jan. 15, 2010. The U.S. program is open to those living in the geographic area of any participating Mensa local group. Another program is open to Mensans and their dependents. Find out if you can participate!

Planning an RG? Send information for posting on the RG page to the Webmaster!

Have you been to an RG lately?

WANTED: RG PICTURES for the website.
Kindly send them to the Webmaster. Thanks!

Mensa Education & Research Foundation

Introducing the Mensa Education & Research Foundation podcast "Conversations with Mensa," now available for listening or download. Each Conversation features up to 45 minutes of dialog between Mensans and experts in fields related to the Foundation's educational mission.
The latest "Conversations with Mensa" podcast is: "Taking Control of ADD." This 45-minute session features Dr. Frank Lawlis, American Mensa's Supervisory Psychologist and author of "The ADD Answer," providing basic information about Attention Deficit Disorder and the steps that can be taken to manage it. Leading the discussion is Mensa member Robin Crawford, an experienced educator and mother of twin Mensans.

The Mensa Education & Research Foundation's podcast series, Conversations with Mensa, is now available through the iTunes music store. iTunes allows listeners to easily subscribe free of charge to Conversations with Mensa, sync podcasts onto their devices, and receive new podcasts as soon as they become available. Currently posted Conversations feature topics as wide-ranging as the psychology of poker, ADD and current issues in cosmology. Upcoming conversations include reinventing yourself, genealogy and the music genome project. Conversations with Mensa is also available via the Foundation's website. If you enjoy the series, we hope that you'll take the time to rate or express your opinions! Please direct ideas for future podcasts to conversations@mensafoundation.org. iTunes is available for download at http://www.apple.com/itunes.

Subscribe to the Mensa Research Journal that unlocks the door to your own knowledge and understanding! Support students, teachers and researchers! Donate to the Mensa Education & Research Foundation!

_____________

American Mensa National Statistics
September 2009

Total membership

52,655

New and reinstating membership

        518

Offers of membership

        222

New members since April 2008

     2,226

Reinstating members since April 2008

     1,865

Would you like to meet more people from our region? All members of Region 2 are encouraged to join adiscussion group for those interested in discussing Mensa politics. It is a forum for ideas that you want to share with other members. Please visit us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AML-Region2/

&&&&&&&&&&

There is a continuing need for books to replace those lost in last year's hurricanes. Thousands
of books have been donated, but there is still a demand for poetry, science, math, history, and
sci-fi/fantasy books. For more information, go to www.readertoreader.org.

&&&&&&&&&&

Mensa publications online

If you have any trouble with your password while trying to access these online publications, help is just a click away! Mensa Bulletin
The Mensa Bulletin is the national magazine for members of American Mensa, published 10 times a year with combined issues in April/May and November/December.

Mensa WorldFor any questions or comments about Mensa World, please contact Editor Kathy Spaltro. International Journal
For any questions or comments about the International Journal, please contact Editor Kate Nacard.

InterLoc
For any questions or comments about the InterLoc, please contact Editor Thomas Harrop.

Mensa Research Journal
For any questions or comments about the Mensa Research Journal, please contact Editor Shirley Loges.

Region 2 Local Group Newsletters

We have a Mensa-members-only section on our website. We store any Region 2 local group newsletter that is available in .pdf format. The members-only section can be accessed by your individual user-ID and password which are set up by the National Office.

MINUTES

The minutes of the American Mensa Committee meeting of 7-2-2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are now online. Select 2009-07 Meeting Reports.

The revised 2009-2010 budget is also available online.

The Mini Minutes of the November 8, 2008 AMC meeting are now posted online.
Then select 2008-11 Meeting Reports and then Mini Minutes.

You'll need your membership number and password to access the above information. If you've misplaced your login information, contact Webservices.

If you have occasional or regular articles or columns that you would like to make available
to local group and SIG Editors and Webmasters for use in their publications, email your articles
to the new e-list: content@lists.us.mensa.org. You don't even need to subscribe first.
If you have any questions, please send them to communications@us.mensa.org.

Please send your AG 2009 pictures to the Webmaster!

At Mensa, for(u)ms follow function

If the goal is to connect more Mensans more often, our new online discussion forums amply fulfill this function. Forums are dedicated to everything from entertainment to auto mechanics to job banks. Many Local Groups and the Mensa Foundation also have their own forums. More than 1,000 discussion threads are currently active! Wonder what other Mensans talk about?
Join and find out!

American Mensa's membership directory is online. Stored in the private area, the member directory provides member contact information that members have released for publication in an online or printed directory. This release information has been collected via the Personal Data Questionnaire sent to members each year when they renew.

Personal biographies are now available to you through your profile update and the online membership directory.

Learn about the new and improved directory-related web services!

You'll need your member number and PIN/password to access this area of the Website.

Web Services is bringing three NEW submenu features to the online member directory!

Ø Member Gallery: A collection of photos of Mensans who added pictures to their directory biographies

Ø Member Links: A directory of links to Mensans’ websites

Ø All of the additions are geared to facilitate member-to-member interaction. Visit the online Mensa Directory and these new additions--you'll need your member login information to access this area.

_______________

Visit the Gifted Children pages!

"Homeschooling for the Gifted" explored in MRJ

The current issue of the Mensa Research Journal features the latest thinking on homeschooling
and, in particular, how it impacts the gifted. The 96-page issue includes eight articles and
several sections devoted to the topic.

Mensa for Kids

Sponsored by the Mensa Foundation, this educational site features fun-filled games and activities meant to encourage learning. It also provides lesson plans and other links to resources for parents and teachers of gifted children. Stop by with your favorite kid and learn something new, or just have some fun!

_______________

Stay sharp with daily brainteasers!

Need a mental workout?
Take the Mensa Home Test, or play Games.

_______________

Local Group Officers,

Please check (and if necessary, send me an e-mail to update) your information on the "Local Groups" page to make sure that it is current. If I don't hear from you, I'll assume everything is correct. "Qui tacet, consentit!" J
Thanks!
The Webmaster

Older material from this page is still available.

This page was last updated on November 03, 2009.
Webmaster: Marianne Demkó of Thomas Jefferson Mensa.

These pages and all content Copyright 2009 by American Mensa, Ltd., all rights reserved. Mensa® and the Mensa logo (as depicted for example in U.S. TM Reg. No. 1,405,381) are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by American Mensa, Ltd., and are registered in other countries by Mensa International Limited and/or affiliated national Mensa organizations.

Mensa does not hold any opinion, nor has, or expresses, any political or religious views.