WOW! What a turnout!! We had over a 100% increase this year over last year’s local voting! It may not seem like much, that 28 people out of 700-some decided to cast a ballot, but if memory serves me, we only had 11 last year. So we’re getting more people interested! (And a suggestion that I will bring up at the next ExCom: how about including e-mail votes next year? They could be sent to the Election Chair and include one’s membership number and name, just like it does now.)
But I would be remiss if I didn’t herewith offer a very hearty vote of thanks to the outgoing officers: Kent Van Cleave, who, despite trying to finish a degree and a myriad of other duties, stepped into the LocSec shoes once again ... Marlene Schwendler, a bright, vivacious lady who managed to help start a new business while taking care of Assistant LocSec and Forum duties ... Nancy Bayfield, who drove from far north Cave Creek to take over as Secretary when nobody else would ... Bruce Stiles, who thought he was having too much fun as Treasurer and decided to do it all over again ... Don Rickard, who bicycled to ExCom meetings as Member-at-Large, and Scott Shacter, who took time from his busy law practice ... Bob Hirschfield, who ducked whizzing law actions and attended ExCom meetings anyway ... Paul Beetham, probably the nicest person I’ve ever met, whose gentle hand steadied this editor in those first few hectic months ... and to all of you who have hosted, joined, helped, called, written, attended, and cared about GPM.
"Thank you" just doesn’t seem enough. You are all winners in my book.
Well, I’m doubly dazzled! The response to the Kitty Litter issue has been phenomenal. Letters, photos, jokes, poems ... I’ve been vain enough to include some of my drawings (for those of you who don’t know, I make my living as a commercial artist). I’ve also put in a couple of my favorite cartoons, and since this is a private newsletter (not sold by general subscription) we won’t have copyright violations. Just don’t reprint the cartoons in here, because you’ll cheat some hardworking artists out of well-deserved royalties.
And (obviously) I haven’t finished the Directory, but it’s shaping up to be a great one! I am amazed at the number of responses to our advertising - I’m really busy setting up ads and trying to include the e-mail addresses of those who have sent them to me. Since I haven’t got it ready for this month, I’m extending the deadline to July 15 for anyone who wants to be in, or wants to include an e-mail. And a strong suggestion: check with American Mensa or your renewal application to see what your address and phone number are. I’m going from the newest list from them (June 1997) and some of the phone numbers are wrong - many of the people who are out of Phoenix, for example, are still listed with a 602 area code. And one of them had a 508 (which, I believe, is Virginia or some such!). Unless I know you personally, I’m going to print what Fort Worth sends me. Including no phone number, if they don’t have yours. Again, check your information.
And again, thanks to those of you who voted. You know who you are. Thanks for caring and being involved.