SANDER RUBIN: Election Statement for InterLoc
Position sought: AMC Chairman
I am a life member of American Mensa. I live in Davis, California, with my 15 year old daughter, Miranda, and 10 year old son, Ethan. My background is in computer engineering, economics, and law. My mode of thought is sometimes abstract, more often concrete, more practical than hypothetical.
I joined Mensa in June 1961, when it was a modest club in England, and was one of the founders of American Mensa Ltd.; I also played a major role in securing our autonomy from the British organization. During two years as Treasurer (1967-1969) I restored fiscal viability to Mensa with an improved budget, and founded MERF. I was elected AMC Chairman in 1969 to turn around a declining membership, and I did. For over a decade after that, our membership continued to increase and diversify.
Growth ended abruptly about 1982 and soon thereafter Mensa suffered a significant drop in membership. The "solution" adopted by AMC (a Committee that included our current Chairman) was to spend huge sums of money on public relations and efforts to recruit new members, instead of improving Mensa’s capital resources; the effort was futile, and we almost went bankrupt.
There is a striking tendency by current AMC leadership to favor image over substance, public relations and legalism over infrastructure and performance, and intentions over actions. AMC has evolved from an administrative necessity into an overarching hierarchy, tending toward ever more intrusive involvement in Local Group issues and establishment of "policies" that have no place in a round table society.
I believe in the round table, the fundamental metaphor of Mensa, as the basis of a good society and in openness as the basis of good government. If American Mensa is to be revitalized, its purpose and promise must be rediscovered. I am running for AMC Chairman because I care about Mensa and can offer unique skills and insights. I propose an improvement program and a concrete framework for action. No matter how appealing any program may be, however, what really matters is the integrity and quality of the people who commit to bring it to fruition.
MY PROPOSAL
An effective AMC Chairman will follow a holistic approach, staying in touch, being available, responding to problems as they arise -- preventively, when possible -- and directing whatever resources may be needed including money, volunteers, time, and special skills available within or – when necessary – from outside of Mensa. He must use his authority lightly, and be sure he has first-class help. He must get around the country to find, meet, solicit and get commitments from members who will serve when called upon. ONE. The Chairman should limit himself, and work to limit AMC, to functions that have national significance.
Ensure that AMC meets its responsibility for proper maintenance of financial and membership records.
Facilitate cooperation among the various Mensa periodicals and encourage development of new publications (including on the Internet), to enhance communication within the Society.
Cooperate and interact with other national Mensa organizations, through International Mensa and independently.
Guide and direct AMC in resolution of conflicts as they arise, rather than pass every dispute along to the Ombudsman; the Ombudsman’s primary function is to serve as the members' check on AMC and its officers.
Prevent any effort by AMC to control or direct the activities of the various Mensa organizations (Committees, Local Groups, SIGs).
Accept final responsibility for hiring and supervision of National office staff.
TWO. The Chairman and AMC must allow local groups to handle their business without interference, except to safeguard individual members' rights. AMC exists to provide administrative support, not to control behavior.
Local groups should be respected as well-able to run their own affairs, with AMC officers, including the Chairman, becoming involved only when called upon.
THREE. The Chairman should initiate the overdue task of updating the Bylaws to assure the restoration of a non-hierarchical Society and create an exemplary document.
The effort should be to clarify the distinct functions of local groups and other organs (including the AMC), define and protect the rights of members, reduce the Minimum Standard Bylaws to a true minimum, and remove excess verbiage everywhere. An independent Bylaws Committee should be appointed to work with but not be controlled by AMC.
FOUR. AMC needs vigorous leadership with a commitment to policies that bring members together in a stimulating intellectual and social environment.
First-rate member services are more important than publicity or even the recruitment of new members. If members get value for their dues, membership will increase. Annual publication of a national directory, to be sold at cost to members only, should be resumed. A state-of-the-art Internet presence should be provided that includes electronic services and forums open to all members.
It is time to spend our resources in ways that are supportive of our purpose. Our dues continue to escalate and now far exceed the annual dues of much smaller national organizations that offer much better service to their members.
FIVE. Without diminishing the social environment, the Chairman should work with AMC to encourage and support greater intellectual content in Mensa activities. At the same time, the Chairman should lead an effort to reduce personality conflicts and restore civility to Mensa discourse in every forum and at all levels.
SIX. The Chairman must see that the internal politics of Mensa -- including discussion of proposed policy decisions and AMC actions -- are open to all members.
The Chairman should insist that AMC publicize and invite discussion of matters as they arise, prior to taking actions that bind the membership, unless urgency is demonstrated. Policy should not be decided in closed Executive Committee meetings, nor on the Internet, nor in any forum with limited access. Mensa needs a "sunshine" policy.
SEVEN. The Chairman should lead the effort to establish an Internet presence worthy of a society of intelligent people, while making its benefits available to all members.
A first-class Mensa World Wide Web site can be coordinated with an on-line membership list so that members have access to Mensa forums and to each other. Members should not be required to subscribe to a particular online service in order to access the Web site or to
participate in any of its forums.
AMC should increase the publication subsidy to Local Groups that agree to publish material from the Mensa web site, and ensure that Mensa’s national print media likewise coordinate with Mensa Internet resources.
Sander Rubin
2032 Gauguin Place
Davis, CA 95616-0542
(916) 753-7263
sander@acm.org