By Carol Young
Happy New Year! Make you all have a prosperous and healthy 1998. My head is still reeling from the speed at which 1997 flew by. If I had 1 wish for the new year, it would be to slow everything down so I can enjoy each day instead of feeling, as I often do, as though I’m standing and watching and time flies by me.
We’ve got some interesting ideas for 1998 and hope that one of YOUR New Year’s resolutions is to get more involved in your local Mensa activities.
First up on the agenda in the new year is our annual Regional Gathering. This is the best place to meet and greet and eat. If you’re new to the organization, spend the weekend with your Mensa friends and family, hang out at hospitality and graze, attend some workshops, play some games and before you know it, you’ll feel like a someone who’s been a member for a long time. If you’ve been a member for a long time, you don’t need to be told how special RGs are. The RG is the highlight of any local group’s social calendar. Come and find out why.
Second on the agenda is Culture Quest. This is the annual trivia game that’s also a fund raiser for local groups. If you enjoy watching "Jeopardy" every night, you’ll have a great time putting your head together with 4 other teammates trying to see how many questions you can answer in 90 minutes. Prizes are in the form of money for the local group’s scholarship fund, so the more teams from a local group that enter, the better the chances that the group will get some money to use. Look for more details in MAAM as the time for submitting your entry gets closer. There are some groups who gather in one place, split off the teams into separate rooms, complete the contest, then have a potluck. For now, keep Sunday, April 26 open, gather up some friends and think about giving it a try. It’s frustrating, fun and informative.
Finally, there’s "Mensa Mind Games ‘98", which will be held in Phoenix in early June. This is the first time, this weekend games-feast has been held west of the Mississippi and we’ve been chosen to be the hosts! Look for the article elsewhere in this newsletter and call me to volunteer.
I also need 2-3 people who’d like to put together a slate of candidates for GPM’s elections. Please volunteer to help out and canvass Mensans to run for office. Consider running for an office yourself. It doesn’t entail nearly the time or energy you’re afraid it does. It’s going to be an exciting year. Help us bring about some of these plans by getting involved. .