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ABC – DEF

Column for the Mensa World Journal May 2013

When people ask me ”so why are you in Mensa?”, I give them three short answers: A, B and C.

A = Amusement! I have fun in Mensa. Mensa members come in all flavours and they are great people to hang out with. Also, they tend to understand my jokes. I love the dynamics of intelligent conversation, the resonance of reasoning, pleasantly shared over a Mensa dinner. Aren't the joys of life more fun in intelligent company? It is for this reason we go to social gatherings, games nights, lectures and so on.

B = Benefits! Being a Mensan is valuable. A membership allows us to find knowledgeable people in most areas. It is an excellent place to network and gather connections of value both professionally and in other areas of life. If we travel someplace, for sure there are members there to help us around, share a guest room or show us their city. This is what is called SIGHT. Whatever your cause, Mensa is a good place to find likeminded ones; that is what SIGs are for. Not least, being a Mensa volunteer is a great thing to put on your resume.

C = Contribute! We are so much more than just a social club. We join Mensa not only to receive, but also to bring something: our names, our thoughts and our time and volunteer work not least. This is how we make a difference, on both a small and larger scale. Simply by existing and being visible, Mensa sends the message that intelligence is something that actually exists, and that it is something good and worth fostering. Intelligence should be put to use, in schools, academies, workplaces and at home. And we should learn to recognize intelligence when we see it, for it sadly misunderstood in too many places.

Now, memorize these three words and you will know what to say the next time somebody asks you.

As a member of ExComm, I sometimes get a similar question: ”So what is Mensa International good for?” I have a short answer for them too: D, E and F.

D = Development! If Mensa is good in one country, it deserves to spread to all countries. Unlike other clubs however, we cannot simply open our doors. It is notoriously difficult to become a member of Mensa, you have to pass a test – which means that to establish a new group in a country somewhere, we have to first find a way of testing candidates on a regular basis, in a manner approved by the international supervisory psychologist. Then we need an organizational structure, bylaws, communications, websites and so on. The population has to be told that there is a new sociaty in their country, this strange, unfamiliar thing called ”Mensa”. This requires PR that may or may not be easily copied from other countries with different customs. At every step in the process of building a new group, there are challenges to be overcome. It can start with a Direct International Member somewhere, who wants more company and is willing to take on a leading role. As the initial small group grows, the society changes character, each time becoming slightly more businesslike and professional in the way it is managed. Who coordinates all this and makes sure that Mensa grows? Mensa International does, together with the local founding members. With each new formed group, our body of experience grows as do the supporting material that we can offer.

E = Exchange! We have plenty to share with one another, and Mensa International has the explicit task of enabeling and facilitating the flow of experience and knowledge from country to country. The smaller national Mensas have plenty to learn from the older, bigger countries like American or British Mensa, but the opposite is true as well. Even American Mensa is made up of local groups, which have much in common with local groups in Europe or Asia. Ideas for PR, volunteer recognition, governance, amusing meeting concepts, online services, merchandise, gifted youth programs etc, etc are too good to be limited to any single country. Mensa International provides platforms for spreading such ideas, this is what we do at IBD meetings, the LEAP program, the MWJ and the international website. And that is just the beginning.

F = Franchise! Mensa International has something in common with McDonald's, or FIFA, the football federation. While each country is independent, there is a pattern that all Mensas must follow, lest we drift apart. To keep this a global round table, we need a body that defines what the minimum standard is for each Mensa to meet. Who is to say that just the top 2% should be admitted?`Why not the top 3%? What definition of intelligence should be used? Should it be up to individual countries to decide if they want to take political action, or endorse particular ideological agendas? No, because it would not be long before the great round table would shatter into smaller squares that no longer fit together. The concept, or franchise if you wish, of Mensa has to be unified, and that is the purpose of Mensa International.

In short, that is what the international volunteers do. And just like the local officers, we do not get paid. More than once have people asked where we ”sit”, but we are not whisked away to a secret lair where we conspire together while stroking cats. With the exception of two physical meetings every year, we sit at home, by our computers, responding to e-mail, engaging in teleconferences, drafting policies, reading reports from other volunteers and so on. Why do we do it? Because only by contributing will there be something for us all to enjoy and benefit from.

This was my third and last column as D-SNM; another volunteer will take my place after the election, in which I am a candidate for a different office, Director of Development. Voting is open until the 15th of May. If you have not voted yet, and there still is time, take a few minutes to read the presentations, make up your mind and vote!