September 2024

RVC Column – September, 2024 – Michael Eager, RVC 8

At its August 14 special meeting, the AMC initiated a search for a new Executive Director for American Mensa by hiring an professional executive search firm. I expect that it will take several months to identify potential candidates, evaluate their qualifications, and interview them.

Several months ago, SFRM member Nelson Crandall asked if I would be interested in giving a talk about Mensa to the Rotary Club of Capitola-Aptos where he had just been elected president. In August, I gave a presentation to 30 or so Rotarians about how Mensa started from the accidental meeting of Mensa’s founders to our current day activities. I had fun giving the talk and the audience was interested and receptive. A copy of the slides and (maybe) video will be available on my website https://mensa.eagerm.tech.

I drafted a charter for the SFRM GY Outreach Project which I developed with Region 8 Gifted Youth Coordinator Lana Lee. While the project is interesting (reaching out to parents of Gifted Youth to encourage them to come to the SFRM Regional Gathering in November and take the Mensa Admissions Test for free if they are not members), the more important aspect is the charter and process. This is a new, more systematic approach to initiating, defining, tracking, and evaluating projects which I hope will be adopted by the AMC. American Mensa has a number of projects where the goals, execution plan, status, or evaluation are less than clear. You can find the charter here: https://mensa.eagerm.tech/Main/SFRMGYOutreachProject.

I’ve attended several Region 8 Local Group ExComm meetings by Zoom and have enjoyed phone or email conversations with a number of LocSecs and other Local Group officers. There have been several conversations on a variety of issues ranging from bylaw amendment, to programs for Gifted Youth, to access to local group websites. I’m still working on setting up a regular LocSec conference call and the Region 8 Round Table which I mentioned last month.

On September 20, the AMC is meeting for a full-day planning and strategy session. This ise to discuss what we hope to do during the coming year. The following day there will be an AMC meeting. By the time you read this, the agenda and mini-minutes should be published on the American Mensa website, (https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/meeting-reports). I have drafted a motion to create a Technology Committee to coordinate the various technology efforts of the National Office, Local Groups, and members which is on the agenda.

Feel free to comment on these or any other topics. My email is rvc8@us.mensa.org. You can find this column as well as past columns at https://mensa.eagerm.tech.