The Official Newsletter of South Coast Mensa September, 2016
Transcription
The Official Newsletter of South Coast Mensa September, 2016
The Official Newsletter of South Coast Mensa © South Coast Mensa, 2016 www.southcoast.us.mensa.org https://www.facebook.com/southcoastmensa Region 5 Chapter 365 November, 2016 Announcing South Coast Mensa Candidates The Nominations/Election Committee consisting of Debbie Hanson, George Hartley and Tommie Peterson are please to present a full slate of candidates for the next year. No later than November 15 additional nominations may be made by petition of five members and delivered to the Nominating Committee. South Coast Mensa Candidates for 2017: Donna Workman Dan Hanson Trey Lemley LocSec Assistant LocSec Treasurer Update on Marci Davis’s new contact information In the July newsletter Bunny provided contact information for former member, Marci Davis, and encouraged those who know her to reach out with a card, letter, or phone call. Marci walks a lot, so she may not always be near her phone. Just keep trying. Her birthday is November 30. Her new contact info. Is below. When I spoke with Marci, she said to please put her new contact info. In the newsletter. Dr. Marci Davis Princeton Health and Rehab Center 1333 W Main Street, Room # 218 Princeton, KY 42445 270-365-8483 Halloween will soon become a distant memory as we look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have a large collection of CDs. Well over a thousand, but I justify my collection because I love music and it’s cheaper and healthier than other addictions. I have an additional 200 Christmas CDs but almost none for any other holiday. I have only one Thanksgiving CD. It’s appropriately titled Thanksgiving. If you do a search on Google or iTunes, you will stumble across a few Thanksgiving tunes and there is always A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving to watch on TV or DVD. Thanksgiving music tends to be quiet and introspective, often with a spiritual overtone. Perhaps, even prayerful. I hope that during this Thanksgiving season you are able to pause and give thanks for the many blessing in your life. I am thankful for our many Mensa friends. I hope to see you at both of our meetings this month. We always have a good time. It will be even better if you join us. Feel free to bring a friend. Near the end of this newsletter you will find information about the December meeting. You may want to act now to guarantee a seat on the tour before it fills up. Wishing you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving. Tommie’s photos this month are more amazing than ever!!! Mensa Monthly Meeting By Dan Hanson Jo Ann Flirt -- Director of Blakeley State Park -- is November speaker Actual Civil War trench work Blakeley battle depiction Blakeley-style house Blakeley Civil War Reenactors Eagles- Blakeley wildlife Hawkins Division soldiers who fought at Blakeley Blakeley State Park is known best as the site of a Civil War battle – futilely fought the day after Robert E. Lee surrendered. It’s less known as a town. Prior to settlement by Europeans, for example, it was a summer site used by Indians. Historians know a little bit about this era, though not a lot. The Mississippi Territory chartered it as a European gathering place, a municipality, in 1814. It flashed like a meteor then darkened -- a bustling, growing town, one minute, then decline, turning into what many consider to be “the South’s loveliest ghost town.” Despite a modern residency of non-human citizens – lizards, blue jays and so forth -- it remains an official municipality to this day. In fact, it’s the oldest continuous town in Baldwin County and one of the oldest in the State of Alabama. Josiah Blakeley and others from New England settled it in 1814. They named the avenues after presidents and streets after fruit trees. It reached its zenith in the 1820’s when its population hovered around 4,000, larger than its across-the-bay competitor -- Mobile. During this lively time it boasted hotels, stores, churches, blacksmith shops, majestic homes, the first Courthouse of present day Baldwin County and a bustling seaport town. The Blakeley Sun, published and printed in the town, was one of Alabama’s earliest newspapers. But all this growth and activity didn’t last long. By 1830 Blakeley began to ebb. Yellow fever epidemics and rampant land speculation turned the population movement towards Mobile. With less than one hundred inhabitants Blakeley began to die. The Civil War temporarily resurrected her when she was transformed into Fort Blakely -spelled that way during the war. It housed an army camp of upwards to 4,000 soldiers. A contingent of 20,000 men fought the last major battle of what some call THE war. Nearly half of the Union troops were black soldiers of the famed Hawkins Division. After the war, the land stood idle for better than 100 years – idle, if we want to call the business of nature idleness. Nature took over. Not a brick, nor plank of wood survived. Not a sign of human habitation. The horned owl hooted through the silence. Skink, rattlers, eagles and so on fought their daily life and death struggles. Four hundred year old oaks spread further across the boulevards, warding off the summer vines that tried to strangle them. In the 1970s nothing but the cemetery was left to indicate that Blakeley was once a major player on the Alabama scene. Then, historic Blakeley State Park was created in 1981 and through the years its dedicated supporters have won back bits and pieces of this nearly lost past. Due to the efforts of our November speaker – JoAnn Flirt -- and her predecessor and many others, it is now the largest National Historic Register Site east of the Mississippi River - encompassing 3800 acres nestled beside the Tensaw River. Jo Ann – director of Blakeley State Park – is a native, born and raised, or reared if you prefer, in South Baldwin County. She attended Huntingdon College her freshman year then moved to the University of Alabama where she obtained her BA and MA in Journalism. She spent three academic years as an instructor in Journalism – served as a staff member of the Extension Division and also as assistant director of the Alabama Press Association. That latter is a trade organization of state weekly and daily newspapers that was based on the Tuscaloosa campus at the time. It was a true love – Journalism, that is. She later served as editor of the Foley Onlooker, state editor-courthouse reporter for Montgomery Advertiser, and “for an exciting but brief time” owned a weekly newspaper at Tuscumbia. She returned to the Mobile area to open a professional public relations office. Her “love of journalism and academia” persisted. She taught Journalism at the UA extension service, handled developmental public relations for Mobile College (now University of Mobile) and did much the same at the University of South Alabama. The muses smiled on her public relations business, making her one of the best-known political campaign advertising services in town. As a consequence and on invitation she began a weekly political column, which continued for some 30 years. First it ran outside our area and later in the Mobile Record, a daily subscription newspaper reporting on civil legal filings in Mobile County. As part of her businesses but also as a way to save a heritage building, she bought and restored an 1842 two-story brick building in historic downtown Mobile. No good deed goes unpunished, as they say. Her historic restoration led to service on the Mobile Museum Board and Friends of Old Mobile. That led to volunteer service on boards of what is now Blakeley State Park. That led to being drafted to serve as its director. And that leads her to being our November speaker. Maybe she’ll think twice before restoring any more buildings in the future. Fortunately, she’ll come with a mission when she joins us at our November supper. “My years of action and observation have stuffed my head full of things I would like to share with Mensa members,” she said. “Some of it is about Blakeley and some about what I perceive to be the environment in which Blakeley and many other worthy cultural and natural resources are expected to survive.” Interesting. She’s a “believer in institutions as the workhorses of maintaining and expanding a society that functions for all.” So do I. I’ll be all-ears. November 18 – the weekend before Thanksgiving: 6:30 pm, at Papa’s Place in Daphne. An excellent steak and Italian restaurant, Papa’s is at 28691 Highway 98, just a few blocks south of the I-10 exit in Daphne. We’ve had other meetings there, too. They don’t sell alcohol, so bring your own. They’ll provide an adult beverages set-up for an extra $2. Remember, due to the Thanksgiving holidays, it’s not the usual fourth Friday in November; it’s the third Friday this one time. Donna? You going to remember? November Mensa Meeting Friday, November 18, 6:30 Papa’s Place 28691 Highway 98 Daphne, AL Dauphin Island Sea Lab talks in November Our October speaker Mendel Graeber told me that Dauphin Island Sea Lab has their Boardwalk Talk series at the Estuarium on the first and third Wednesdays of the month (November 2nd and 16th). These are interesting. Topic descriptions are posted at the beginning of each month and can be found here: http://www.disl.org/estuarium/adventures-tours-and-talks/. On November 1st, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation is having their annual Marine Environmental Awards Luncheon. Information about that can be found at: http://sealabfoundation.org/. Dan Hanson Getting the word out about South Coast Mensa We are fortunate to have two hard working proctors in our group. Leslie Castro-Rosario and Bunny Warsh provide testing in Mobile County and Baldwin County. They send out notices to local media and in October, the Lagniappe put a blurb in their weekly paper. It was in the October 20-27 issue on page 34. If you missed it, here’s the brief write up: Mensa testing On Saturday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m., South Coast Mensa will have a testing session in Mobile. For the month of October testing costs $20. Applicants are asked to arrive by 9:45 a.m. so testing may begin promptly at 10. Testing takes approximately two hours. For further information contact SCMensaProctor@yaho o.com. Unique Veterans Day Events Slated at Blakeley State Park Our November speaker Jo Ann Flirt told me that On November 11, Blakeley State Park honors the bravery and innovation of soldiers and sailors who participated in a defining moment in American history fought on land and waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast,--the American Civil War. Highlighting the day are two narrated boat tours of major Civil War defenses protecting Mobile and the sites of naval activity on the eastern Mobile-Tensaw Delta rivers where Confederate torpedoes sank three times as many Union vessels as had been lost at Fort Morgan during the naval battle that closed the mouth of Mobile Bay in August of 1864. “Confederate water batteries and prowling boats, some with make shift iron cladding, in April 1865 were among the last defense of Mobile as federal forces fresh from victories elsewhere turned their attention to the last remaining major city in Southern hands and one that had bedeviled them for four years.”, said Mike Bunn, Blakeley Park director of operations and historian who developed and leads the Veterans Day special events program. Blakeley's Delta Explorer morning excursion along the Blakeley and Apalachee river to sites of defending batteries Tracy and Huger is sold out but a second tour from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. has been added due to public demand. Tickets for the boat tour are $25 for adults, and $15 for children 6-12 available first come-first serve or in advance by calling 251-626-5581 and paying with major credit card. Sandwiched between from 12 noon to 1 p.m. is a public lecture by Dr. Steven Trout of the University of South Alabama on how aspects of the Blakeley Battle, the last major land battle of the Civil War, foreshadowed warfare during World War I and how we remember that conflict. Our Veteran's Day holiday has its origins in the aftermath of the first World War. The lecture is free with general park admission. A boxed chicken lunch is available for $10 by ordering in advance. Blakeley Park is located on State Hwy. 225 about 5 miles north of its intersection with U.S. 31 at Spanish Fort. The new State Veterans Cemetery is a few hundred yards away. For more information on recreational and educational offerings at the park go to www.blakeleypark.com. Dan Hanson Second Saturday Meet to Eat Well, our meeting was fun with good food, decent service and friendly banter. Prices weren't too bad, either. We learned Mrs. Peter Kerr is recovering from ANOTHER operation on her leg. Sounds like she has been through the wringer with that thing. Here's wishing her a full, prompt recovery - SOON! This has gone on long enough! Mike called in his reservation at 8:56 PM last night; but we made room for him at the table, anyway <G!>! We talked. Will this latest scandal about the Donald scotch his chances for the White House once and for all (I hope!)? Only time will tell. The question was posed: once the election is over, what will the talking heads on the news talk about? Weather has a cooled off a tad; we are still wearing shorts and flip flops. But we remain hopeful. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the people suffering the devastating effects from Hurricane Matthew. Material things can be replaced; people cannot. For November: Saturday, November 12, 11 AM at O'Charley's at Airport and I65. Come join us and bring a guest or two. Just let us know by 9 PM on Friday, November 11, so we will know how large a table to request. By then, hopefully we will know who our next president will be. Take care, all! E. Bunny Warsh [email protected] 251/776-6657 Second Saturday Meet to Eat Saturday, November 12, 11:00 AM O’Charley’s Restaurant 3649 Airport Blvd. Mobile, AL 36608 South Coast Mensa 57 members Baldwin County 23 Mobile County 34 Daphne Fairhope Foley Gulf Shores Spanish Fort Montrose Orange Beach Point Clear Mobile Chunchula Grand Bay Saraland Satsuma Semmes Theodore 6 5 3 3 3 1 1 1 28 1 1 1 1 1 1 October Mensa Meeting Made A Big Splash! Boy, oh boy! Did we have a great time last night (October 27) or what? Our speaker, Mendel Graeber, was excellent. Seems our Dauphin Island sea lab is affiliated with the 22 4-year universities in our fair state where students and their professors can complete their studies in marine sciences. Their diplomas come from their respective universities rather than the sea lab. In addition, there is a program for K12, so students from the local schools can come in for half day classes as well. We are so blessed in this part of the country to enjoy a wide variety of marine life between the fresh, brackish and salt waters. She brought specimens - both living and preserved - and passed them around for us to study. Dan, you definitely outdid yourself this time; thank you. She will be one very hard act to follow. Golden Bowl, as always, did not disappoint. Food and service were very good, and prices within reason. Those who missed it - well, what can I say? You missed a great evening; come on out and join us. Get to know us and share the fun. Bunny Warsh By Gary Kubina Are you always available to solve puzzles? Can you absolutely answer these fourteen challenges? It’s time to start solving any and all of these puzzles! Clues Answers th 1. Flight company named after our 49 state. A 2. Organization with a 12-step program. A 3. University in our state. A 4. Billy Joel song. A 5. Taking a pet home for keeps. A 6. Ono Island resident/author of The Traveler’s Gift. A 7. Flight company for the United States. A 8. Star of ABC sitcom Black-ish. A 9. Black U. S. citizens. A 10.Sixth largest city in Michigan. A 11.Basic arithmetic. A 12.It keeps the doctor away. A 13.Swamp sanctuary in Summerdale. A 14.Car service offering road-side assistance. A A A A & Mechanical A Woman to Me A A A A A A A Subtraction A A Day A A A In the December issue, look for Christmas puzzles. In fact, why not make up a Christmas puzzle now and send it to the editor. Also, make other puzzles for future issues of M-Port. In January, you can find the follow up to the From A to A puzzle. It’s simply called B B. Hmmm. What could that be about? Guessing Game The last names of our South Coast Mensa members start with every letter of the alphabet except for 8 letters. Take a guess which 8 letters . Answers appear later in the newsletter. Start a SIG You can start a Special Interest Group (SIG) for any topic or activity that you have an interest in. It can be as simple as a meeting to eat like the SIG that Bunny Warsh started years ago. It can be a hobby, book club, fitness group or whatever you can dream up. To start a SIG you simply put an article in this newsletter stating your interest and wait for a few responses. You can also talk it up in person at meetings to generate interest. You, Planning a One-time Meeting South Coast Mensa is not restricted to having two meetings per month. Some of the big groups have 10 or 20 get-togethers per month. You can pick an activity, event, restaurant, or whatever your interest might be, and put a blurb in the newsletter. A few months ago we did the Art Museum and lunch as a third meeting date. Start brainstorming and send me your plans for a one-time meeting. (Please don’t plan it on the same day as the other two meetings!) November Weird Holidays 2016 Date Event Thursday, November 3 Sandwich Day Sunday, November 6 Saxophone Day Monday, November 7 Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day Tuesday, November 8 Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day Sunday, November 13 World Kindness Day Thursday, November 17 Homemade Bread Day Saturday, November 19 Have a Bad Day Day Monday, November 21 World Hello Day Wednesday, November 23 National Cashew Day Friday, November 25 National Parfait Day Tuesday, November 29 Square Dance Day Tuesday, November 29 E-Greetings Day Tuesday, November 29 National Day of Listening Wednesday, November 30 Stay at Home Because You are Well Day Christmas Puzzles, Games, Humor, Poems, Stories, Memories, Recipes, Drawings, Photographs, etc. Next month is Christmas so it’s time to start planning the December issue of M-Port. Turn up the AC, throw a scarf around your neck and get yourself in the Christmas spirit a little early and create something to send in or dig something up you’ve already created. I want to include your contributions in the December/Christmas edition of our newsletter. Email ([email protected]) or snail mail (3787 Raphael Court, Semmes, AL 36575) the editor with your contributions. Merry Christmas! News from the Recruiting Front: Greetings everyone and welcome to the Fall season!! Bunny and I are thrilled with the changes in weather and with the fact that our chapter met the challenge of testing one more person this month than October 2015!!! Bunny and I work not only on coordinating and facilitating the testing sessions, we also work on the marketing on the sessions. While I take care of contacting the prospects that reach to us through the American Mensa webpage (or any other means) and managing the testing calendar (also on the webpage) Bunny sends communications to local newspapers, radio and TV stations. Still, many of the prospects that get tested got the information by someone else that not only got the info but encourage them to attend. Word of mouth is still a powerful mean of marketing!! Our next testing session will be in Baldwin County, here is the info: Saturday, December 3, 2016, 10:00 AM. Please be there at least 15 minutes earlier. Daphne Library 618 Whispering Pines Rd Daphne, AL 36526 (The Library corners with US 98 at Whispering Pines. There is a Walgreen's on the same corner.) Please, keep talking to your friends and relatives, keep attending our events, keep bragging about being in Mensa!! The more members we get the stronger our chapter becomes and the better the events will be!! Thanks, South Coast Mensa!!! Keep the good references coming!!! Many blessings, Bunny and Leslie Free test review in November, December OUR YEAR-END PROMOTION is ideal for many prospective members who can't attend a testing session, and especially for those under age 14. Get the message out about free Prior Evidence review in November and December: There is just one way — with qualifying prior test scores — to gain entry into American Mensa without taking the official Admission Test, and for a limited time that way is free (a $40 savings)! Those qualifying tests include the LSAT, GMAT and other common intelligence tests. With no review fee, why not submit your scores today! The Mensa Foundation's college scholarship program The Foundation's college scholarship program bases its awards totally on essays written by the applicants. Consideration is not given to grades, academic program or financial need. The scholarship application process opens Sept. 15 and closes Jan. 15. Determine eligibility and begin the U.S. process The U.S. scholarship program covers all of the country and awards more than $87,000 a year. The Foundation's U.S. scholarship program relies on approximately 400 volunteers around the country with support from the Foundation's office staff. U.S. applicants need not be Mensa members. However, Mensa members may apply for both these scholarship programs and the additional Mensa Member Award Program. Monthly Report from RVC 5, Baker Ring 615-230-6819 [email protected] “Apocalypse to Zombies”, Mensa in Georgia’s Regional Gathering, was a spectacular success. They had a great crowd, including several new local group members. Thanks to Charlie Steinhice for conducting a Trash/Academic Bowl. Proctor, Bertie Clarke tested a couple of prospects at their testing session. Can’t wait for next year. The 2017 theme is “42” as it will be their 42nd RG (and The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, & Everything). I’m pleased to report that Central Alabama Mensa has scheduled their Regional Gathering. The theme is “The Magic City RG ‘The Art of Illusion’”. Early registration is $55 before December 31. For information and updates, go to: www.facebook.com/CentralALMensa. Speaking of RGs, Piedmont Area Mensa’s 2017 RG will be take place May 5-7. Early registration usually ends during the first week in January. Look for more information in my December column. Congratulations to the following local groups whose membership is up over the same time last year: Mensa of Eastern North Carolina, Charlotte/Blue Ridge Mensa, Mensa of Central South Carolina, Coastal Carolina Mensa, Mensa in Georgia, North Alabama Mensa, Middle Tennessee Mensa, Chattanooga Mensa, Upper East Tennessee Mensa, Smoky Mountain Mensa, Memphis Mensa, Mississippi Mensa, and South Mississippi Mensa. We appreciate the leadership of all of our local groups. The Fall AMC meeting took place in Arlington, TX during the middle of September. There were several items of interest on the agenda: 1) There was a discussion prompted by the Finance Committee’s request to raise dues. This will be back on the agenda for a vote at the December AMC meeting. 2) A motion to establish a Hearings and Dispute Resolution Processes Review Ad hoc Committee to review current AML hearings, disciplinary, and dispute resolution processes with the intent to reorganize and condense the information and to make recommendations as appropriate for changes to the processes. 3) A motion was passed creating a national Awards Review Task Force to look at all national awards and determine the best course of action for the future. You can find a summary of the meeting in the Mini-Minutes and the full minutes will be on-line as soon as they are approved by the AMC. If you have any comments on these items, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. The next AMC meeting will take place in New Orleans, December 10, in conjunction with the New Orleans RG. Members of American Mensa are always welcome to attend AMC meetings. A big thanks all the Proctors who tested during October, National Testing Month. Testing is an important part of increasing membership. You do a great service for your local group. It Began with a Train Ride Seventy years ago today, the musings and aspirations of two highminded British aristocrats gestated into what we know today as Mensa. Oct. 1, 1946, marks the high-IQ society’s formal inception because that’s when one of its founders, Roland Berrill, printed the organization’s first literature — the anniversary further codified 30 years later when cofounder Lancelot Lionel Ware unveiled a plaque affixed to the outside of the building at 12 Saint John Street, Oxford, that reads: The International Society MENSA began here 1 October 1946 Formal anniversary aside, a more punctilious retracing of Mensa’s origins marks an unknown August day one year earlier. Mere months after the end of World War II, a train advances through the English countryside. From the windows, not yet mended landscapes recall human history’s bloodiest conflict, the devastating results of ingenious engineering and insipid comportment. That’s when chance appoints two travelers with a penchant for pondering man’s potential. * * * Imagine the tattered, war-torn carriage of a rattling, neglected British train approaching the prosperous Surrey town of Godalming on a hot August day. The younger man was slender, unobtrusive, had a receding chin and a reserved, very English upper class style and manner. He was studying Hansard (the British Parliamentary Report) and, had he been reading The Times, Mensa might never have happened. The older man was forty-nine, thick-set and study. He was smartly and prosperously dressed. He sported that which was unusual to the point of eccentricity in those days: a full, well-tended dark beard and moustache. He was above all things a noticeable man. His large, confident, protruding eyes turned masterfully this way and that as he subjected the carriage to his inspection. I am in no doubt that the quiet young Englishman was less than comfortable with these manners which may have had their origin more in the antipodal upbringing than in the English education of the Australian, Roland Berrill, the bearded starer and the future Founder of Mensa. For that is who it was. Perhaps the English university student, Lancelot Lionel Ware, tucked his face even deeper behind the pages of Hansard until, in the end, it was they that caught the imperious eye of the unselfconscious Berrill. “Is that Hansard that you are reading, young man?” Berrill’s firm, pleasant voice revealed his English upper class schooling, not his Australian birth. “Obviously.” The slight young man’s accent was also confident and impeccably upper class. He read on. A firm English put-down. There was a silent contest of wills and cultures. English traditional railway carriage reserve contented with confident colonial brashness and bonhomie. Berrill persisted. He overcame Ware’s reserve and the two Mensa pioneers began to talk as the worn-out train rattled serenely on in the August sunshine through the bomb-shattered London suburbs. The men exchanged addresses and, unthinking, parted. But Mensa had entered the realm of the possible. A very, very, unlikely association had become just slightly less improbable. — Victor Serebriakoff in Mensa, 1985 Question of the Month Mensans have a lot to say, so I’d like to hear your thoughts on the question of the month. Send the editor an email or a snail mail with your answer to the Question of the Month. Please include your first and last name to be printed with your response. October Question of the Month: Night owl? Morning person? Which are you? When are you most productive? Well, I am a "Later-In-The-Day" person. I have never been a morning person. Actually, the only college course I had to repeat was mainly because the only session available was at 7:00 AM.... In order to be sure that my mind would be thinking at 7:00 AM, I had to wake up at 4:00 AM. While that was many moons ago, I learned then that my mind is "awake" about three hours after I wake up. All my life I have known that I was not a morning person and as the day "heats" up, so does my mind. I am able to continue doing different tasks throughout the night until I get a bath; a bath signals my mind to start shut-down procedures and I can be useful for about 30 afterwards. Fast-forward to 2016, I am still that way. I have to be very conscious of when I need to be somewhere in the morning to plan accordingly. On a regular workday, I am expecting to be at work between 7 to 7:30 AM....you can guess at what time the alarm goes off.... :-/ Leslie Castro-Rosario November Question of the Month: How did you view Christmas as a child and how do you view Christmas as an adult (or older child as the case may be)? Consider commercialism, religion/faith, family, quiet or loud, simple or complex, relaxing or hectic, etc. I’m running out of questions of the month. What question would you like to ask fellow Mensans in the question of the month? Send in your questions! Never been to a South Coast Mensa Meeting? What are you waiting for? Things you will NOT find at a South Coast Mensa gathering: Things you will find at a South Coast Mensa gathering: People bragging about their IQ Someone trying to intimidate someone Everyone having the exact same interest Some people talking/some people listening People laughing People eating Southern politeness (as you would expect) Friendly people People interested/curious about a lot of things People willing to admit they don’t know about some topics People with high school diplomas and people with doctorate degrees Interesting speakers A variety of meeting locations You, having a good time You’ll be glad you did! Spotlight On A Mensan Please send me information about yourself. Include your first and last name along with anything you care to share in our newsletter, M-Port. It can be from a few lines to a page in length. Bullets or sentences are OK. Possible ideas: Number of years in Mensa, Personal/family/pet information, Work experience, Awards/accomplishments, Hobbies, Positive Mensa experiences, Why did you join Mensa? Send to: Gary Kubina [email protected] Fellow Mensans: What are you up to? What have you been doing lately? I think your fellow Mensans would love to have a peek into your interests and hobbies. Send me information about your activities, hobbies, and interests. Attach photos. Let me hear from you. (Gary Kubina’s contact information is at the end of this newsletter.) We attended the 54th annual Greek Festival at the Annunciation Greek Church on Ann Street in Mobile. We had the Pastichio dinner, grabbed some Greek pastries to go, then toured the church. Gary Kubina The Mobile Symphony Orchestra had guest conductor, Sara Hicks, offering 16 pieces from various Pixar animated movies. As you can see, they showed a video to go along perfectly timed with the live music. That is quite a feat as Sara explained that she had a computer on her music stand along with her musical scores. She receives “punches” on the video to be sure they hit certain notes at just the right time for full impact. She also had an ear piece ticking away every beat. She said it was like playing a crazy video game while conducting a symphony. The concert was mesmerizing. It reminded me how crucial the music is to enhance the emotions of the visual part of a movie. It makes me want to watch the movie Up again. Sara said that she had the privilege of conducting the show in San Francisco. While there, she toured Pixar Studios. She said there were lots of creative types and they had an oxygen bar, a drinking bar, and a cereal room with 80 types of cereal in dispensers with every kind of milk you can imagine. There was even a Buddhist Temple. The Mobile Symphony has several more shows in the 2016 -2017 season. If you love music, it’s worth the time and money. Gary Kubina Dauphin Island had their annual Art Trail on the same day as the triathlon. For the Art Trail you visited 10 stores listed on the map and got the map stamped at each stop. While there, you visited various artists showing and selling their arts and crafts. At the end of the day there was a drawing for many gifts. We won a gift certificate to the Lighthouse Bakery. We bought lunch and some baked goods that day, so it won’t be a problem to return with a gift certificate. Gary Kubina Answers: From A to A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Alaskan Airlines Alcoholics Anonymous Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical Always A Woman to Me Animal Adoption Andy Andrews American Airlines Anthony Anderson African American Ann Arbor Addition And Subtraction An Apple A Day Alligator Alley American Automobile Association Have you seen our South Coast Mensa sign? It’s displayed at our meetings and at testing sites thanks to our proctors Leslie Castro-Rosario and Bunny Warsh. . . . And did you know we won the Ruby Award? There are three levels of awards: Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby. The Ruby award is the highest award and South Coast Mensa is one of only five groups in our classification (fewer than 100 members) to win this prestigious award. Our group was recognized this summer at the Annual Gathering (AG) with this certificate. Thank you for your participation and contributions to South Coast Mensa! . . . And here’s a list of all 21 Mensa groups with fewer than 100 members We may be the third smallest group in the U. S., but we have a lot going on thanks to you! Feel free to send your comments on how we can do even better. Contact information for the Executive Committee (ExComm), the editor and other movers and shakers can be found at the end of the newsletter. Challenge of the Month Spend each day being as ‘present’ as possible and making the most of simple acts and routine tasks. Life will feel brighter and you will hopefully feel more fulfilled. It’s not often what we’ve got or where we are, but our attitude to what life throws our way. It’s your turn. What Challenge of the Month would you like to pose to our membership? Send it in. In My Yard What’s in your yard? Share photos and captions. Maybe it’s your home, a pet in the yard, a flower, a vegetable garden, kids playing, a sunset, a moonrise, or a porch swing. Grab your camera and walk around your yard and start sharing. Guessing Game Answers The eight letters are E, I, N, Q, U, V, X, Y Mensa Demographics and Figures American Mensans have scored in the top 2 percent of the general population on an accepted standardized intelligence test. American Mensa’s membership is diverse, ranging in age from 2 to 102. They include engineers, homemakers, teachers, actors, athletes, students, CEOs and people from virtually every walk of life. With more than 56,000 members, American Mensa is the largest national Mensa operating under the auspices of Mensa International Ltd. Education Four-year degree or greater Some college Education beyond four-year degree 82% 96% 63% Gender Male Female 66% 34% Generations Baby Boom Generation X Generation Y Silent Generation Z Depression 1943-1960 1961-1981 1982-2000 1925-1942 2001-2020 1901-1924 38% 31% 13% 12% 5% <1% Most Common Interests (above average compared to general population) Computers · Travel · Literature Reading · Music · Films/Movies · Cooking · Games · Investments · Politics · Education · Photography · Art · Writing · Science · Arts & Crafts · History · Astronomy · Psychology · Science Fiction Read any good books lately? Why not write a review and send it to the editor for a future issue of M-Port? Happy reading . . . and writing. Smart Stuff We’re looking for contributions for Smart Stuff. Members can recommend something they’ve discovered in the media (or around town) that they think other Ms would enjoy. Think books, TV, radio, websites, movies, podcasts, apps, magazines, insights, etc. Is there something you’ve discovered and want to share with your fellow Ms? Send it in. We all do dumb things sometimes. We may think they are uncharacteristic, but they do happen to all of us. Do you have a story to tell about yourself that might make fellow Mensans scream “Retest”? Send it in. November Mensa Anniversaries November Birthdays Phillip Gabriel Peter Kerr Dan Hanson Debbie Hanson Allan Laneier George Hartley Adam Brown Karen Peterson Harriet Daves Howard Rubenstein 38 36 4 4 Treasurer’s Report from Trey Lemley $1415.06 7th 15th 16th 17th 23rd 29th Looking Forward To The December Mensa Meeting Fish and Ducks. How does that all tie in to next month’s meeting? Read on. Who doesn’t like Felix’s Fish Camp on the causeway? The last time we met there, everyone wanted the crab soup. Delicious. Next month we are having a Saturday lunch meeting at Felix’s followed by the Gulf Coast Duck tour. Felix’s Fish Camp Restaurant is so popular that there always seems to be a wait. We think we have solved that problem by having an early lunch at 11:00 AM and by RSVP’ing to Gary so we will know how large a table to request. The Gulf Coast Duck tour will follow, boarding near the USS Battleship Alabama. The tour is described as the most entertaining tour in America! This hilarious yet informative adventure covers over 3,000 years of local tales (some tall) as well as exciting stories about the USS ALABAMA and Battleship Memorial Park. There is a $2.00 parking fee. The 60-70-minute tour is aboard an amphibious vehicle that rolls through downtown Mobile but also makes three different splashes into the water (but you won’t get wet unless you sit in the rear, middle seat called the Soggy Bottom zone). There are no restrooms on the Ducks but you are welcome to visit the Battleship’s gift shop restroom before and after the tour. Due to the vintage nature of the vehicles, the Ducks are not handicapped accessible. There are 8 steps to climb. This December meeting has options. You can just do the lunch at 11:00 or you can just do the tour at 1:30, but we hope you will go for the full adventure and do both. The tours are opened to the public and have limited seating. To guarantee a spot on the 1:30 tour with fellow Mensans and friends, you should go online now and reserve your seat(s) with a major credit card. If you have questions, you can call 251-802-8687. http://www.felixsfishcamp.com/home.html http://www.gulfcoastducks.com/ Duck Tour Ticket Prices $25 Adults $23 Seniors (65+) / Military / Educators $15 Kids (3-12) $0 (Infants-2 years) Please bring a photo ID to claim your tickets. For the Felix’s lunch RSVP to Gary Kubina by 9:00 PM the night before. [email protected] 251-633-3564 Reserve your spot on the 1:30 Duck tour by going online to the website http://www.gulfcoastducks.com/ and pay for your ticket(s). 251-802-8687 December Mensa Meeting Saturday, December 17 11:00 AM Felix’s Fish Camp on the causeway 1530 Battleship Parkway Spanish Fort, AL 36527 followed by 1:30 PM (arrive at least 15 minutes early) Gulf Coast Duck Tour 2703 Battleship Parkway Mobile, AL 36603 A "paraprosdokian" is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence is unexpected and oft times very humorous. • If I had a dollar for every girl that found me unattractive, they'd eventually find me attractive. • I find it ironic that the colors red, white, and blue stand for freedom, until they're flashing behind you. • Today a man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation towards the local swimming pool, so I gave him a glass of water. • Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. • I'm great at multi-tasking--I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at once. • If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame. • Take my advice — I'm not using it. • My wife and I were happy for twenty years; then we met. • Hospitality is the art of making guests feel like they're at home when you wish they were. • Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes. • Ever stop to think and forget to start again? • Women spend more time wondering what men are thinking than men spend thinking. • He who laughs last thinks slowest. • Is it wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly? • I was going to give him a nasty look, but he already had one. • Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. • I was going to wear my camouflage shirt today, but I couldn't find it. • If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. • Sometimes I wake up grumpy; other times I let her sleep. • If tomatoes are a fruit is tomato juice a Smoothie? [Former South Coast Mensa member, Stan Virden, passed this along. Thanks, Stan. We miss you and Beth.] Cook’s Corner SPICED CARROT SOUP 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 tbsp madras style curry powder 10 medium carrots, roughly chopped 2 large sticks of celery, cut into pieces 1.5l chicken or vegetable stock 1 tbsp snipped chives to serve Crème fraiche to serve 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes and then add the curry powder. 2. Cook for an extra 2 minutes and then add the carrots, celery and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. 3. Allow to cool a little, then purée the mixture in batches in a blender, or with a hand-held liquidizer. Gently reheat the soup. 4. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve garnished with a dollop of crème fraiche and a sprinkling of chives. The sweetness of the carrots works well with the mild amount of curry powder. Use a good quality madras curry powder and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. This can be made up to 48 hours ahead of serving. Don't add the crème fraiche or chives until ready to serve. Great with Indianstyle bread. Picture This! Photos by Tommie Peterson All photos are copyright protected and should not be reproduced without permission. You may send the newsletter to friends in its entirety. For this month I have some photos I took while visiting in-laws in Michigan. Because the leaves were changing colors, the theme for all of these is "fall foliage." Thanks for having a look! Second Saturday Meet To Eat Saturday, November 12, 11:00 AM O’Charleys at I-65 in Mobile Monthly Mensa Meeting Friday, November 18, 6:30 PM Papa’s Place in Daphne LocSec Assistant LocSec Treasurer Donna Workman [email protected] 251-981-1901 Dan Hanson [email protected] 251-767-0106 Trey Lemley [email protected] 251-610-6587 Proctor Facebook Manager S. S. Meet To Eat Leslie Castro-Rosario [email protected] 787-501-4289 Trey Lemley [email protected] 251-610-6587 Bunny Warsh [email protected] 251-776-6657 Editor Mailing Coordinator Web Master Gary Kubina [email protected] 251-633-3564 Lynda Woerner [email protected] 858-215-0898 Al Warsh [email protected] 251-230-5001 3787 Raphael Court Semmes, AL 36575 To: M-Port: The Official Newsletter of South Coast Mensa Opinions expressed in M-Port are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other individual or of any official Mensa body. Mensa is an international society in which the sole requirement for qualification for membership is a score at or above the 98th percentile on any of a number of standardized intelligence tests. Mensa is a not-for-profit organization whose main purpose is to serve as a means of communication and assembly for its members. “Mensa’s purposes are to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity; to encourage research in the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence; and to provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members.” All items for publication are subject to editing except those ordered to be printed by the Board of Directors, the time and date of calendar entries, and those articles designated “print as is or not at all.” Editing will consist of correcting spelling and grammar, modifying for space, appropriateness and clarity, and determining if the material is in good taste. Any submission that is edited will not have the general meaning changed unless approved by the author. If, after negotiation, the editor and the author do not both approve the text, the submission will not be published.
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