Inside This Issue - Southeast Michigan Mensa
Transcription
Inside This Issue - Southeast Michigan Mensa
M-Pathy July 2013 Page 1 THE NEWSLETTER OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN MENSA VOL. 50 NO. 7 July 2013 mensadetroit.com mensadetroit.com/facebook Inside This Issue Editors’ Page 2 Co-LocSec 3 RVC: reMARK 4 From the GYC 5 Scholarship Essay Winner 6 Just Joking Puzzles Word Search: Moody Survivors Managing Talent Are you reading this… SEMMantics Heroes And the winners are… 7 8 9 10 Capital Challenge 11 Collage of RG memories 12-13 Golden Owl Award 14 On the Web Do you know Gen Y? 15 Membership Notes 16 Events: The SEMM Calendar 19 Monthly Calendar Précis of ExComm Meeting 22 Directory: Executive Committee 23 SEMMer Bash flyer 24 Photo by Dakota Jenkins SEMMantics 34 was a fun-filled weekend for all ages. There were tournaments, an always well-stocked games room, Kids’ Track, excellent speakers, beer and wine tastings, swimming, a chocolate orgy, plus so many other activities. One of the events on the Kids’ Track was building sumo robots with Lego mindstorms kits, as shown above. Making new friends and working as a team are some of the memories these three will surely remember about this RG. If you didn’t make it to the RG this year, please join us in 2014 for SEMMantics 35, and make your own memories! SEMM’s speaker program will return on Saturday, August 17. Program details will be published in next month’s M-Pathy. Until then, join us at the SEMMer Bash on Saturday, July 20. See the back cover for the flyer. Page 2 M-Pathy From the Editor’s Desk - Kathleen Giesting m-pathy (ISSN 0744-9763) is published monthly for $6 per year for local members and members-by preference and $12 per year for non-local members by Southeast Michigan Mensa at 24565 Glen Orchard Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48336. Subscription cost for local members and members-by- preference is included in national dues. Publisher Larry Arbanas 24565 Glen Orchard Drive Farmington Hills, MI 48336 [email protected] Editor-in-chief Kathleen Giesting 2947 Philadelphia Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103-6813 [email protected] Assistant Editor Toby Berger 7269 Creeks Bend Court West Bloomfield, MI 48322 [email protected] Calendar Editor [email protected] Membership Editor Iana Questara Boyce [email protected] Circulation Manager Marilyn McZip P.O. Box 510056 Livonia, MI 48151-6056 Phone: 734-459-3884 [email protected] It’s SUMMER! My garden grows. I’m enjoying my deck and umbrella and a big glass of Sangria. Life is good. In Ann Arbor, the Summer Festival is almost over which means Art Fairs happen this month. OK, I love living in Ann Arbor (even though I avoid the stadium on game days and skip most of the Art Fairs). I know there are other great places in Southeast Michigan – maybe where you live? Why not drop us a note and tell us what you like best about your community? You can send it to [email protected] Or go further and host an event in your neighborhood. It could be visiting a local microbrewery (contact John Voymas to help organize it), taking in a movie at a historic theater, attending an outdoor/indoor concert or play, or just leading a neighborhood walk (have you seen the Fairy Doors in Ann Arbor?) or visit to your local Farmer’s Market (and subsequent cook-off/recipe sharing). If you plan ahead, you can get it in the M-Pathy calendar or post it on our SEMM Facebook page. Love where you live? Share it! From the Assistant Editor - Toby Berger There seems to be a common theme in this month’s M-Pathy – summer! So much to do, see, and experience, but where to start? Whatever your summertime plans may be, consider some of the SEMM activities listed in this issue. For example, there’s the annual SEMMer Bash on Saturday, July 20 at Kensington Metropark (information on back cover). Looking for something to keep your children interested during the summer months? Check out the comprehensive list of specialized summer camps located in Southeast Michigan, compiled by SEMM’s Gifted Youth Coordinator, Melissa Jenkins. And there are always other events listed in SEMM’s monthly calendar to check out. Just be sure to bring along enough liquids, (preferably water!), and plenty of sunscreen as you venture out in this heat. Happy summer! Distribution Manager Tom McClure 41765 Onaway Dr. Northville, MI 48167-2411 (248) 348-3603 [email protected] Jokes & Riddles [email protected] Allegra Louth Puzzles: Joan Rayford, Tom Shaw, Jim Szirony Like us at mensadetroit.com/facebook, to follow the latest SEMM news. Page 3 July 2013 SEMM co-Loc Sec Katie Jeffries Welcome to Summer, with summer comes the annual rite of summer in Southeast Michigan Mensa, the SEMMer Bash! This year is promising to be one for the books! We are going to have tons of food, hot dogs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers, chicken, with all the fixing, lots of sides, sodas, adult beverages, and desserts. If there is anything you would like to bring to share you are more than welcome. This year we are at a great site, the South Hickory Picnic Shelter (site “J”). The area around it can accommodate a couple hundred people so we will have plenty of room to spread out and there is a lot to do just in our area alone. We have a lovely view of the water, which will provide a nice cooling breeze for us, there is a volleyball court adjacent to the picnic area, and for the kids we also are close by children’s play equipment. The kids this year will also have a best friend in Melissa Jenkins, she is planning a bunch of awesome activities for all our cool smart kids this year from geochaching, a rocket launch and a possible boat trip, on the Island Queen. Speaking of Island Queen we are near the boat launch, $6 for adults and $4 for children under the age of 16. Kensington Park also offers other fun Coming Soon!!!! activities like disc golf ($2 for a day pass), fishing, fitness trail, golf ($18-25), hiking, the Splash ‘n’ Blast Waterpark (ranging from $3-$5), and of course swimming at Martindale Beach which is about four and half miles away. (We also have an extra upgrade from last year, flush toilets that are right by the shelter) As always we are looking for volunteers to help out in anyway. We need people to help with cooking, anyone out there who is a self-proclaimed grill master, and want to prove it? We are also looking for people to help transport supplies to Kensington from our storage area in Chelsea, so if you have a pick-up truck and want to help, please let me know!!! To help and volunteer, contact me at [email protected] or [email protected]. So, as we get ready for SEMMer Bash I want to remind you to get your reservations in as soon as possible, before the price increases on July 12 (look for the flyer for the SEMMer Bash in the back of the M-Pathy or register online at mensadetroit.com). You will be getting a lot for your investment! If you have never been to a monthly gathering this is a great place to start and if you are a regular fixture at SEMM monthly gatherings, we can’t wait to see you again this month!!! Katie by Katie Jeffries, Gen-X/Gen-Y Coordinator July 14th will be a Gen Y activity, the where has yet to be determined. To keep up-to-date on all the latest breaking news that is going on in Gen Y in SEMM, check us out on Facebook at SEMM Gen Y!!! We are very active and always looking for new people to join us at our gatherings. We usually meet in the Ann Arbor area because the majority of our SIG members live in that general area, but anyone who is willing to host is more than welcome to have us, we clean up after ourselves! As summer comes to an end, which seems like a far time from now, but it will come sooner than you think, Gen Y will be having its 5th Annual Gen Y Picnic!!! Who can believe it is the 5th one?!?! We started as a rag tag bunch with maybe 7 members and now have over 30 members at last year’s event! This year we hope to have an even bigger turn out. So mark your calendars for August 18th (and yes, I have to give a shout out to Pritpaul Mahal who will be celebrating his birthday that day), and synchronize your watches for noon where we will meet at Gallup Park in Ann Arbor. Watch your mail for the postcard with ALL the information in it and there will more in M-Pathy next month. So come one, come all. Bring a friend and let’s have some amazing fun!!! Page 4 M-Pathy reMARK by Betsy Y. Mark, Regional Vice Chair As of the submission date for this column, elections are still happening and we won’t know who our new RVC3 will be until after June 1st. Please welcome Julia or John as s/he begins her/his new adventure. Without question, Region 3 will be well represented on the AMC. 33 1/3 - the Long Play weekend! WPAM drops the needle and spins you four days and three nights of non-stop food and fun. That's 33 1/3% more than your average RG! Look forward to interesting speakers, themed meals, a sock hop, silent auctions, book sale and games, games, games. Come to Pittsburgh to play with us over the long Labor Day weekend. Our next RG (July 26-28) is “It's the End of the World as We Know It...and We Feel Fine” to be hosted by Columbus Area Mensa, whose blurb on-line in Mensa’s calendar of events states: Join us for food, games, speakers and a pint at our pub called Milliways. All RG events in the hotel, 12th floor. Waterpark passes optional. Hotel will charge one night's room & tax (deposit) at time of reservation. $25 cancellation fee with 72 hours notice, forfeit deposit with less than 72 hours notice. Registration, including meals: until Jul. 1, $75; after Jul. 1, $80; Friday only, $30; Saturday only, $55; Kids 11-18, half price; 10 & under, free. Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort, 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive, Columbus, OH 43232, 614-868-1380. Web site: www.fortrapids.com Room rates are $99 ($159 w/ up to 4 park passes) and are guaranteed through July 5. Use reservation code Columbus Mensa. To register, make check out to "Columbus Area Mensa" and mail to: Columbus RG Treasurer, P.O. Box 292557, Columbus OH 43229. For more information, contact Registrar Julia Ashley at [email protected] or 614-448-6023. Registration rates are: - postmarked Apr., $90 adult/$45 child (ages 7-14) - postmarked May/Jun., $100/$50 - postmarked Jul. thru Aug. 25, $110 /$55 - Aug. 26 and after, $120/$60 Mensa’s next Annual Gathering will be in Fort Worth, Texas, July 3-7. Information can be found at http://ag2013.us.mensa.org/. It’s going to be a great party! You may register for the 2013 Colloquium, Between Science Fiction and Science, which is being held July 2, immediately preceding the AG. That information can be found on the AG website, also. Single-day registrations are: - Friday - $35 adult/$15 child (ages 7-14) - Saturday - $55/$25 - Sunday - $55/$25 - Monday - $25/$15 Children 6 and under are free, and families of four of more receive an additional $10 off for each child. DoubleTree Greentree 500 Mansfield Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15205 800-222-8733 Website: 2013-WPAM-RG Room rates are $94 and are guaranteed through Aug. 15. Use reservation code Western Pennsylvania Mensa. To register, contact [email protected] or send a check payable to WPAM RG with name, email, phone, address and days attending for each registrant to Marty Flowers, 303 Diamond Dr., Moon Township, PA 15108 For more information, contact Jodi Chase at [email protected] or 412-867-8576. LLAP and Peace, Betsy Betsy Yvonne Mark [email protected] 3674 Oak Drive - Ypsilanti, MI 48197 734-434-5757 (Home) or 313-530-2055 (Mobile) Region 3 Website - http://www.region3.us.mensa.org/ Yahoo group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AMR3/ Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71515809887 Page 5 July 2013 From the GYC by Melissa Jenkins, Gifted Youth Coordinator KIDS’ ACTIVITIES AT THE SEMMER BASH This year’s bash promises to be a great one for kids! We will be at the South Hickory Ridge Picnic Shelter near the beach with a flush bathroom! Our lineup for kids starts at 12 noon with bottle rocket launching. Your kids fill and launch their own rockets! If you drink pop, please save up those liter bottles and bring them with you. SEMM will supply the rocket decorations and the awesome launcher that will shoot your rocket up to 100 feet into the air! Next at 2:30pm, we will embark on a geocaching expedition lead by our own Kurt Love. Kensington is a great place to find caches! Here is a link describing the great caches that can be found there. http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?guid=13 9ee949-f9b0-4fc4-9d2f-2aed6ff5949a. Those who have done this before know how much fun it can be! Bring your GPS (you can still participate if you don’t have one). Also, if desired, bring objects to swap for something found in a cache! We will wrap up the kids’ activities with a combined adults and families boat tour on the Island Queen Pontoon Boat at 6:00pm. This tour includes wildlife interpretation and the kids are usually given turns to drive the boat. So come on out for a great time. Don’t miss the fun! Greenfield Village Ticket Contest: Families with kids who attended the Regional Gathering were entered into a raffle for two free Greenfield Village tickets. Rachel Hendrian, who attended with Marizel and Kristina Porcalla, won the tickets. Congratulations, Rachel! Wild & Wacky Summer Camps in Southeast Michigan I’ll conclude my column this month with descriptions of some really unusual summer camps in the Southeast Michigan Area. Are your kids/teens bored with the usual campfires, craft-making, swimming, and everything else mundane? Check out these unusual camps which are likely to pique the interest of kids who are looking for something new and intriguing to do this summer. All the following camps and more can be found on the summer camps page on the Gifted In Michigan website: http://giftedinmichigan.wordpress.com/links-andreferences/summer-programs-summer-camps/ Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum Summer Camps: This camp is science-themed, as you might expect. Weeklong camps have titles such as “Engineering 101”, “It’s Electric”, “Lights, Camera, Explosion!”, etc. Cirque Amongus Camp: Has your child ever wanted to perform in a circus? Kids at this camp design and build a circus performance from scratch and put on the performance at the finale of the camp! Camp Invention: Want to give your kid a chance to work with his/her hands and really learn how to build and make things and use his/her imagination? Then this is the camp for you! Cranbrook Institute of Science Summer Camps: These camps aim to make hands on science learning fun! Here are some of the titles: “Museum Boot Camp”, “Hack This Camp”, “Harry Potter Camp”, “Behind the Camera Camp”. Cranbrook Schools Summer Robotics Camps: Would your child like to design and build autonomous robots using leading edge robotics tools and techniques? Then this is the camp for her/him! Detroit Zoo Summer Camps: Send your child on a summer safari to learn more about the animals of the world! Dreamcatcher Camps: List provided by Sherry Sparks, president-elect of MAGC (the Michigan Association of Gifted Children). This camp list describes many wonderful camp opportunities for gifted children and youth. Local Gifted School Summer Camps: Many local gifted schools offer summer camps that are open to any child. Examples are Emerson School Summer Camp, Roeper Summer Day Camp, Steppingstone School Summer Day Camp, Summers-Knoll School Summer Camp. The Henry Ford Summer Discovery Camps: These are some great history camps! Here are some descriptions: “Growing Up in America”, “On the Move”, “Seeds of Change”, “What a Crazy Idea!”, “Hiking Through History”, “All in a Day’s Work”. Impression Five Lab Camps: These are some great science camps held in the Lansing area! Interlochen Summer Arts Camp: This is a wonderful camp for artists of virtually every variety. It is located just outside of Traverse City. Mad Science Summer Camp: Another science camp. This one allows the kids to build and assemble several take-home projects and also engage in physical activities. Michigan Science Center Summer Camps: The old Detroit Science Center is now the Michigan Science Center and it has summer camps this year! Here are some of the titles: “Critters of the Night”, “Backyard Science”, “What’s Up Doc?”, “Eekstein’s Space Adventures”,”Rock’n with Geology”. Painting With a Twist Summer Kid’s Kamp: Painting and Art Projects! Pre-College Programs: Several exist in our area. Here is a sampling: College for Creative Studies, Kettering University, Lawrence Tech, Macomb Community College, Oakland University, Schoolcraft College, University of Michigan, Michigan State University. Kids’ continued on page 6 Page 6 M-Pathy Kids’ continued from page 5 The Physics of Atomic Nuclei Program: MSU houses among other things, the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Teens have occasionally been allowed to conduct experiments here. It may be worth looking into if your teen is interested! Robot Garage: This is the place to go for Lego building and robot construction this summer! Scholarship Essay Winner Shop Rat Summer Camp: Does your kid want to learn about plumbing, electrical, or another skilled trade? This is a great camp for kids grade 6th through 10th who want to test out their skills at hands on work! Upland Hills Farm Summer Camp: Is your child crazy about animals? This camp is great to teach kids how a farm works and help them learn really interesting facts about farm animals and animal husbandry. by Phyllis Voorheis, Scholarship Chair I am pleased to announce that SEMM had one winner this year in the 2013 Scholarship program, Katherine Cavellier. Her winning essay follows. Diana Mossip Memorial Scholarship $300 Winner - Katherine Cavellier, Oxford, Michigan I have many qualities that would make me a great nurse. I am very organized, enjoy learning, and like working with people. I have always earned all A's in school and challenge myself with advanced/honors classes. I am currently ranked #1 at Lake Orion High School and have a 4.0 GPA. Another strong quality I have is that I am very caring. I have helped organize fundraisers for St. Jude's Children's Hospital and participated in several community charities. I also enjoy spending time with my 95year-old great-grandmother, who unfortunately can hardly hear and has multiple health problems. I help clean, do errands, and listen to her many interesting stories. One of my favorite things to do is babysit little kids. One family I work for has a 6-year-old, a 3-year-old, and twin babies. The 3-year-old battles speech impairment on top of juvenile diabetes. They can be a lot of work, but I love taking care of them. I have cleaned up plenty of messes and have dealt with sicknesses on many occasions. I believe these experiences will strongly help me when I start working in the medical field. I have been accepted into both the University of Michigan's School of Nursing and Michigan State University's Honors Program. The curriculum at these schools would strongly support my interest in becoming a Pediatric Nurse. I am used to working hard and my favorite subjects are math and science. I had the privilege of working as a student intern at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital this past year. I have always been interested in going into the medical field, but after working in several different departments of St. Joe's, I realized the Pediatric Unit is where I belong. With my experiences as a leader in high school band and an enthusiastic member of various team sports, I know I have a lot to offer. In college, I will major in Nursing while concentrating on child and infant care. I will become a registered nurse and obtain my license by passing the NCLEX exam. I hope to someday lead my own department at a hospital and place a strong emphasis on the proper care and love for sick children. I will also get married and have four kids of my own. I am thrilled that I will get to continue to do what I love – working with both kids and science! Page 7 July 2013 Submitted by Allegra Louth Please send your jokes and comments to: [email protected] The young couple invited their aged pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having. "Goat," the little boy replied. "Goat?" replied the startled man of the cloth, "Are you sure about that?" "Yep," said the youngster. "I heard dad say to mom, 'Might as well have the old goat for dinner today as any other day.'" ------A frog telephones the Psychic Hotline and is told, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you." The frog says, "This is great! Will I meet her at a party, or what?" "No," says the psychic. "Next semester in her biology class." ------There was once a snail who was sick and tired of his reputation for being so slow. He decided to get some fast wheels to make up the difference. After shopping around a while, he decided that the Datsun 240-Z was the car to get. So the snail goes to the nearest Datsun dealer and says he wants to buy the 240-Z, but he wants it repainted "240-S". The dealer asks, "Why 'S'?" The snail replies, "'S' stands for snail. I want everybody who sees me roaring past to know who's driving." Well, the dealer doesn't want to lose the unique opportunity to sell a car to a snail, so he agrees to have the car repainted for a small fee. The snail gets his new car and spent the rest of his days roaring happily down the highway at top speed. And whenever anyone would see him zooming by, they'd say "Wow! Look at that S-car go!" (escargot) ------Q: What do you get if you cross a cocker spaniel, a poodle and a rooster? A: Cockerpoodledoo! Q: How did the little Scottish dog feel when he saw a monster? A: Terrier-fied! Q: Why do seagulls live near the sea? A: Because if they lived near the bay, they would be called bagels. Puzzles By Tom Shaw #1 He didn’t hear Mark Anthony As he gave his famous speech The years of separation Would make that quite a reach But the starry night was an omen He must change the status quo Two was just a bit too much So one would have to go #2 Superman might challenge If he can get it in his clutch But no one else in history Has lifted quite as much #3 His trips were all quite special Since the roads were always paved With visions like alarm clocks That had been micro-waved #4 A sailor had a grudge with me And waited for a rise He justified his hatred As he would anthropomorphize The resemblance to a barroom brawl In an old wild western town Might then describe what happened As I finally took him down #5 His hungry family lost as sea It seemed they all were clueless They couldn’t eat the cargo ‘cause that would make them twoless Answers on page 19 Page 8 M-Pathy Moody by Joan Rayford N N E E R G S C A R E D D W O N N T A O L U F E C A O T G I D L R E T S A N G D E X A L E R C O O L R O E N O T U T O L U F E P O P S T R F H W H O T A L F R E S E T A F O F E E L I E H U C H R U U Y P M U R S A O N G G L O R I O U S S P I U U I E C S T A T I E P V P O C O L L E C T E D Y N A H Y D E E R G M L A T E N T A T I V E C I N M L D O L E F U L U F H S J O Y F U L A N O I T A R D E R E H I N G N C D A A A R Survivors I’m not one to brag excessively or gloat depending on your definition of excessive. But, when it comes to my children and grandchildren, well now, that’s a different definition entirely. I’d like to tell you just how proud I am. I am simply beaming! My two boys, each with their own teenage boy, decided to teach the youngsters how to survive in the wilderness. My eldest, from Rhode Island, and his son flew into Denver and my youngest, with his son, drove from Oklahoma City into Denver where they picked up the others and continued on into Wyoming. They left the car at a McDonald’s parking lot, shouldered their individual sleeping bags, rifles and fishing poles and began their perilous trek into the vast wilderness of Wyoming’s outback. Like the TV show “Survivor” they each took a handful of rice but unlike the show they didn’t have competitions to earn scrumptious meals which they were sure they would have won, hands down. They would shoot small game and catch fish to survive like the frontiersmen did in the past. They would build a simple shelter to stave off the elements and enjoy the fruits of nature. Everything went so well the first day. Visions of succulent meals of furry little animals danced in their heads as the youngsters listened to stories of hunting prowess and of the difficulties of growing up in the olden days before texting and even the R P Y M T H G I T P U C M B I Word List Angry, Bashful, Calm, Collected, Cool, Depressed, Doleful, Down, Ecstatic, Envious, Feeling, Flat, Glorious, Greedy, Green, Grumpy, Happy, Hopeful, Hot, Irrational, Joyful, Lethargic, Mad, Manic, Peaceful, Red, Regretful, Relaxed, Sad, Scared, Sorrowful, Tense, Tentative, Thoughtful, Uncertain, Up , Uptight Solution – 18 letters, solution on page 19 by Tom Shaw internet. But, on the second day Nature, they learned, had a dark evil side. Mother Nature, as it turned out, had hidden the small game and completely forgotten to stock the stream with fish of any size. The rice had been eaten on the very first evening since they were certain there would be delectables galore the next day. Maybe a hungry Grizzly would stray into camp; Shame on him if he did, for they would show him what a grizzly appetite was really like, but, no tasty grizzly appeared. The stomachs growled. They were quickly learning how cruel nature could be. Then, by late afternoon of the third day the ‘hungries’ had a powerful grip and that bitch of nature, they knew, was smiling at their misery. It was high time for survival mode to kick in, it did! How to eat when there was nothing to eat? How to fight off those terrible hunger pangs that not only tore at their guts but their minds as well? How to survive in this hellish environment? How long could they last with nothing but water? Come on brain, get to work! Survivorman, where are you? Abracadabra! Shazam! Then, like a lightning bolt from the blue, their Eureka moment; it came to them simultaneously. “McDonald’s!” They packed up their sleeping bags and trekked the grueling half mile back to Micky Dees and a Big Mack. What could be simpler? Why didn’t we think of it earlier? Mother Nature, you dim-witted bitch, you lose! We are SURVIVORS! YEA! Yes, we’ll take fries with that! Page 9 July 2013 Managing Talent by Ken Gass “His excitement blew out of his eyes in great stabs of fiendish light.” ─ Jack Kerouac, On The Road Whew…. That Kerouac can turn a phrase. (By the way, that whole book is like that ─ it’s an incredibly masterful piece of work.) But to the point: Are we living our lives fully, or just pounding down the ravines we’ve made for ourselves? Yeah, yeah, yeah; we’re gifted High IQs. Big deal. Geniuses are a dime a dozen. By Mensa’s standards, about one of every fifty people you run into on the street qualifies as a genius ─ since a statistically valid random sample of the general population is 30 or more. If you’re in the right office of business, the odds are even better. But people who love life to the fullest, achieve their personal ambitions, and fulfill their potential are so rare that they are the true elite. It’s a fact that you can make yourself smarter through disciplined effort. The mind is a plastic thing; that is, it has the ability to change (for better or worse) over the course of one’s lifetime. Edison once famously said that “genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Let’s break that down further á la Tom Friedman in the NY Times, who recently wrote that what is needed is CQ and PQ: Curiosity Quotient and Passion Quotient. Without those, IQ is lost in space, spinning off into irrelevance. Happily, these are quotients that are within the control of each of us. I’ve been married over 35 years to the same girl, Jane. People sometimes wonder if we’re still happy after all this time. Well, I tell them that we’re still mostly cheerful: That’s what we can control. See, intelligence and happiness have a common characteristic: they come and go with one’s immediate circumstances. She’s at home when she’s at the piano’s keyboard; probably less so when at the control panel of a nuclear power plant. I’m happy when everything in the world is going my way. What carries me through the tough times, though, is my ability to change my attitude, at least most of the time, looking forward with a positive frame of mind. Just as one can foster better abilities through mental exercises like chess, crossword puzzles, writing, singing, meditation, etc., one can practice self-discovery through following up on what puzzles you (curiosity) and getting so excited (passion) about something that it blows out of your eyes ─ “in great stabs of fiendish light.” Then you’ll have a life you can really sink your teeth into. Are you reading this newsletter online -- on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or e-reader? Still reading paper? Why?!!?? There are lots of advantages to accessing and reading M-Pathy online: You get the news sooner. Issues are posted by the 15th of the previous month. You can always find your M-Pathy, 24/7. You don’t need to recycle your M-Pathy (or file it). Back issues are easily accessible. E-version can contain extra material that didn’t fit/came in late. Online, you can also see all the color pictures and text that can’t be printed in the paper version -- and click on live links to other information. To convert to the e-newsletter, you need to update your newsletter delivery preferences, by visiting www.us.mensa.org/mynewsletterdelivery. If you don't have your login to American Mensa's website available, you can contact Web Services during normal business hours at [email protected] or 888-294-8035 ext. 199. Where do you find chili beans? At the North Pole. Page 10 M-Pathy SEMMantics Heroes by Jean Becker, RG Chair SEMMantics 34, held May 3 through May 5, was a great weekend enjoyed by about 150 of our Mensa family. We had speakers and tournaments, adult discussions and kids’ activities. We enjoyed non-stop hospitality, dinners and decadent desserts, and 5 different beer floats. (With the right combination of beer and ice cream, they were delicious. RGs are a place to try things you never would do by yourself.) The drawing for the free hotel stay went to William Meyer. The Regional Gathering was the culmination of a year of ideas, brainstorming, and preparation. The program listed 70 individuals who contributed in one way or another. Our esteemed registrar, Larry Arbanas, won a free registration for next year when his name was drawn from a fishbowl of tickets given for volunteering. In spite of cries of “fix! fix!”, the drawing was in front of the assembled crowd, the impromptu drawer was a small child, and examination of the tickets in the bowl, after the miraculous event, showed his was just one name among many. Although scores of Ms contributed to make the weekend the success that it was, several people deserve special mention: Larry Arbanas, registrar Peter Brown, treasurer Rick Fink, tournaments Karen Furuhjelm, hospitality Melissa Jenkins, children’s activities Kathy Phipps, signage & certificates Joan Rayford, speakers & events John Senko, program booklet Karen Smith, games room They have been a great team to work with, adding unique touches to the RG, which made the planning a true collaborative effort. My deep appreciation and thanks to all of you who lent your time and talents to make SEMMantics 34 the best RG ever—until next year! And the winners are … by Rick Fink, RG Tournament Director As Tournament Director, it would normally be my pleasure to acknowledge the winners of our many tournaments. Unfortunately, I inadvertently threw the list of winners out with the trash, my sincerest apologies. This year we had the following tournaments: Poker (Texas Hold’em) Scrabble Fluxx Cribbage Double Deck Cancellation Hearts Euchre Joke Off Carnelli Song Burst Wizard Mensa Bowl MensaLympics All were well attended and I look forward to having them return. Looking at the schedule, I think there’s room for two or three more events. I have ideas, but I welcome input. Please make your suggestions known to next year’s planning committee (better yet, join it and make your mark on SEMMantics XXXV). July 2013 Capital Challenge 2013 Jim Szirony Page 11 There are many reasons why a city may become a capital city. Geography can be a factor, such as a holding strategic value, a centralized location or accessible ports. Politics may play a role; after the Russian Revolution of 1917 the Bolsheviks moved the country’s capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Whatever the reason, capital cities are the primary center of legislative and executive bodies for a country. From the descriptions given below try and identify each capital city. 1. On December 25, 1643, a captain of the British East India Company sailed by an uncharted and uninhabited island in the Indian Ocean. He named it Christmas Island. At the end of the 19’Th century its capital city was established as a port for transporting lumber to the privately owned Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Christmas Island is presently an Australian territory with more than 2,000 inhabitants. Name this capital city. A. Flying Fish Cove B. Bethlehem C. Port Royal D. Wellington 2. The founding of this city is said to predate recorded history, making it the oldest capital city in the world. Its beauty is legendary, inspiring authors such as Mark Twain and Agatha Christie. It is said the Prophet Muhammad refused to enter this city as “man should only enter paradise once.” At present a brutal civil war threatens its architectural and historical treasures. A. Manama, Bahrain B. Doha, Qatar C. Muscat, Oman D. Damascus, Syria 3. Located on the slopes of an active volcano, this capital city became a seat of government on Dec. 6, 1534, when a lieutenant of Francisco Pizarro established a municipal council. Founder’s Day is still commemorated with a weeklong celebration. The old town area of this city has preserved its Spanish colonial appearance and has been designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO. This city is the oldest capital in South America and is situated at the highest altitude of all legal national capitals. A. Lima, Peru B. Kathmandu, Nepal C. Santiago, Chile D. Quito, Ecuador 4. Founded as a temporary and movable Buddhist monastery, this capital city changed its location nearly 30 times before the building of the Da Khure Monastery in 1639. Once known as Urga, this capital city was occupied in 1921 by troops of the Soviet Red Army. In 1924 the city was given its present name, which translates as “Red Hero.” This city has the distinction of being connected to both the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Chinese rail systems. A. Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar B. Ulaanbaator (Ulan Bator), Mongolia C. T’bilisi, Georgia D. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 5. Located at the junction of three river systems, this metropolis began as a natural meeting point for fur traders and explorers. The War of 1812 created a need for shipbuilding timber, spurring development of this city. In 1857, Queen Victoria chose this city over four others vying to be the territory’s new Capital. Large segments of the city were destroyed by fire in both 1900 and 1916. Showing remarkable foresight, a master plan for city development was proposed in 1936. A key component of this plan was the establishment of parks, public spaces and a “greenbelt” of undeveloped land around the city. A. Montreal, Canada B. Toronto, Canada C. Ottawa, Canada D. Fredericton, New Brunswick 6. Founded by the governor of Buenos Aires in 1726, the city was a stronghold against advancing Portuguese forces, who wished to expand their empire. In the early 1800’s five nations alternately occupied the city. Beginning in 1843 the city endured a 9 year siege by Argentinean and Brazilian forces. As a result, port facilities were expanded and the city became the major trade and transport hub of the country. Forty percent of the nation’s citizens reside in this capital city. A. Paramaribo, Suriname B. Montevideo, Uruguay C. Bogota, Columbia D. Georgetown, Guyana 7. This landlocked, German speaking country covers only 62 square miles and is located entirely within the Alps. Originally consisting of two different lordships, the family after whom the country is named purchased both lordships in order to increase their power and gain a seat in the Reichstag. In 1719 Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI declared the united territories a principality and a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. He also named the country after this family. It took another 120 years before one of royal princes stepped foot in their principality. Although neutral in both World Wars, during the Cold War diplomatic relations with Slovakia and the Czech Republic were severed. It took until 2009 for relations to be reestablished. Name the former lordship that is now capital of this principality. A. Vaduz, Liechtenstein B. Andorra la Vella, Andorra C. Mote Carlo, Monico D. Valetta, Malta Answers on page 19 Page 12 M-Pathy Enjoy these memories from SEMMantics 34. Thanks to our photographers for capturing these images: Larry Arbanas, Jean Becker, Faith Elkins, Dakota Jenkins, Harvey Somers, Phyllis Voorheis, and John Voymas. Hope to see your picture here next year! July 2013 Page 13 More memories from SEMMantics 34. Be sure to join us next year for SEMMantics 35! Page 14 M-Pathy Golden Owl Award by John Voymas In 1984, Southeast Michigan Mensa initiated the Golden Owl award to honor those who have had a continuing and abiding interest in the good and welfare of Mensa in general, and Southeast Michigan Mensa in particular. Additionally, a recipient has been an active local or national officer or activities chair serving with distinction for a minimum of three (3) years, or performed some other activity of a singularly distinctive and significant nature benefiting Southeast Michigan Mensa. Finally, they had to have been a past or present member in good standing of Southeast Michigan Mensa. You could equate the Golden Owl award with the Congressional Medal of Honor (without the battle) for SEMM. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a member of SEMM who has dedicated a significant part of themselves to the betterment of Mensa. The inaugural class of recipients included Gabe Werba and Phelps Hines as well as three others. That was the largest class of honorees. Since then, there have only been thirteen other years in which one or two people were chosen for the award. A gap of several years preceded this year’s Golden Owl recipients: Harley Berger and Gary Rimar. GOLDEN OWL AWARD RECIPIENTS: 1984 Gabe Werba, Phelps Hines, Charlotte Jermyn, Bette Gay, John Snow 1985 Wally Gannon 1986 Regina Love, Li Quezada 1988 Jerry Breuer, Jim Draper 1990 Jean Becker 1992 Armas Lamsa 1995 Bob Strauch 1996 Betsy Mark, Karen Minturn Brown 1998 Dan Burg 1999 Ed Becker, Ed Pirtle 2000 Peter Brown, Brenda Lewis 2001 John Senko 2003 Pauline Averbach 2013 Harley Berger, Gary Rimar At SEMMantics 34, Harley Berger (left) and Gary Rimar (right) were ceremoniously presented with their Golden Owl Awards by Outgoing Loc Sec John Voymas. July 2013 On the Web Page 15 by Kathleen Giesting It’s back! The occasional column on all things on the Mensa web. This month we look at newsletter delivery and access options, and how to update your profile. Publishing our newsletter online – at www.us.mensa.org -- saves us money and ensures that the information you want is accessible 24/7. It also allows us to add color pictures and additional material. Extra printed pages mean extra printing and mailing costs. As an e-subscriber, you get a direct link to the newsletter online as soon as it’s posted – usually by the 15th of the prior month. The link arrives in your email. Print subscribers see the newsletter when the post office gets it delivered. Timing varies across our member area, and we have no control over this other than to get the printed copies to the post office as early as we can. (A job done very ably and timely by our Circulation and Distribution Managers!) To access and update your profile, and opt-in to e-distribution of the newsletter, log in to www.us.mensa.org and click on the Edit Profile link under the Welcome message in the right column. This link is available anytime you are logged in, from any page. Once on the Membership profile page, scroll down, past the Password Information area (where you can change your login password if you like), to the ePublications Information area. Click on the radio button (that little round circle) in front of the words “I prefer to receive my local publications electronically if available.” Check to make sure that the email address in the box is the one at which you wish to be notified of the latest newsletter, and click Save Changes. All done. And any time, from anywhere, you can log in and find our newsletters, current and past (well, back to 2002) at https://www.us.mensa.org/read/groupnewsletters/ Once you’re logged in, you’ll see that they recognize your Region -- Great Lakes and Ohio Valley (03). Select SEMM from the Local Group list and M-Pathy is displayed as the Newsletter name. Then click on Search and Filter to see the issues in reverse chronological order. Do you know Gen Y? by Katie Jeffries, Gen-X/Gen-Y Coordinator Are you a Gen Y? Looking for a SIG (Special Interest Group) where you fit in with your peers, but you are not a Gen X and not part of the Teen SIG? That is where we come in. Gen Y is for Mensa members born between the years 1974 and 1995. We have fun all the time. At the AGs, we have a suite where we can just hang out. The hot tub stories are of legend (but don’t tell anyone, they are a secret; I’ve said too much already). Locally we have awesome monthly get-togethers (usually hosted by Co-Loc Sec Billie Lee, which is awesome that she opens her house to us). Every August we BBQ, and every December we have a book exchange. To check us out nationally, go to www.GenYMs.org. To follow our local group, go to Facebook and search for SEMM Gen Y. We will also be posting our gatherings on the MensaDetroit.com calendar. M-Pathy July Membership Notes WELCOME Keith L. Bennett 601 E Madge Ave Hazel Park, MI 48030-2088 248-331-6923 [email protected] Eric Kuangyue Liu Northville, MI 48168-8000 Page 16 Compiled by Iana Questara Boyce from National Office Data WELCOME BACK continued Jamie M. Prahler Waterford, MI 48327-1841 [email protected] Jason Schug 147 N Military St Dearborn, MI 48124-1034 313-565-2913 [email protected] Kim K. Williams 2605 Greenstone Blvd Apt 211 Auburn Hills, MI 48326-3758 248-885-7778 [email protected] Carol Anne Wittig PO Box 432 Saint Clair, MI 48079-0432 810-326-2624 WELCOME BACK Sara Jane Dallas 21205 E Glen Haven Cir # CR Northville, MI 48167-2467 248-305-8316 MOVED OUT Dirk R. Kemp To Rosemount, MN Peter E. Murphy To San Antonio, TX Brooke Elliott 1698 Mantucket Rd Plymouth, MI 48170-1025 DIRECTORY UPDATES Katherine E. Fennimore* 20025 Mayfield St Livonia, MI 48152-1304 Scott Gebauer 2705 Warwick Dr Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304-1861 Douglas M. Grosjean 23050 Arlington St Dearborn, MI 48128-1806 313-434-2699 Mark Harbeck Ann Arbor, MI 48105-9551 Carole Ann Kronberg 15760 Virgil St Detroit, MI 48223-1053 313-538-4823 [email protected] Brent Allan Hartzell 15265 Keppen Ave Allen Park, MI 48101-2955 703-943-9849 Christian J. Nieman Birmingham, MI 48009-3627 Robert E. Strauch* PO Box 7882 Ann Arbor, MI 48107-7882 *indicates a Life Member Page 17 July 2013 MENSA MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES [Number of years of continuous membership. Years 25 or more listed for each year; years less than 25 listed for 5-year milestones.] 25+: 48 Years L. Ray Bishop* Janet L. Kreger* 41 Years Paul Anthony Cullis 39 Years Tom K. Clough 35 Years Dennis Wayne Dickinson* 34 Years Richard E. Buck Oakley Reynolds 31 Years Barbara Joan Kalbfleisch Betsy Yvonne Mark* Eugene O. Mauch 30 Years Murdoch Thomas Campbell* Susan Jane Chalom Cecile T. Frogh* 29 Years Sonee Spinner Lapadot 27 Years Gregory C. Jeppesen 26 Years Bruce Douglas Grant 25 Years Clinton C. Williams* 15 Years Lisa A. Kunkleman 10 Years Linda Helen Dudaryk Sara Moore 5 Years Kaegan Maddelein Marcella Wojtyca *indicates a Life Member We extend our heartfelt sympathies for the family and friends of Vikki Kelley from Holly, Michigan who passed away recently. Page 18 M-Pathy HAPPY JULY BIRTHDAYS! 1 13 Michael V. Dean* 2 Jenny Deason Copeland Scott Gebauer Andrew G. Celeski Michael B. Courtney Janet L. Kreger* Barbara Jean McCaffery Virginia H. Quezada 14 16 6 Mark Roy Bendure Robert Ward Pearce Andrea Z. Tawil 8 Clarke Cunningham Steven Linn Daffyd E. MacSteaphan Harry Pianko 28 Karen Minturn Brown Daniel F. Mawby C. M. Novess III 29 Ray M. Beall Carole Ann Kronberg 30 Scott A. Kudirka Derald R. Schnepp* William H. Wiebrecht 18 Fautimah Doumbouya Amin Sandra Meria Keavey 31 19 22 Diane D. Constable* Robert S. Tomak David Michael Vincent Richard Cook David Max Evans Sharon A. Suhrie* David Kleinberg Christian J. Nieman 23 11 Gerald S. Clarke Thomas Powers III Anne Marie Baer Sherri L. Loweke Venar Ayar Jean M. Rauchholz Amy M. Bradford Joseph P. Seledotis 12 27 Robert E. Brooks* Ann P. K. Marks Michael David Turner 9 10 Robert Wellington Fisher Kristina Raines Kevin A. Williams 17 7 Mark Edwin Blazevic John Szymkowski Rudolph Bates III Kenneth A. Haller* Nicole Sherard-Freeman 15 5 Ed Paddock III* 26 As of May 1, 2013 SEMM had 1,039 members 25 James Blumberg Darlena A. Wiegand *indicates a Life Member The dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering. July 2013 Page 19 SEMM Events Listing Events are listed by Category: Dining, Social Gatherings, Movies, Brain Food (Discussion/Working Groups), Games, and Children’s Events. Events are also listed by date in a Monthly Calendar view at the end of this section. M-Pathy is published monthly and reflects information as of the 1st of the preceding month. For the latest events information, see www.MensaDetroit.com. To sponsor an event, give feedback on events, or to suggest a new activity, email [email protected] NOTE: Mensans lead busy lives; it is advisable to call ahead to confirm events. Dining DOWNRIVER 2nd SATURDAY BRUNCH 2nd Saturday, 10:45am Note: We’ve moved to the second Saturday of every month and are alternating between two restaurants, one in Southgate (even months) and one in Westland (odd months). This month: Fire Mountain, 34615 Warren Rd., Westland, S side of the road, just E of Wayne Rd. Optional: A movie after at nearby theater. RSVP to join the distribution list, for location details -- or to suggest a movie. Host: Pauline Averbach 734-281-2726, 734-751-2304 cell, [email protected] Host: Karen Smith 734-449-2359, cell phone 248-444-3813. Email [email protected] to join the distribution list. FLINT AREA GASTRONAUTS 4th Tuesday, 6:30pm. We move around frequently as we sample local and sometimes not so local cuisine. At each monthly dinner we decide where to go the next month, preferably within 25 miles of Flint. Hosts: Lynne and James Draper 810-624-1791 (call or text). Email: [email protected] to join our distribution list A3M DINNER AND "NOT SO CHEAP" MOVIE NIGHT 2nd Wednesday, 5:30pm Holiday's Restaurant, 2080 W. Stadium, Ann Arbor, between Liberty and Pauline, across from the P.O. Movie at Quality 16, 3686 Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor. RSVP to reserve a place or for movie details. Hosts: Karen Smith 734-449-2359, Mike LaMoreaux 734-971-2242. Email Karen [email protected] to join her Ann Arbor distribution list. A3M EATOUT Wednesday. July 31, 6:30pm. Join us at Cafe Ollie in Depot Town for their array of creative sandwiches and entrees, including veggie and vegan. The house mac 'n' cheese is excellent! Decor by local artists, plus bins of vinyl records available for sale/browsing. Afterward stroll through Riverside Park. 42 East Cross St, Ypsilanti. Parking available on street or in lot across the street. Restaurant phone is 734-482-8050. . Hosts: Bob Strauch, 734-973-6522, cell 734-604-3791; [email protected] and Ann Garvin. Email Ann at [email protected] to join the distribution list. A3M BRUNCH (and a movie?) 2nd Saturday, 10:30am Big Boy Restaurant, 3611 Plymouth Rd, NE Ann Arbor (use Red Roof Inn driveway) Breakfast bar buffet 'til 2:00pm or order off the menu. Look for us in our own section! Optional: A3M 2nd SATURDAY MOVIE after RSVP to reserve a place or for movie details. TRI-CITIES DINNER GROUP 3rd Wednesday, 6:30pm. We pick a new restaurant to try in the Midland, Bay City, or Saginaw area each month. We have a different speaker at each dinner! Coordinator: Grant Smith 989-792-9850. Email [email protected] to join the distribution list and learn about the speaker. Puzzle Answers Tom Shaw Puzzles: #1 Vincent Van Gogh, #2 Atlas, #3 Salvadore Dali, #4 Moby Dick, #5 Noah Joan Rayford Word Search: Don’t get so emotional Jim Szirony Answers: 1. A, 2. D, 3. D (9,350 ft.), 4. B, 5. C, 6. B, 7. A Page 20 M-Pathy Social Gatherings SOTS—SOUTH OAKLAND TAVERN SOCIALIZERS Every Friday, 6:00pm Wrap up your week and help audition new taverns. Lively conversation, entertaining company. Host: Lee Helms 248-895-6389, email [email protected] to join distribution list or call Lee for information. THE BREWERY CIRCUIT Wednesday, July 17, 6:00pm to 8:00pm Kuhnhenn Brewing, 5919 Chicago Road, Warren, (just east of Mound Rd). Please RSVP if you are coming and how many guests. Host: John Voymas 313-434-6750, email [email protected] to join distribution list. Movies A3M 1ST WEDNESDAY ART FILM (QUIRKY MOVIE) 1st Wednesday, 5:30pm Mr. Greek's Coney Island, 215 South State, Ann Arbor. Movies at Michigan Theatre and/or the State Theatre. RSVP to reserve a place or for movie details. Hosts: Rich Bury 734-929-2066, [email protected] & Karen Smith 734-449-2359, [email protected] RSVP to reserve a place or for movie details. Hosts: Karen Smith 734-449-2359, Mike LaMoreaux 734-971-2242. Email Karen [email protected] to join distribution list. A3M DINNER AND "NOT SO CHEAP" MOVIE NIGHT 2nd Wednesday, 5:30pm (see above) http://www.dia.org/detroitfilmtheatre/14/DFT.aspx A3M 2nd SATURDAY MOVIE 2nd Saturday, after the Brunch (see above) Quality 16, 3686 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. Discount prices are in effect at this time. FRIDAY FILMS IN DETROIT Fridays, 6:55pm, by Exit 2 (not aisle 2) Detroit Institute of Art, 5200 Woodward Ave, Detroit. For movie schedule, see RSVP (Leave a description if we haven’t met) Host: Sharon Suhrie 313-563-8609, [email protected] Optional: Convene after the movie at http://www.trafficjamdetroit.com Brain Food - (Discussion/Working Groups) RAM—ROCHESTER AREA MENSA 2nd Sunday, 5:00pm RAM is the last refuge of Mensan science nerds and technophiles. We meet in the Rochester area. Host: John Blinke 248-659-8438, [email protected] for restaurant directions – or to suggest a topic. U of M SATURDAY MORNING PHYSICS LECTURES/BRUNCH Selected Saturdays, October-April, 10:00am Join us in the Fall! FREE!!! Lectures, bagels, donuts and coffee. Parking $2 across the street. Brunch and discussion after nearby. See www.saturdaymorningphysics.org Host: Rick Bollinger 734-645-7170, [email protected] Games 4th SATURDAY GAMES IN SHELBY TOWNSHIP 4th Saturday, 1:00pm to whenever, 1950 Crystal Lake Court West, Bldg C, Apt. 46, Shelby Township. RSVP appreciated. Smoke and alcohol-free, fun for all. Are you a games person? Just want to socialize? Please stop by. We have a variety of games to play, such as Outburst, Quirkle, Word on the Street, Settlers of Catan, or cards for Hearts and Euchre, or BYOG (Bring Your Own Game). Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks provided or BYO to share. Host: Phyllis Voorheis , 313-719-1696 [email protected] LONDON, ONTARIO GAMES NIGHT 2nd Saturday, 7:00pm Drop by any time after 7:00pm to play games or just socialize. Hosts have a wide variety of games, but feel free to bring your own favorites. Location: 35 Scottsdale Street in Lambeth (SW area of London). Hosts: Lois and Pete Fuchs 519-652-0282, [email protected] Page 21 July 2013 Kids’ Events A leader or facilitator is present at all events, but s/he may or may not be an M. Visit the Events Page at www.giftedinmichigan.com to get details, to RSVP, to identify the event leader, and/or to volunteer. Events may be cancelled if no RSVPs are received for an event, or if for some other reason an event must be cancelled, a cancellation email will be sent for the event at least 24 hours prior to the event time. A phone number will be provided for each event. If it is difficult to find the group at an event (due to a crowded/busy location, for example), please call the leader at the phone number provided so that s/he may help guide you to the group. Host: Melissa Jenkins, [email protected] Gifted In Michigan Picnic Sunday, July 7, 12:00 noon, Rochester, MI Greenfield Village Ragtime Street Fair Sunday, July 14, 11:00am, Dearborn, MI Henry Ford Maker Faire Saturday, July 27, 10:00am, Dearborn, MI SAVE THE DATE! Wednesday, August 28, 6:30pm for Meet in the Middle in Livingston County Page 22 M-Pathy July 2013 SUN MON 1 TUE 2 WED 3 THU 4 July 3-7 Mensa AG in Fort Worth, Texas 7 8 9 12:00pm Kids Gifted In Michigan Picnic 14 15 16 17 SAT 6 6:00pm SOTS 11 5:30pm A3M Dinner & NSC Movie 11:00am Kids Greenfield Village Ragtime Street Fair 5:00pm Rochester Area Mensa 21 5:30pm A3M Art/Quirky Movie 10 FRI 5 12 13 6:00pm SOTS 10:30am A3M Brunch (& movie?) 10:45am Downriver BrunchWestland 18 6:00pm Brewery Circuit 19 7:00pm London Games Night 20 6:00pm SOTS 11:00am SEMMer Bash 26 27 6:00pm SOTS 10:00am Kids Henry Ford Maker Faire 6:30pm Tri-Cities Dinner Group 22 23 24 6:30pm Flint Area Gastronauts 25 1:00pm 4th Saturday Games Shelby Township 28 29 30 31 6:30pm A3M EatOut Précis of May 18, 2013 ExComm Meeting Minutes by Harvey Somers, ExComm Secretary In attendance: 8 Voting members; 6 others. Annual Business: Appointed voting and some nonvoting officers. Remaining non-voting positions to be addressed at June meeting. [Ed. Note: Officers’ listing is on page 23.] April Minutes approved as corrected. Officer Reports: CD is up for 1 year renewal in early June. SEMM volunteering at Channel 56’s membership drive in June. OLD BUSINESS Regional Gathering held May 3-5. Attendance down 9.6% vs. 2012 with fewer families with children attending. For this RG, 140 adults attended; 11 children under age 10. Number of hotel room nights: “disappointing.” At 100 “room nights,” RG saves $1,000 in hotel service charges, but as room count was only 93, opportunity lost. Hotel voluntarily reduced charges by $300. Preliminary profit of $1,700; savings found in several areas and registration was up $5 to offset increased hotel’s meal cost/person. Surveys being tallied. July M-Pathy will be 24 pages to accommodate RG pictures. RG Wrap-up meeting June 8. Issues for 2014: Hotel nights, conflict of RG dates with other events. SEMMer Bash is July 20. Costco found to offer better prices than GFS. $200 fee to use the park location has been paid. Activities and events still being planned. NEW BUSINESS ExComm members challenged to define new goals for the 2013-2014 program year, possibly addressing, e.g. Scholarship fund, Member communications, Community projects, Outdoor activities, Web use, Bylaws review, etc. Next ExComm meeting: Saturday, June 15, 2013, 6:00pm, Northwestern Unitarian Universalist Church, 23925 Northwestern Highway in Southfield. Executive July 2013 Committee of Southeast Michigan Mensa - Elected Officers General Representative General Representative Katie Jeffries Billie Lee Harley Berger Harvey Somers Jerry Breuer Betsy Y. Mark Bob Strauch James D. Draper Lynne A. Draper Judy Johnson Grant Smith Pauline Averbach George Stankow Regional Gathering Chair Membership Newsletter Editor Jean Becker Kurt Love Kathleen Giesting Arbitrator and Ombudsman Archivist David Brown Edward Becker Chuck McQueen Geoffrey Vasquez Felecia Studstill Jerry Breuer James D. Draper [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 734-458-1194 810-229-2113 586-468-7096 248-346-1614 Lynn Broniak-Hull [email protected] 734-451-7278 Spencer Wolff Katie Jeffries Melissa Jenkins Pauline Averbach [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 734-327-4884 248-961-1444 248-586-9926 734-281-2726 Pauline Averbach [email protected] 734-281-2726 Larry Arbanas Edward Becker Pauline Averbach Vacant Vacant Gary Rimar Phyllis Voorheis Katie Jeffries Steve Goodhall John Voymas Billie Lee Harley Berger Toby Berger [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] http://mensadetroit.com http://mensadetroit.com/facebook 323-642-7226 810-229-2113 734-281-2726 Co-Presidents (LocSecs) Vice President Secretary Treasurer Co-Vice Presidents Ann Arbor Area Co-Vice Presidents Northeast Michigan [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 248-961-1444 248-535-8524 248-210-3563 734-780-6907 734-459-1886 734-434-5757 734-973-6522 810-744-1252 810-744-1252 810-240-3801 810-694-3560 734-281-2726 Appointed Officers-Voting [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 810-229-2113 586-293-1456 734-327-4884 Appointed Officers—Non-Voting Audit Committee Budget Committee Community Volunteer Coordinator Dues Subsidy Administrator Gen-X/Gen-Y Coordinator Gifted Youth Coordinator Music In the Schools National Testing Day Coordinator Newsletter Publisher Parliamentarian Proctor Coordinator Project Inkslinger Publicity Recruitment Officer Scholarship Chair SEMMer Bash Chair SEMM Forum Moderator SIGHT Web Master Winter Bash Chair Assistant Newsletter Editor SEMM Website SEMM Facebook Website 734-459-1886 810-744-1252 248-338-7867 248-437-1509 248-961-1444 248-334-9073 313-434-6750 248-535-8524 248-210-3563 248-851-3563 Page 23 editorial policy Mensa, as a group, holds no opinion on any subject. Its members do. All opinions expressed in M-Pathy are those of the individual authors. The editor will consider for publication all materials submitted by SEMM members. Anonymous material will not be printed, but names will be withheld upon request. Anything libelous and/or obscene will not be printed. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission for length or clarity. Other Mensa publications are granted permission to reprint any material that does not contain a copyright notice. Attribution to M-Pathy and the author are required. A courtesy copy to the M-Pathy editor is requested. Written permission to reprint must accompany all copyrighted materials. advertising M-Pathy accepts prepaid ads either digitally or in camera-ready format. Please contact the editor for ad dimensions. Copy and payment must arrive at the editorial office no later than the first day of the month preceding the target issue. Rates for members: fullpage $55; half page $30; quarter-page $16; business card $7. For nonmembers: full page $75; half-page $42; quarter-page $22; business card $10. Make checks payable to SEMM. membership Mensa is an international society whose only membership requirement is a score at or above the 98thpercentile on any of several, standard IQ tests. Mensa is notfor-profit and its only purpose is to serve as a means of communication and assembly for its members. Mensa is not affiliated with any other organization. For membership information, call (800)66MENSA, write to American Mensa, Ltd., at the address below, or email [email protected]. Prospective members can arrange for local, SEMM testing by calling (810)9392560. postmaster Send address changes to: M-Pathy c/o American Mensa, Ltd. 1229 Corporate Drive West Arlington, Texas 76006-6103 Page 24 M-Pathy M-Pathy (ISSN 0744-9763) C/O American Mensa, Ltd. 1229 Corporate Drive West Arlington, TX 76006-6103 Periodicals Postage Rates Paid at Southfield, Michigan ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED SEMMer Bash Kensington Metropark 2240 W. Buno Road Milford, MI 48380 Saturday, July 20, 2013 11:00am until dusk The all out, no hold spared picnic of the summer! The most fun you will have all season! Come out for great food (hamburgers, hot dogs, side dishes, desserts and anything you would like to bring), fun in the sun, a splash in the lake, a boat ride, rent a bike, play on the swings, bring a football, or just kick back and relax and enjoy the nature! We will have fun things planned for kids of all ages. This year we will be at South Hickory Ridge Picnic Shelter “J”. It is located about 5 miles from the beach, has a lovely view of the water, children’s play equipment, volleyball, and best of all, a flush bathroom! Come early, and stay late, remember to bring the sunscreen, a huge appetite, and get ready for a day of fun in the sun-- we have sunshine on order! Also, don’t forget to bring your favorite card and board games! (Adults over 21, bring your favorite adult beverages if you like.) If you would like to volunteer, please contact Katie at [email protected] ADMISSION FEE TO PICNIC: $5.00 PER CHILD UNDER 10, $7.50 PER ADULT IN ADVANCE AT THE DOOR: To use PayPal, go to http://mensadetroit.com. Tell us your name and how many people are coming with you! $7.50 PER CHILD UNDER 10, $10.00 PER PERSON ====================================================================== SEMMer BASH 2013 REGISTRATION COMPLETE AND MAIL THIS PORTION BY JULY 12, 2013 TO: Kate Jeffries 1974 Marcastle Ct Rochester Hills, MI 48309 YOUR NAME: TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $ Checks made payable to “SEMM” Do NOT send cash # OF TICKETS:___Children ___ Adults