What I really Did Feb-June 2022

The formal Quarterly Reports to the AMC don't really show what gets done on a granular level.  I keep track, and perhaps this will be helpful to future Comm Officers or Chairs trying to find a Comm Officer.

 February 25  — June 16, 2022

Communications Officer

• Created outline of Comm Guide & referenced pre-written sections
• Facilitated crowd-sourcing discussions with editors re what to include in a Comm Guide.
• Read 104 newsletters
• Requested meeting with NO staff regarding using AML resources to better help LGs create and maintain websites
• Asked Jennifer Jewel to review draft of Editors’ Survey.
• Corresponded with Editor of a small group about newsletter issues and options, including sending a mock up of a more efficient layout.
• Researched official AML pantone colors and fonts.
• Proffread Editors’ Survey before it goes out.
• Nudged on server / PHP upgrade progress I was promised last November.
• Directed member inquiry about SIGs to SiGs Officer.
• Discussed advertising policy for LG newsletters with Editors.
• Met with Charles in person regarding Communications topics.
• Attended March AMC meeting.
• Consulted with Ex Dir, Chair, and 1st VC on how to handle communications resulting from an Exec Session decision.
• Helped RVC1 with a MC moderation issue.
• Reviewed April/May Bulletin.
• Reviewed June Bulletin.
• Circled back with Staff on how to handle mention of paper directories in the bylaws, then passed the topic to the Bylaws Comm Chair.
• Responded to an RVC’s question about how CAN-SPAM and using Mailchimp fit together.
• Reviewed tasks handed out by the Strat Planning Comm and reported to AMC on my progress.
• Made suggestion to BAD and Timmy on a new approach to the Criminal Acts TF problem.
• Nudged AMC regarding cleaning up and tending to Vol MP listings.
• Reached out to a few people to dig up old Mensa Member demographics (for my LDW on volunteerism).
• Crowd-sourced input on photo-editing software options for Editors.
• Discussed with Bylaws Comm Chair and then AMC changes to the MDA as a result of March’s Appendix 15 motions.
• Intervened in Region 9 MC community to tend to an admin/moderation request from the RVC.
• Gently admonished a LG editor for political humor of questionable taste.
• Nudged about TOS update again. Nudged again a month later.
• Nudged a few people to respond to a member wanting to start a SIG.
• Nudged CB on a list of IT topics I sent a couple weeks ago.
• Long phone call with CB about several issues.
• Crowd-sourced suggestions for free clip art.
  
• Reviewed and summarized results of Editors’ Survey and identified action items.
• Requested help from Dan Burg regarding Guide section covering copyright and libel.
• Nudged AMC re MDA changes.
• Briefly discussed paper/printing price increases and options with Bulletin staff.
• Asked Eric Werme for help on Guide section covering newsletter distribution.
• Sent spring letter to Editors.
• Finished up Members’ Rights & Responsibilities document and shared with AMC.
• Tended to a complaint about moderation in the AG 2022  MC community.
• Tended to member’s complaint about being moderated again in Region 1 MC community.
• Discussion with Trevor re Bulletin Advertising policy & process.
• Nudged AMC about making use of the Vol Marketplace.
• Nudged AMC about finishing the Rights & Responsibilities (CoC) document.
• Purchased a pro-license for Zoom calling with officers.
• Responded to a LocSec regarding newsletter requirements.
• Participated in discussions with Editors about improving the MC library for sharing content.
• Long phone call with member about her concerns regarding MC administration.
• Reached out to a columnist about reprinting articles in other newsletters, and began uploading content to the Pubs Officers’ MC library.
• Pointed out out-of-date indicia to a few editors.
• Phone call with Timmy re next term and other issues.
• Responded individually to more than 20  queries about upcoming MC TOS update.
• Successful Zoom call with Pubs officers- 28 on the call.
• Contacted a couple columnists asking for articles to share with other newsletters.
• Disappointed a member pressuring me to override MC decisions made by her RVC. Several times. Suggested she preference to another region
• Long email discussion with Trevor about patterns of Board stalling on implementing large projects.
• Prepped and uploaded 33 articles to Pubs Officer library.
• Facilitated AMC online discussion of volunteerism report and ideas.
• Messaged all MC Admins regarding the TOS update and their administrative autonomy.
• Requested (again) that the Minimum Standards for ICS page on the AML website be updated per the March 2022 motion.
• Call with CB re Mensa Leader & Wired schedules & content.
• Requested I Made Mensa Better badge ribbons for the AG.
• Whipped up a basic template for new TJM editor and sent supportive information and documents.
• Recruited a few more clowns for MC Admin sandbox so I can figure out work-arounds for wonky threading when moderating.
• Asked Chip if he has any Bulletin content LG newsletters can use.
• Uploaded directions for downloadable graphics and ads for newsletters to use.
• Sent CB list of Wired & Leader content ideas I’d sent back in Oct.
• Posted link and graphic directions for navigating to the Pubs Officers’ Library.
• Uploaded more content to Pubs Officers Library.
• Call with Trevor re volunteer program and other issues.
• Zoom with LocSecs to talk about websites and SM options and pros/cons
• Posted links and info to LocSecs about MC instructional videos
• Mucked around in the Admin Sandbox testing moderation technicalities.
• Advised an RVC regarding a LG using membership addresses via Google Groups.
• Did more work on the Members’ Rights & Responsibilities document and motion to codify.
• Wrote article for Bulletin on national e-newsletters.
• Wrote  3 Bulletin Volunteer Spotlight columns.
• Researched newsletter distribution information.
• Phone call with Timmy regarding him driving AMC discussions and actions stemming from Vol TF Report (followed by no action).
• Requested editing help from Staff on newsletter distribution barcoding section of LG Comm Guide.
• Crowd-sourced Pubs Officers re e-pub distribution techniques. 
• Wrote up a motion to align the MDA with Appendix 15 changes back in March.
• Phone call with CB about Bulletin and other communications topics.
• Researched and wrote LG Comm Guide section about printing and web-viewing resolutions.

Communications Committee

• Sent Editors’ Survey to Staff for Survey Monkey formatting and implementation.
• Asked for input on graphic showing which content is appropriate for which communication venue. No response from committee members.
• Nudged on goals and projects. No response from committee members.
• Shared Editors Survey results summary. No response from committee members.
• Crafted and posted ad for 22-23 CommComm.
• Sent message to committee members thanking them, asking for feedback, and pointing them to the application for next term. No Response from committee members.
• Sent emails to potential CommComm members for next term.

Volunteerism Task Force

• Asked M-Leaders and LocSec MC communities to discuss Volunteer Categories—Time, Skills, Needs & Treatment
  
• Bumped topic for RVCs re cultural attributes of low-ranking groups.
• Added Mary Lee Kemper to the TF.
• Wrote up section on LG culture’s effect on volunteerism.
• Emailed three TF members who I never hear from to check if they’re still onboard.
• Solicited members from M-Hospitality who do NOT have much Mensa vol experience to be fresh eyes for the report and to generate recommendations.
• Drafted write up of conversation with Lora Mitchell regarding processes for members who drive off volunteers, then sent it to her for editing and expansion.
• Nudged TF members to generate recommendations.
• Hours and hours of typesetting and graphics tweaking.
• Guided and facilitated proofing process.
• Figured out how to incorporate a review of a paper-only copy of the old Leadership Retreat Guide.
• Reached out to a few more people for any lingering recommendations to include.
• Finalized report and shared with AMC.

Strategic Planning Committee

• Brainstormed possible measurements if we add Volunteerism as a tenet of the Strat Plan.
• Discussed and discussed if and how to incorporate Volunteerism into the Strategic Plan.
• Suggested education for the AMC about the finer hidden details of the SP. 
• Drafted motion wording to incorporate volunteerism as a focus of the Value component of the Strategic Plan.

Marketing Committee

• All committee work is done via a FB group instead of MC. I have not been added to the FB group, so I did not participate in any discussions or decisions.

Name & Logo Committee

• Finally got added to the committee in late May.

SIGs Advisory Committee

• Facilitated help for a member wishing to start a non-secular Bible study SIG.

National Awards Committee

• Sent reminder to Chair about quarterly reports.
  

The Solution to Everything: Form a Task Force

There is a pattern where information is requested, but no action is taken once it’s provided. Why is that? 

My thoughts:

Mensa is a social organization. The people running it are therefore most invested and knowledgable about being social.

The Board is comprises people who are there because they like being involved, and who enjoy the social aspects of Mensa, and are thus well-known to voters. We get few AMC people who are genuinely skilled at being board members. Few who are there because they get a kick out of doing non glorious often tedious work out of the public eye. Nearly half this current AMC ran unopposed and were just declared elected because no one else felt like taking the roles.

We are all good at identifying areas that need improvement—funding allotments, governance structures, communication processes, making members happy and motivated, managing assholes, etc. So with the best of intentions, the AMC declares that they will address an issue by forming a task force to... um... to well do task force things and... um... well you know, address the problem. There. The Board is tackling the problem. Yay Board!

They assume “someone” will do the work of looking up ASIEs or crunching the numbers or writing the communication releases. No one wants to be that someone.

Some task forces return with a list of how to solve the problem. But then that list is handed over and no one knows how to drive the next fifty million steps to implement any solutions because we usually don’t have leaders and drivers- we have popular socialites. Additionally, often the recommended solutions require change that will make the AMC members uncomfortable— either because they’ll have to face howling members or they’ll have to give up some privilege.

Occasionally they will dig around for the quickest easiest solution so they feel like they did something. Need a better funding formula? Meh— just give everyone an extra dime and call it a day. Board struct too unwieldy and ineffective? Just toss the past and past past chairs, congratulate yourselves on decreasing the cost of their travel, and pat yourselves on the back.

But tear apart the funding structure, managing a brand new never-done process, explaining the nuances of how it really IS fair even though it might look like some Groups get more and some get less to members who want and hate change... too much work.

Improve finances? Slice the biggest expense and get rid of a staff or two.

Alter processes so that genuine skill instead of popularity at RGs is what gets you the delightful free travel and fame and glory... um... who wants to plot their own demise?

Get the ball rolling on a change that will take three or four years to come to fruition (because of the timelines of bylaw changes at AML or Mil level)? Why bother when this board won’t be here to get the credit and glory for it?

Have the battle with the IBD to change the constitution to enable easier removal of bad apples... waaaay too intimidating a prospect.

But form a task force... that’s an immediate thing to do that doesn’t require any actual doing.

Why Do I Even Bother?

“We need a new formula for better LG funding."
Robin researches, surveys, crunches numbers, researches more, develops fancy spreadsheets and graphs.

“Here you go—a better way to fund Groups.”

... crickets.


“We need to improve our governance structure and systems.”
Robin researches , surveys, crunches numbers, researches more, develops spreadsheets and graphs.

“Here you go—a whole list of ways to improve our governance.”

... crickets.


“We need a comprehensive Code of Conduct.”
Robin gathers everything we already have and puts it into readable form.

“Here you go—a CoC that doesn’t require any additional motions.”

... crickets.


“We need to improve the quantity and happiness of volunteers.”
Robin researches , surveys, crunches numbers, researches more, develops spreadsheets and graphs.

“Here you go—more than a hundred ways to increase volunteerism.”

...crikets.