Wednesday, August 24, 2022

What I Really Did June-August 2022

Official quarterly reports never fully show what I do.

Note that this "quarter" was short- comprising only 10 weeks instead of the 12 or more of other "quarters."

Communications Officer

  • Gave heads-up to Marketing and Membership Officers to think about National Advertising policy.
  • Nudged CB about looking at the draft of the LG Comm Guide, since I’m stuck until staff goes over it.
  • Worked website portion of the LG Comm Guide.
  • Read all online July LG newsletters.
  • Read all online August LG newsletters.
  • Read all online September newsletters
  • Gathered screenshots of incorrect boilerplates and indicia and prepared some AMC education.
  • Reviewed August Bulletin.
  • Reviewed September Bulletin.
  • Requested update of AML website to reflect current version of Appendix 23.
  • Long zoom meeting with Marketing Officer to talk about websites & social media.
  • Wrote 3 volunteerism columns for Bulletin.
  • Began deep dive review of LG websites.
  • Introduced crowd-sourcing for LG Comm Guide to Digital Officers.
  • Discussed website  section of LG Comm Guide with Tabby and Lana.
  • Reviewed and asked questions re Consolidated Financial Statements.
  • Nudged CB for the third time in two weeks to respond to my emails.
  • Zoom with Lana re MC and web training topics.
  • Mucked around with WordPress to figure out how to get started using Lana’s template.
  • Gave up and began writing a section describing the status quo re LG sites.
  • Discussed with a concerned member some amendments to a motion on the upcoming AMC agenda.
  • Crowd-sourced beginning steps for creating a website.
  • Forwarded phishing email to CB with a suggestion that a warning about it be included in the next Mensa Leader. Suggestion was not acknowledged.
  • Asked Tabby & Lana for any info they might have collected assessing the skill levels of LG Webmasters.
  • Long catch-up call with CB. Stressed that LG communications and I are being neglected and that we need to improve this.
  • More work on web section of LG Comm Guide.
  • Asked staff (again) to fix CommComm MP ad so it doesn’t imply all positions are full. Eventually figured it out myself.
  • Began work on AML Branding section of LG Comm Guide.
  • Attended AMC meeting and ABM at the AG.
  • Gave two formal LDW presentations and led two other casual M&G sessions.
  • Responded to member’s concern regarding moderation on MC.
  • Discussed again with CB about making LG Communications more of a priority this next year.
  • Nudged again for more useful topics in Mensa Leader and Wired.
  • Reviewed report from Hearings Comm.
  • Discussed with Bylaws Chair some issues with the amended MDA.
  • Removed a thread in MC at the request of the RR chair.
  • Drafted motion to fix the amended MDA.
  • Discussed covid survey issue with Timmy and Trevor.
  • Posted a covid exposure message to MWM community for a member having tech issues.
  • Reviewed June Staff report and responded with questions and comments.
  • Reviewed ExComm’s goals for Trevor and sent comments to Timmy. Did not receive acknowledgement.
  • Long reply on a M-Leaders MC thread about newsletters.
  • Bought plane tickets for Sept AMC meeting.
  • Prepped and turned in expense reimbursement forms.
  • Returned to reviewing and crafting Nat Pubs and Advertising policy updates.
  • Informed staff that a link on the AML website was broken.
  • Wrote long email to Trevor re why National Pubs and Advertising policy needs updating. Discussed that a better approach might be to start from scratch.
  • Wrote thoughts on potential strategic goals for AMC planning session in Sept.
  • Continued back and forth with member unhappy with MC moderation. Hit my patience limit; told him his options and that I’m a dead end for what he wants.
  • Apprised the new Ombudsperson of the brewing situation re MC and the member unhappy with moderation policies.
  • Requested help from staff to fix borked edit functions in Mensa Connect.
  • Discussed with Membership Officer how to promote SIGs to members needing engagement opportunities and sent request to Hilary to create an ad for LG newsletters to use.
  • Zoom with Membership Officer re shared goals, staff issues, and solutions.
  • Requested meeting with Trevor, Mem Officer, Marketing officer at the Sept meeting.
  • Added a topic to the AMC planning session of how to keep track of old research and reports that could be useful solving current problems.
  • Asked Eric Werme questions about LG periodicals. Spent hours reading and writing educational explanations of the pros and cons of all endorsement options.
  • Prepared and sent Summer Letter to Pubs Officers.
  • Long call with CB re periodicals requirements for LGs, LG Comm Guide progress, Mensa Leader and Wired content , software, and nudged National Pubs and Ad policy, and using the AML website event calendar for virtual events hosted by LGs.
  • Advised RVC1 about MC moderation challenges.
  • Responded to a YM who wants to get involved.
  • Nudged EWNI editor to the Pubs Officers library.
  • Discussed formatting issues of Ombud’s column with Bulletin Editor.
  • Discussed possible motion to expand and clarify (but not change at the core) ASIE regarding LG’s use of NO address and USPS Return Address Service.
  • Discussed mutual projects and aid with Membership Officer.
  • Helped a member find his LG newsletter on the website.
  • Participated in AMC discussions on Mensa Connect.
  • Pointed out  to IT staff that Pandemic RG is shown 3 times on the front page of the AML site.
  • Discussed technicalities of adding an 11 yo to CommComm.
  • Responded to Editors’ questions  stemming from the summer letter.
  • Emailed Trevor and Timmy with thoughts about Strategic Planning.
  • Weekly call with CB- listing and promoting virtual events, SIG promotion and authentication issues.
  • Started thread in M-Leaders about how volunteering gives a sense of ownership.
  • Forwarded change of address from a member.
  • Sent summer Editors’ letter to a few people who didn’t get it via Mensa Connect.
  • Alerted staff to repetition of an event every day for over a year on the National Events calendar.
  • Drafted a motion proposal for the IBD ExComm to discuss regarding members’ rights vs members’ safety.
  • Responded to a member trying to accept the new TOS.
  • Sent Q Report reminder and other discussion topics to Nat Awards Chair.
  • Responded on M-Leaders about correlations involving newsletters’ content.
  • Alerted Staff to a surname misspelling on the AML Awards page.
  • Requested help with Volunteerism articles for Bulletin from Nat Ombudsman and Membership Officer.
  • Pubs Officer zoom call- 19 attended.
  • Nudged Staff re Awards video and sending out certificates/plaques, and pins.
  • Discussed Volunteerism column with Bulletin Editor.
  • Wrote quarterly reports ( this actually takes an hour or more).
  • Looked into adding SIG editors to the MC Pubs Officer community. Hit a precedence wall with staff so initiated a work-around.
  • Questioned why content of Leader is repeated despite having given a long list of content ideas.
  • Wrote a blog post about effective Leaders and Servants.
  • Advised RVC7 and Denver LocSec regarding a FB administrative conflict.
  • Long zoom call with CB.
  • Long email to Trevor about several staff centric topics. 
  • Filled out DiSC survey in preparation for AMC planning session ( I'm Dominant, focused on results, and easily frustrated and annoyed by others' perceived incompetence- no surprise there!


Communications Committee
  • Drafted Big Audacious Goals for Mensa Communications
  • Sent intro email to new committee members with BAG and little goals.
  • Resent goals and what projects I hope each person will work on.
  • Began assigning projects to committee members.
  • Began assembling a spreadsheet of LG newsletters from which to gather and curate all virtual offerings that could be made more widely available to other members.
  • Lots of discussion about  best methods for gathering and promoting LG virtual offerings.
  • Shared another set of columns to be added to the Pubs Officers’ library.
  • Began discussion of how to help LGs implement electronic voting. Asked LocSecs what they need.
  • Began discussion  about how to improve LG websites.


Strategic Planning Committee
  • Made suggestions for how the committee might remain useful after the AMC’s newest Vision Quest.

Marketing Committee


Name & Logo Committee


SIGs Advisory Committee
  • Voted to approve a new SIG

National Awards Committee
  • Nagged Staff about video and sending pins, plaques, and certificates as well as planning to do better next year.

No comments: