Dues & LG Funding

Since 2001, dues have gone up $30.

Annual LG per member subsidy has gone up $2.35.

The $1 per new/reinstated member has remained the same since at least then. 

New CommComm Project: Newsletters

Now that the giant LG Communications Guide is in the hands of the Leadership Development committee, awaiting approval ( or coming back to me for revisions), I find that my to-do list for Communications is sparse. I suppose that's good; it means I've gotten most of what I intended to do this term done. 

But it also means I'm bored.

So recently I got CommComm started on a new giant project to really dig deep into all aspects  of newsletters to see what we can learn that might help us better help Local Groups. Like all my big vague research projects, we're starting by generating a long list of questions we'd like to have answered.

• What correlations are there between LG size, geography, newsletter quality, and newsletter cost?
• What are newsletter purposes for different age demographics?
• Why do members choose paper newsletters
• Does age correlate to paper vs digital choice?
• What do we really mean when we say newsletters are a membership benefit?
• Is there a correlation between population density and the value members place on the newsletter?
• Does knowledge of a more expansive digital newsletter being offered make members-who-want-paper feel disenfranchised or undervalued?
• What do all the paper newsletters look like-- number and size of pages, content, efficient use of space, paper weight, color, etc.?
• How much do LGs spend on [paper] newsletters? Each LG does something different, but can we come up with a concrete average cost-per-quantity of content?

Thoughts on Jewel Awards

The recent Bulletin had a long article by a non-AMC person about rethinking the Jewel Awards. I confess I didn’t read and ponder it carefully, so I don’t have an opinion about it. However, It does seem like the Jewels as they are currently handled only take into consideration things that can be counted by the National Office.

In December, as part of a long list of next steps to improve volunteerism in Mensa, I recommended the RVCs look at the Jewel Awards and figure out how to incorporate volunteerism into them.  I can’t imagine that it’s impossible to review  other things LGs do or don’t do over the course of a year that impact the quality of service they provide to their members beyond what the National Office tracks already. RVCs know their Groups well, including the quirks and nuances of how they function.

Off the top of my head:
• Does the LG have a formal volunteer recognition party/award/process?
• Does the LG provide training and other onboarding materials for new volunteers?
• Is the turn over in leadership regular and non-contentious?
• Is more than one key position held by the same person?

New Big Project!

As the LG Comm Guide project nears the finish line, I find myself casting about for something significant to do. And I've come up with my Next Big Project:

LG Newsletters-- current status, costs, who wants paper and why, etc.

I plan to approach this like I did with the Volunteerism project- generating a million questions, researching, and letting recommendations bubble up to the surface.

I feel energized again!

Brick Walls

Every project I set out to work on lately is running into a wall at the stage where I need information from someone else. While this happens all year long, it's particularly bad between April and June, when all of AML seems to shut down except for handling renewals and preparing for the AG.

That's a quarter of the year when progress on anything else grinds to a halt. I am beyond frustrated.

Lately I've been trying to work on the section of the LG Communications Guide that covers websites. There is ZERO training, and few resources provided by AML. Further complicating matters is the resources AML does offer are so outdated that they can't be used with the other resources developed by the Marketing Committee (WordPress templates). And those templates, while pretty and well-crafted, require a novice webmaster to know far far more than they do.

Everyone seems to be working in individual silos with no one coordinating and no one really considering their audience or applying appropriate education techniques. No wonder LGs are floundering.

Well damn, Robin, this sounds like a communication issue. If only AML had a proper Communications Officer to sort it all out.

Sigh.

Local Groups Expressing Opinions

I appear to have drafted this back in June of 2015 but never hit "post." I'm publishing it now mostly because I'm tickled by my illustration in the last paragraph.

In a long long long Facebook thread, I commented that Local Groups are allowed to express opinions. One member reasonably requested that I point him to the policy upon which I based my statement. Here it is:

Constitution of Mensa

II. The Policy of Mensa

B. Mensa encompasses members representing many points of view. Consequently, Mensa as an organization shall not express an opinion as being that of Mensa, take any political action other than the publication of the results of its investigations, or have any ideological, philosophical, political, or religious affiliations.

C. Members or groups of members may express opinions as members of Mensa, provided their opinions or actions are not expressed as being those of Mensa as an organization.

So no one can say “Mensa endorses Jenny McCarthy for President.” (However Mensa can sponsor academic research and publish results which say that blondes who hate vaccinations statistically perform higher than billionaires who wear toupees on certain tests of political leadership aptitude.) Furthermore, groups of members may express opinions. Local Groups are groups of members. They just can’t present themselves as speaking for all of Mensa as a whole.

Name & Logo Motions and Issues 2015

So as a result of review and cogitation following the huge outcry by a small number of members over the use of the Mensa name and logo on shirts and banner carried by some Chicago Area Mensa members in this year’s Gay Pride Parade, the N&L Committee has some motions on the agenda for the September 2015 AMC meeting.

Here are my thoughts.

MOTION 1

Moved Name and Logo Committee: Amend ASIEs, Section 17, B, Use of the Mensa Name and Logo, by adding the following paragraphs:

6. Members, having purchased any official Mensa garments or accessories, are entitled to wear such garments without restriction.

I agree with this, though I don’t think it is necessary to carve into stone, since it’s kind of a no-brainer and it’s not like anyone anywhere is going to be reviewing each and every instance of a member wearing a Mensa Tshirt at a Jenny McCarthy For President rally, drinking water at a religious revival from a Mensa water bottle or driving in a anti-immigration rally while still having a Mensa license plate visible on the car.  This is just formally giving me permission to do something you can’t stop me from doing in the first place.

But it’s harmless and if it makes people feel better, fine with me.

7. Groups of Members including Local Groups, SIGs, or subsets of Local Groups and SIGs, are encouraged to promote Mensa’s visibility through associating their non-Mensa specific activities with Mensa by wearing or using “Member of” or “Members of” logo or name attire, accessories, or banners.

This I am not comfortable with as written. I do support the intent, however.

As written, it’s pointless. “Members are ENCOURAGED.” Yeah, so. Members are also ENCOURAGED to buy life memberships, contribute to the Mensa Foundation, throw away their garbage at gathering, bathe, and not touch others inappropriately without permission. Either make a good rule that someone will enforce, or don’t. 

If this wording is meant to convey that members MUST include the words “member of” on things, then this amendment would negate the permission you just granted in number 6. So basically, it’s saying that I cannot drink from that cool Mensa logo water bottle at the religious revival because it only has the logo on it, not the additional words “Member of.” Think of all the Mensa gear the Mensa Store sells currently—most of it could not be worn at any non-Mensa specific activity. No more wearing my shirt while jogging alone. No more writing with my logo pen at work. No more wearing my gold logo signet ring when being photographed shaking hands with a political candidate.

Additionally, this amendment will require the Mensa Store to toss most of its merchandise and restock with gear that says “Member of Mensa” on it instead of just the simple aesthetically pleasing symbol. Otherwise, who will buy it if it can only be worn at Mensa-specific events?

Robin’s personal opinion on this two-pronged amendment: Vote NO.

(I’ll address the banners issue further on)

MOTION 2

Moved Name and Logo Committee: Amend ASIE Appendix 8, Section I, by adding new Subsection K as follows:

K. In addition to the technical requirements of A - J, a final review of any logo or name use should include an analysis as to whether there is the potential for the image to be interpreted as a political, social, or religious statement being made by Mensa in violation of the Mensa Constitution. Such perceived implications will be discussed with the member(s) requesting name and/or logo use. All reasonable efforts will be made to collaborate with the requesting member(s) to reach a solution which adheres to the Mensa constitution and gives maximum liberty to the member(s).

I agree with the intent of this, but the wording is not neat and tight. Imagine MidState Mensa simply making up their own plain solid blue shirts using the logo—which they are allowed to download and use—and the words “MidState Mensa.”  Don’t forget, the LG Charter grants them that permission: A royalty free, nonexclusive, and non-sublicensable license to MIDSTATE MENSA for the use of AML’s trade marks, service marks, trade names, and logos, including, but not limited to, the mark “MENSA” and the Mensa stylized logo. And off they go, to march in their local Gay Pride Parade. They never even contacted the N&L committee to review the design, since there was no need; they didn’t do anything to the logo design they are already allowed to use nor were they printing and selling the shirts for profit (which runs into the marketing agreements with Fox Imaging).  Local Groups use the name and logo all the time without asking for review by the national N&L folks.

But as I said, I do support the intent of this motion. But it’s not quite right.

Robin’s Opinion: Vote NO.

(And yes, I have a substitute idea I’ll describe further below.)

MOTION 3

Moved Name and Logo Committee: Amend ASIE Appendix 8, by adding new section III, (and then renumber the remaining sections):

III. Special “Member(s) of Mensa” Logo and Name designs exist (for banners, electronic tags, and apparel) so that Members can promote Mensa when engaged in non-Mensa specific activities. They are to be used:

A. By a Mensa member or group for activities that are not Mensa specific, but allow for groups of members to come together in an activity within a larger community. (Festivals, parades, volunteer situations, etc...) 

B. If there is a concern that the activity to be participated in may promote a political, social, or religious opinion. Members may have such opinions, but the organization may not.

  

This seems fine to me.

Robin’s Opinion: Vote YES.

Now on to my suggestions…

The issue seems to be two-fold. First, the rainbow stripes behind the Mensa logo as was used on the Chicago shirts evokes to some viewers a too-close combining of two symbols. That’s probably not a good idea, and although it didn't exactly cross the current N&L lines, it probably should have been turned down. Much involves interpretation—for a greater explanation and examples of how human judgment comes into play regarding N&L, see the Name & Logo Workbook sections titled An ‘M’ with a Globe on Top and Exercises in Interpretation… .

But here’s the rub with trying to make a hard and fast rule that will last through the ages: Any patterned background may or may not at some point in time become symbolic of something else. Something that was symbolic may become generic and no longer carry any other meaning beyond the pretty pattern. Consider the case of tie dye patterns. At one point in our history, that was strongly associated with hippies and anti-war agendas. Now, not so much. Rainbows were once just pretty spectrums evoking happy thoughts, but now they have come to symbolize LGBT issues. What to some is simply a very pleasing shade of green is now often associated with the Green Party. Who is to say that a nice chevron pattern—very popular in design these days, won’t become the pattern of choice for Jenny McCarthy’s presidential campaign?

How to solve this?

Educate your RVCs and Groups. Over and over and over again. Get the word out that using the name and logo on a patterned background of a shirt or poster COULD be interpreted as an implication of an affiliation of the organization with a social/political/ideological cause and should not be done. Teach RVCs and Groups to ask the N&L Committee if they have any hint of a doubt.

And then just let the Committee judge and advice, much like the intent of  Motion 2 (the addition of a Section K to the current N&L Rules).

The second issue I see is the fine line between what is marketing and what is support or promotion of a social/political/ideological cause. Marketing is good. LGs doing marketing and getting the Mensa name out in front of people is a good thing. Everyone agrees.

Giving the impression to anyone anywhere that MENSA as an organizational entity supports anything is a bad thing. Not everyone agrees with this, but that’s a separate issue. For now, we work with the rules that exist.

After a million posts and conversations in various online and in-person forums, there seems to be, oddly, a consensus that a static sign or banner in a booth at an event is “marketing” and a moving banner or sign in a parade or rally is “supporting a cause.”

The easiest solution I see is to make a rule along the lines of “Local Groups, SIGs, or subsets of Mensa members must get approval from the AMC Marketing Committee before carrying a non-static sign or banner bearing the Mensa name and or logo in a parade or rally. Failure to get approval in advance may result in a loss of funding for the Local Group.”

(One problem I see already is what happens when twenty Mensans from different Local Groups all join together and march without approval and carrying a Mensa sign they made themselves? Rules are so much easier to make than to enforce.)

So, to sum up this insanely long post, here are my recommendations:

1. Vote NO on the first two N&L motions

2. Vote YES on the third one (adding a new section III to Appendix 8)

3. Get the word out that using the name and logo on a patterned background of a shirt or poster COULD be interpreted as an implication of an affiliation of the organization with a social/political/ideological cause and should not be done. RVCs and Groups should be reminded to ask the N&L Committee if they have any hint of a doubt.

4. Make a rule along the lines of “Local Groups, SIGs, or subsets of Mensa members must get approval from the AMC Marketing Committee before carrying a non-static sign or banner bearing the Mensa name and or logo in a parade or rally. Failure to get approval in advance may result in a loss of funding for the Local Group.”

  

If I were Communications Officer…

(I'm not.)

Major areas needing attention:

• Facebook presence and functioning of that community so that it benefits Mensa as a whole. This includes finding a solution to the bullying without squashing the free spirit of the members who participate.

• Updating and enhancing communication methods between Local Groups and their members.

• Managing the vast amounts of information in a way that members can access it easily and effectively.

I know that data does not always support assumptions, as in the case of “large groups need less money because they spend less on newsletters due to economy of scale.” I want real objective facts and data first; those should determine the options and most effective choices.

Unlike many, I do not assume that my intuition and observations regarding these issues is the one and only correct view. I won’t even assume that the two or three solutions floating around are the best ones. I would start at the very beginning--by working with a committee to determine what exactly we need to know in in order to make the best policy decisions. And I’d want to use the PDQ to find at least one member with a background in marketing research survey construction, so we don’t just ask questions that lead respondents to answers we want.

For example, I want to know who uses the Facebook group and AML forums. What kinds of members are they? Why do they participate in that way, and what needs do those online venues meet that SIGs and in-person get-togethers do not meet? What kinds of members do NOT use those venues, and why? And by “kind” of member, I don't mean just age; I want to know about the sets of personality types and information-consumption habits of those who gravitate to or away from online communities.

I would arrange to interview (not just survey) members representing all ages about how they really get and manage information regarding Mensa participation options.

I want to know what actually motivates and enables volunteers at the LG level to create and maintain communication vehicles. Clearly it wasn’t the annual awards and based on research I did many years ago, it wasn't funding.

I want to know what sorts of members use what sorts of nationally-generated data/guides/archives/materials. Why do they use them? How do they most comfortably gather and consume what they need and want?

If Mensa Had a Million Dollars

I’ve been reading some discussion about Local Group funding and how to improve the members’ experience in Mensa. I’ve watched as membership numbers slip downward, and as testing numbers continue to drop, despite all sorts of massive efforts and incentives to Groups to promote testing.

Even in Chicago, widely-admired as an active and high-functioning group, there is a sense of… staleness. I know that despite being quite committed to Mensa, and proud of my chapter, even I find myself feeling rather “meh” about most offerings. Another party with the same people and same types of food and entertainment. Another dinner out with the same crowd. Another spread of pictures of the same people playing games in our newsletter.  I like the folks here just fine. I enjoy the beer selection and some of the speakers at meetings and gatherings are quite entertaining. No complaints, really. Just…  nothing that really grabs me any more enough to put on my shoes and drive an hour.

If the group had even more money, what would I get? Another page or two of the newsletter, perhaps with some puzzles, which I can get online for free. Maybe some well-written an thought-provoking articles and essays, which I can find all over the Web whenever I sit down to catch up on the 37 blogs I follow. Perhaps two more parties a year, with some good wine and some nice hot hors d’oeuvres and the same smart people standing around talking and playing games. It’s even possible that we might hire a famous professional speaker to give a really great lecture, much like I can watch on TED. All quite nice. Might even get me to drag myself out to a meeting. But might not.

The other day, I was fantasizing about winning the lottery and what all I might do with a bazillion dollars. One of the things I daydreamed about was writing a check for a million dollars made out to American Mensa (not the Foundation, since as a bazillionaire, I was not really concerned about getting the tax deduction, but what the heck, I also dashed off a check for two million to the Foundation just because I could). In my fantasy, I arranged a meeting with Pam, Nick, and Elissa, and quite enjoyed their eye-popping gasps when I presented the check.

But there was a catch.

I challenged them to come up with an answer to this question: Since Mensa already excels at offering acceptance and succor to very smart and socially awkward people, how could they use a million dollars to provide very smart, socially adept people something they cannot easily find anywhere else?

The daydream trailed off at that point, but the emails I’ve been reading lately made me think about it again. Obviously, since I don’t buy lottery tickets, my bazillionairehood is still far in the future. But still…

I challenge the leaders and other members of Mensa to:

Think of what Mensa could offer smart and socially skilled people that they cannot easily and cheaply find elsewhere.

Develop and implement a massive fundraising campaign (hell yeah, I’ll kick in $100 for something novel and wonderful).

Make it happen.

A Toolkit for AMC and other Leaders

Now this looks like a very useful thing for leaders who are trying to think at high levels and still hope to accomplish something more practical than coming up with yet another "air is good—everyone should breathe it" type of strategic plan.

"All you need is a group and a goal: The CAT isn’t a rigid template for problem solving. It's designed to be flexible and accessible, with an action map and activities arranged into six categories, from building a group, to imagining new ideas, to planning change. The toolkit challenges groups to move beyond discussion to action, continually clarifying their shared goals based on what they learn through the problem-solving process. The result is a holistic approach to help groups tackle issues in their communities."


Download free

Links to Some of My Reports

Matt helped me set up DropBox, and now I have several of the big reports I've written for Mensa available for anyone who wants to download and read them:


The RVC Conundrum Background Paper 2011
The Local Group Service & Funding Report 2011
Governance Task Force Report 2010
InterLoc Background Paper 2010
Name & Logo Workbook 2009
Local Group Service & Funding Report 2006

LG Funding Concern- Reductions for Underperforming Groups

The AMC finally read my LG Service & Funding report, and they had questions and concerns, which Elissa forwarded to me so I could address them. Since then, it's been quite amusing to tussle with the new Membership Officer, who seems to be against the plan for a number of reasons, one of which is that the groups who have their funding reduced under this plan will be displeased. Here was my response to that:

Those amounts were suggestions. You could certainly tweak the rubric so that Groups which provide little or no service still get 82¢ per member. And you can eliminate the current practice of cutting off funding to Groups that don't meet the minimum requirements... just keep throwing money at them and perhaps someday, a spark plug will move into the area and use it.

But I firmly believe that Groups that want to provide more than the minimum should be funded to do so. Don't keep holding back your racehorses in order to not offend your slugs.

Every time Mensa policy defaults to pleasing the slowest, the timidest, the most luddite..... we put another nail in our coffin.

Local Group Funding Report-2006

Members are talking about Local Group Funding. Some might want to take a refresher look at the 2006 Local Group Funding Report.

Local Group Services & Funding Report- Linked

Finally, here is the Report of the Local Group Services & Funding Task Force! (You'll need your login and password information). 

I gave the AMC hard copies in Portland. Now, whether any of them will really read it, let alone take any actions...

Local Group Service & Funding Report

I finished it! The Local Group Service & Funding Report is finally done. It will be on the AML site soon, but if you're curious, I have it here, too.

Edited: Grumble grumble...For some reason my dot-mac account is not letting people download the file. Make a comment and give me your email address and I'll send you the pdf if you want it.

Local Group Expenditures

I should blog something, but I've been hard at work on the Local Group Service & Funding report. Just to take up space, here's a graph from the data I'm working with.

Local Group Expenditures ( EOFY 2010 reported data)

This Week's Project: LGS&F

In addition to lawn mowing and prepping for a weekend party, I'm hoping to pull together all the  data and documents and survey results into a readable, useful report for the Local Group Service and Funding task force.

Here's what my dining room table looks like with all the information we're looking at. Some of what you see are 60-page report and surveys.

"Lifeblood"

The Charlotte/Blueridge Mensa LocSec wrote an interesting column on page 8 in the May issue of IdioM 

I LOVED it, in no small part because I was the one who put the "Local Groups are the lifeblood" line on the list of the self-limiting beliefs in the GTF Report. I only wish I had had his words of explanation at the time, because I think he hit it spot-on.

Self-limiting beliefs may or may not be true, but when accepted as premises without deeper consideration or research, they limit effort to try other approaches... even the warmest of fuzzies can handicap an organization.

Do I think Local Groups are important— of course. They're the vehicle for most of the services members want and need. Would there be no Mensa if there were no Local Groups as we currently know them? Hmmm...maybe. I'm not sure it would be better, however. It would be different, for sure, but would there still be enough provision of stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members?

On the other hand, is there enough now, in ALL Local Groups? Too often I see hesitation by "National" to step in and tamper with the actions—or inactions— of a Local Group.... resulting in harm to the members. We let a Group go for months and months and months without holding a meeting or publishing a newsletter, and then all we do is cut off their funding—how will that increase member services? Actually giving up on a moribund Group takes nearly a year— a year of sub-par service to members! We never tell a graying ExCom that they need to appoint a new editor to bring a fresh and youthful flair to their newsletter. We don't mandate that a Local Group have an updated Web site, even though we all know that younger members depend on the Internet as their main source of connection. We don't give more money to Groups that can and want to do more because we want all Groups to be treated equally. We "save" the Local Group.... at the expense of the members.

John wrote that he came to the conclusion that members are the lifeblood of Mensa.

Members— yes yes yes! Members are the cells that carry the intellectual and social nutrients for us.

Members— not just the governance structure that categorizes them geographically— should be the focus of all of us leaders, at every level.

Thank you, John, for all you do for your Group's members and for making the effort to think beyond your first reaction. We should all do that more often.

Musing on Funding

Some members feel that more dues money should go to Local Groups and less to the "National." After all, the Mensa experience is at the local level, so that is where we should focus our resources. That is very true, for some members in some Local Groups. But not all. Recently there was this exchange in a thread not the AML Forums (names changed):

Eager New Member:
I looked at the website for my local group... I do not have high hopes lol. I think the last time anyone touched it was in October. Under the meetings heading, it says, "Our next regular meeting will be Thursday, November 4th." The last event scheduled was a testing day on January 30th, so maybe they'll be putting up a new calendar soon...? Ah well, no big deal.

Helpful Seasoned Member:
What is your local group? The website might be a tad out of date, but you should get a newsletter every month listing events for that month.

ENM:
It's the MidState Mensa. Hmm, I just checked for the newsletter for my local group on the AML Local Group Newsletters page, and it came back "no records returned," even for "Show All." Am I doing something wrong?

HSM:
Probably not. Groups aren't required to post their newsletters, so it is possible they have chosen not to.

ENM:
 That's a tad disappointing.... Forums it is, then!

Even if we tripled the funding for this Local Group, the Website would remain out of date and the newsletter unavailable to members wanting to get involved. This is why we spread the money around between support for LG-provided services and services provided at the national level. So ALL members get something for their dues money, even if they decide to live near a Local Group whose volunteers do less for their members.

Cutting off Millie's Newsletter

It really bothers me when Local Groups, in efforts to save money and trees switch to making their "official" newsletter a tiny little flyer with just a financial statement and a notice of a few events ... and doing that only once every 3 months. These groups usually produce big, fancy electronic newsletters, and  force their members to opt-in if they want to get the nicer newsletter on paper.

According to current Minimum Standard Bylaws, ASIEs, and the Local Group Charter... this is allowable.

But when I think of Millie Member —unable or uncomfortable using a computer and who just doesn't get around to contacting her LG officers and actively requesting to continue to receive what she'd always gotten automatically just by paying her dues— this just feels wrong. Millie was already barely connected to her Local Group. How is cutting her off further going to improve Mensa?