Mensa was founded in 1946 and for many years there was no need for an international governing body as Mensa only existed in the British Isles. However, when Mensa groups or chapters were also established in other countries there was a need to ensure conformity.
For that purpose, we have internationally elected officers (Chair, Director of Administration, Director of Development, and Treasurer), and the Director of Smaller National Mensas (appointed by the International Board of Directors). These positions, along with the Chair or proxy of national Mensas which have more than 10,000 members, form the Executive Committee (ExComm). Currently, the national Mensas with more than 10,000 members are US Mensa, Mensa Germany and British Mensa.
We also have the International Board of Directors (IBD) which consists of the Chairs of Full National Mensas (or their proxies).
The International Constitution, Bylaws and Guidelines can be found on the international website at member.mensa.org/members/mensa-international
The International Constitution can only be amended by means of a referendum among all members worldwide where the change must receive more than half of the votes in favour. It also must have received a majority of the voters in at least one third of the national Mensas.
The International Constitution has thirteen main sections covering issues from the nature and policy of Mensa, Mensa membership and voting rights at the IBD, to the formation of national Mensas, elections and finance.
While the International Constitution sets out the broad guidelines of Mensa’s international structure, the Bylaws of Mensa International provide much more detail. These can only be amended by the IBD. In case of discrepancy between the Bylaws and the International Constitution, the International Constitution always takes precedence. The International Constitution also takes precedence over national Constitutions, unless its provisions conflict with national law.
The IBD consists currently of representatives of 41 Full National Mensas, the four internationally elected officers, and the Director of Smaller National Mensas. The Bylaws document is updated whenever the IBD passes a new motion related to policy and/or governance.
Prior to the IBD’s adoption of the Bylaws in their current form, in May 2021 Mensa International policy was recorded in the Actions Still In Effect (ASIEs), but as that format became increasingly difficult to maintain, our former Chair, Björn Liljeqvist, undertook the enormous task of reformatting all that information into the Bylaws.
The IBD meets once a year in person, usually in October, and both the agendas and minutes of the meetings are accessible to all Mensans at member.mensa.org/members/mensa-international/ibd/ibd-meeting-archive
The Guidelines of Mensa International are subordinate to the Bylaws and the International Constitution. The document collects policy texts issued by ExComm in accordance with instructions from the IBD.
The guidelines contain chapters on the Standing Orders for the Executive Committee, bid guidelines for IBD meetings, example texts for mandatory and recommended provisions for national Constitutions, a model national Constitution, the Code of Conduct for the Mensa Facebook discussion group and expense guidelines.
ExComm meets twice a year in person and normally every other month online and the minutes are available to Mensans at member.mensa.org/members/mensa-international/excomm/excomm-minutes
As you can see there is a wealth of information available for information and reference for all interested Mensans, which needs to be maintained and adjusted for evolving circumstances and technologies. ExComm is fully dedicated to that task to best meet the needs of the worldwide Mensa community.
Převzato z Mensa World Journal, 11/24, č. 142