Saturday, October 14, midday. A shade was cast upon the International Board of Directors, the IBD. It was the moon passing in front of the sun, making us all drop everything we were doing, leave the meeting room and walk out to the parking lot to watch a stellar spectacle unfold above our heads.
“Can this not wait”, I thought to myself, ”we’re not finished…”. But celestial bodies wait for nobody; of course we were finished. Once the meeting resumed after our ecliptic lunch break, it was already time for the next item on the busy agenda. How else do you run a meeting on time? The chairman often has to interrupt people, tell them their time is up and to yield the floor to the next person on the electronic list of speakers. We are on a clock with decisions to be made. 50 people around a big table the shape of a horseshoe, deliberating for two and a half days. If we can achieve a fraction of the discussions we want, that is a success.
Linguistic and cultural differences create a unique blend of obstacles and opportunities. Yet it is always stimulating and invigorating and a way for the federation of Mensa to come together as one and plot the path ahead.
Do read the minutes on the website which include summaries of all presentations and discussions.
We were served presentations on, to name a few, the vital provisional Mensa Indonesia, the Mensa News Team and their channel on Workplace, the Constitution Review process, Mensa Germany’s regional organisation and the Mensa Foundation, mixed with small-group discussions on national Mensa challenges and successes, member rights and volunteer awards.
The social program arranged by American Mensa was a welcome balance to the busy workdays. I particularly liked the visit to the Texas State Fair, complete with corn dogs and alligator jerky.
Summary of decisions made
Next IBD. The 2024 IBD meeting will be in Perth, Australia. The 2025 meeting will be in Germany and the 2026 meeting will be somewhere in Europe to be decided later.
GLAM. The inaugural Gathering of Latin American Mensas will take place, with some sponsoring from Mensa International. Host group: Mensa Brazil. Place: Rio de Janeiro. The goal is to kick-start what may become a recurring event just like the EMAG and AMG in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Expulsions clarification. The IBD has clarified that local groups (or SIGs etc) cannot expel members from Mensa. Any such action does not carry over to the national or international level. Only national boards (or assemblies, depending on what the national rules dictate) can expel someone from Mensa altogether. Furthermore, expelled members are expressly forbidden from visiting Mensa events even as guests accompanying a member.
Unofficial groups on social media. It was decided that Mensa International, MI, should address the problem of members who use the “Mensa” name without permission in groups on e.g. Facebook. This is very difficult to police in practice, because FB does not always hand over control of groups just because we ask, partly because our trademark is not owned by a single entity. There are, however, things that MI can do internally as well.
DIM Sum. The fee for Direct International Membership was increased by 50% to £30, from £20. Interestingly, the motion was initially set at £25, but following discussion this was amended by majority vote to £30. This is a nominal sum that can be lowered depending on the economic status of a country.
Trademark unification. There is an agreement between American Mensa, British Mensa and Mensa International, to move towards uniting the rights to the trademark “Mensa” internationally under a single entity. Right now, the rights are split up between MI and a few national groups, for historical reasons, so no single entity can decide to use the Mensa name on a global level, for example in licensing deals. This split makes it harder both to effectively police illicit use of the Mensa brand, and to sign lucrative licensing deals with appropriate businesses (think games, puzzle books etc). The memorandum of understanding has already been in place for a few years, but this was the first time the IBD formally expressed an opinion on the subject, thanks to a supportive motion from Mensa Germany.
Adaptive testing. £85,000 was allocated for the project of norming the new adaptive online IQ test that will be offered to national Mensas. It is now being normed on a British population, but will offer a more convenient and sustainable way to test candidates for membership, compared to the pen and paper tests which have been the standard since Mensa testing began.
Paying for delegates. From now on, IBD delegates will be required to participate throughout the year by voting on electronic ballots, in order to receive full reimbursement for travelling to the IBD meeting. The three days in October are important – but only a part of the actual work, with motions being debated and voted on also between meetings. The national Mensas are ultimately responsible for the conduct of their representative.
Minimum per-member fee. National Mensas pay 7% of their membership income to MI, and this is how MI funds its operations, including the office staff, trademark lawyers and the IBD meetings. Starting next year, however, a “floor” is added to the calculation so that the payment to MI starts at 7% of the DIM fee, around £2. To most groups this makes no difference – but it does impose a burden on national Mensas with a fee that is lower than the global median. Also, those who offer free memberships for whatever reasons, e. g. to children.
A reflection on value for money
The last points were hotly debated, but the majority voted in favour. Every group is supposed to contribute their fair share, and the IBD has to decide what that means. The groups with the highest dues and the most members subsidise, to some extent, the smaller groups and their participation on the IBD. Voting strength is based on the number of members, so from that perspective it makes sense to have a minimum amount per member. At the same time, a negligible amount in a wealthy country can be a cost to reckon with in another.
In any case, it was a discussion the IBD needed to have. Making something more expensive has its risks. Nonetheless, the more we become invested in something, the more we want to make it worth it. Along those lines, I felt there was a subtle change of attitude developing at this meeting, summed up in the question: “How do we make sure our members get more value for this money?”
How indeed! The challenges to Mensa in the years ahead require solutions at the international level: adaptive IQ testing, easy member verification and quality online communities, international PR, leveraging the brand, charity and fundraising, advocacy for giftedness etc.
That last topic is dear to me. Yes, Mensa must steer clear of politics and avoid jumping on whatever bandwagon is the current thing. One cause is not like the others, though, for it is plainly stated in our own Constitution of Mensa: intelligence should be used for the benefit of humanity. Intelligence is real. We should go out, find it and make the very most of it. This needs to be said, so let Mensa say it loudly in the years to come.
Final note
There is an election this year and I look forward to handing over the chairman’s gavel to my successor, whoever he or she may be. My work is not quite done yet, but Dallas was my last IBD meeting as chairman. Since I first joined the IBD as a regular delegate in 2007, there has been an evolution in how we do business, and how we think of Mensa International. Broader issues have come into focus. The organisation is not complacent, but rather impatient and eager to grow and realise its potential. To have played a part in this has been a dear privilege.
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, 1/2024, issue 132.