Volume 41, Number 01
January 2017
The Official Newsletter of North Alabama Mensa, Group #356
Dinner Meeting at on Sunday, January 15 at 6 PM
The January dinner meeting will be the 15th at
6:00 p.m. at las Parrillas Mexican Grill,
2713 Patton Road
Huntsville, AL 35805
Our speaker this month will be Ms. Cathie
Mayne, Marketing Director of the Land Trust of
North Alabama, and she will be speaking about
that agency and what it offers the community.
(256) 534-3102 / (256) 534-3103
http://www.lasparrillasgrill.com/
Don’t forget those
White Elephants!
Printed NORBA Newsletter Discontinued - See page 4 for details
A Note from Baker Ring,
RVC
As we are moving out of one year and into another, it’s time to think about where we are heading in our lives. And in our Mensa lives as well.
2017 is an election year and all of our national
and regional offices will be up for election. I encourage you to get on the Mensa website and
sign petitions for the various candidates. To do
this, you will need to get on the national website,
go to Lead, AMC, Elections, election details,
sign candidate’s petitions.
If you haven’t been on the website since the rollover of the new management software. You will
need to click “forgot password”, then, pick a
password, use it and your e-mail address to log
in. If this doesn’t work, (Con’t on pg. 2. )
1
LOCSEC Corner
It’s a New Year!
We’ve had good turnouts for our Dinner Meetings and some very entertaining and interesting
speakers. Thanks to Linda Graves and Bob and
Barbara Ward for making this happen. We all
look forward to more of the same in 2017.
Central Alabama Mensa is hosting an RG in
Birmingham the 17th through the 19th of February 2017. Check their Facebook posting for
more information at www.facebook.com/
CentralALMensa or contact Mary Ambridge at
[email protected]
Anyone with a desire to learn more about the
Officer positions in North (Con’t on pg. 2. )
A Note from Baker Ring, RVC, con’t. from Page 1
call the National Office and they will help you through [email protected] and the hotel registration is
it.
at: http://tinyurl.com/CAM-RG2017-hotel. RegistraThe Winter AMC meeting was held in the New Orle- tion before 12/31 is $55 and $65 until 1/31. They offer
ans at the beginning of December. The AMC nominat- a $5 discount for RG veterans. They always put on a
fun RG with great programming. Hope to see some of
ed a number of people to serve on the International
Board of Directors. You will see those nominations in you there.
a couple of months. Passed a motion to increase dues Don't miss Piedmont Area Mensa's 2017 Carolinah
Regional Gathering in Greenville, South Carolina,
to $79 per year, effective July 1, 2017. This motion
May 5-7. This year’s theme is PaMinal House. Early
will also be on the April 2017 AMC meeting agenda
and must pass for a second time before it can become registration of $60 needs to be sent in by January 6.
effective. This is the procedure that is now done, as a The regular rate of $70 goes through March 31. Registration includes all programs and activities, meals,
result of a by-laws change passed in the 2015 elecsnacks, and drinks. Bring the whole family! Weekend
tions.
registration is free for ages 6 and under, $25 for
The AMC also passed a couple of other measures that youngsters 7-12 and $45 for teens. Mail checks payayou can find in the Mini-Minutes which are now
ble to Piedmont Area Mensa to the registrar, Mary
online under meeting reports.
Ann Cox, 509 Bethel Drive, Mauldin, SC, 29662,
Central Alabama Mensa has moved their RG back to phone 864-963-2335, e-mail: [email protected] (Please call or e-mail to
February. It will take place February 17-19 at the
request credit card instructions.
Hampton Inn and Suites, Hoover, AL. The theme is:
Hanging out with your fellow Mensans may just help
The Magic City RG. Their Facebook page; facebook.com/centralalmensa has all the information you you get through the cold months of January and Febneed. The registrar, Mary Ambridge can be reached at: ruary. Hey! If it works, it works. Have a safe winter.
LOCSEC Corner
con’t. from Page 1
Alabama Mensa is encouraged to contact any of
our officers listed in the monthly newsletter or
contact me directly at [email protected]. We have the position of
Circulation Manager becoming available. Louise
Hardin is ready and willing to prepare/train an
interested candidate in taking over that position. I
will be happy to mentor the next Local Secretary/
President to ensure continuity.
If you have an idea for a dinner speaker don’t
hesitate to contact Linda Graves. I’m sure she
would welcome any suggestions for future speakers.
Don ——- [email protected]
2
North Alabama Mensa November 27 ExCom Meeting Minutes
The North Alabama Mensa Executive Committee
(ExCom) met on Sunday, November 27, 2016 at the
home of Don and Jean Midkiff prior to FS&M. Attending were ExCom members Don Midkiff, Bob Ward,
and Barbara Ward, and North Alabama Mensa member Louise Hardin.
(Note that Excom members unable to attend the
meeting – Linda Graves, Don Newberry, and Carol
Wolf – were contacted by email the subsequent day
regarding motions requiring a vote).
Loc Sec Don Midkiff called the meeting to order at
2:35 p.m.
Unfinished Business
Two open items previously received from the floor
were discussed and voted upon:
Changing the time for the monthly dinner meeting
from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Bob Ward motioned,
seconded by Don Midkiff, that we keep meeting at
6:00 p.m. During discussion is was noted that the
meeting time just a few years ago had been changed
from 6:30 to 6:00 p.m. The motioned was passed.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Bob Ward gave the Treasurer’s Report as of
September 30, 2016. This semi-annual report will be
included in our newsletter as required by our bylaws.
Some discussion followed on the appropriate level of
detail for the semi-annual report. Bob will continue
to do quarterly reports for the ExCom meetings.
The meeting was adjourned to begin preparing the
December newsletter.
Meet-Up: Barbara Ward motioned that we should
not continue our current subscription to Meet-Up
Respectively submitted,
when it runs out in mid-December since we have
gotten almost no response on it. Don Midkiff secondBarbara Ward
ed the motion. The motion was passed.
Recording Secretary
LET IT SNOW!!
The Topic is Trivia
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Contributed by Valeta Wheeler
Irish teenager Annie Moore become the first person to process through Ellis Island on what date?
Nineteen hundred four marked the first New Year’s Eve celebration in this location.
List the 5 most common street names.
Where is the longest Main Street in the U.S.?
Name the service that uses the following types of transportation– planes, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, float planes, hovercraft, mules, bicycles, & feet.
6. The first American woman to fly in space was ___.
7. In what year was watermelon declared the state vegetable of Oklahoma?
8. Who invented the concept of costume jewelry?
9. A tie fanatic or collector is called a ___.
10. What was Barbie’s first outfit?
3
Printed NORBA Newsletter Discontinued - Maybe …….
In the past, we have sent printed newsletters to those
How to change your preferences:
who have selected to receive print newsletters, those who
 Go to https://www.us.mensa.org/
did not have a valid email address on file and chose elec Log in with your email address and password (Log In is
tronic delivery, and those who defaulted to electronic
on the upper right of the screen)
without specifically selecting it. That has changed – if you
did not specifically request a printed newsletter by logging
(If you can’t log on, scroll down to the news block
onto the Mensa member site and selecting “Print,” you
under the “Take our Admission Test”, and clock on
will only get one if there is no valid email address on file.
“How our database transition affects you”. There
This has reduced the number of labels we receive from
National. We can only use our periodical rate when using
these labels. The down side is that we will not be printing
enough to get a discount on printing.
is information under “Frequently asked Questions”)

How can you help? Log on to the National website and
select Print or Electronic newsletter. Sending you the
newsletter electronically means that when we upload the
newsletter, you get a message that it is available for you. 
You will need to log on and download the newsletter. The

advantage: you get a color pdf copy and you get the newsletter before the printed version would show up in your
mailbox. And it saves us money. (On a side note – the upload newsletters is not working yet, please be patient as

the upgrade continues.)
FS&M with Valeta Wheeler, Saturday,
January 21, at 4:00 pm
January Fold, Staple,
and Mutilate will be at
Valeta Wheeler's home
on Saturday, January
21 at 4:00 p.m.
There will be something warm to eat and/
or drink as well as
plenty of good conversation. Somewhere in
there we'll get the paper copy of the news-
letter put together and
ready to mail.
You are welcome to
bring a snack to
share. And bring along
a stapler if you have
one that works well.
4
Select “My Mesa” tab
Select “Membership Profile” from the list on the left.
Select “My Communication Preferences” from the
menu on top right. The “Publication Preferences” for
the Mensa Bulletin and the Local Group Newsletter is
at the top of this page.
If you want to change ‘Local Group Newsletter’ from
print to electronic, or vice versa, click on “Edit” at the
top right and select from the drop down list and click
on the SAVE button at the bottom of the window.
January Mensa-versaries
TRIVIA ANSWERS
Robert C Glover II
36
James H Rogers
25
Mar Mae Symonds PhD
19
Freda Daily
18
Bruce Wingo
16
James Patrick Pace
16
Steven Zutaut
14
Alicia G Shelley
13
Jeremy Shelley
13
Matthew Gargis
12
Dr Frank Alfonse Camaratta
Jr
11
Gail A Patterson
9
Keith A Banks
7
Michael Raper
5
Jennifer E Drown
3
Karyn E Drown
3
Kenneth Bruce Gamble
3
Michael Ray McDaniel
3
Freda Daily
3
Robert Greenhaw
3
Henry E Ahler
10
Keith W Wilhite
3
Howard C Graves III
12
David J Schultz
2
Kelly McCauley
12
Russell Stephen Gordon
2
Casson R Cable
16
Virginia Rieger
1
Bonnie Gaye McDaniel
16
Larry J Bragg Jr
1
Joseph Peter Hale II
17
Richard Pollenz
18
Stephanie Ragan
19
Gina Hammon
20
Monte Washburn
23
5
1. Jan 1 1892
2. Times Square
3. Main, 2nd, Maple, Oak, Park
4. Island Park, ID (33 miles)
5. U.S. Postal Service
6. Sally Ride
7. 2007
8. CoCo Chanel
9. Grabologist
10. A black and white striped one-piece swimsuit
January Birthdays
Reasons to Travel:
Mind Games 2017 is scheduled April 21-23 in Herndon, VA.
Piedmont Area Mensa's 2016
Carolinah Regional Gathering,
Greenville, South Carolina, April 29-May 1 .
See the RVC column for more information.
November Dinner Meeting
6
Note that Player Registration for the 2017 event is
currently sold out, but you can still get on the wait
list — just sign in and follow the prompts. If an opening occurs, those on the wait list will be contacted by
the registration team to confirm they still want to attend.
If you have questions, get answers by contacting
[email protected] or visiting mindgames.us.mensa.org.
The December Ding How Dinner Meeting was delightful!
Twenty-nine people attended and shared excellent conversation, laughter, and White Elephants.
HEADS UP!! Event registrants may begin booking their rooms at the Diplomat Resort &
Spa, the stage for AG 2017, starting Nov. 1. Block details to be published on the AG
website and sent to registrants via email.
7
January 2017
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
5:30
8
6:00
15
9
10
11
12
13
14
16
17
18
19
20
21
25
26
27
28
6:00
MLK
22
23
24
29
30
31
Event
Temperance: Friday, January 6, 5:30 pm
Venue
Tim’s Cajun Kitchen
(256) 213-9267
114 Jordan Lane NW, Huntsville
(just North of I-565)
Details
Support the removal of alcohol: drinking it up - or
just unwind with an appetizer, dinner or dessert.
Event
Family Dinner: Sunday, January 8th, 6:00
pm
Venue
Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant, 7900 Bailey Cove
Road, Huntsville, AL 35802, 256-883-4447.
Event
Dinner Meeting: Sunday, January 15,
6:00
Venue
Las Parrillas Mexican Grill
2713 Patton road
Huntsville, AL 35805
(256) 534-3102 / (256) 534-3103
http://www.lasparrillasgrill.com/
Details
. See page 1
Event
FS&M Saturday January 21, 4:00 pm
Venue
Valeta Wheeler
613 Glencoe Rd
Huntsville, AL 35802
- Across the street from Grissom High School, close to
south precinct police station.
Details
Hosts Don and Joan Derry
Share ideas for venues to [email protected].
4:00 pm
256-883-2988
Details
See page 2 for FS&M details
Do you want the next dinner meeting to be held in your neighborhood?
Next Dinner
meeting location Take control, have it your way, suggest a venue. Send your suggestions to
[email protected].
8
North Alabama Mensa Information
Local Secretary
Don Midkiff
Membership Chair
Donald Newberry
Recording Secretary
[email protected]
[email protected]
10029 Willow Cove Rd SE, Huntsville AL 35803
Ph: (256) 883-6403
Barbara Ward
Treasurer
10029 Willow Cove Rd SE, Huntsville AL 35803
[email protected]
Program Chair
[email protected]
Linda Graves
Lone Arranger
Scholarship Chair
(256) 325-5213
Ray Cassell II
[email protected]
Testing Coordinator
[email protected]
Webmaster
[email protected]
Jesse Buckley
[email protected]
Ph: (256) 883-6403
Robert Ward
North Alabama Mensa Information
10029 Willow Cove Rd SE, Huntsville AL 35803
Test Proctor
Ph: (256) 883-6403
Robert Ward
[email protected]
Regional Vice Chair
Email: [email protected]
Baker Ring
[email protected]
Linda Graves
SIGHT Coordinator
[email protected]
Barbara Ward
FS&M Scheduler
[email protected]
Gifted Youth
[email protected]
Coordinator
256-883-0178
Martha Williams
North Alabama Mensa Purpose Statement
Postage and Advertising
To provide a social atmosphere and the interplay of ideas and
words through organized activities; to encourage acceptance and
friendship in a community of peers. To foster personal growth
and learning through experiments in adventure such as: meeting
diverse and interesting people, traveling, participating in activities
with other groups, contributing to local group efforts, offering
leadership opportunities, and networking.
USPS-695-450
NORBAMENSA, published monthly, is the official publication of
North Alabama Mensa, group #356. Current members of
American mensa, Ltd. who reside in north Alabama or affiliate
with the North Alabama Mensa Chapter receive NORBAMENSA
through a part of their national dues. Anyone else, Mensan or
non-Mensan, may subscribe at an annual rate of $7.00 plus
sufficient pre-addressed stick-on mailing labels for the duration
of the subscription. Known office of publication:
PO Box 485, Meridianville, AL 35759
Periodical postage paid at Huntsville, AL.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes (Form 3575) to
American Mensa Ltd., 1229 Corporate Drive West, Arlington
TX 76006-6103
How to submit material for Publication
To submit an article for publication in NORBAMENSA, mail, email
or give your editor a semi-legible copy. Typewritten, computer
generated files, back of bar napkins, or any other legible format
will be accepted. E-mail will be cheerfully and gratefully
accepted. Stuff that we can’t decipher says whatever we want it
to say! The deadline occurs at the Dinner Meeting prior to
publication, but there’s always next month. Letters to the editor
are encouraged.
NORBAMENSA provides advertising as a service to our
members and business owners. Audience is approximately 250
Mensans, their families, and a variety of other intelligent life
forms both locally and nationwide. Rates $7.50 per 1/4 page,
$30.00 per full page.
Announcement List
Sign up by sending an email from the email address you wish to
use to:
[email protected]
NORBAMENSA Staff
Editor
We are on Meetup at: meetup.com/Norbamensa
North Alabama Mensa Website
http://www.northalabama.us.mensa.org
9
Circulation
Manager
Carol Wolf
10101 Cahaba Drive SW, HSV, AL 35803
Phone: (256) 489-8309
Email: [email protected]
Louise Hardin PO Box 485, Meridianville, AL 35759
Phone: (256) 683-8026
NORBAMENSA
PO Box 485
Meridianville, AL 35759
PERIODICAL
POSTAGE PAID
HUNTSVILLE
ALABAMA
USPS 695-450
Send address changes (Form 3575) to
American Mensa Ltd.
1229 Corporate Drive West
Arlington, TX 76006-6103
Mensa is an international society that has as its sole requirement for
membership a score at or above the 98th percentile on any of a
number of standardized IQ tests. It is a not for profit organization
whose main purpose is to serve as a means of communication and
assembly for its members. Special interest groups within Mensa
provide a basis for involvement in various activities as well as sharing
opinions of affiliations. The opinions expressed are those of the
authors. Qualifications for membership may be determined by tests
administered by Mensa or by submission of properly certified evidence
of prior test scores.
All inquiries should be addressed to:
AMERICAN MENSA LTD.
1229 Corporate Drive West
Arlington, TX 76006-6103
PH (817)607-0060
FAX (817) 649-5232
Office Hours: 9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Central
Internet: http://www.us.Mensa.org
e-mail: [email protected]
Volume 41 Number 1
January 2017
10
P. 1
Dinner Meeting
P3
ExCom Meeting Minutes
P. 3
Trivia
P. 5
Mensaversaries/Birthdays
P. 8
Calendar of Events
P. 9
Officers and Contacts