Aug 2008: RG Planning

From the LocSec [August issue 2008]
Important Membership Meeting for RG Planning
Originally published in the newsletter of North Alabama Mensa

Until two years ago, our Huntsville Mensa group hosted a Regional Gathering every August, enjoyed by people all around the Southeast. No person or team has come forward since to take the leadership of an RG. In that vacuum Central Alabama Mensa (Birmingham) would like to change to an August RG in ‘09 due to hotel scheduling difficulties in the spring.

Talks between our two Mensa groups have been proposed by Birmingham co-chairs Steve and LeAnne Porter and Anna Schoolfield. They have proposed talks about jointly planned August RGs, with the location rotating annually between Birmingham and Huntsville. Joint work would encourage emerging Huntsville RG leaders and volunteers to learn from the well-organized and well-documented Birmingham group. Many Huntsville Mensans also have a good memory of past Rgs and successful methods.

People supporting the idea of a joint RG say that joint work would be mutually beneficial, with experienced people in either group training inexperienced people in either group. Collaboration would be a learning opportunity as well as a refresher course for Huntsville and would distribute the work.

You are invited to a joint planning meeting on Saturday, August 23 at 1 p.m. in Huntsville at the home of Kelly Morger and Ulf Lindstrom. A number of Birmingham Mensans will attend. Potluck dinner is at 1 p.m. with RG meeting afterward. Also the monthly FS&M will be at the same place at 4 p.m. It will be announced in the reminder e-mails as a separate function.

Our host Ulf will set up a conference call via Skype VOIP with the first 9 people to request it. If you would like to participate from anywhere in the USA, please send either your telephone number or Skype identification in advance to Ulf. You will be called at roughly 2 p.m.

What is a Regional Gathering?

It’s a weekend vacation, Friday evening through Sunday noon, with like minds settled into a hotel to consume excellent beers and foods and interesting programs, to play board and other games, to chat intelligently with others, to get to know new people, and to shine at the Saturday night dance, the swimming pool, or in some of the fun contests. It is for all ages.

Who should attend the exploratory meeting:

--Anyone wanting to re-establish RGs in north Alabama.

--Anyone willing to volunteer for the RG committee.

--Anyone willing to help in some way at a RG.

--Anyone willing to consider RG chair or co-chair, treasurer, hospitality or program chair.

--Anyone wanting to LEARN from experienced RG planners.

--People with and without leadership skills, people to nogiate with the hotels, people to prepare menus and shop for food, people to develop a theme and artwork, people who can get interesting speakers to present programs -- and as the event approaches, people with pickup trucks, hand trucks, coolers, small refrigerators, storage facilities for our permanent supplies, and people willing to make signs, move furniture, and stock ice and drinks.

Among other things, we'll discuss:

a. Why we are considering joint RGs;

b. Getting people involved;

c. How we will interact as two groups in two cities;

d. A proposed city for August 2009;

e. A consensus one way or another.

Please come to the meeting. Email me or any officer to discuss any of these matters.

It's anticipated that the ExComs of both groups will in the beginning review and approve the RG chair(s), the treasurer, the budget, and the hotel contract, after the Birmingham custom and ours. The RG officers and committee will be otherwise independent to plan as they see fit within the limits of the hotel contract and budget.