PerMensa

PerMensa is the official monthly publication of Permian Basin Mensa. Shirley Volkmann is the editor. PerMensa began its 24th year of publication in 2006.

Hello, My Fellow Mensans

We are seeking articles about you, our favorite people, local Mensans. Send us a blurb, bio with or without picture, or a funny/ interesting item from the past /future having to do with Permian Basin Mensa or its members. Or send us a news item about yourself or Mensa.

Thank You,

Shirley C. Volkmann, Editor

Loc Sec Speak February 2006

One of our Yankee friends wondered that horse theft was a hanging offence in the old west: a severe penalty for simple theft. Charlie Neefe replied, �Some men need hanging, but no horse needs stealing.�

Willie Nelson is coming to Big Spring on February 16 at 7:30. Tickets cost $35.00 and the performance is at the Dorothy Garrett Coliseum at Howard College on Birdwell Lane.

The second Saturday pot-luck/program/party will be held on the third Saturday at 4900 Castleford from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m., February 18. Bring a dish and a beverage to share. It is against the law to park out in the street. Pull up to the curb to park. If you get lost, go to 1101 Castleford: 4900 is next door. Go north on Garfield one block past the loop, turn right (east) it�s the last house.

I read in the paper that the Waco ministers have given up on trying to block Hooters. �We�ve done all we can do. We�ll just leave the rest to the Lord.� Actually I think the Lord must like Hooters. He certainly made a lot of them.

MIKE CRADDOCK

Faith Promise

Robert I Starr

How much time will pass me by
Before I learn to live this life
In my head I live so very long
Got to live today before it�s gone.

So many strangers I live around
When the sun is sleeping
To when the moon is coming out
Today I won�t let it let me down.

Change is a promise of heaven
Have faith and never fear
Take this grace, it�s freely given
Remember God is always near.

Hope in what you know is
The best way out of doubt
Just trust the only one
The only one who is love.

Search for answers no one knows
Feed your knowledge, watch it grow
But the truth you never see
Until you ride faith and believe.

I know this time will pass me by
When I learn to live this life
Soon it won�t be very long
Got to live today before it�s gone.

January 02, 2006

I�ve Been Thinking �. by Mark Piette

LAST MONTH�S QUERY

No one has responded to the cent query except to say that a penny and a cent are not the same thing to those who know the terminology of coins. But I�m still receiving letters about the dancing query from women whose husbands learned to dance at their request, women who met their husbands at dances and a wonderful letter from Jac Amerrell taking me to task for the assumption behind the query. (My assumption, that more women than men dance is from a book on ballroom dance, two instructors and personal observation in different venues where people dance.) Jac said that in his experience there are more men than women involved in the ��lead and follow� ballroom and country dances.� He has been dancing competitively, taking group and private lessons and going to workshops and seminars for over ten years and said that it is nearly always the case that there are more men than women at these events. Jac did say that there could be more women than men on the dance floor doing the �strange stuff that couples did during the 60's 70's and 80's when they went on the dace floor and wiggled around, rarely touching.� Jac noted that there was no SIG in Mensa for ballroom dancing. From the response to this query, there is a lot of interest in ballroom dance among Mensans.

THIS MONTH�S QUERY

I could have easily written this document on a desktop computer 20 years ago. As I remember, the machines I used then booted up quickly and did the little I asked of them without any problems. The machine I use now takes longer to boot up than my old Mac. Before I can use it I have to let it know that I am not interested in new tool bars, upgrades of products I never bought or checking out the viruses it captured while I was sleeping. The computer issued by a company I used to work for took nearly three minutes to get to the point that I could check my email. Why are these computers so slow to get to what I want to do when they are so much more powerful than they used to be?

As always leads, hard data, theories and idle speculation are welcome. Call me at 715/359-7892, write me at 609 Schmidt Ave. in Rothschild, WI 54474, or e-mail your answer to MPPIETTE@AOL.COM.

Future Queries...

I�d like to hear from those of you who have things you�ve wondered about and haven�t taken the time to find an answer. As you can see, any sort of query is welcome.

As always leads, hard data, theories and idle speculation are welcome. Call me at 715/359-7892, write me at 609 Schmidt Ave. in Rothschild, WI 54474, or e-mail your answer to MPPIETTE@AOL.COM.

RVC Report BY Ray O� Connor

We have a new Mensa forum. You can access the forums at: http://www.us.mensa.org/community/forum Give it a try and you may find something of particular interest to you.

We have three months before the annual dues renewal. Please help reduce expenses by renewing early. This is a time when we lose almost one in five members. While there are valid financial reasons why some do not renew their membership, surveys indicate that the most common reason is that they simply didn�t receive enough perceived value for their membership. The majority of folks we lose are first year members.

When I was a local group membership officer, we asked new members why they joined Mensa. The dominant answer was to meet and interact with intelligent people. Our challenge is how do we facilitate interaction with our new and inactive members. A study of member participation characteristics indicated that folks prefer activities within ten miles of their home or business. We need to have regular geographically diverse activities as well as an active new member involvement program. Since eating is a significant common interest, meetings at restaurants for breakfast, lunch, dinner or evening drinks are very popular.

To urge each group to work toward facilitating improved member retention, I am offering two prizes (groups > 200 members and groups < 200 members as of 3/31/06). The large and the small group with the smallest percentage of lapsed members as of April 1, 2006 will receive a $50 reward. In addition, the Loc Sec of each winning group will be asked to nominate the five members who did the most to achieve member retention. Each of these nominees will receive a Mensa Service Award pin.

Gatherings Calendar:

SynRG May 26 to May 29 come join Gulf Coast Mensans celebrate Memorial Day with Metamorphosis. Join us for a life-changing experience. Speakers, games, dance, casino, Ray O�Connor's famous Hospitality, and so much more... $60 if postmarked by 3/3/06, $65 thereafter. Hilton Houston Westchase, 9999 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77042; 713/974-1000; www.westchase.hilton.com. SR/DR $69. Room rates guaranteed until 5/4/06; mention GCM. CD 18 and under, H RP May 15, 2006 cutoff SA H/AS $$25 CC (V MC). Checks payable to Gulf Coast Mensa RG. www.gcmensa.org/RGNews.asp. Contact Liz Meadows, Registrar, Gulf Coast Mensa, Inc., P.O. Box 25267, Houston, TX 77265.

The World Gathering Aug 8 to Aug 13, 2006 The Coronado Springs, Disney World, FL Registration http://wg06.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Registration Registration Rates: Member $80, nonmember $90, to March 31, 2006,

Mensa Birthdays

02/01 Shirley C. Volkmann Midland

02/07 Carol Hastings Midland

02/10 Venus Marie Skeen Midland

02/12 Charles Eubanks Odessa

02/15 Richard E. Jackson San Angelo

02/28 Dennis Allen Hein San Angelo

02/28 Ronnie D. Scott Midland

Mensaversaries

Leonard H. Caryl Midland 02/1966

Nellie B Fields Midland 02/1968

Helen Marie Murry San Angelo 02/1981

Pamela Jo Piper Fisher Andrews 02/1982

William Keith Smith Abilene 02/1983

Karl K. Butler Abilene 02/1985

Rita Palmer Big Spring 02/1997

Caren Lynn McCourt Midland 02/2004

Robert Isaiah Starr Abilene 02/2004

Dr. Hoy L Bryson Midland 02/2005

Permian Basin Mensa Meeting/Party February 18, 2006

<*,*>

[\_/] You are invited!

...-"-"-�

Permian Basin Mensa will meet on Saturday, February 18, 2006 at the Midland home of Pat and Mike Craddock.

Our speaker will be Dr. Daniel G. Eckstein, Associate Professor in Counseling Education at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

He will speak on "Leadership By Encouragement"

Dr. Eckstein is the author of eleven books, including Raising Respectful Kids in a Rude World (a selection of the Behavioral Science Book Club), Leadership by Encouragement, Psychological Fingerprints, and Lifestyle Assessment.

His career roles include educator, author, public speaker, workshop presenter, management consultant, communications specialist, and professional football player .

Editor's Column	LocSec Speak	Region 6 Report
I've Been Thinking...	Events	Artwork
Poetry	Puzzles	Birthdays
MENSAversaries	Minutes	PerMemsa Officers
Articles