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- Mensa
-
-
- Questions and Answers about the Organization
-
-
-
- What is Mensa?
-
- Mensa is an international organization with only one requirement
- for membership - a score on a standardized I.Q. test higher than
- 98% of the general population.
-
- How many people belong to Mensa?
-
- American Mensa now has nearly 50,000 members; another 20,000
- members belong to national Mensas in Australia, Austria, Belgium,
- British Isles, Canada, Channel Islands, Finland, France, Germany,
- Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden,
- and Switzerland. There are Mensans in 98 countries throughout the
- world.
-
- What is Mensa's purpose?
-
- Mensa has three major purposes: to identify and foster human
- intelligence for the benefit of humanity; to encourage research
- in the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence; and to
- provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its'
- members.
-
- What are Mensa members like?
-
- Mensa members represent:
- 1. All ages from 4 to 94...
- 2. Every educational level from preschoolers to high school
- dropouts to Ph.D.s...
- 3. All economic levels, from people on welfare to millionaires...
- 4. A broad range of occupations, including executives, factory
- workers, scientists, farmers, authors, engineers, lawyers,
- doctors, truck drivers, homemakers, teachers, computer
- programmers, secretaries, politicians, the military, actors,
- musicians, and hundreds more.
-
- What does "Mensa" mean?
-
- Mensa is Latin for "table". We are a round-table society that makes
- no distinctions as to race, color, creed, national origin, age,
- or economic, educational, or social status. Only intelligence
- matters.
-
- What can Mensa offer me?
-
- You can be assured of meeting others at your own intellectual
- level. In a world that is becoming more and more stratified and
- classified, and in which social and intellectual contacts are
- frequently limited to people with whom you work, to your neighbors,
- and to the usual civic organizations, Mensa has a lot to offer.
- Most of all, it offers a challange: Mensa dares you to use, exercise,
- and, ultimately, expand your intellectual potential. The entire
- organization is structured for that purpose.
-
-
- Page 1
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-
-
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- How is Mensa organized?
-
- American Mensa has about 140 Local Groups, located in all 50
- States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Chances are there's
- a local group near you.
-
- What do these groups do?
-
- Most local groups hold regular meetings, at least one a month,
- as well as various other activities. (Many groups have meetings
- and activities more frequently, sometimes several times a week.)
- These activities allow members to become acquainted with each other;
- many friendships have developed as a result of Mensa. In addition,
- the groups publish newsletters distributed monthly to their members,
- containing an activities calendar, and other items of information
- and interest. The activities of each group are determined by its
- own members.
-
- What are the meetings like?
-
- Meetings vary, from a board-of-directors planning session to get-
- togethers that feature speakers and/or fre-for-all discussions. A
- speaker may be a noted authority on a subject of may be a member
- with knowledge to share.
-
- What other activities are available?
-
- Activities cover a wide range of interests, from games night
- (Scrabble, Chess, Boggle, and Dungeons and Dragons are especially
- popular) to theme parties; from singles get-togethers to family
- outings; from luncheons or dinners to a night at the local pub;
- from theater and film parties and concerts to a night of playing
- records and dancing at a member's house. When Mensans get together,
- they usually have a good time.
-
- What's so special about Mensans meeting?
-
- There is an atmosphere of congeniality, intellectual stimulation,
- good humor, and, perhaps most important, lively conversation.
- There is freedom to think and to express those thoughts. There's
- always someone who will listen to, enhance, and even challenge
- your ideas.
-
- What do members talk about?
-
- Unless there's a specified theme at a particular meeting, pretty
- much the same things people everywhere talk about -- current events,
- sports, sex, the future, music, politics, art, computers, the
- economy, kids, cars, values. It isn't so much a question of
- "what" -- it's more a matter of "how".
-
- How do I know whether anyone shares my interests?
-
- Mensa has over 180 SIGS -- Special Interest Groups -- composed
- of members with personal or professional interests in common.
- SIGs are started and maintained by members, and cover a vast
- range of topics including astronomy, body language, law,
- photography, history, and allergies -- to name just a few.
- Almost all SIGs have newsletters of their own. If your special
- interest doesn't have a SIG, it's easy to start your own.
-
- Page 2
-
-
-
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- How is Mensa organized nationally?
-
- Mensa is governed by the American Mensa Committee (AMC), composed
- of elected and appointed volunteers. There is also a small paid
- administrative staff whose members -- along with the officers --
- are always ready to assist the entire membership.
-
- Are there national activities?
-
- A national convention, or Annual Gathering, is held every June or
- July -- in a different city each year -- where over 1,000 members
- attend workshops, participate in seminars, attend social functions,
- renew old friendships and start new ones. The Annual Gathering is
- a special, never-to-be-forgotten experience.
- Regional Gathers (some 40 of them) are held annually in various
- parts of the country, with most of the excitement and activities
- (both intellectual and social) of the Annual Gathering, on a
- somewhat smaller scale.
- The Mensa Annual Colloquium is a new activity sponsored by the
- Mensa Education and Research Foundation. It is designed to provide
- a stimulating intellectual forum where members may meet with experts
- to spend a few days discussing a chosen topic.
-
- What about special programs?
-
- The Mensa Education and Research Foundation (MERF) sponsors the
- Mensa Scholarship Program (in which students nationwide compete
- for varying sums of money for their education), Awards for
- Excellence for short papers in the field of giftedness, the Mensa
- Meritorious Publication Award (with Wright State University, Dayton
- Ohio) for a major work in the field of giftedness, Memorial
- Awards, and donor programs.
- The Gifted Children Program compiles and provides information
- that includes activities, both national and local, centered
- around gifted children.
-
- Does Mensa have its own publications?
-
- The "Mensa Bulletin", published ten times per year, is sent
- to members as a part of their membership. It incorporates the
- "International Journal", and these publications contain views
- and information about Mensa, as well as contributions by Mensans
- on a wide variety of subjects.
- Local newsletters are published by almost every local group,
- informing members of local activities and events, and other
- items of interest.
- "Interloc" (also published ten times yearly) is free to officers,
- and to other active members on request. It contains news and
- information about various society, administrative, and internal
- matters.
- The "Mensa Research Journal", published periodically by MERF,
- reports on Mensa-supported research. It also publishes original
- articles in diverse fields of interest, and is available for a
- subscription fee.
- "Isolated-M" is a popular and informative newsletter published
- by the Isolated-M SIG. It is sent to those members who are
- geographically isolated from a local group, and is available to
- others by subscription.
-
-
-
- Page 3
-
-
-
- The "Mensa Register", or other membership directory, published
- periodically, list all of the members and may include such
- information as geographic location, areas of expertise and/or
- interest, and other professional and personal data.
-
- Are there any special benefits for members?
-
- Although hardly the primary reason for joining Mensa, membership
- does afford some special benefits, such as S.I.G.H.T., which
- assists traveling Mensans, and insurance.
-
- How can I become a member?
-
- We suggest you begin with a valid, at-home, I.Q. test. Complete
- the application form (at the end of this text) and return it to
- us with your check or money order for $9.00. We'll send you an
- I.Q. test you can take at home. Upon receipt of your completed
- test, we will score it and notify you of the results. If the
- results indicate an I.Q. at or above the 95th percentile, you
- will be invited to take our supervised tests, which cost $20.00
- and are administered by one of our proctors at a convenient location.
- Should your score on one of the proctored tests indicate your I.Q.
- to be in the top 2%, you will be offered membership in the Society.
- Our tests, however, are not valid for persons under the age of
- 14; they can qualify for membership via alternative procedures
- for admission (see the end of this text).
-
- What about I.Q. test taken in the past?
-
- A score in the 98th percentile or higher on one of many standardized
- I.Q. tests -- if approved by our Supervisory Psychologist --
- previously administered in school, the Armed Forces, or by any
- licensed psychologist, is satisfactory evidence of qualification
- for membership (see the end of this text).
-
- What's the next step?
-
- You will be notified that your score is acceptable, and, soon
- after payment of the membership dues, you will begin receiving
- the national "Mensa Bulletin", a local newsletter, and your
- membership card entitling you to participate in all Mensa
- activities and special benefits.
-
- What are the membership dues?
-
- Current annual dues are $33.00 -- less than ten cents a day.
- (Information about student dues, additional family member
- dues, and life dues is provided at the time membership is offered).
- Part of your dues is returned to the local groups to provide
- a greater range of activities and benefits for the members on
- a local level. Mensa is a not-for-profit organization.
-
- Is Mensa for me?
-
- Only you can answer that. If what you're looking for is intelligent
- conversation, stimulating people, interesting activities, and an
- opportunity to expand your world, the answer is yes. Why not
- fill out the application blank and find out if you qualify?
-
-
-
-
- Page 4
-
-
- Remember, one out of every fifty people qualifies for Mensa.
- YOU could be that one.
-
- Join us. We might be just what you're looking for.
-
-
-
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- ---------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Alternate Procedure for Admission
-
- Admission to Mensa may also be granted on the basis of
- evidence of a previous intelligence test. A list of the
- qualifying scores* for several of the major intelligence
- tests is given here.
-
- * It should be noted that the term "I.Q. score" is used as a
- convenient, easily understood reference, but that candidates
- for membership in Mensa must achieve a score at or above the 98th
- percentile on a standard test of intelligence. The "I.Q. score"
- varies from test to test, as indicated by the list below.
-
- Candidates MUST supply the evidence or make the necessary
- arrangements to have it sent. Such documentation is returned
- only if request is made at the onset. If the test was given by
- a psychologist, psychometrist, or agency, the score must be
- reported on professional letterhead and signed by the test
- administrator. If the evidence is in the form of a transcript,
- the transcript must be certified. Notarized photostatic copies
- of original documents are usually acceptable.
-
- ------------ Qualifying Test Scores -------------------
-
- California Test of Mental Maturity ............ IQ 132
- California Test of Cognitive Skills ........... 132
- CEEB or SAT (Verbal and Math combined)
- prior to 9/77 ............................... 1300
- CEEB or SAT (Verbal and Math combined)
- as of 9/77 .................................. 1250
- GRE (Verbal and Math combined) ................ 1250
- LSAT (prior to 1982) or 662 (as of 1982) ...... 39
- ACT Composite ................................. 29
- Miller Analogies Test - raw score ............. 66
- Stanford Binet, Form L-M ...................... IQ 132
- Wechsler Adult and Children Scales
- (WAIS and WAIS-R, WISC and WISC-R) .......... IQ 130
- Otis Tests:
- Alpha ................................. IQ 138
- Beta .................................. IQ 128
- Gamma ................................. IQ 131
- Lennon ................................ IQ 132
-
- Many other intelligence tests may also be accepted subject
- to individual appraisal of the documentation by Mensa's
- Supervisory Psychologists, e.g:
-
- Henmon-Nelson
- Medical College Admission Test
- National Teachers Exam
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- Page 5
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- Wechsler Bellvue 1
- Cattell Cultural Fair
- Graduate Management Admission Exam
- ACE
- SRA Primary Mental Abilities
- Army General Classification Test (AGCT or GT prior to 10/80)
- NY State Regents Scholarship Test (aptitude section only)
- Navy GCT (Standard Score) prior to 10/80
-
- Mensa reserves the right to alter or modify these norms as
- the tests indicated are renormed or restandardized. All prior
- evidence submitted to Mensa will be appraised individually,
- and Mensa reserves the right to make the final determination
- as to the acceptability of any test.
-
-
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- Mail to: American Mensa, Ltd.
- 2626 East 14th Street
- Brooklyn, N.Y. 11235-3992
- 718-934-3700
-
- Name: .....................................................
-
- Age: .......
-
- Address: ..................................................
-
- City: .............................. State: ... Zip: ......
-
- Phone: (h)................... Phone: (b)...................
-
- ... [A] Please send me the preliminary test to do at home without
- supervision. Enclosed find U. S. $9.00; please inform me
- of my score.
-
- ... [B] I wish to go directly to the supervised test. Please send
- me the name and address of the nearest Proctor. I understand
- the $20.00 fee is to be paid to the Proctor.
-
- ... [C] I claim exemption from testing and enclose evidence that my
- I.Q. is in the top 2% or the general population. I enclose
- $15.00 nonrefundable evaluation fee. (If the evidence is to
- be sent to us by a psychologist or testing institute, please
- give name and address of same.
-
- ....................................................................
-
- ....................................................................
-
- I learned about Mensa through: .....................................
-
- Amount enclosed: $ ...................... (U.S. funds only)
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-
-
- Additional questions concerning the Mensa Society can be
- answered by leaving a message to the System Operator on ...
-
-
- WelCom Systems Electronic Software Exchange
-
-
- By modem:
-
- Operating at 300/1200/2400 BPS
- No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit (N-8-1)
- 804-282-5617
-
- By mail:
-
- WelCom Systems
- Electronic Software Exchange
- P. O. Box 31854
- Richmond, Va. 23294
-
- Attn: William E. Lyell
- Mensa # - 1089036
-
-