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January 2003
Dear Great Lakes & Ohio Valley Mensans,
In the Northeast, members read RVC 1 Betsy Burke’s "Paws for Reflection." On
the eastern seaboard, members read RVC 2 Sallie Banko’s "Vice Sheet." In the
upper Mississippi Valley, members read RVC 4 Stacy Kirsch’s "Regional
4-Thought." In the south-central part of the country, members read RVC 6 Dan
Wilterding’s "Comments, Anyone?" In the southwest, members read RVC 9 Barbara
Lytle’s "B-9." In Florida, members read RVC 10 Elissa Rudolph’s "The Tenth
Story." And here in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley Region, you’re reading my "A
GLOVe Letter From the RVC." Why do RVCs (Regional Vice Chairmen) in general
write newsletter columns? And, why do I in particular do so?
At the initial training session I attended as a new member of AMC, held at
the national office in Arlington, TX, in July 2001, the returning members of AMC
gave tips to us newcomers; one such tip was, "You can never communicate with the
members in your region too much." These columns are a major part of
communicating with you, the members of the region, who I represent. The columns
aren’t a rehash of everything I do as RVC, or everywhere I go—that would bore
you no end! (but you can read much of that in my quarterly reports found on the
AML website if you’re determined)—but rather an attempt to highlight aspects of
what makes Mensa operate, and what makes Mensa special to us. As RVC, I am the
principle connector between you as members and American Mensa as a national
organization, and I try to make my column reflect that.
This column is, of course, not the only means of communication we use to stay
in touch within this region. This region has a bi-monthly newsletter, Backyard,
edited by Mary Ann Terrigno of Cleveland; email me if you’d like a
subscription (It’s free!). We have a website, operated by Bob Walton, of
Rochester Area Mensa. I’ve visited many groups of members at many activities,
including RGs, and talked with those members who’ve wanted to grab my ear. And
the new announcement list I’ve set up, AMLRegion3News on Yahoo groups, now has
more than 360 members (email me if you want to be added!). Add to that countless
emails and telephone calls, and I think I can say that communications in this
region are strong and frequent.
Speaking of the Yahoo group, as I write this I just finished holding my first
session of office hours in the group’s chat room. While it didn’t draw as many
people as I would have liked (I’m not sure that would be possible!), it was
well-received by those who participated, and I’m going to try it again. The next
session of on-line office hours will be on Sunday January 12, between 8 and 9 PM
EST, at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AMLRegion3News/chat. Of course, if you have
questions, you don’t have to wait until then; I always welcome your
I wouldn’t be doing my job as RVC if I didn’t remind you to renew your
membership. The first renewal notices will arrive in early January for those of
you haven’t prepaid your dues past March of 2003. Renew early so you don’t
forget (and save us having to mail you another notice!)!
There are no January Regional Gatherings (RGs) in Region 3, so we’ll have to
travel just outside the region to get our fix, as Central Indiana Mensa hosts
"The RG Junkies’ RG" January 31-February 2, on the east side of Indianapolis;
details are in the Bulletin, or you can email me for more information.
It can be said that every use of your Mensa membership is an act of
communication—reading a newsletter (or writing an article for one), reading and
sending emails, chatting with other members at local activities and RGs, or
reading the Bulletin. I hope to communicate further with all of you this winter.
Page last updated:
05/11/2005
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