RVChat - May 2009
by Lori Norris

If April showers really bring May flowers, we are going to have an abundance of flowers this year.  As I sit here writing this letter, it is pouring outside.  But hopefully the sun will come out before Easter weekend and spring break.  Since Ron is a teacher and has that week off, we’ve been planning a trip.  Well, I broke my leg (tibia) on January 1st (Happy New Year) and our plans to head out to Nevada and do some hiking in the dessert have been put on hold.  I am recovering from the broken leg and can get around pretty well with just a brace most of the time, so we’ve decided to head down to Washington, DC for a few days.  I haven’t been there since I was a child.  I do remember some of the sights and seeing the Hope Diamond.  We plan on spending a few days exploring the Smithsonian and some of the memorials around town. 

Congratulations MAINE MENSA!  As of April 1st, Maine Mensa became a fully independent local group.

And the exciting news in Mensa is that as of March 31st, the last day of our membership year, total membership reached 57,835 – an all time record.  As you all probably know, we always have a significant drop on April 1st as we wait for renewals.  Hopefully, most of the lapsed members will renew and our numbers will continue to increase throughout this year.  If you know of any lapsed members encourage them to renew.

I hope everyone caught the CBS Sunday Morning on March 22nd.   Leslie Stahl and a 60 Minutes film crew taped a piece at the Denver Annual Gathering; which, due to other news was  never aired on 60 Minutes.  CBS Sunday Morning aired that segment in its entirely, about 20 minutes.  If you have not had the opportunity to see it, it is available on the CBS News website (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4882603n).  The story portrayed Mensa in a favorable light and has generated a significant number of inquiries into membership.  Let’s see if we, here in Region 1, can use these inquiries to increase our membership.  I’ve also heard from a few long-time members who have used this as an opportunity to become more involved. 

Boston’s Cape Cod RG is coming up the second weekend of May.  The weekend is unstructured and gives you an opportunity to enjoy the Cape before the summer crowds arrive.  We’ll bring our bicycles and, hopefully, get some cycling in.  And with the advent of spring, picnics and other outdoor events are showing up on the calendars.

Lori