From: eager@eagercon.com (Michael J. Eager)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re:  Mensa national versus local, New York City
Date: 26 Jul 92 05:42:53 GMT
Reply-To: eager@eagercon.com
Organization: Eager Consulting

In article 11247@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov, drich@sandman.lerc.nasa.gov (Daniel Rich) writes:
>In article <1992Jul22.141007.27275@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>, edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil) writes:
>|> The offices should be moved elsewhere.
>
>This is an issue that I have talked about with several members of the
>AMC over the last several years.  When Margo was running the office,
>there was a good reason to leave the office in Brooklyn, but now, I
>don't know of one.  
>
>The arguement that we haven't decided what the purpose of the national
>office doesn't hold water.  Why not rent a building in somewhere like
>Omaha where rents are low, and sublease the space we don't use?  The
>building would then be providing income to national, and this might
>actually *reduce* dues!

It turns out not to be as simple as all that.  If the offices were relocated,
there would be a savings in rent.  Not very large, as it happens.  What
would happen is that there would be a complete turn-over of all of the 
office staff.  This means that moving the office requires hiring and 
training new staff, which is costly and distruptive.  

>
>|> Most of my benefit from Mensa comes from the local chapter, yet they
>|> receive only a fraction of my dues.  ....
>|> The amounts American Mensa provides will not pay for printing of
>|> our newsletter (five standard 8.5 by 11 pages) at the cheapest service
>|> in the area (New Hampshire).
>
>This has been another of my ongoing complaints.  The group I used to
>be loc sec of (Maumee Valley) found that it was costing us more to
>publish a newsletter than we were receiving as our portion of the
>dues.  From talking to other local groups, I have found that this is a
>comon problem (especially with smaller groups).  The only thing that
>kept the group going was the flat grant that applied for every year.
>
>I have asked several times for a breakdown of where the dues income is
>spent, but have never seen anything satisfactory (although I did see a
>somewhat vague pie chart at one point).

National Mensa budgeting seems to be accomplished with smoke and mirrors.
At one point, former AMC chair Ralph Rudolph claimed that the dues from AML to
Mensa International were direct benefits to the local group.  

Push your RVC for better communication of what AMC is doing.  And better
distribution of the dues.  

>
>|> From the local group, I benefit from frequent events and new
>|> acquaintances.  In contrast, I receive little from American Mensa except
>|> the Bulletin, which is useful for RG announcements and little else. 
>|> (The articles are occasionally entertaining, but not worth much.)
>
>It also comes in handy for wrapping fish and lining bird cages. :-)
>
>One of the arguements I have heard several times is "We charge much
>less than many professional societies."  However, this doesn't make
>any sense.  Mensa is a *social* organization, and for my $39/year (of
>which the local group gets around $7 if I remember correctly) the
>national office provides only a single (rather worthless) magazine.
>
>The professional societies I am a member have many publications,
>seminars and other activities for 2-3 times the cost.  I don't see
>where my dues for Mensa are being used.

Well, it probably costs as much to publish the Bulletin as it costs a
professional organization to publish its journal.  And many of the 
programs and seminars presented by a professional organization raise
money for the group.  

There have been many proposals on improving the Bulletin (I've cranked
the ear of Dave Felt, the Pubs Officer, and others on several occasions)
but it still seems to be oriented to sit on your coffee table and
look inoffensive to anyone who happens to see it.  No Mensa news, no 
Mensa info ('cept RGs), no value.

>
>|> We should change how dues are distributed and move American Mensa out of
>|> New York City.
>
>I whole-heartedly agree!

I'll go along on the first part.  Don't underestimate the cost of moving
out of NYC, or the benefits of having the national office there.

---
Michael J. Eager		Michael.Eager@eagercon.com
Eager Consulting		(415) 325-8077 
1960 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto, CA 94306-1141