From: Mike.Steiner@p1.f207.n143.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: RGs: good vs. bad (was Re: A Truly International Gathering)
Date: 17 Apr 92 06:37:48 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:143/207.1 - Sunnyvale Fido Conn, Sunnyvale CA


Gordon Cross writes about "RGs: good vs. bad (was Re: A Truly International
Gathering)" to All  [16 Apr 92 18:10]

GC> I was there last year ('91) when they did the "Phantom of the 
GC> Phiesta" thing. That was in all honesty the most incredible thing 
GC> I've seen come from Mensa talent. However, I was quite disappointed 
GC> with the rest of the RG - perhaps because of the way it was hyped 
GC> up to me beforehand; perhaps because it rained all day on Saturday; 
GC> perhaps because the attendence was low. But the one thing that 
GC> struck me as strange about it was walking into hospitality Saturday 
GC> night at 1:30 and finding only 3 people - everyone else already 
GC> in bed??!?!?

I think that most everyone was still watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
 Was I in the hospitality room at 1:30 Saturday night?  If I wasn't, that is
because I was still at the RHPC, but if I was, then the show was over.  If I
was there, you couldn't have missed me; I was wearing a white evening gown from
Fredericks of Hollywood.

One interesting thing about that RG is that it was the first RG in ages where
I attended workshops/talks more than half the scheduled periods.  Yeah, the
stated of the economy did take its toll on Phiesta this year; usually there
are more people there.  The biggest disappointment to me last year was the dance;
IMO, they never should have programmed it the same time as the casino.

BTW, this year, they are doing Phantom of the Phiesta II; they've already started
plotting the libretto and the lyrics.

GC> Well, they don't anymore. I was there in '91 and it tops my list 
GC> of the *worst* RGs I've ever been to!! It was so boring that 
GC> I left the RG all day Saturday with some friends to go horseback 
GC> riding and tour the San Antonio Zoo!! It seems they felt an RG 
GC> should consist *solely* of AMC meetings and do-it-yourself tours! 
GC> In fact they didn't even have a dance - instead you were supposed 
GC> to "go out on the town"!! Jeez, give me a break ..

Ouch!  Was it billed as an RG, or just as an AMC meeting?  Quite often, the
AMC will meet sans an RG.

>Orange County throws a pretty good one, but not as good as the others I've
>mentioned.

GC>  Is this the one held at Highland Springs?? If so it was pretty 
GC> good - but expensive. If not, which one is Orange County

No; Highland Springs is run by Los Angeles Mensa.  Orange County Mensa runs
its own, usually within a week of the AG, but this year, because the AG is so
close, OC is running theirs in August.  They change hotels every so often (perhaps
every year), but keep it in OC.

>Actually, I've never been to a bad RG, but those that I mentioned stand out
>in my memory--as do the ones the El Paso in 79 and 84, but they don't run RGs

>regularly there.

GC>  I guess they've slipped lately. I went to Houston in '90 because 
GC> of all the hype it got; but there attendence was around half 
GC> of past ones and hospitality was *catered by the hotel* and consisted 
GC> solely of goldfish crackers, potato chips, and pretzels ...

That sounds like the Kansas City AG.  It seems that more and more hotels are
trying to require that they provide refreshments for hospitality rooms--it is
a good source of revenue for them.

Yeah, it does sound as if things have changed in Texas since I was last there.
 
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