Who are we? What do we do?

To start with, Mensa is an international organization that has only one requirement for membership -- an IQ (on a standard test) in the top two percent nationally. Mensa is non-profit and has no political, religious, ethnic, or racial affiliation. All opinions expressed here, or in any publication, is that of the author alone and does not represent the opinions of local or national Mensas or their officers. This does not imply that individual members cannot have opinions. We can be just as opinionated as anyone else, and often are. Mensa members range from four years of age through Alzheimer's and from little or no formal education to multiple graduate degrees. Most are interested in a vast range of subject matter, but all are interesting.

Mensa brings together intelligent people to provide a forum for discussion, debate, sometimes even yelling at each other, and, yes, often just talking, telling jokes, playing games, having fun, and meeting great people (We have even marched in the King Mango Strut Parade). When Mensans gather to converse, subjects range from sex, religion, and politics to evolution, quantum physics, the validity of IQ tests,and even someone's operation. We claim not to gossip, but being human, we do. Remember, the person sitting next to you may be the world's greatest living authority on the subject you just broached, but that's ok, you're welcome to your opinion, and the rest of us are welcome to try to correct you. Through all this, we usually manage to remain friends. Rarely has blood flown at any of our activities. The only subject we never, ever discuss is our IQ's, although we do sometimes wonder, at least in private, how some individual, not you, of course, scored in the 98th percentile. (Note, every group is blessed with one or two members who fall into this category). One of our early leaders once commented that "A high IQ is no guarantee against stupidity." 'Nuf said!

Don't get me wrong. Mensa is not all frivolity. The Mensa Education and Research Foundation (MERF) does . . . well they can tell it better. Click on the link in the column to the left and let them explain themselves. Each year local groups run a scholarship contest open to all students in the area. The winners receive local scholarships and are also eligible for regional and national scholarships, too. (If you are a student interested in entering the contest, contact the individual at your school who advises on scholarships. That person should have information).

Copyright © 2006 American Mensa, Ltd. The Mensa logo is a registered trademark of Mensa International, Ltd. and American Mensa, Ltd., all rights reserved. Mensa does not hold any opinions, or have, or express, any political or religious views.