Mensa International
Mensa Logo
Formation	1946-10-01
Type	High IQ Society
Location	Worldwide
Membership	about 100,000
Key people	Roland Berrill Lancelot Ware Victor Serebriakoff Buckminster Fuller Isaac Asimov
Website	www.mensa.org

Mensa is the largest, oldest, and most famous high-IQ society in the world. The date of establishment or date of founding of an Institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Lancelot Lionel Ware OBE ( 5 June 1915 &ndash 15 August 2000) was an English Barrister, Biochemist and co-founder Victor Serebriakoff ( 17 October 1912 - 1 January 2000) was one of the early members and a leading light of Mensa. Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller ( July 12, 1895 &ndash July 1, 1983) was an American Architect, Author Isaac Asimov (c January 2 1920 &ndash April 6 1992 ˈaɪzək ˈæzɪmʌv originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as, was a Russian A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A high IQ society is an organization that limits its membership to people who are within a certain high Percentile of Intelligence quotient (IQ test results ^[1][2][3] The non-profit organization restricts its membership to people with high testable IQs. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage An Intelligence Quotient or IQ is a score derived from one of several different Standardized tests attempting to measure Intelligence. Members must score at the 98th percentile or higher of a standardized, supervised intelligence test. A percentile is the value of a variable below which a certain percent of observations fall ^[4][5] Mensa is formally composed of national groups and the umbrella organization Mensa International.

Mensa (pronounced /ˈmɛnsə/; IPA: [ˈmensa] in Latin) means "table" in Latin as is symbolized in the organization's logo. A table is a form of Furniture composed of a surface supported by a base usually four legs Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.

Contents 1 Background information 2 Mensa's goals 3 Organizational structure 4 Gatherings 5 Mensa demographics 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Background information

Roland Berrill, an Australian barrister, and Dr. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A barrister is a Lawyer found in many Common law Jurisdictions that employ a split profession (as opposed to a Fused profession) in relation Lancelot Ware, a British scientist and lawyer, founded Mensa in the United Kingdom in 1946. Lancelot Lionel Ware OBE ( 5 June 1915 &ndash 15 August 2000) was an English Barrister, Biochemist and co-founder The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located They had the idea of forming a society for bright people, the only qualification for membership being a high IQ. ^[4]

The aims are to create a non-political society free from all social distinctions (racial, religious, etc. ). The society welcomes all people, regardless of background, whose IQs meet the criteria, with the objective of members enjoying each other's company and participating in a wide range of social and cultural activities.

Mensa accepts individuals who score at or above the 98^th percentile on certain standardized IQ tests, such as the Stanford-Binet. The development of the Stanford-Binet IQ test initiated the modern field of Intelligence testing. Because different tests are scaled differently, it is not meaningful to compare raw scores between tests, only percentiles. For example, the minimum accepted score on the Stanford-Binet is 132, while for the Cattell it is 148. The development of the Stanford-Binet IQ test initiated the modern field of Intelligence testing. In seeking to develop a culture-fair intelligence or IQ test that separated environmental and genetic factors Raymond B ^[6]

In addition to encouraging social interaction among its members, the organization is also involved with programs for gifted children, literacy, and scholarships. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, A scholarship is an award of access to an institution or a financial aid award for an individual student scholar for the purpose of furthering their Education The name comes from mensa, the Latin word for "table", and indicates that it is a round-table society of equals (although the logo can be seen as depicting a square table, or Parsons table with only three legs visible). Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A table is a form of Furniture composed of a surface supported by a base usually four legs The Parsons table is a small square table made in a simple unadorned style with four flush square legs that are equal in thickness to the top

Mensa's goals

Mensa's constitution lists three purposes: to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity; to encourage research into the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence; and to provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members. ^[7] Its constitution also states that "Mensa encompasses members representing many points of view. Consequently, Mensa as an organization shall not express an opinion as being that of Mensa, take any political action other than the publication of the results of its investigations, or have any ideological, philosophical, political, or religious affiliations. "

Mensa has published a number of books, including Poetry Mensa (1966), an anthology of poems by Mensans from all over the world, in which languages other than English are represented. The Mensa Foundation, a separate charitable U. S. Corporation, edits and publishes its own Mensa Research Journal, in which both Mensans and non-Mensans are published on various topics surrounding the concept and measure of intelligence. The national groups also issue periodicals, such as Mensa Bulletin, the monthly publication of American Mensa,^[8] and Mensa Magazine, the monthly publication of British Mensa. ^[9]

At Mensa's 50th Anniversary, Dr. Ware, one of the founders, addressed Mensans by stating that he hoped that “Mensa will have a role in society when it gets through the ages of infancy and adolescence. Lancelot Lionel Ware OBE ( 5 June 1915 &ndash 15 August 2000) was an English Barrister, Biochemist and co-founder ” He also said, “I do get disappointed that so many members spend so much time solving puzzles,” expressing his desire for Mensans instead to be solving some of the world's problems. A puzzle is a Problem or Enigma that challenges Ingenuity. In a basic puzzle one is intended to piece together objects in a logical way in order to ^[10]

Organizational structure

Mensa International consists of more than 100,000 members in 50 national groups. Individuals who live in a country with a national group join the national group, while those living in countries without a recognised chapter may join Mensa International directly. The two largest national groups are American Mensa, with about 50,000 members, and British Mensa, with about 25,500 members. ^[5] Larger national groups are further subdivided into local groups. For example, American Mensa has over 135 local groups, with the largest having over 2,000 members and the smallest having fewer than 100.

Additionally, members may form Special Interest Groups (SIGs) at international, national, and local levels; these SIGs represent a wide variety of interests, both commonplace and obscure, ranging from motorcycle clubs to entrepreneurial cooperations, reflecting the wide diversity of members in occupation and social class. This article is about computer associations For political advocates see Interest group. Some SIGs are associated with various geographic groups, whereas others act independently of official hierarchy. There are now quite a number of electronic SIGs (eSIGs), which operate primarily as e-mail lists, where members may or may not meet each other in person.

Gatherings

Mensa has many events for members, from the local to the international level. Several countries hold a large event called the Annual Gathering (AG). It is held in a different city every year, with speakers, dances, games (Carnelli, poker, chess, double-deck cancellation hearts and many other games are popular at American Mensa gatherings) and other activities. Carnelli is a Parlor game created by Jan Carnell a member of the Metropolitan Washington chapter of Mensa. Poker is a type of Card game in which players bet on the value of the card combination (" hand " in their possession by placing a bet into Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. This article is about the Card game in general For information about the Microsoft version of the game see Hearts (Windows. The American and Canadian AGs are usually held during the 4th of July or Canada Day weekends respectively. In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July (or the Fourth) is a Federal holiday commemorating the adoption Canada Day (Fête du Canada formerly Dominion Day, is Canada 's national day, a federal statutory holiday, celebrating the anniversary of the

There are also smaller gatherings called Regional Gatherings (RGs) held in various cities that attract members from large areas; the largest is held annually in Chicago around Halloween, and features a costume ball and a joke-telling competition. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. Many members will arrange their vacations to attend an RG in another part of the country (such as the one in Chicago) as an annual tradition. Some members will regularly attend as many as half a dozen RGs every year.

In 2006, The Mensa World Gathering was held from August 8 to August 13 in Orlando, Florida to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Mensa. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the An estimated 2,500 attendees from over 30 countries gathered for this celebration. The International Board of Directors also had a formal meeting there.

The 2006 British AG was held in Nottingham between September 28 and October 2. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule This incorporated a birthday party to celebrate Mensa's 60th birthday on 1 October 2006 (1 October 1946 being the date that Berrill and Ware filed papers with Companies House for the society). Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Companies House is an Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Government in the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Mensa demographics

Mensans come from all walks of life and almost every job and profession, representing almost every age group. There are many famous and prominent members. List of notable people who have been members of Mensa International, the High IQ Society A ^[11] Members pay annual membership dues that vary by country; some national groups offer a "Life Membership", but it is not transferable between groups.

All national and local groups welcome children; many offer activities, resources and newsletters specifically geared toward gifted children and their parents. American Mensa, for instance, has 1,300 child members, ranging in age from 3 to 18. ^[12] The youngest people who have joined the organization were both aged 2 years and nine months; the first was Ben Woods in the 1990s, the second was Georgia Brown from Aldershot, Great Britain in 2007. Aldershot is a town in the English County of Hampshire, located on heathland about 60 km (37 miles southwest of London. She was six days older than Ben Woods was when he joined Mensa. ^[13]

At the other extreme the oldest member of American Mensa is listed as 102. According to the American Mensa site 41 percent of the membership is between the ages of 44 and 61 and just under 60 percent of the new members in 2004 were between the ages of 23 and 43. There are more than 1,500 families with two or more Mensa members.

See also

References

External links

• Websites of all Mensa National Groups
• Map of Mensa National Groups

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