EMPRESS

Did you attend any event last month? Did you take a photo or would you like to write a little summary of it? Members sometimes feel a bit unease about attending events for the first time, just in case they are not as they expected. If you are attending any event, do please take a photo and send it with a caption to empress@mensa.org.uk.

Regional News

As you will have read in the last issue of Empress Paul Coulson suddenly and sadly passed away in March. His funeral was very well attended with over 200 people packed into the crematorium service. Thank you to all the Mensans who came to pay their respects from around the East Midlands and as far as Manchester and Dublin. I think we gave Paul a good send off.

Now having no LocSec in Leicester or Northampton does leave a gaping hole in our region. Thank you to the couple of members who have expressed interest in hosting an event in those counties. Hopefully some activities can be arranged soon. Anyone else is most welcome to get in touch if you may be prepared to host something. Any member can host any event and you don't have to be LocSec. So if you have a favourite pub or restaurant or walk or hobby you would like to share and make new friends in the process please give me a phone call or drop me an email. Paul was also Regional Publicity Officer so we are looking for an active member who would be willing to speak to the media from time to time. And we're also seeking a third editor to join Maria and Mark. Please contact me for further information on any of these roles.

At the recent conference for Regional Officers and Regional Newsletter Editors one of the questions we were asked was "What is Mensa?" One of the answers given was "A social group where I don't have to explain my jokes!" But what does Mensa mean to YOU? Let the editors have a one line answer and we may be able to make it into a future feature. I'm sure there would be lots of different responses.

Don't forget the British Mensa Annual Gathering takes place from Friday 8th to Monday 11th September based at the Novotel in Ipswich. This is the oldest Anglo-Saxon town in England and the county town of Suffolk and your chance to explore this part of the country whilst meeting new and old Mensans. See www.mensa.org.uk for full details of accommodation and programme of events and booking form

If the Mensa office don't hold an email address for you it would be worth notifying them as then you will be one of the first to hear about forthcoming events before they appear in print.

I'm on [Email] or [Phone Number]. Do get in touch!

Maxine Bates

Regional Officer

Editorial

Welcome to the June Edition of Empress. This will be my last edition for the following three months as Mark Sloan will be in charge over the summer.

We had lots of events in April, some of them for "in need of speed" minds and others for "in need of relax". Just remember to take a picture of any event you attend and send it to us with a caption. Talking about that, it was my turn to add a photo to "Where am I?". If you recognise the place or you think you do, send your answers to empress@mensa.org.uk. You can also send your own pictures from the East Midlands area or from far away.

Hopefully, we are going to have a lovely summer this year (we can only hope) and all events will be able to go ahead in lovely sunshine weather. I am a believer. Therefore, as the weather improves, I thought it would be appropriate to take your dog out for a walk (should you have one) while reading about the Dog SIG. It mentions the idea of "dog walkies". Interested? You could add a furry event in your local area.

Finally, I have a very encouraging Member's profile for those who believe we are "not normal people to talk to". Remove all your winter cobwebs should you still have any left and join an event, maybe for the first time!!!

See you in October. Have a lovely summer!

Maria Falces

Review of the Pony Grand National

Immediately prior to the real Grand National on Saturday 8th April Nottingham Mensa held a Pony Grand National at Greasley Parish Hall.

This was chance to ride a unique mechanical pony supplied by one of only two companies currently offering this for adults in the UK. Huge fun and a bit of exercise, although a few of us ached the following day!

£3 got members opportunity to take it in turns to ride around the hall on a variety of size ponies and towards the end of the event things got competitive with races to win some lovely trophies kindly donated by a local Mensan. The riding was against a backdrop of tea, coffee and cake.

Many thanks to Paul Coulson's family for donating the leftovers from his "cake wake" just prior to this event that we were able to sell to raise a bit of extra money for Cancer Research UK. Paul had been due to attend the Pony Grand National so his cake was a last act of kindness. There was also an Easter raffle full of champagne, wine, beer, chocolates and Easter eggs that proved quite popular. Thank you to everyone who came along and made it a really fun afternoon.

Maxine Bates

Advance notices

Notts Wed 5 July 8:00pm 5OTM/Sheep Racing Our regular get together in the Goldings Room of the Vat & Fiddle pub (NG2 1NB) includes sheep racing this month! Come and watch six battery operated sheep in racing silks stagger and bleat their way to the finish line! £2.50 to play with money going to Cancer Research UK. Ewe would be baaarmy to miss it! Further info from Maxine on [Email] or [Phone Number].

Notts Sat 15-Sun 16 July Relay For Life A Mensa team are taking part in this 24 hour event at Harvey Hadden Stadium in Bilborough from 1pm Saturday to 1pm Sunday in aid of Cancer Research UK. Live music, fundraising activities, walking round the track including candle of hope ceremony and lots more. Free entry! Come along and find us in the Cocktail Crew marquee serving fruity cocktails! More info from Maxine on [Phone Number] or [Email].

Cumbria Fri 3-Mon 6 Nov Lakes Party Weekend A weekend based at Whinfell Forest CenterParcs in the beautiful Lake District. Package includes 3 nights accommodation, 3 parties, some buffet meals, help-yourself bar, cocktail of the day, unlimited access to the swimming dome, boardgames, quizzes, tastings, walks, and much more. All ages welcome. Contact Maxine on [Email] or [Phone Number] for full details. Price from only £150.

Dog SIG

I noticed, in the September Mensa Magazine, that Dog SIG was one of those with no SIG Sec, and following the Mensa 70th anniversary tour of Scotland by the Regional Officer, Derek Sellar, I contacted the SIGs Officer to find out more. Since I'm a dog owner, with a now 'senior' (and very spoiled) Rough Collie ('Lassie dog'), I thought I'd try to put something back into Mensa and the world of dogs by trying to revive interest in Dog SIG.

I joined Mensa in 1991 and am already a member of Transport SIG. I've written a few articles for that in the past, but I'm neither a journalist nor a professional writer, just a now-retired civil servant, although I was once paid £20 for a hobby magazine article which I suppose means I was once a paid writer! Dog SIG has around 70 members, and since I became SIG Sec, and sent out a 'restart' letter, I've heard from about ten percent of the membership. The previous SIG Sec stepped down in 2013, after the spring 2013 magazine 'Paws for Thought' was sent out. An active SIG is required, under Mensa rules, to issue at least two magazines a year, with a minimum of eight pages per issue. Between my own introduction and material sent in, there was just enough material for a magazine issue at the end of November, although almost half of that was photographs. I've had two more articles sent in since then, so that's a start for the spring 2017 issue.

Like most SIGs, the main activity is sharing information about our common interest, in this case the health, wellbeing and activities of our furry friends, with pictures subject to technical limits (magazines can have a maximum four pages of colour photos, on the covers, and dog photos tend to be large and full of colour).

Facebook would be an ideal medium for this sort of thing, it's ideal for sharing photos and comments, but not everyone has, or likes using a computer, and Facebook is prone to privacy issues, unwanted adverts and other nuisances, so the magazine remains the point of contact for members. Luckily I can use a word processor, and have a comfy computer chair!

So far there isn't much prospect of meeting other SIG members, as we seem to be scattered across the UK from Skye to Shipston-on-Stour, judging by the responses I've had so far, and I don't have a membership list as it's held by the Mensa office, so SIG 'walkies' are unlikely for some time.

Dog owners usually tend to stop and chat in the street (or park) when they meet, usually about their pets, so Dog SIG is ideal for extending that 'chat' among fellow dog owners in Mensa.

Dogs, like their wolf ancestors, are generally social creatures, and tend to have the same effect on their owners, so I would encourage anyone who has a dog, or just likes dogs, to join and share in the 'chat'.

I'm on [Email]

Pat Mason SIG Sec, Dog SIG

20 Questions (No. 188)

How much did you Harry Potter fans really know in our April quiz? The answers were Alice, 160, Ginny Weasley, mischief managed, I open at the close, Severus Snape, King's Cross, The Order Of The Phoenix, Nagini, July 31st, Bill, The Weasleys, Bellatrix Lestrange, Severus Snape, 7, Mad-Eye Moody, in a frozen lake, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, aknight and Nick. Helene Parry of Brentford wins the £10 book token.

Thanks to Gail Mitchell for compiling this month's quiz. The following are all books which have been short listed for the Man-Booker prize at some time since 1969. Can you name the book and author? Send your answers to '20 Questions (No. 188)', [Address] or [Email] to arrive by 20th June.