Hello Mensans, The cover photo on this issue perhaps fits the title of the magazine and the organisation itself. It is a sketch by Jayakrishnan Nair of Mensa Mumbai titled "The Challenge". The year that passed has been quite eventful for Mensa India with achievements by Project Dhruv as well as Tribal Mensa. Both initiatives have found mention in international forums of Mensa. The World Journal too has a mention of Tribal Mensa and Project Dhruv by Chris Leek, Chairman of British Mensa. For the poets among us, please take a look at the MWJ’s Poetry Competition 2020 in the Mensa World Journal section of this magazine. Please keep sending your contributions of whatever nature - articles, quizzes, puzzles, crosswords, photographs, poems and anything that you wish to be published in the forthcoming issues of MInd. Send in your articles and contributions in plain text format and pictures in high resolution .jpg format to: editor.mensaindia@gmail.com
Krishnan V. Iyer Chief Editor, Mind
In this Issue: Crossword
1
Events
2
Creative Mensa
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Thoughts To Ponder
5
Poem
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Updates from Project Dhruv
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Science & Technology
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Articles from Mensa World Journal
Cover Photo: By Jayakrishnan Nair, Mensa Mumbai
Disclaimer: All contents in this magazine are opinions of the individual authors and contributors. Neither Mensa India, the society, its office bearers nor the editors are responsible for any content or views expressed.
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Crossword
ACROSS 1. Before the Christian era 3. To express embarrassment (s) 6. It hides the top of the curtains 9. Drag behind 10. Vowels 12. Constellation in the milky way between Ara and Lupus 13. An order of amphibians comprising the salamanders, tritons and allied animals 14. Musical instrument 16. Of a bright blue color 18. Weighed down 19. A Fictional character in “Aqua Teen Hunger Force� TV series 21. Undeveloped but potentially useful 23. Swarming with 25. An operating system 27. A plant genus (saltbush and orache) 29. Type of meat (French word) 30. To suggest based on evidence (but not state explicitly) 31. Unmarried young woman.
DOWN 2. To quote as a proof of what you are saying 4. A member of a Bantu ethnic or social group 5. Keep in a certain state, position or activity 6. Base an argument, theory or undertaking on 7. To diminish 8. A place with less than 1000 people, with fixed boundaries and a local government 10. Color similar to that of a clear October sky 11. A person with an unusual personality 15. A statement that contradicts itself 17. Of or relating to the home 20. The center; of, pertaining to, or having a navel 21. Having a defect 22. Bestow an award in recognition of an achievement 24. Whole quantity 26. Official at a baseball game (plural, informal) 28. Voracious snake-like fishes -Rashmi
Garg, Mensa Delhi
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Events Mensa Delhi Comic Con India Meetup Mensa Delhi members met at the Comic Con event held in Delhi at NSIC Grounds. Pictures sent by one of the members.
We all enjoyed a lot. Got to spend some time with new people. A lot of new experiences. It was really a fun day. - Mahesh Vashisht, Mensa Delhi 2
Creative Mensa
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From the top: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Gate of a house. Train window. Reading is indeed a good habit. Railway crossing. Jayakrishnan Nair, Mensa Mumbai
I have been a Member of Mensa India since 1990. I’m a resident of Mumbai and Kerala, and involved in the Reinforced Plastic & Composites industry. I’m also an Indian Amateur Radio License holder under handle VU2BOM. My interests also include sketching, watercolours, writing, photography, cartography, prehistory, and anything that’s obscure, occult, arcane and unusual.
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Thoughts To Ponder The Living Organisation I wonder why there are not many doctors or neuro-biologists in key strategy roles in corporates. After all the most successful things in the universe are the natural creations! If I was to draw a parallel between a human body and a body corporate, there are many similarities which consciously or sub-consciously we try to emulate. Like the head, there is the top-management which not only has to take stock of all extraneous factors but also control the functioning of the entire organisation, while the appendages need to keep on doing the operations without giving much thought to it. Like the nervous system, the HR needs to sense the internal feelings of different parts. The Finance department probably works like the circulatory system to ensure the organisation is wellnourished. So we can well imagine what a stroke, paralysis or heart-attack can do to an organisation. Marketing is definitely our external looks, through which we try to improve our brand equity, MarComm is nothing but our speech as well as gestures. Try to recall how many failed branding attempts you have had in life, where the flipping of the goggles like Rajnikanth or the poorly timed wink or romantic song might have caused your stock value to depreciate significantly before the target market. Now the question arises, where does a function like business process excellence fit in? Many organisations feel that it is a good to have function, but probably the other departments can take care of themselves if they are experienced enough. Every functional organisation, be it a start-up or some old company in the unorganised sector, does have a written or unwritten code of processes in its operations. This is akin to our DNA. Every organism immediately from the time of birth already comes equipped with the knowledge of some elemental things. For an iguana it might be that it has to run from the snakes to the safety of the rocky shores immediately after birth, or a turtle that needs to head towards the sea once hatched on the beach (I am not exactly sure what skills a human baby is born with, happy to receive inputs on the same). Now the question is, is what we have in our DNA sufficient to get the best out of us? While everyone might or might not be endowed with some specific skills, the basic body is mostly the same. Do we all however, achieve optimum performance? the answer is no, because there is one ingredient that is required for us to do the right thing at the right time in the right measure. Some might call it smartness, but that word is very loosely used. A guy who is good at maths can be called smart, while someone who is good at lying is also smart, some can dress smart, while some can act smart. I would rather use the word consciousness. Consciousness uses the best amalgamation of knowledge, talents, IQ, EQ, experiences and expertise, to do the right thing. Consciousness is not just being awake, its the ability to observe, learn, understand, implement and improve. It does not come with age, heredity, inborn talents, wealth or labour. It comes with variety of experiences, logic, awareness of ones goal in life, awareness of surroundings, ability to identify right from wrong and most importantly the strength to do the right thing on a continuous basis. I might be conscious of the fact that I need to exercise, but if I am too lazy to do it, its because I am still not conscious enough of the harm I might be causing myself. I am happy to live in the present rather than worry about the future. Isn't this how many organisations are as well? So, probably we should get people with good understanding of functioning of living beings to benchmark how an organisation is functioning. We should also be having a guru to drive consciousness across the organisation, at a level which everyone can understand. I will now end by putting a question forward: in an organisation, what is the equivalent to the soul? -Arindam Acharyya Mensa Mumbai
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Poem Million Mirrors Me: Mirror mirror on the wall, is it me inside or I see them all? Mirror: I see only you my friend, your face, body, legs and hands Me: Oh! This clears my mind, I had doubts of many a kind Me: A transient lapse I suppose, I saw a million faces striking a pose X: Do you trust the mirror or your own mind? May be both if you try to find X: In your mind a million thoughts roam, how many of them are your own? Me: My thoughts are mine and mine only, I generate ideas consciously X: Ah! The infallible spirit! But rare not one bit X: All have the same inside, denial of one's gullible side X: Impressions you have a million, your thoughts a generic opinion X: Your mind a spongy cast, soaking ideas, molding them at whim fast X: Your ideas are not yours to say, reflected in a million mirrors are they X: In your mind a million thoughts roam, none of them might be your own X: Is your life a struggle for perfection? Or is it simply a complex reflection? Me: I mirror no fellow man, my life and habits are unique not a sham X: Ah! The infallible spirit! But rare not one bit X: All have the same inside, denial of one's gullible side X: A flagrant mimicry is your life, your habits are ubiquitously rife X: Naively you mirror fellow men, aping lives for reasons beyond your ken X: Coalesced images in a maze of mirrors, form your life and with it your errors X: Your life may be a struggle for perfection, but it definitely is a complex reflection Me: Mirror mirror on the wall, is it me inside or I see them all? Mirror: I see only you my friend, your face, body, legs and hands Me: Oh! This clears my mind, I had doubts of many a kind Me: Now I see what you see, an amalgam of images that seems to be me Me: Novelty is a virtue most rare and tall, most of us are just images after all
Rajat Sinha, Mensa Delhi
I'm a Marine Engineer and am currently working as a Chief Engineer onboard worldwide trading ships.
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Updates From Mensa’s Project Dhruv
Tests being held on November 06 at Saksham School, Gurugram to identify 90 underprivileged gifted children.
Mensa Dhruv test at the Government Girls Primary School, Nathupur, Gurgaon. Sadly these students had to give this test in the open. Some girls were brilliant. Hope they get selected. We tested 45 students in 2 batches today. Total 210 tested till now in this series. About 2000 more to go!
- Kishore Ashthana, President, Project Dhruv About Project Dhruv: Project Dhruv is the underprivileged gifted child identification and nurturing program, an initiative of Mensa India, Delhi. Most of the Mensa Dhruv Scholars have an IQ in the range of 130-145. Some are even more gifted. Their parents are in occupations such as day-labourers, housemaids, rickshaw pullers, weavers, drivers, carpenters, small store owner, street vendors etc. Some have lost one of their parents. Some others have fathers who are alcoholics. They have all seen tough, often violent days. For more details, visit: www.mensaprojectdhruv.in
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Science & Technology Vertical Farming - Removing Slack From Urban Sprawl Introduction Agriculture has formed the foundation of human civilization though a lot has changed over the years. Many believe that vertical farming can be the answer to challenges of increasing food demand due to growing population along with decreasing arable lands. Instead of farming vegetables and other foods on a single level, such as in a field or a greenhouse, this method produces foods in vertically stacked layers commonly integrated into other structures like a skyscraper, shipping container or repurposed warehouse. Aeroponic, aquaponic or hydroponic growing mediums are used instead of soil. In the following article, we intend to explore the following– • • •
Key trends to driving agriculture Shifts in Agricultural practices to adapt to aforesaid changes Benefits, limitations, potential in India for vertical farming
As per numerous domain experts, vertical farming shows a large promise of the changing landscape in agriculture in India.
Key Drivers of change in Indian Agricultural landscape Urbanization Since the dawn of mankind, cities have attracted more and more people. The rate of urbanization has varied with civilization but the trend is unmistakable. The number of megacities (> 5 million inhabitants), estimated to grow by about 37% to 104 by 2030, have moved into the cities with more expected to do so in the following decade leading to what is called the urban sprawl. There is also an increase in urban population world over as cities provide more opportunities for people. This has led to increase in population due to 2 primary reasons: • •
More number of people are moving into cities More settlements are graduating into cities (primarily in Developing Nations)
The crux of the situation is different as the more a city expands the more dependent it becomes for its food supplies to sustain itself. Gentrification Increase in urban development in a city leads to areas with less green spaces while land in city centers becomes more expensive. Addition of green spaces
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near such areas makes the land more desirable. This in turnis leading to price inflation as it is rare that such unused land in rapidly developing cities attracts higher paying households. The areas are eventually becoming unaffordable for the original inhabitants who might find it better to rent their homes to supplement their income. While the original inhabitants either sell or earn a consistent income through renting of the properties, the new inhabitants moving to such areas generates demand services and products. Shift in Consumption Pattern As the purchasing power and awareness of the populous grows, a shift to healthy and organic produce is being observed. The same has already been identified by growth in artisanal and gourmet foods in luxury market and increase in purchase of organic produce in high end market. Whole foods, which caters to organic demand and were amazons most valued purchase,are trying to enter organic food market in the groceries segment. Traditional flatbed farming methods also require large swathes of land for cultivation. With increase in urban population which don't grow their own food, there is increased reliance on the same plot of land to increase yields to service the growing population. Only 18% of the total land of the world is arable and suitable for growing crops. The total land under cultivation also reduces as cities grow and convert the land at outskirts previously used for agricultural purposes.
Benefits Vertical farming has a lot of promise and having greater output from a small cultivation area is not the only advantage. Major benefits are enumerated below: • • •
•
•
Condensed to factory like sites Extensive vertical racking to locate in smaller sites Located near urban areas results in: – Easier Transportation easier with low lead time. – Less spoilage during transport Optimized environment leads to: – High Yields – No need for pesticides – Efficient use of resources • Higher harvesting rate for crops • Lower fertilizer consumption • No pollution from fertilizer runoff No Soil Degradation – No pesticides used – No fertilizer runoff into water bodies
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Limitations High initial investment The high cost of initial equipment for vertical farming creates an entry barrier for small farmers as well as entrepreneurs, while traditional farming can be started with just a piece of land with small investment. The running cost for the equipment also needs to be factored in the cost of production making the current products viable for higher priced organic produce only. Limited Crop Variety The existing technology limits the types of crops which can be grown to high growing and mostly green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, basil and turmeric. The harvesting of tuber based crops and fruit trees is incompatible with vertical farming.
Potential in India The most potential shown is actually in the larger cities with Delhi being the prime candidate as it stands to gain the most from carbon capture from farms all the while benefiting from 1.9 crores population for consumption of the produce. As the PPP of the nation rises, along with it rises awareness and demand for organic groceries. While there are already many India based vertical farming startups the industry as a whole is still in its nascent stage. Few of the startups which are transforming agriculture as we see in India are highlighted below –
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Gaps in the market Legal Counselling The players in the vertical farming segment will be required to navigate the complex agricultural policies of the Indian Agricultural segment which in itself is quite complex and can vary greatly with crop demands. As startups outsource the same, focusing more on their core business experts in government policy will be needed to seize the opportunity. Market Research The current market for vertical farming systems is in the organic foods segment which although growing, is still a niche industry with seasonal demands. This brings in the need for robust market research so that companies can focus on growing products with the highest chances of success with their targeted customers. Benchmarking and Supply Chain Assistance As more and more super markets opt for such products and tie up with vertical farms, the need for a scalable logistical blue print becomes necessary which can work with the workflow of varied classes of customer. The demand for industry best practices and setting of standards and benchmarks becomes necessary as companies look to appraise the suppliers for not only produce quality but also efficiency of their supply chain. End Notes 1.
Ajay Gokul AJ and Sheeja PS. “Vertical Farming: a novel farming technology”. International Journal of Modern Trends in Engineering and Research (2016): 2349-9745. 2. Meeting Report “Utilization of vertical spaces for horticultural crop production in urban and periurban areas”. Current Science (2016): 2048-2049. 3. Garg A and Balodi R. “Recent trends in agriculture: vertical farming and organic farming”. Advances in Plants and Agriculture Research (2014): 142-144 4. “Vertical Farming: Status, Researchable Issues and Way Forward”(2018). Janakiram, T.; Kaushik, Nutan; Pandey, Vikramaditya; Singh, Ranvir and Sharma, Abhishek (eds.), pp. 180. 5. http://www.igovernment.in/articles/35581/verticalfarmingtobeintroducedinindiasoon 6. http://www.verticalfarm.com/ 7. https://www.indiafoodbanking.org/hunger 8. Vertical farming association, Mumbai. 9. Association for Vertical Farming 10. https://krishijagran.com/news/major-emphasis-on-turning-farms-to-factories-vertical-farming-workshop/ 11. https://yourstory.com/socialstory/2019/03/mumbai-couple-hyperlocal-farm-2fblcy3ya6 12. https://www.cleantech.com/200m-of-plentyful-capital-the-next-wave-of-vertical-farming/
About the Author
Sahil Jain Sahil is a Management Consultant with Deloitte India in Gurugram, where he works on development and strategy consulting projects. He enjoys reading on topics related to data science, public policy, health and nutrition. He is an avid sports enthusiast and has been a national level armwrestler. A consultant by day and a reader by night, he is loath to discuss himself in the third person, but can be persuaded to do from time to time. You can find him on LinkedIn at -https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahil-jain-2279458b/
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Pages From Mensa World Journal From the ExComm International Treasurer At the end of the meeting of the International Board of Directors (IBD) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the board voted to remove the International Treasurer Mr Rudi Challupner from office. This was done in accordance with the Constitution of Mensa, section VIII.8, through a majority vote on a removal motion. The specific reason stated was “nonfeasance”, and the treasurer was given an opportunity for his views to be presented. There were no financial irregularities involved, nor any financial loss to MIL. The IBD is currently in the middle of the process of appointing a replacement, and by the time you read this, the position is expected to have been filled for several weeks; please refer to mensa.org/news for information on the new treasurer. Björn Liljeqvist, on behalf of the Executive Committee Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, January, 2020, issue 084, Editor Kate Nacard
From the ExComm Congratulations to Mensa Malaysia for a thoroughly enjoyable and very well-run IBD meeting. Outside the formal sessions there were plenty of opportunities to socialize and network, and the post-IBD tour was fascinating. Thank you to our hosts for a stimulating gathering, a true meeting of minds. It was my 22nd consecutive IBD meeting, and I never tire of learning about the initiatives of Mensa groups around the world, both from the annual report submitted by each group and from formal and informal discussions in person. An important aspiration of Mensa is to identify and nurture the gifted, in particular gifted children, and this is a focus for many national groups. Some of the help provided is direct financial assistance. Australian Mensa, for instance, provides annually grants of about A$18,000 for gifted children. The American ‘Mensa Foundation’ offers a range of scholarships, with six international awards this year to students from four countries. An additional USD $1,000 scholarship has just been added due to the generosity of Mensa Sweden, which provided the funding. Recognition of and support for gifted youngsters is also a priority. Sweden provides free training on giftedness for school personnel, and is a partner in an initiative managed by Mensa Serbia. EU funding in excess of €25,000, granted through the ERASMUS+ programme, will finance a project “Teachers for the Gifted,” scheduled to run from November 2019 to October 2020. Mensa India, in addition to the Dhruv Project (see article on page 7), runs the Tribal Mensa Nurturing Program (www.tribalmensa.org) for gifted children from socially and economically
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underprivileged backgrounds, primarily in rural areas. Mensa India also participated in the round table conference held by the Apex body of the government of India, involved in the education of gifted children, and has, at the Apex body’s request, submitted a proposal to conduct testing and mentoring on a larger scale. Greece has a wide-ranging gifted children program, with special interest groups for those aged 4-17 and courses run in Athens, Patras and Salonica, attended by over 270 children. Their Mensa Summer Science Camp, taking place over three weeks, is now in its fifth year. Slovakia organizes a three week camp for gifted children, as well as a very popular Slovak IQ Olympiad. Mensa Germany likewise runs camps for gifted children, at Easter and during the summer. The Czech Republic holds 2-3 gatherings per year for gifted children and their families, and separate seminars for the gifted aged 12-19. They are starting a new project Škola4, using Abaku Education, to improve education quality in 5 pilot schools and increase math skills in 100 schools. Their annual Logical Olympiad continues to go from strength to strength, with 61,000 children and students, and 4,000 teachers having been involved in 2018. British Mensa hosts an annual Future Paths event, for students who are considering applying to Oxbridge. Hosted by Oxford and Cambridge colleges, it provides advice and guidance on the applications process, with speakers from the universities, including admissions tutors, and motivational speakers from various professions. Mensa Germany is launching a far-reaching project in collaboration with the Ferry-Porsche Foundation, as part of an initiative for which the foundation has set aside €1,000,000, for the promotion of highlygifted disadvantaged young people: for environmental education projects, for inclusion in sport and for the education of socially- and health- disadvantaged children and teenagers. The aim is to promote young talents with different starting points, to impart knowledge and to give socially disadvantaged young people in society better access to qualification and training opportunities. Various Mensa groups have had media successes in promoting gifted children and young people, which also has the benefit of publicising Mensa as a whole in a positive light. A well received 4-episode documentary series on Danish national television portrayed five young Mensa members, their challenges, interests, and successes. British Mensa continues to be involved in the Child Genius TV series, attracting several million viewers, and which for the first time included a Christmas special in 2018. Mensa Cyprus organized a solo art exhibition in Nicosia to showcase the paintings of five-year-old Mensa member Paris Andreou Hadjipavlou, under its Talent gives Hope banner, with all proceeds to cancer-afflicted children. This attracted enormous media attention and was featured in the main news broadcasts on state TV. There are so many activities undertaken throughout Mensa in this area that I can’t mention them all, but I hope this gives a flavour of what is going on in our amazing, collaborative, diverse society. It’s the youngsters of today who are our future, after all. Floreat Mensa. -Chris Leek, Chair, British Mensa
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, January, 2020, issue 084, Editor Kate Nacard
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IBD Meeting 2019-11-19 The International Board of Directors (IBD) sets policy for Mensa International. In October of 2019, members met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for their annual face-to-face board meeting. Although the two-and-a-half day meeting conducts serious business for the society, it also provides an opportunity for the chairmen of each country to mix socially and discuss problems, ideas, and innovations with each other in an informal atmosphere. A tradition of social activities has grown around the weekend, with cultural tours and social events arranged for those who are not members of the Board (partners, interested national board members, appointees, local Mensans, children, travelling Mensansetc). There were close on 200 registrants from around the world. The October 2019 meeting included a Youth Festival, an International Volunteers Day constituting officers from countries around the globe sharing development strategies, a trip to see how Royal Selangor Pewter is produced, visits to cultural spots, karaoke sessions, games, puzzles, competitions, a treasure hunt through the streets of Kuala Lumpur, and welcome breaks exchanging news in the various bars and cafes of the meeting venue. All Mensa members from any country are free to observe all, or parts, of the IBD meeting, with the opportunity to see how the formal Mensa business meetings are run and how our policies develop. The 2019 meeting trialled a new tool which has been developed to help facilitate voting and debate in realtime at IBD meetings. Historically, the IBD relies on the meeting chair to keep track of the list of speakers and on independent human tellers to count each vote in all cases where acclamation (shouting “aye/nay�) does not apply. This year the custom-built tool trialled those tasks through an online interface. The digital speaker list enabled Chairman Bjorn Liljeqvist to keep to a strict but reasonable timetable, managing to complete the full agenda whilst giving several presentations himself. Some of the policies proposals, presentations and discussions at the October Meeting included: - updates to the duties and roles of various officers, updates to appointment processes; - proposed change to the Mensa Constitution to limit internationally elected officers to a maximum of two terms in the same office; - development of our own entry test; common problems with dysfunctional members and how to solve them; - a presentation from the International Ombudsman on what constitutes a Fair Hearing; - appointment of International Officers and Committees, including the appointment of Udo Schulz (Germany) to the office of Honorary President (see p06), and - the removal of the International Treasurer from office (see page 02). The full minutes will be available in the members’ section of www.mensa.org for you to read and/or download. Congratulations to the Mensa Malaysia organising committee for an excellent weekend! -Therese Moodie-Bloom Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, January, 2020, issue 084, Editor Kate Nacard
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Welcome to Our New Honorary President A big welcome and congratulations to Udo Schultz, our new Honorary President! Udo was born in 1943 and lives in Kiel, Germany, a harbour town about 70 miles South of the Danish border by the Baltic Sea. Kiel is famous for the Kiel Canal, connecting the Baltics with the North Sea, sailing, and shipyards, and ferries go to Norway, Sweden and Lithuania. Udo is married to Sigrid, whom he met in Mensa - they were actually the first Mensa couple in Germany - and they have two daughters, Megan and Arwen, both of whom are also members. Udo joined Mensa in 1982 when there was only a handful of members in his part of Germany. During his first AG 1982 in Cologne, Germany, he was very lucky to meet Dr. Lance Ware and Victor Serebriakoff, who both made a lasting impression on him. “In fact,” he says, “they inspired me so much that on my return to Kiel I started recruiting by involving the local press straight away!” From 1984 until 1991 Udo served as Chairman of Mensa Germany, followed by four years (until 1995) as International Director of Development and another four years (until 1999) as International Chairman. In 1999 he became an Honorary Member of Mensa Germany and the International Board of Directors (IBD) honoured him with the Outstanding Achievement Award, which he treasures tremendously. From 2001 until 2003 he filled in as Interim International Director of Development, and after another term as Chairman of Mensa Germany, in 2007 he joined the German Mensa Election Committee. From 2014 until 2016, he served as chair of the International Election Committee. Locally Udo has been Loc Sec of the region (together with his wife) since 2009, test proctor (since 1985), and editor of their local newsletter (since 1995). When Udo received the position of Honorary President he felt “a humble thankfulness,” and “I wondered if I would be able to fill the boots of my prominent predecessors. However, I will do my very best to satisfy the expectations incumbent in the role,” he adds. Udo remarks that during his time as international officer he was “always fascinated by the variety of nations gathered around the table and the friendship of all Mensans across the world. I would love to see Mensa reach those areas that have not yet been covered; for example, large parts of Africa.” In his professional life Udo was a Civil Servant, working in the state computer centre in various positions. He remarks that “I was very lucky that my bosses always supported me when I had to do Mensa business.” Udo is a keen photographer and video filmer, which enables him to run a small-scale calendar production firm. He also sings in two choirs, and is a great fan of Wales - so far spending 67 holidays there! Because of the many photos he took there including in the early days, he is a welcome source of olden-day pictures of the little town where they always stay. Udo adds that he is very much looking forward to his new role in Mensa, and we welcome him to the position with heartfelt thanks and congratulations! -Kate Nacard Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, January, 2020, issue 084, Editor Kate Nacard
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Mensa Project Dhruv - an initiative of Mensa India We (Mensa India) estimate that in India, there are almost 6 million underprivileged children whose IQ would be in the range of 130 and above. Trapped inside the minds of some of these unsung geniuses are earth-shattering ideas. Sadly, most of them will remain untested and unidentified and will waste their brilliance in lives of frustration and boredom. We have started to do something about this through our Mensa Project Dhruv. We test underprivileged children in the age group of 10.5 years to 14.5 years and mentor and nurture those who qualify. We stay with them till they graduate. Our plan for the identified Scholars includes the following: Personal Mentor, monthly stipend, study materials, coaching, nurturing, healthcare, inculcating a sense of social responsibility, leadership classes, better schooling, soft skills, family counselling, aptitude & personality profile tests, career counselling, Higher studies: Preparation for admission to professional colleges, motivational talks by experts in the field and by senior Dhruv scholars, and encouraging other than academic talents.
We started Mensa Project Dhruv in 2014. The last five years have been wonderful. We have 198 Mensa Dhruv Scholars currently, and our plan is to add 50 more every year. This is a deeply satisfying project and I urge other National Mensa Chapters who can start similar programs to do so as soon as you can. The light in the eyes of your scholars will uplift your soul and the spring in their steps will keep you young. I am a living example of this. We, at Mensa India, will always be ready and willing to assist anyone who wishes to start this initiative anywhere in the world. Sponsorship costs only US$950 per scholar per year. Those interested can go to our website, www.mensaprojectdhruv.in or contact me at president@mensaprojectdhruv.in. Some stories: Satyam Sharma Satyam was a street child. His father is a day labourer. When he was seven, Mrs.RajanKaur found him playing outside her house and brought him to her school for street children. He scored in the 99th percentile in our standardized IQ test for underprivileged children. Today he is in Class XI in one of the better schools in Varanasi. He plans to be an engineer. Here (below left) he is seen with Mrs.Kaur and myself. Komal Yadav Komal is a brilliant Mensa Scholar who also qualified in the 99th percentile. Her father is a personal driver. She is currently in her second year of a BSc(Hons) in a Computer Science degree at Delhi University. Apart from excelling in academia, Komal is the Joint Secretary of the Department of Computer Science, a Department Union Member, the Student-Alumni Coordinator of second year students, is the Internship Coordinator in the Placement Cell of the college, and, an active member of the Women’s Development Cell, Gandhi Study Circle, National Service Scheme (NSS). Satyam enjoyed an interview with Mr.Aditya Ghosh, the then President of India’s IndiGo Airline. Mr.Ghosh helped kick-start Mensa Project Dhruv by sponsoring 100 scholars to celebrate the arrival of his airline’s 100th Airbus.
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Sant Sai School, Gurugram In a ‘classroom’ in the SantSai roadside school in Gurugram, we have discovered two students with an IQ of over 135 and one over 145. They have been transferred to some of the best schools and are being looked after. This school is set up by the students every morning and dismantled every evening. Kishore Asthana President, Mensa Project Dhruv president@mensaprojectdhruv.in www.mensaprojectdhruv.in Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, January, 2020, issue 084, Editor Kate Nacard
From the ExComm 2019 Extraordinary Election of international Treasurer
In November, an extraordinary election was held to fill the vacancy of International Treasurer, following the removal of the previous treasurer by the International Board of Directors (IBD) during its meeting in Kuala Lumpur in October. According to the Constitution of Mensa, paragraph IV.D.9, it is the IBD who shall fill any such vacancy. For that reason, a vote was held among all IBD members, after a period where candidates could be nominated by IBD members. Four candidates were nominated: Jacek Cywinski (New Zealand), Bruno Casaes Teixeira (Brazil), Aleksi Harmokivi (Finland) and Claude Deunette (France). Total votes available: 78 Votes cast: 64 Did not vote: 14 First preference votes: Cywinski - 39 Teixeira – 3 Harmokivi – 18 Deunette - 4 Jacek Cywinski was declared elected, and assumed office on 2019-11-25. His term of office will end on
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the same date as the other elected officers, 2021-06-30. We want to thank all candidates for volunteering, and we congratulate our new treasurer Jacek and look forward to working with him!
Bjรถrn Liljeqvist, on behalf of ExComm
Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, February, 2020, issue 085, Editor Kate Nacard.
From the ExComm - Peter Frรถhler As a brief introduction, when I joined Mensa Germany 10 years ago I had already retired from my job at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. I had a residence in neighbouring France and another one in Hamburg, Germany, and I was also travelling a lot which meant that I could not meaningfully take on a volunteer position such as LocSec or test proctor in my national Mensa as I was not in Germany for 8 out of every 12 months. Consequently, I became engaged at the international level. I started as a member of the International Election Committee (IEC) 2010-2011, then became member/co-chair of the Marketing and Product Advisory Committee (MPAC) 2011-2012, chair of the International Election Committee (IEC) 2012-2013, member of the Web Board 2013-2014, chair of the Web Board 2014-2017, member of the E-Voting Committee 2015 and member of the Mensa China Election Committee 2016. That same year I was appointed coordinator for international issues at Mensa Germany and I still hold that position. Since 2017, I have also been the IBD delegate for Mensa Germany, and since December 2018 member of ExComm as proxy for the chair of Mensa Germany. Now let us turn to you, or to be specific, what we at ExComm can do for you. The International Board of Directors (IBD) met last October in Malaysia and discussed and voted on 35 motions, heard and commented on 19 presentations and deliberated on two discussion topics. All of this was with the aim of keeping our various rules and regulations up to date and to ensure that all Mensa associations - from emerging to provisional to full national Mensas - may continue to develop in an optimal manner. It is always a challenge to deal with such a rich agenda within the two- and-a-half days that are available for this meeting, but thanks to efficient preparation and effective management of the meeting we succeeded in getting all the work done by midday on Sunday. The annual IBD meeting is only one of several international events open to Mensans worldwide. Since 2008 there has been the European Mensa Annual Gathering (EMAG) that will take place this year in Brno, Czech Republic from 29 July to 2 August. A few years later the first Asian Mensa Gathering (AMG) was organized. This year it will take place in Suwon, South Korea from 29 to 31 May. A new event, the Gathering of Latin American Mensas (GLAM) will be held for the first time in Foz de Iguacu, Argentina
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from 4 to 6 September and the next IBD will take place in Montenegro from 8 to 11 October. International Mensans are also welcome to visit national annual meetings and there are a number of other social Mensa events open to visitors, such as an annual year-end meeting called Sylvensa that takes place in different European locations or a ski weekend that is regularly organized by Mensa Slovenia. For me, it is always a great pleasure to meet with Mensans from other countries and continents, be it old friends or new acquaintances. These meetings offer plenty of opportunities to learn from each other and to discuss best practices. While what works in one place may not necessarily be an appropriate solution for a problem elsewhere, often some adaptation to local culture and reality will do the trick. I strongly encourage all Mensans to look beyond your own local community and to take an active interest in international events. I am convinced that you will not regret it.
Floreat Mensa! Peter Frรถhler Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, February, 2020, issue 085, Editor Kate Nacard.
Inaugural Mensa International Youth Festival 2019 The Mensa International Gifted Youth Committee (MIGYC) is a special group designed to advise Mensa International on activities that involve members under the age of 18 years. The committee has been sharing insights and learning between nations for the last few years. The committee meets monthly via video call, with input currently provided by Mensa leaders in Belgium, Mexico, the Philippines, Germany, USA, Korea, and Australia. In 2019, the committee agreed to design and deliver a program specifically targeting gifted youth (from 7 to 15 years old) at a separate venue as part of the Mensa International Board of Directors (IBD) meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. While the main audience was Mensa children of adult IBD participants, gifted children from around Asia were invited to participate. We were delighted to have the curriculum generously provided by American Mensa member Dr Hector Rosario, on behalf of the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival: jrmf.org Alongside Hector, Dr Chris Yoon attended from Mensa Korea, bringing both expertise and additional volunteers. Malaysian Mensa Society chairman KeeAun was incredibly accommodating, assisting the committee in securing a venue and volunteers for the two-day program. The event was held at the KDU Damansara Jaya Campus, a renowned university institution in KL, generously donated with support from Professor Pang LeangHiew (Vice Chancellor), and Dr GohChee Leong.
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About 35 children attended, from countries including Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many families noting that their children had “finally found like minds!”. This event did not receive funding from Mensa International or any national Mensa, and was paid for by committee members out of their own personal savings. Given the success of the festival, the committee will request international funding for a copy of this youth festival planned for the 2021 IBD. Queries about the MIGYC can be addressed to the chair: alan@LifeArchitect.com.au Alan D Thompson Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, February, 2020, issue 085, Editor Kate Nacard.
MWJ Poetry Competition The Mensa World Journal is proud to announce its 2020 Poetry Competition for members worldwide. Members are invited to submit their original poems to the editor, mwjeditor@mensa.org, by August 1, 2020. Poems are to be previously unpublished and no longer than 30 lines in length. There are no limitations on the theme/topic. All entries must be in English and following the judges’ decision, no correspondence will be entered into. By submitting an entry into the competition, members understand that their poem may be published in the Mensa World Journal or in any other National Mensa journal at the editors’ discretion. The author will, of course, be acknowledged. Please include your National Mensa and membership number with your entry. Kate Nacard, Editor. Reprinted from the Mensa World Journal, February, 2020, issue 085, Editor Kate Nacard.
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Mensa India HQ Jnana Prabodhini Institute of Psychology Jnana Prabodhini Bhavan, 510 Sadashiv Peth, Pune, Maharashtra 411030
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