American Mensa - Limited Members Handbook - Charlotte/Blue Ridge Chapter

Oct 3, 2026

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Charlotte/Blue Ridge Chapter of American Mensa offers a members handbook introducing the local group within Region 5 and explaining how membership can range from informal participation to deeper social involvement. It outlines ways to connect through community events, newsletters, online links, special interest groups (SIGs), and chapter governance via the Executive Committee. The guide also answers practical questions about events, guests, visiting other chapters, and common Mensa terms and acronyms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Welcome

What is a Mensan?

Where is Charlotte/Blue Ridge Mensa?

Is there a local newsletter? How can we get it?

What happens at the regular events?

Can I bring guests? Or visit other chapters?

Is there an ONLINE COMMUNITY?

What is a SIG, and can I start my own?

The chapter never does_________, can I start an event for that?

What is the ExComm, and how is it chosen?

Do I need to learn a lot of special terms or acronyms?

Does Charlotte/Blue Ridge Mensa have it's own bylaws?

Charlotte/Blue Ridge Chapter of American Mensa, Limited Members Handbook WELCOME Welcome to the Charlotte/Blue Ridge Chapter of American Mensa! This small brochure is intended to welcome you and to give you some information about Group 5-280 (we are part of Region 5 of American Mensa, and 280 is our local group number) . Maybe you joined to enhance your resume, boost your ego, or glean a status symbol, and don ’t intend to do more than write an occasional Letter to the Editor of our local newsletter, the IdioM—and renew your membership annually. That ’s OK. Many Mensans do just that. But for those of you who crave social interaction with intelligent people, who need the exhilaration of heady conversation, quick repartee, erudite philosophizing, and a new supply of party jokes, C/BR Mensa offers a variety of opportunities for meeting kindred souls. We also offer friendships, an extended family feeling, business contacts, informative lectures, and a forum for testing out your pet theory for saving the world or for making a million bucks. It is rumored that some have found romance in Mensa, and several recent marriages tend to bear that out. C/BR Mensa offers a constantly changing smorgasbord of activities. If none of the existing or recent offerings meet your needs, feel free to propose a new one yourself! Some current and recently past activities are restaurant meetings (two current ones are referred to as“Lunatic Fringe” and “Lurching toward Oblivion”) , games nights, poker nights, pool tournaments, Sunday brunches, hikes, camping trips, lectures, museum tours, movie or theater outings, and on and on. Leading Questions, and short answers . What is a Mensan? Mensa members represent a cross-section of society. A Mensan can be in any profession, belong to any religion, and support any political party. But they probably like to talk about it. For more, see page . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Where is Charlotte/Blue Ridge Mensa? Mostly in and around Charlotte, NC. If your Zip code starts with 270, 280, 281, 282, 286, or 297, that's in Charlotte/Blue Ridge. For more, see page ............ 6 Is there a local newsletter? How can we get it? The local newsletter is called the IdioM, and is available both on paper and electronically. For more, see page ............ 7 What happens at the regular events? Did we mention that Mensans usually like to talk? For more, see page ............ 8 Can I bring guests? Or visit other chapters? Yes to both. We do ask you to bring your guests, not send them. For more, see page ............ 8-9 Is there an ONLINE COMMUNITY? Yes, and there are [links posted on www.cbrmensa.org](links posted on www.cbrmensa.org). For more, see page ............ 9 What is a SIG, and can I start my own? SIG stands for Special Interest Group. Topics can range from Aviation to Zoology, and yes, we encourage you to start your own. For more, see page ............ 10 The chapter never does_________, can I start an event for that? In general, yes. We encourage the members to host events. For more, see page ............ 11 What is the ExComm, and how is it chosen? The Executive Committee handles chapter business. ExComm members are elected annually by the general chapter membership. For more, see page . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Do I need to learn a lot of special terms or acronyms? Well.... a few. It helps to know that “LocSec” means much the same thing as “President”, and that “RG” is short for “Regional Gathering”. Most of the rest you can pick up as you go. For more, see page . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Does Charlotte/Blue Ridge Mensa have it's own bylaws? As a local chapter of an international group, we need to follow their rules. But yes, we also need local bylaws. For more, see page ............ 17 What is a Mensan? Excerpted from Denver Mensa, who borrowed it from East Texas Mensa: Mensa Members come in all shapes and sizes, from all socioeconomic strata .

FAQs

What is American Mensa’s Charlotte/Blue Ridge Chapter handbook meant to do?

It welcomes new members to the Charlotte/Blue Ridge Chapter and provides practical information about how the local group operates and how to get involved.

Where is the Charlotte/Blue Ridge chapter located and who does it serve?

It is mostly in and around Charlotte, NC. ZIP codes starting with 270, 280, 281, 282, 286, or 297 are within the Charlotte/Blue Ridge area.

What is a SIG and can members start one?

SIG stands for Special Interest Group. Its topics can range widely, and the chapter encourages members to start their own.

Oct 3, 2026

Upload by Elsa