Both me and Ms. Undhow joined but never managed to make any meetings, then let our memberships lapse. Add us to the list of backsliding Mensans.
Wow. If Mensa cares at all about their membership numbers, they ought to come on in here and read up.
Sounds like something needs to change if they want to attract and RETAIN more members.
Hmmm. I was planning to take my Mensa test on Saturday. Two of my co-workers, both former (am I starting to understand why they are former?) Mensans, thought that it would be a great place to meet people. I don’t mind geeky people (used to be one myself 
) and get along fairly well with the socially awkward (ditto…or maybe not), so I thought it was worth a shot.
Now, reading this thread, I have serious doubts. I didn’t seriously think that Mensans as people would be up to the caliber of Dopers (who could be?) but they sould pretty damn awful if this thread is any indication. Are there any good things about Mensa at all?
I am one, but I felt the same way a lot of the non-members in this thread do for the same reason. I spent about a year hanging out with Mensa in Hawaii and found them a pretty arrogant bunch. Then I made my fatal mistake. I went to a science fiction convention here in Pittsburgh. Well, I wound up with one fellow giving me a very good back up and both him and his best buddy, a much-published writer, surrounding me with good conversation, bad puns, and warm fuzzies. Then they dropped the bomb. They said they were members of Mensa. As they told me later, a look passed across my face which read, “Oh. And you were such nice people.” Well, they were about to leave for dinner and, instead of asking me if I wanted to join them so I could duck out and leave, they asked me whose car I was going in. I wound up with each of them massaging a hand, surrounded by good conversation and bad puns.
Months later, I went to my first RG (the ‘O’ and the ‘Y’ are omitted when spelling) on Labor Day weekend. I intended to spend a polite 3 hours and leave. I left 3 days later. More good conversation, bad puns, vicious but fun game playing, outrageous flirting, and people who find intelligence sexy!!! It had to be a fluke. Nevertheless, when I finally got home, I immediately contacted my old high school, got my SAT scores, and applied.
In December, I went to the Cincinnati RG (Regional Gathering). Pittsburgh wasn’t a fluke. I’m now hooked on RG’s, and, if anyone asks, I was seduced into Mensa.
YMMV, and mine certainly has; among other thing, the one person in my local group I’ve dated was a putz of the first order, but check it out. The conversations match this board’s, and the hugs and the chocolate are actual, not virtual. If nothing else, come to the Pittsburgh RG this Labor Day weekend (details available upon request), mention you’re a Doper and I’ll look you up.
CJ
I was a Member for a year, but dropped out when I found that Mensa was more cliquish than anything except the SCA.
I’m sorry, but the John Bender in me came out with that one …
“… demented and sad, but social.”
Anthracite
Actually, in Pittsburgh, Mensa is less cliquish than the SCA, at least in my experience, or, as I put it to a SCAdian fencer, “Donnan, I can get laid at a Mensa event.”
CJ
I joined Mensa about 15 years ago when I thought I had something to prove.
I went to one meeting and never went back, the people were less than warm to say the least.
I did go to the annual gathering last year and met some great people from all over the USA.
I pay the dues to get the Newsletter.
Passed the test but never bothered to join, maybe because I DO get laid in the SCA… 
I just don’t get the point. If somebody had an athletic club, where you had to be tested on various physical abilities, and then you got in, and found out all you do is go to social meetings, which really had nothing to do with your athletic abilities, it would be pretty apparent it was a silly reason to have a club.
Mensa strikes me the same way.
Hey all you smart asses, how about some damn numbers. None of this “I qualify” shit. And then some damn proof.
Okay…
Number of posts that contribute meaningfully to the topic at hand, simultaneously showing both respect and good manners: 28
Number of posts that do not, and reflect somewhat poorly on the poster’s ability to play in the sandbox with the other children: 1
The proof, if you ask me, is fairly obvious.
Cleops
Which number would you prefer? The SAT score I dug up to get into this group, its equivalent percentile, my membership number, or the best score I’ve achieved at double-deck hearts at a Mensa RG?
Quite frankly, people who brag about their numbers are what put me and, apparently, a bunch of other people off the organization. The people responsible for me joining and staying with it are warm-hearted, interesting people who share an appreciation of bad puns and good hugs. Around here, we had a guy who was a lot of fun to be around and who definitely fit in, but he kept scoring 97s on the test. When he finally did score a 98, there was much rejoicing and a general attitude of “What other tests?”
BTW, there will be an RG in Dayton, OH April 5-7th. While I can’t compare it to a Dopefest, I can guarantee good company. Please give us another chance!
CJ
Proud member of the Hell’s Mensans, Pitt Dwellers Chapter
Nice one! 
But seriously - what proof would or could anyone offer, without exposing their life too much?
I’ve seen numerous threads in the past where people either post their scores, or “let slip” their scores.
I pretty much dismiss any score posted out of hand. The only thing people inflate more than their salary or penis size (if male) is their alleged IQ score.
Actually, I can’t resist tossing out a couple of number for general fun and brain damage:
[ul]
[li]Best recorded time at Mensa Alligator Wrestling Contest: 6 seconds[/li][li]Placement in Mensa Alligator Wrestling Contest: 1st[/li][/ul]
CJ
Mensa Alligator Wrestling Champion
(I love the effect that has on people’s heads!
People who memorize IQ scores and trot them out as evidence of intelligence have always struck me as being none too bright in any way that actually matters. The content of my posts should reflect my wit, charm, and keen intelligence. If not, <shrugs shoulders in a lackadaisacally Gallic manner>.
I could tell you my GRE, Wechsler, or MMPI scores, but “to the true cynic, nothing is ever revealed.” (Oscar Wilde)
I joined way back in the late 70’s or early 80’s. I found the folks to be very friendly, warm, and interesting. However, I was a early 20’s single female, and every single member I ever met was a middle aged married male. I then decided to quit the Fort Worth chapter and start hanging around the Dallas chapter. They, too, were friendly, warm, and interesting, but so socially weird that I still did not feel I had anything in common other than intelligence. Besides, I was still by far the youngest who ever went to any of the events.
But now that I am middle aged, I had though about reinstating my membership. In fact, I just got the letter in answer to my email inquiry. Fortunately I don’t have to requalify since they still have me in their membership database (I was worried about that!). But now, after reading all these posts, I’m wondering if it would be worthwhile. Anyone here from D/FW who can give me some insight?
Sorry, Treviathan, and everybody else; my post was not very nice. :o
But still, what does it mean to say I scored that and this, and my IQ is this and that? It’s like belonging to a club all of whose members have visions, or whose parents read them the same books and made them think about the same conundrums, or something. Is it that they can do feats of multiplication or…jeepers…or…what? Does it mean they arrive at a more true (?) analysis when they decide to focus on politics, or demography, or running for President? Or hit a truer note when singing…or play a mean game of chess, or of tennis, or of trading barbs on SDMB?
You get into those select circles by getting a score; let’s have it. Why am I asking too much?
Oh, by the way, I got a 684 (not Harvard material, no, but not too shabby, though, huh?) on my verbal and 640 something on my math SAT way back in what, 1965? and I took an IQ test and lucked out with a 134 (not Einstein, but pretty cool, huh? What did you get?).
Of course, I know better; I am not very bright. I am plodding, I get very little done, have taken nearly my whole adult life to learn to speak and understand French, have to really focus to do any math stuff, am slow on the up-take, repartee-type stuff, etc. If I took one of those tests now, who knows what would happen. I’m pretty sure I’d “flunk.”
Hey…do I qualify?? Huh? Huh?
Scores? I got a 70 on the Miller Analogy Test and my GRE was in the upper somethings. I didn’t even know the MAT was good until my advisor told me my score and I said, “Damn, what, I needed at least an 85 to get into grad school?”
I joined for a year. There were about 10 members in my state, so no meetings. I did get a couple of cool t-shirts from Hell’s Mensans (a special interest group). I dropped my membership after a year.
What pissed me off about Mensa is that I lost my original, frameable membership certificate. I now work for a boss who frames and puts on his office wall certificates from every training he’s ever been to:
“Dan Boss is hereby certified as having taken the Microsoft Word Introduction Class.”
I figured I’d call Mensa, pay $20 dollars and get another copy of my joining certificate. Then I’d strip the walls of my office and frame it as the ONLY thing on my walls. Nope. $50 to rejoin again, plus another $20 to get the certificate.
Putze’s would be too kind.
“Joining Certificate”? I don’t think they gave those out back in the 70’s - I don’t remember ever getting anything like that.