Australian andTab International Mensa Newsl eAus July/August 2019 Edition 442

Details pages 5 – 7 Adelaide, 1 – 3 November 2019 Australian Mensa Conference Australian Mensa 1. Log in to www.mensa.org.au. Announcements Annual General Meeting 2. Go to the Member Centre. 3. Select Membership and Payments and reminders The AGM of Australian Mensa will be option. held at 9 am on Sunday 3 November at 4. Select the Magazine/Newsletter Australian Mensa Administrative the Grosvernor Hotel, Adelaide. This preferences sub-option. Committee election results will occur during the Australian Mensa 5. Then check/uncheck the boxes for Convention and location details will be magazines. You may select more Following a terrific voter turnout, the advised at that event. ■ than 1. results for the election of the Chair of – Printed version—receive a Australian Mensa is as follows: printed copy in the mail about Votes received via Survey Monkey 778 Keep up to date with NatCom the first week of the month. Valid postal votes 6 – Email PDF—receive a digital Invalid postal votes not counted 3 Keep abreast of decisions of NatCom version as a PDF in your mail Total valid votes 784 (Australian Mensa’s National Committee) box. (Warning: large file, 2.5 to that affect Mensa’s policies and actions. 3 Mb.) Results These are regularly updated on our – Email notification—receive Jean-Marc Genesi 474 website at www.mensa.org.au/resources/ email when digital version is Kymberley Wilson 310 members-resources, where you will find ready for downloading from ASIEs—Actions Still In Effect—which our website. I therefore declare Jean-Marc Genesi cover the decisions and policies that define While you are there, check your elected to the position of Chair of how Australian Mensa is run, as well as Newsletter preferences as well. Australian Mensa. our Constitution and Standing Orders. ■ Stay in touch by setting your Sandi Miller newsletter preferences Acting Returning Officer ■ International events Mensans have access to information through TableAus and Australian Mensa’s website. 3–7 July 2019 However, if events are organised and pass Call for Nominations—State Annual Gathering of American too quickly for these media, how can we be Secretary for Western Mensa, Phoenix informed or stay in touch in other ways? and State Secretary for How much are you ‘in the know’? Do you 7–11 August 2019 receive our newsletters via email? Nominations are called for the positions of EMAG, Ghent Some of us are not into Facebook and State Secretary for and block emails, or put TableAus aside for State Secretary for Victoria. The term of 9–11 August 2019 ‘later’, or have our email preferences on the office will be until 30 June 2020. Mensa South Africe AG Mensa website unchecked. That may work Nominations should be accompanied Stanford, if you know what you don’t know and like by a brief biography of the nominee (150 it that way, but for those of us who don’t words), a campaign statement (150 – 300 5–8 September 2019 know what we don’t know, please: words) and a photograph (optional) for Mensa at Cambridge, publication with ballot papers. 1. Log in to www.mensa.org.au and A Statutory Declaration attesting to follow the Member Centre link. the nominee’s eligibility to stand must also 10–13 October 2019 2. Choose MEMBERSHIP AND be attached, as well as a ‘Working with International Board of Directors (IBD) PAYMENTS, then ‘Newsletter Children’ card and a Police Clearance. meeting preferences’. It is expected that a State Secretary will Kuala Lumpur, 3. If the ‘Receive updates by email have regular access to email and either checkbox’ is not ticked, click on it and have or create a Facebook account to For details go to www.mensa.org. ■ then click on the SUBMIT button administer the Facebook group in their below. A warning may appear about state, for which they will be responsible. unticking the box. If so, click on OK. Both nominator and nominee must be 4. To verify that the change has been members in good standing of Australian Mensa Inc. How do you made, use the Member Centre link Relevant forms and instructions can and step 2 above to leave the page be downloaded from www.mensa.org.au want your and return. If the change has not been (Resources menu) or are available from made, repeat from step 3. the Returning Officer. TableAus? 5. To receive newsletters as they are sent check the boxes for the newsletters Closing Date: 26 July 2019 Many people have requested not to be sent you want to receive. Nominations to: a printed copy of TableAus. This may be 6. Click on the SUBMIT button. If the Sandi Miller because they don’t want the paper usage, or checkbox warning message appears, Returning Officer because they prefer a digital version, which click OK. 47-51 Melbourne Hill Road is usually available a week or so earlier. Verify that the change has been made Warrandyte VIC 3113 We have now added this as a choice for ■ Email: returning @mensa.org.au ■ as in step 4. you to set yourself.

2 TableAus Contents July– August 2019

Announcements and reminders______Inside front cover Chairtalk by Jean-Marc Genesi______2 Changing of the guard by Kymberley Wilson______3 Letters______4 Australian Mensa Conference 2019______5–7 Mensa state events______8–11 Asia Mensa Gathering by Kymberley Wilson______12–14 How we created our self-ruled school by Jean-Marc Genesi______15–16 Board games by Amanda Miller______17 Memory athletes: Tansel Ali by Daniel Kilov______18–19 Puppets by Regan Rist______20 Word by Kate Nacard______21 Nocturne Nr.1 in C#-Moll by Paul Daniels______22–23 Australian Mensa Inc 2017 Financial Statements______24–28 Young Mensans______29–34 Puzzles by Peter Eden, Richard Blake, Kymberley Wilson______35–37 Mensa World Journal______38–42 Australian Mensa Business Network______43 Mensa Merchandise by Laura Parsons______44 Australian Mensa Directory______inside back cover and back cover

Submissions to TableAus Send articles, letters and enquiries to Peter Gibson, [email protected]. Length: 1,500 word limit. Any longer than that and it will have to be pretty interesting. The Editor reserves the right to include, edit or reject submissions. Note that if an article is published in TableAus, permission is granted to other Mensa publications such as Mensa World Journal for reproduction, provided that the author, TableAus and TableAus’ editor are acknowledged and the copyright noted.

Submission deadlines September–October 2019 edition, submissions due by Sunday 4 August 2019. November–December 2019 edition, submissions due by Sunday 6 October 2019. January–February 2020 edition, submissions due by Sunday 1 December 2019. TableAus is the magazine of Pictures submitted to accompany articles Australian Mensa Pictures need to be ‘high resolution’ images. A picture grabbed off a website or out of the body of an email or Facebook message can’t be used...it will be low resolution. Pictures should be sent as attachments to an email message, NOT embedded in the body of an email or embedded in a Word TableAus is available document. You must have the right to use the picture. A picture in another publication or on the internet online at www. is probably someone else’s intellectual property and unless you have permission you should not use it. mensa.org.au, in the Member Centre Disclaimer section of our The articles and other items printed in this publication and the opinions expressed herein are website. attributable to the individual authors and are not the opinions of Australian Mensa Inc. Australian Mensa Inc. as an organisation has no opinions. Similarly, unless otherwise expressly stated, any advertisement or other offer in respect of goods and services contained in this publication is offered by the person, firm or company placing the advertisement or offering the goods and/or services. Readers should note particularly that any activities organised by, or goods and/or services offered by, or on behalf of, any member or group is not an offer by Australian Mensa Inc. unless approved by its governing committee and expressly stated to be an offer by Australian Mensa Inc. Any comment, query, complaint or other matter relating to or arising out of any such article, advertisement, offer or other item should be addressed to the person, firm or company concerned and not to Australian Mensa Inc., and Australian Mensa Inc. disclaims any responsibility or liability in connection with any such article, advertisement, TableAus offer or other item.

July – August 2019 1 Chairtalk

Jean-Marc Genesi Chairman

Elections results contractual matters with our service As I am writing my first Chairtalk, I just providers are complete. I will provide a received the results of the International progress report in the next Chairtalk. Mensa elections. Despite a very good primary vote, our Therese Moodie-Bloom Adelaide AMC was sadly unsuccessful in her bid to Our annual Australian Mensa Conference become International Chair. The honour will be held in Adelaide on 1-3 November goes to Björn Liljeqvist of , so 2019. Laura Parsons and her team have congratulations to Björn, and to Therese done amazing work to create an exciting too for getting a large share of international event. It is a great opportunity to listen support. I was quite surprised by the fewer to quality speakers, network with other than 6,500 voters, under 5% participation. like-minded people, and most of all to have Our score was 11% of eligible Australian fun. I went to my first AMC last year in Mensa members. Go to www.mensa.org for Canberra and I can attest to the friendly the detailed results. Jean-Marc Genesi, Chairman atmosphere and energy you will find there. On the other hand, we had an Please book early to get the best deals. Go unprecedented level of participation Finally, a big thank you to the new and to our website www.amcadelaide19.com in our AdCom election with 34% of continuing NatCom members, and to all and join AMC Adelaide 2019 on Facebook. eligible members. I am very impressed our volunteers. We all benefit from their that so many of you expressed interest in hard work. Mensa ‘cold case’ show our organisation, and I am grateful and Kymberley called for members interested humbled that you chose to give me your Next Steps in participating in a new Mensa ‘cold trust. Thank you to all of you. We are a new AdCom team with much to case’ TV show. We have received almost We must thank our Returning Officer learn in our new roles. I am being greatly 50 expressions of interest—many thanks Sandi Miller for running a smooth election supported in this transition by Kymberley. In for this. We have sent the member and being so responsive to member requests. May, new joiners Elton Thie as Membership submissions to the Australian producers, We also owe a lot to Kymberley Wilson Secretary and Nick Scott as Treasurer and they will be considering them during for her commitment to our organisation. already started the handover activities with June and July. Kymberley will continue to Luckily, Kymberley is not going anywhere Marian and Gerald. Teresa Wong remains liaise with the producers and let members soon; she will be a welcome help to our new in her Recruiting Officer role. The positions know what progress has been achieved. team until the end of the year as Immediate of Victoria and Western Australia State Past Chair. And let’s not forget her Secretaries are open to our membership. Finally continuing roles with International Mensa. We will hold state elections if more than one Sarah in our new office has done fantastic Our retiring Membership Secretary candidate per state apply. We are grateful work catching up on the large backlog of Marian Anear decided not to stand for for Louise Lambert and Mal Osborne outstanding work. Please do not hesitate another term after so many years of respectively taking on the Vic and WA roles to place new orders; our fulfilment time is service on NatCom. I personally owe her a in the interim. If you live in these states, now much faster. If any member is missing debt of gratitude for her kind support and consider joining our team. an order or a membership card, please send guidance in my early days on NatCom. My focus over the next three months us a reminder at [email protected]. We will properly thank Marian at the will be to address our outstanding As always, I remain available to all appropriate time. administrative issues. Gerald is of you. Any question, suggestion or Thank you to our outgoing Treasurer publishing in this TableAus the financial Gerald Vats and WA State Secretary comment, please do not hesitate to contact report for the 2017 financial year. We Tereen Hough for their work on our me at [email protected] or by phone will ensure that the FY17 audit and tax ■ board. It can be a tough gig sometimes... 0419 900 254. Thank you. return submissions are complete, and Thank you to our service providers that the FY18 financial report has well for helping us run a (mostly) smooth progressed. We will also ensure that organisation.

2 TableAus Changing of the guard

Kymberley Wilson Immediate Past Chairman

This issue coincides with the start of number of businesses. Our investments Supervising Psychologist to get her the terms of the new AdCom members. have continued to grow, started by a recommendations approved. Welcome to Jean-Marc Genesi as Chair, generous bequest from member Richard Thanks as well to Gavanan Cushanan Elton Thie as Membership Secretary Johns, which funds grants for gifted who has the rewarding, and no doubt at and Nicholas Scott as Treasurer. Teresa children and research. To this has been times emotional, task of deciding which of Wong is staying on for a second term as added donations from many members. the applications for the Gifted Students Recruiting Officer. I am sure Mensa will I feel I am passing on the chairmanship Grants are successful each year. He is also be in good hands going forward. of an organisation that is much stronger, part of the research grant committee along I have been privileged to serve nearly more vibrant and more organised than it with Julian Choy and Tony Gambling. eight years as your Chair and for two years was when I took over the position. Also thanks to David Bennett for his prior to that as Membership Secretary. Of course those changes are the result 18 years as our Ombudsman, and to Kate The organisation has changed quite of efforts by many people, past and Nacard, recently appointed to the position. dramatically since I started as Chair in present members of NatCom and our I have attended many AMCs and I 2011. Our membership numbers had been other volunteer officers and members. want to thank the organisers of those steady between 1,000 and 1,100 for several Gerald Vats, our departing treasurer, events for the time and effort they put years but since then have more than and Yveline Piller before him have in to make them a success. I also thank doubled and I hope we will have reached managed those investments on Mensa’s all volunteers, whether they have hosted 2,500 by the time this issue is printed. behalf. Laura Parsons, SA State Secretary, an event, been involved with SIGHT or Back then only 7% of our members were has taken over the boutique and added helped at an AMC or in other ways, for children or teenagers, today it is 35%. new products to the range and Jean-Marc their efforts. Mensa can only survive and We have a strategic plan and robust and others have been finding discounts grow through such volunteers offering policies on rules of meetings, duty of for members. Jean-Marc also started the their time and expertise. care, social media, working with children interactive members maps. And last and by no means least, I want and other matters and an ‘Actions Still in Many of the past and current NatCom to thank Marian Anear for her years of Effect’ document that combines these and members contributed to the policies service as Membership Secretary. Marian the past decisions, processes and practices and strategic plan but Ainslie Waldron served for two years before my own stint of Australian Mensa into a single place. deserves a special mention for her in the position and then took over the We updated our constitution and finally guidance in these matters and Michelle position shortly afterwards when the had it officially recognised by Mensa Carey for her work on particular policies. newly-elected MemSec was unable to International Limited. Our proctors continue to be at the continue. She has served nearly 12 years in We have an online system that forefront of our membership increase with this role and has been a dedicated servant combines a website with membership more testing being done than ever before. of Australian Mensa. As Acting Chair, she and application management, events Our Gifted Children’s coordinators must handled the difficult period between the and newsletters, an online store and a take much of the credit for the growth in resignation of the previous Chair and my document repository. This system has been our child membership. We certainly did not re-election, as well as fulfilling the duties customised to suit our particular needs actively plan to grow this sector, but the of her own position. I was truly fortunate and is now understood and used by a large improvement of events and services for to have her to work with over the last group of officers and staff. child members must have led to a word-of- eight years. I wish her well in her much We have replaced the very old Cattell mouth increase in child applications. deserved retirement from Mensa duties. tests with a supervised test that is more Our National Supervising Psychologists, This is, of course, not the end of my modern and, after some investigations and Emma (past) and Rose (current) are to Mensa activities and roles. I will continue as discussions with the developer, we now be thanked for their work in evaluation Immediate Past Chair until the end of the have a test that we believe is secure and of the test and prior evidence applications year and offer my experience and advice accurate. It also allows us to test children and the increasing workload that our to the new AdCom members. I will also from as young as 10 years old rather than expanding membership has imposed. continue with my international roles as Chair from 14, as was the case with Cattell. Rose should also be thanked for her of the ICT Advisory committee, Member We have an expanding range of Mensa- work on investigation of the timing of the of the International Volunteer Network branded merchandise, and have started new test and her correspondence with committee and as part of the support team on a program of member discounts at a both the developer and the International for the international website. ■

July – August 2019 3 Dear Editor, The material was submitted to the Letters I recently re-joined Mensa after a break printer with an expectation, based on of about 20 years and am very impressed the deadlines that we use for mailing Dear Editor, with the work that the organisation is TableAus, of delivery before or just after I joined Mensa in 2007, having no idea doing with gifted children. I experienced Easter, depending on the state it was what to expect. I left two years later, seeing a disadvantaged childhood, but still did addressed to. However, it was discovered no point to membership other than the quite well academically. At the age of that the material supplied by MIL was occasional pleasant social gathering. Yes, 11, I was administered an aptitude test, not ready for offset printing and had to I will be forever grateful to Mensa for the which identified me as gifted. It was nice be amended. Typos and other editing opportunity to meet those I now number to know but nothing happened from there. errors, page size problems and file issues among my closest friends, however I can’t I am sure that many other members share delayed production of the printed items. help but agree with the general sentiment similar stories. Let’s hope that the work The corrections required meant that the behind Howard Bellin’s recent letter. I that Mensa is doing now helps gifted kids printing and packing of the final versions re-joined Mensa several years ago after reach their potential, particularly those were further delayed due to the Easter receiving a very convincing invitation and from less privileged backgrounds. and Anzac holidays. future vision from a former State Secretary, Nevertheless, the packages of candidate however my experience since has still Sincerely information, voting instructions and voting been one of watching Mensans gather at Jennifer Smith forms entered an Australia Post bulk mail wonderful venues and do little other than Kedron QLD ■ centre in Sydney on Monday 29 April. bask in their collective IQs. The deadline for the Returning Officer to Although I do not share Howard’s Write to TableAus receive postal votes from our members grander vision of having sufficient influence was Wednesday 15 May. to stop war and end poverty, surely Letters to the editor are always welcome. Australia Post’s guidelines for postage Mensans would be well placed to achieve Deadline for letters for the next edition is of this type (Print Post discounted bulk more modest goals, such as supporting Sunday4 August 2019. The best letter each mail) predict that delivery to Sydney struggling students of all ages throughout edition wins something from the Mensa addresses takes three days, Melbourne the somewhat ineffectual education system store. Chel Bardell wins this month. ■ four days, Brisbane four days, Adelaide currently in place in this country, and five days, Perth six days, Hobart six days perhaps also giving some time to those of and Darwin seven days. Delivery to our intellectual elders, institutionalised Mensa country addresses is generally predicted and fading due to lack of a stimulating to take an extra day on top of capital conversation from someone who doesn’t International city times. Over the past few years timely call them ‘dear’. I’m sure there are other delivery of TableAus and our other mail areas we could put our minds to. election results using this system has always been reliable. Is Mensa a little too self-absorbed? But delivery of this election mail International Chair: Björn Liljeqvist. certainly didn’t meet those standards. Sincerely, Director of Administration: Isabella Holz. Within just a few days mail did start to Chel Bardell Director of Development: Bibiana Balanyi. arrive—a member in Adelaide got hers on Deloraine TAS ■ Treasurer: Rudi Challupner (unopposed). Thursday 2 May—so it seemed to be going Director Smaller National Mensas: Mark smoothly. However, some days later NSW Dear Editor, Dettinger. and Victorian members were starting In 2014 there were 54,000 registered to complain they had not received the charities in Australia. There are probably Referendum on the Constitution packages. My own package didn’t arrive more now. All amendments were passed. in Sydney until 14 May—too late for a There is one Mensa doing wonderful work Amendment 1: 88.36% postal vote to be mailed in time for the with gifted children. Mensa and Mensans are Amendment 2: 84.33% 15 May deadline. One Victorian member deeply involved in many ways with works Amendment 3: 80.02% complained she didn’t get hers until 20 that could be described as ‘charitable’. It is Amendment 4: 84.89% May, and I assume others may have been reasonable to assume that many Mensans Amendment 5: 78.94% even later—a three-week delay. are members and/or contributors to existing We do not know the reason for the charities. There is no need for Mensa to delays but our mail was in the delivery become a ‘registered charity’. Mensa system just before the Australian federal I eagerly await each issue of TableAus. election and the extra mail from that may It is unfair to describe the articles therein International have been a factor. as ‘gratuitous’. Fortunately there was also an option to Election postage vote online, and many members did that. Sincerely, There was considerable cost in the Graham Tucker problems printing and mailing of these items and Kiama NSW ■ Kymberley Wilson has raised concerns During April and May there were a with MIL and suggested it be further number of problems with delivery of discussed at the IBD meeting in October. postal voting material for the Mensa International Limited (MIL) elections. Peter Gibson ■

4 TableAus July – August 2019 5 Australian Mensa Conference 2019 Have fun in the Festival State

Laura Parsons and George Gouzounis

Australian Mensa Conference 1-3 November 2019 Mercure Grosvenor, Adelaide SA

The premier event in our national Mensa calendar, the Australian Mensa Conference, will be held in Adelaide on the first weekend in November!

Stay up to date with AMC news Website: https://www.amcadelaide19.com/ Facebook group: https://www.facebook. com/groups/314558882581710/ Whatsapp group: Ask to join the AMC by texting your name and number to 0433 829 570. Zoom meeting: A Q&A Zoom meeting will be held soon, so watch this space.

When and where will the AMC be held? Above, the Mercure Grosvenor on North Terrace, and It will be held at the Mercure Grosvenor right Frances Coombe, President of the SA Voluntary Hotel, 125 North Terrace from Friday 1 to Euthanasia Society. Sunday 3 November. The hotel is opposite the Adelaide Railway Station and the confirmed. Some events will be for both SkyCity Casino. The free city tram runs adults and kids and others are separate. right past the front door. We will have exclusive use of the first floor conference Thursday area, which includes seven versatile rooms. Early arrivals will have an opportunity to catch up informally on Thursday evening. What kind of accommodation is available? Friday The Grosvenor is two hotels in one. NatCom will be meeting all day. There is a range of room styles to suit any Registrations begin on Friday afternoon. budget. You can call the Reservations On Friday evening the Icebreaker Party Supervisor on 08 8407 8857 and mention is a great opportunity to meet new friends that you are attending the Mensa event and catch up with those you haven’t seen to receive the discount accommodation since the last AMC. A roving magician will rates. Children under the age of 16 years, amuse and delight young and old alike. sharing their parents’ room, stay free of charge (maximum of 2 children). If Saturday you book breakfast at the same time it Following the official opening, there will is cheaper. Check out the hotel website be a full day of activities, workshops and Social Sciences at Flinders University. www.mercuregrosvenorhotel.com.au. speakers for adults and kids. Speakers who Frances Coombe has been President have confirmed so far include Dr Robert of the South Australian Voluntary What’s on the program? Moles, author of Miscarriages of Justice. Dr Euthanasia Society for sixteen years and As it is only June, the program is still taking Moles is an Adjunct Principal Researcher is an ambassador for the Leaders Institute shape, but many highlights are already at the College of Humanities, Arts and of . Frances works with

6 TableAus EARLY BIRD FULL PRICE

ADULTS CONFERENCE INDIVIDUAL EVENTS Friday night Icebreaker cocktail event inc $45 $49 two hours canapes and drinks Saturday night Gala Dinner—three-course $109 $119 meal and drinks Day attendance—Saturday and Sunday $155 $165

ADULT PACKAGE DEAL

Whole conference package inc all events $290 $315

KIDS’ CONFERENCE (14 and under)

Each attendee will receive a discount voucher for the Friday night Icebreaker cocktail event with $35 $40 special kids’ corner buffet Mensa merchandise store. Saturday night Gala Dinner with special $40 $45 passion and a strong conviction that kids’ corner buffet legalising voluntary euthanasia is an Day attendance—Saturday and Sunday $55 $65 urgent human rights issue. Later in the KIDS’ PACKAGE DEAL day, there will be a discussion workshop with the theme ‘How can Mensa be Whole conference package inc all events $120 $135 improved?’ Meanwhile, the children will be kept busy with a demonstration SUNDAY EXCURSIONS—PAYG, can be booked separately. of vintage toys from the Australian Childhood Museum in the morning and SAHMRI tour $10 an animation workshop in the afternoon. Botanic Gardens walk Free Other sessions are still to be confirmed. Later in the afternoon there will be a Winery tour TBC swing dance basics class to get us in the Escape Hunt $27 mood for the evening. The Gala Dinner on Saturday night has a Great Gatsby theme, so dust off your Will there be food? welcome. Parents should book their own feathered fringes and pearls. Of course! The Friday evening icebreaker conference ticket. The kids’ program is cocktail party includes two hours of still being finalised. Sunday canapés and beverages. Kids (14 and Sunday morning sees the Australian under) will enjoy their own buffet corner How much will it cost? Mensa AGM in progress and there will with an assortment of hot items, vegetables, See the table above for pricing options. be alternative activities on offer too. On fruit platter, soft drinks and juice. The website also lists the individual events Sunday afternoon you can choose from The day delegate fee includes all events and costs for each. a variety of excursions. So far we have and speakers as well as morning tea, lunch You can book for separate elements of a tour of the nearby South Australian and afternoon tea. On Saturday evening the weekend or take advantage of the whole Health and Medical Research Institute the Gala Dinner will be held. This will conference package. You can come to just building, a Botanic Gardens walk and a include a three-course meal and three- one event if you like, or book for the whole winery tour. We have also negotiated a hour beverage package. Kids will again weekend. Don’t forget to book soon and discount with the local ‘Escape Hunt’ in have their own buffet corner. take advantage of the early bird discount, as Rundle Mall. The up-to-date program will Breakfast is served in the Federal prices will rise after 30 August. also be available on the website, so check Restaurant from 6.30 am daily. This can Each attendee will receive a quality back regularly. A copy will be placed in be added to the room rate at the time of messenger style conference bag full of each delegate’s showbag. There will also reservation for $20 per person (normally information, puzzles, freebies and goodies. be Stand Up Comedy Karaoke, so start $27). Children (under 16) receive a practicing your three minute routine. A complimentary buffet breakfast when How do I book? Games/Breakout Room will be set up dining with their parents. Bookings are now open for this major throughout the weekend. event via the Mensa website. The fiftieth There will be competitions, games What about the Kids’ Conference? person to book will receive a prize! and puzzles to keep you busy. Mensa A separate room is available for the See you in Adelaide! merchandise will be available for purchase. kids and there will be a full program of activities to stimulate young minds. All Laura Parsons and George Can I run a session or be a speaker? children must have an accompanying Gouzounis ■ Suggestions for sessions, workshops or adult who remains in the conference area. speakers are most welcome. Email us sa@ Children who are Mensa members in their mensa.org.au. own right may attend as well as children of adult Mensa members. Siblings are also

July – August 2019 7 Mensa state events

Australian Capital Territory Games afternoon

Young ACT Mensans had an afternoon of gaming fun in May. They are planning to continue with gaming afternoons for the last Sunday of every month. Keep an eye on the ACT members’ newsletter for reminders of dates, times and venues.

Ruth Chipman ACT Events Coordinator ■

South Australia Easter egg hunt

South Australian Mensans Scarlett and Connor Caruso enjoyed the spoils of the Easter egg hunt at Mensa’s family picnic in the park on Easter Sunday.

Laura Parsons ■

8 TableAus Mensa state events

Victoria Hot chocolate and croissants

One event has become a permanent fixture of the M in Vic calendar: the famous ‘Thick Rich Hot Chocolate and Croissants Afternoon’ was on again in May. Being free and child-friendly, we had a full house with a record number of members attending. We thankfully planned for this with extra servings of almond croissants. It was great to see you all, the event was very lively and a lot of fun. And it was especially pleasing to have many children joining us, then ignoring the adults entirely to run their own game event. Congratulations to our Victorian GCCs who did a great job: Joerg Henrichs was helped by Chris Barnett. The children got involved in a party card game of ‘Ultimate Werewolf’, and they excelled at it. We will do it again in October, this time in a larger room!

Jean-Marc Genesi ■

Victoria us with the diversity of colours and flavours. We had a good turnout with 14 members M in Vic happy to discover something new. In June, we safely chose Simply Spanish crosses the in South Melbourne. Located in the South Melbourne Market, this restaurant has an Mediterranean undercover outdoor area which can handle large groups. A few of us braved the Antarctic sea wind and freezing rain to be warmed up with earthy paella and tasty sangria. Our M in Vic monthly dinners have taken Please look for our coming Christmas in us on both sides of the Mediterranean sea. July event—another feast is on the cards. In May, we went to Nyala African restaurant in Fitzroy. Whilst it was at times Jean-Marc Genesi ■ difficult to work out what was on our plates or even how to eat it, it definitely delighted

July – August 2019 9 Mensa state events

Western Australia Parliament tour

In April, Mensa kids and parents attended a guided tour of the Parliament of Western Australia. We were taken through the building by Education Officer, Peter, and he detailed the history of democracy and parliament in WA. Peter told us many interesting stories about the House and some of the people involved in Australian politics. We walked the halls of the second floor, looking at pictures of past Members of Parliament. Particular note was made of Edith Cowan who was the first female Member of Parliament in Australia and the second in the British Empire. She was a key campaigner for social and welfare reforms and was especially focused on women’s rights. She now has a University The Mensa kids at the Parliament of Western Australia. ‘The speaker used to wear a wig to protect named in her honour and features on the himself as a disguise, in case he made a decision that the public didn’t like. If someone saw him on the street he would probably get attacked. The first seven speakers in got executed by $50 banknote. the king. The eighth speaker didn’t like what happened to the first seven so he said he would only We stopped at the massive stained-glass take the job if he got a bodyguard. He got one and the bodyguard protected him with a mace. If doors of the Legislative Assembly, where anyone tried to attack him, the bodyguard would donk them on the head with the mace.’—Amos we noticed some dents in the door. We were told that these were the marks made by the Black Rod. The Usher would knock Western Australia on the door with the Black Rod three Update your times at the commencement of Parliament, Curry at the literally leaving its mark. Interestingly, membership before the Queen’s visit in 1953, the Black Castons Rod for the Legislative Council in Western information Australia was a pool cue! WA members recently gathered on 4 The conclusion and highlight of the May for ‘Curry at the Castons’, and in If your details have changed or are about tour was a role play. The kids took seats observance of Star Wars Day. Jenny Caston to change, log in to the Mensa website at in the Parliament chamber and worked cooked up some terrific curries (learned www.mensa.org.au, go to the ‘Member through a real section from the Criminal at the skirts of her Anglo-Indian mother) Centre’, click on ‘Membership and Code Amendment (Graffiti) Bill 2009— and other members brought their favourite Payments’, then ‘Contact Details’ and ■ ‘Combat the increasing problem of curry dishes too. It was all so delicious! update your details. graffiti by doubling the existing penalties In true Mensa fashion, Terry Harck and restricting the supply of graffiti explained the chemistry behind his jelly implements.’ This role play demonstrated dessert, which necessitated some tricky some of the roles within the Parliament manouvering to prevent the enzymes in and how a bill is introduced. The roles the different fruits from inhibiting the jelly Membership included the Speaker, various Members of setting—then we ate said science project. Parliament and the Clerk. Former State Secretary of WA, Vanessa fees due? The ‘ayes’ were the clear winner for this Hawthorn, and her husband, Stuart, were day out. presented with a certificate of appreciation Log in to the Mensa website at www. for their years of service to the members mensa.org.au, go to the ‘Member Centre’, of Mensa. Vanessa was a terrific state click on ‘Membership and Payments’ and Amanda Rogers ■ secretary and we are all indebted to both set up a direct debit for future payments.

of them. No online access? Send your payment to Mensa, PO Box 537, Paddington, NSW, Tereen Hough ■ 2021. Annual fees are: Full fee $88 Concession/Under 18 $44 Additional Family Member $30 ■

10 TableAus Mensa state events Western Australia—Sunday Matters Stay in touch with state news The Easter Bunny by setting your Tereen Hough WA State Secretary newsletter preferences

Mensans have access to information through We met on Easter children to lie. (Do they need teaching? I TableAus and Australian Mensa’s website. Sunday, to discuss seem to remember that Bronfenbrenner However, if events are organised and pass ‘The Easter Bunny: and Piaget observed ‘lying’ to be a normal too quickly for these media, how can we be Icon? Legend? developmental phase, and that smart kids informed or stay in touch in other ways? Fantasy? Damaging lie more!) How much are you ‘in the know’? Do you lie?’ Our discussion group was comprised receive our newsletters via email? What spurred the of people from several different cultural Some of us are not into Facebook and choice of topic, apart traditions. Those from the UK and South block emails, or put TableAus aside for from being Easter, Africa, for example, said that in their ‘later’, or have our email preferences on the was a call-in show on tradition the Easter Bunny did not ‘bring Mensa website unchecked. That may work ABC talk radio, whereby several parents the eggs’. In the USA, the Easter Bunny if you know what you don’t know and like were upset about their kids being ‘lied to’ brings Easter Baskets full of candy, plus it that way, but for those of us who don’t and taught about the ‘fake Easter Bunny’, the kids all have an Easter Egg Hunt to know what we don’t know, please: etc. (You just know they are the life of the find eggs, which are usually plastic, with 1. Log in to www.mensa.org.au and party, don’t you?) candy inside. Those of us who grew up in follow the Member Centre link. So, we put our hive mind on it, to see if we Australia remember waking up to find 2. Choose MEMBERSHIP AND could sort out this societal dilemma. Here is chocolate eggs hidden around the house PAYMENTS, then ‘Newsletter a summary of our thoughts on the subject. to ‘hunt’. One member’s family had a preferences’. We started with some readings of tradition of leaving out a carrot for the 3. If the ‘Receive updates by email the history of EB, from that great mind, Easter Bunny, which had big tooth marks checkbox’ is not ticked, click on it and Wikipedia. Turns out that the egg-laying in it in the morning…and Mummy had then click on the SUBMIT button bunny is probably of German origin in the stitches in her thumb, having made a quick below. A warning may appear about 1600s—who knew? trip to the emergency room overnight. The unticking the box. If so, click on OK. We agreed that it’s good to teach kids Australians also remarked on Australia’s 4. To verify that the change has been to be sceptical, and not believe everything love-hate relationship with rabbits, and the made, use the Member Centre link they are told by authority figures— push to recognize the Easter Bilby, as the and step 2 above to leave the page interestingly, some of us felt we learned go-to guy for Easter confection. and return. If the change has not been that pretty young, and pretty well. So… We all attempted to describe the Easter made, repeat from step 3. stories about the Easter Bunny teach Bunny—male or female? (male). Was he 5. To receive newsletters as they are sent children to ask questions and not take big or small? (big). Did he wear clothes? check the boxes for the newsletters everything they are told as ‘true’…for a (mixed opinions)…and so forth. It seems you want to receive. given value of ‘true’. the waistcoat-wearing White Rabbit 6. Click on the SUBMIT button. If the Someone observed that the Easter from Alice in Wonderland has heavily checkbox warning message appears, Bunny is a device to encourage children influenced the bunny zeitgeist…most click OK. to behave—lest they miss out on some people felt he was white, and probably 7. Verify that the change has been made eggs or gifts— à la the German story. We wore a waistcoat. Whatever the Easter as in step 4. all pretty-much agreed that was a result of Bunny looks like or does, we all agreed it If the box for receiving emails remains wussy parenting. was a harmless bit of fun, and the haters unticked, you will not receive newsletters. We have many myths in our should probably lighten up. ■ You can also venture onto Facebook. culture(s)—they teach lessons and Official groups are on the back cover of entertain us. Fantasy is fun. This kind of TableAus. ■ fantasy also allows parents to play make- believe in a socially-acceptable way— vicariously through their children. (Some of us don’t need an excuse to act like kids.) We all agreed it was harmless—there wasn’t anyone who felt it was harmful; although one member felt it might teach

July – August 2019 11 Asia Mensa Gathering 2019, Kymberley Wilson

This year the Asia Mensa Gathering (AMG) was held 1 – 5 May and was unusual in that it was split over two locations—Auckland from Wednesday night to Friday morning and Rotorua from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. The Auckland part was held at the Rydges Hotel, about a block from the Sky Tower and a couple of blocks from the main street. Registration and the Ice Breaker were held on Wednesday in a room on the tenth floor with views over the river. It was a chance to meet old friends and make new ones with a competition to make the tallest tower out of spaghetti, string, sticky tape and a marshmallow. It was the height of the tower rather than the height off the floor so my team’s idea to put ours on a chair on the table didn’t help us. The next morning, we had three Above, the registration desk at the Ice Breaker, and speakers. The first speaker was Tristan left, Auckland’s Sky Tower, venue for our Thursday Pang, a member who is now 17 and just night dinner. graduated from university in maths and physics. He is the youngest-ever backwards to Mensa in a Box’? graduate and skipped high school Following this, representatives from entirely, qualifying for university while different Mensas got together for the still in primary school via the Cambridge leaders’ meeting. Last year they decided entrance test. He also gave a TED talk to call this body the Asian Board of when he was about 13 and has been on Directors (ABD), as an analogy to the the news several times. He has set up International Board of Directors meetings. some online maths education resources However, I pointed out that the IBD and during the talk went through the ‘sofa is an actual board of the international problem’, which was quite entertaining. IQ organisation Mensa, while the ABD was of 163 and lots of EQ as well. not actually a board of anything. The second speaker was Amanda The official name for this event Milne who has been a games designer going forward is the Asia-Pacific Mensa and producer for eight years. She is also a Gathering using the abbreviation AMG. Mensa member and she brought games her has set up a website for company produced, as well as others from Asian Mensas. Mensa International her personal collection, for us to play during particular local phrases—and the Maori Limited (MIL) had registered the website the conference. In the end, I decided to buy language—and was quite entertaining. name mensa.asia which I knew from the latest one her company sells, but which Thursday afternoon was free time, several years ago when I set up a similar was designed by someone else (AuZtralia). with some people exploring the city and website. I used mensaasia.net and they She covered the challenges of making games others playing games and socialising in the have used mensaasia.com for the same and making money making games. Mensa room. I spent an hour or so with reason—no response from MIL. The The final speaker was member Jim the NZ chairman comparing their ‘Mensa site is up but does not have much real Thora on ‘Kiwese’. He covered both NZ in a Box’ system with our IVT system. content yet. This is designed to be an English—how the accent developed and His comment was ‘Why would you go announcement and information website

12 TableAus rather than interactive and there will be no registration required to access it. Each Mensa will have access to the admin side so they can load their own events and other information. At the moment we don’t have that access. We revisited the option of a common web platform. Mensa in a Box had been an option when discussed the previous year but was no longer seen as suitable. There was no plan to further consider this since several countries now had different systems. Supervised testing was discussed. Although NZ is also using the same test as Australia they only use part of it, equivalent to the culture-fair test of Cattell. Other Asian countries are still using other older tests. I reported that Australia will not accept prior evidence from any country where the local Mensa does not itself accept prior evidence. Some questions were asked relating to Mensa , and as a former member of Kymberley Wilson (centre) with Marian Anear and her husban David. the Mensa China Interim Board I gave the information as I understood it. Essentially, the regulations for organisations in China are such that it is virtually impossible to satisfy them and to satisfy the requirements of Mensa at the same time. Former members of Mensa China are still members of Mensa but the organisation no longer exists. This means that there is no testing path for a Chinese citizen to become a member of Mensa, although that problem arose before Mensa China was disbanded and was one of the many factors that caused it. Although testing had been set up through a number of universities, problems arose because the test had never been ‘officially’ approved. There were members from Mensa Taiwan at the AMG and I explained that the International Board of Directors (IBD) had adopted a policy that any country which was allowed to have its own Olympic team could have a national Mensa. Taiwan is in the list of recognised The Maori cultural show before the Gala Dinner. Olympic countries as , and likewise is on the list, despite They are a chance to exchange information, meeting confirmed the (equally) most now being part of China. policies and processes on a specific topic popular topic of development strategies We also discussed the topic for the each time. The delegates get some small and processes. This topic was discussed International Volunteer Network (IVN) compensation for their participation, in the at EMAG in Barcelona a few years back meeting to be held during the IBD meeting in form of a ticket to one or two of the IBD/ and both Geoff and Teresa attended. I Malaysia later this year. These IVN meetings EMAG events, such as the Gala Dinner. have re-read their reports and it seems a have been held at various European Mensa Since this year the IBD is in Asia, it good choice for Asia, even if it has been Annual Gatherings and IBDs over the last may be one of the few times that some done before. This choice has since been few years, after the LEAP program was of the Asian countries can actually conveyed to the IVN committee. cancelled. Australia has specifically sent participate. As a member of the IVN There was also some discussion after people to some of these (Geoff Russell and committee, I thought it was very important the meeting about the Director of Smaller Teresa Wong) but at other times recognised that we picked a topic that was the most National Mensas position on ExComm, an Australian who was already at the location useful to the Asian countries. I had the Executive Committee of Mensa as their official representative (Kymberley previously put up a poll on the ABD International. This position has always Wilson, Tereen Hough and Teresa Wong). Facebook group and the face-to-face been held by a European and there was a

July – August 2019 13 with no organised plans for the evening. Once again we had a room for games and conversation for the afternoon and evening. I played the AuZtralia game and decided to buy it. Later in the evening there was some karaoke in the same room. We had a number of fascinating talks on Saturday morning. Bradley Scott talked about volcanoes, both in general and in particular about the volcanoes in NZ. Bethany Jones, a member, talked about space medicine and the issues affecting the human body (and mind) in space. There were references to how these issues would play out on a voyage to Mars. Her second talk was on alien earths and alien earthlings. The first part was about exo-planets—from what they were, to the various ways they have been detected and what we know about them. She then discussed the formation of life on Earth Hobbiton Village. with pictures of real creatures and similar ones from films, etc. These included very small ones to ones that lived in the deepest ocean and other inhospitable locations. Her conclusion was that life formed even in the harshest conditions and that since the basic chemicals of DNA have been created in the lab, it seems likely that there is life of some sort on some of these exo-planets. The afternoon was again unorganised with people exploring the town, playing games or socialising. That evening the Gala Dinner was held at the Te Puia geyser park. It was a buffet with the meats cooked in the traditional hangi style, but without the dirt covering. While we waited for the meal to be set up we saw a show which consisted of traditional singing and dancing. They got some of the ladies up to do some moves with a pom-pom on a rope (OK, not well explained) and the men to do a haka. After the meal we were taken to watch the main geyser erupt and have a hot Hobbiton, with the lake, bridge, mill and Green Dragon Inn. chocolate at that site. Further games and karaoke were held later back at the hotel. suggestion that either a new position for Thursday night’s dinner was held at The next day the bus returned to Asian Mensas be created or we need to the top of the Sky Tower in the revolving Auckland via the Waitomo glow worm caves get an Asian country member elected. restaurant with a 360 degree view of the and there was a show as well. However, I There were about 70 or so people in Auckland lights. was able to get a ride, along with some other total attending this AMG with some only On Friday morning we boarded the bus international guests, back to the airport in attending at one of the venues and the for Rotorua via Hobbiton. The original set time for an early flight home. number at the dinners was in the order of for The Lord of the Rings was temporary, Overall it was a varied and enjoyable 50 or less. Nonetheless, there were both but when the production returned for the gathering with a lot of free time. This did members who had been to AMGs before sequels more permanent structures were also make it expensive both in cost (with and others who were at their first. Apart created. It is indeed stunning scenery and the transport and extra hotel nights) and from the New Zealanders there were the village looks like the Hobbits could in terms of time, taking longer than most first-timers from Norway, Taiwan, US and return at any minute. We finished with a of the previous AMGs. Next year the many of the Asian countries that have had drink at the Green Dragon Inn and many AMG will be held in Seoul, , representatives before. There were six or of us ordered some pub lunch as well. again in May. ■ seven from Australia there. We arrived in Rotorua late afternoon

14 TableAus How we created our self- ruled school Jean-Marc Genesi

In May I organised a Zoom meeting, open to all members. The topic was titled: ‘It’s not all about croissants. How we created our self-ruled school in a public school’. The meeting description was: ‘As a group of parents disappointed with lack of educational options, we decided to create our self-managed self-funded school in a Victorian public primary school. We wanted our children to be taught our program half of the time, and the standard Victorian primary school curriculum the other half. We started with 11 children and one teacher, today we have 300+ children with 12 employees. The school went from being lowly ranked in Victoria to reaching excellence ranking. I was treasurer then president of that school (pro-bono). See www.efm.org.au. The purpose of the Zoom meeting was to describe the process we followed to successfully create a school addressing the specific needs of a group of parents and children, using the ‘Special Section Elective’ provisions available with the Department of Education. This school was not specifically designed for gifted children; it was designed to be a bilingual, binational school. The same process can be followed to create the school of your choice in your neighbourhood. In this meeting, we also briefly discussed the links Jean-Marc’s son was one of the students at the bilingual, binational school. between maths, music and bilingualism. school, where one week we taught the volunteers. It was a highly demanding I was involved in the late 90s in the French curriculum—language, maths, program, and became an enormous creation of a Special Section Elective science—with registered teachers brought success, explaining the rapid growth. The School in Melbourne. We took as from ; the second week ‘our kids’ yearly operating budget quickly exceeded examples other primary schools with joined the school’s other children, and $1 million. Our stakeholders were the special programs such as Montessori, they were taught the Victorian curriculum very demanding parents, the French and music and elite sport level education. alongside all the other kids. Victorian governments, and the Victorian When my kids were old enough to enlist, We started with one teacher and 11 Department of Education who were very I was elected on the board of our school, kids, and quickly grew to over 300 kids suspicious of this concept of a privately first as treasurer, then as president (after with 12 French school staff (additional to run program inside a public state school. hours, pro-bono) for nine years. the normal state school staff). The French Most kids blossomed, thanks to the This school teaches the French Section Elective side was privately run high level of attention from all, especially curriculum program at kindergarten as a not-for-profit organisation, entirely from the parents. Outcomes were high on and primary school level. It is set up as a managed by an elected committee of both curriculums: in line with the French binational system inside a Victoria state

July – August 2019 15 national average despite being half the time, and top tier for Victoria. 80% Contributions to of kids were locals, with French being often the second language. This is why TableAus the French average result was seen as a success by the ‘Inspecteur d’Academie’. What is Zoom? TableAus is published by Australian Maths level was extremely high, in part Zoom is a very easy to use video web Mensa Inc. six times a year. We appreciate explained by the bilingualism. conferencing software. It is a Silicon Valley all submissions—articles, letters, reports University academics conducted a study software startup founded in 2011 by on events, etc. on bilingualism with our school students, Zoom Video Communications, a company Send articles to Peter Gibson, editor@ and gave us a possible explanation for the headquartered in San Jose, California. It listed mensa.org.au. The editor reserves the right academic success. I summarise the outcome on the NASDAQ in March 2019 with great to include, edit or reject submissions. of their study: mother tongue is right side success. Australian Mensa is currently trialling of brain, which is active when talking as this software as a way to connect members Length seen on brain activity scans. If you learn through audio and video conferences. Short and long articles are welcome. a language after age six, the same side of In its free version, up to 100 people can Typical word counts: a full column is about brain is active, a kind of translation process. join a meeting from anywhere without 350 words (with a small headline but This could explain why people like me having to register an account. The meeting without pictures); a page is about 900 words who have learned languages later in life invitation is automatically created with all (with a headline but without pictures) are stuck with the mother tongue’s accent the proper online links, phone numbers and two pages is about 2000 words with a despite many years in the host country. and access codes. The invitation is emailed headline but without pictures. A truly bilingual kid learns the second to the members or posted on Facebook. language before age six. For them, brain Anyone can join the meeting using a Submission deadlines activity scans show that the other side of the computer, tablet, smart phone, or even a Submission deadlines are always on page 1 brain is active when speaking the second normal phone for audio participation only. of TableAus. language. This explains the incredible Connection to the meeting is virtually a ‘language switching’ ability of bilingual kids. ‘one click’ action. Photographs Any language learned later shows through Audio and video quality is extremely Pictures need to be ‘high resolution’ images brain activity scans that both sides of the high, noticeably better than other video suitable for printing. A picture off a website, brain are activated when speaking. It is conferencing platforms. All the people email or Facebook can’t be used...it will usually much easier for a bilingual person participating in the meeting are listed on be low resolution. Picture files should be to learn a third language because of ‘double the side of the screen, with the ability to sent as attachments to an email message, the brain power’ in the translation process ‘raise hand’ to be given the talking stick. NOT embedded in the body of an email or (very simplistic explanation). The host can share hosting responsibilities embedded in a Word document. Maths and some musical instruments, with other participants. Any participant You must have the right to use the such as piano, are considered a ‘language can share their screen if they wish. The picture. A picture in another publication or form’. So truly bilingual kids generally have host can record the meeting. on the internet is probably someone else’s higher abilities in these as well. Apparently We are currently limited to 40 minutes intellectual property and unless you have this principle also applies if you teach music meetings in this free version of the their permission you should not use it. If you extensively to a kid before age six instead software. (We have received occasional free submit a photograph it is your responsibility of a second language. time extensions.) Recordings of meetings to have the consent of the people in the Go to the Zoom section in the member are loaded in the member section of our picture for the photo to be published. centre of the Mensa website to listen website under ‘Zoom meetings’. to the audio recording of this meeting, Any member wanting to create a Copyright including the Q&A session at the end. meeting on any topic relevant to our Copyright to all material in TableAus The recording is one-and-a-quarter hours membership can contact me on links@ belongs to the individual authors but unless long. ■ mensa.org.au. ■ otherwise stated, if an article is published in TableAus, permission is granted to other Mensa publications such as Mensa World Journal for reproduction, provided that the author, TableAus and TableAus’ editor are acknowledged and the copyright noted. If for any reason you wish to submit an article without that condition, please contact the editor to discuss. ■

16 TableAus Board games

Amanda Milne Reprinted from Mensa World Journal No 78, July 2019 (editor Kate Nacard)

A former Chairman of New Zealand database manager here in Auckland— Mensa, Amanda Milne is founder and office work where systems and processes owner of SchilMil Games (Auckland, with rules were vital. Experimentation in NZ). Since 2012 she has published designing games led to Komodo and Raid six games, the most recent being the Pantry—SchilMil’s first two games, AuZtralia, which has had a first print published in 2012. run of 20,000 units in seven languages. The first dilemma was to pitch or to publish? When you have created a game Whenever I tell people what I do, that you believe in, you have, essentially, the usual response is ‘You mean like two routes to go down: one is to pitch the Monopoly?’ That’s a fair guess because game idea to existing publishers, the other pre-1990s, most games were either war to start a publishing business. In the former games or children’s games with a few model you are at the mercy of the publisher well-known exceptions such as Monopoly, who may sign a contract and never publish Scrabble, Cluedo and the classic abstract the game, so you need a ‘kill clause’ in the games such as chess and backgammon. contract that says if it’s not brought to Modern games are sometimes known as market within, say, two years that they lose designer games because they feature the the rights to it. You also lose all influence designer’s name on the game box. Popular over what they do with your idea in terms genres of games today include: of re-theming it, artwork and so on. EURO GAMES which tend to keep We researched the options and started all players involved to the end and offer Amanda Milne. a business to self-publish. For 12 months we developed, tested, refined the game, multiple paths to victory. They shy away played. Player decisions lead to new rules hired artists and graphic designers, learned from direct player conflict and playing being unlocked, cards being permanently about printing in China, selected a factory time typically lasts 60-120 minutes with a destroyed and the board altered. Actions and printed 1,000 units of each game. We built in timer such as a deck of cards or have consequences, which carry over into worked out the logistics of how to ship point threshold to bring it to an end. future games, giving every decision added and import them. We had no real game AMERITRASH which emphasize a weight. I’ve enjoyed Pandemic Series 1 and plan about what to do with them once they highly developed theme, often fantasy/ 2, and Charterstone. arrived in New Zealand. This was a classic horror based, have direct player to player According to LeBlanc’s taxonomy of newbie mistake. But it was exciting! conflict, and quite a lot of luck. game pleasures, gamers are motivated to Crowd funding has changed the SOCIAL DEDUCTION involves play games because of one or more of the industry: now anyone can publish a game players having hidden information or following: if they get a crowd interested enough. role that other players try and determine. SENSATION: Sensory-tactile-aesthetics After self-funding the first three games we Bluffing, lying and concealment are FANTASY: Imaginary worlds went this route:· required, e.g. Secret Hitler, One Night NARRATIVE: Story unfolding 2013—Granny Wars funded on PledgeMe, Werewolf, Code Names. CHALLENGE: Solving puzzles/problems raised $2,600. CO-OP GAMES where everyone FELLOWSHIP: Shared fun with friends 2014—Manifest funded on KickStarter, works as a team. Essentially, you win DISCOVERY: Exploring new systems raised $32,650. together or not at all. Some games, like EXPRESSION: Creating, building 2018—AuZtralia funded on KickStarter/ AuZtralia are semi-co-op in that either SUBMISSION: Suspending disbelief, BackerKit, raised $400,000. More at www. the game wins or one or all of the human submitting to a new set of rules. auztralia.net. players win, so there are elements of I’ve had a love of games since cooperation needed. Examples of fully co- childhood, and caught onto modern board op: Pandemic, Mysterium, Forbidden Island. games like Carcassonne and Ticket to Amanda Milne LEGACY GAMES— a serialized Ride. I had been working as a transport www.schilmilgames.com ■ board game that changes each time it is planner in London, and as a clinical trial

July – August 2019 17 Memory athletes Tansel Ali

Daniel Kilov

Tansel Ali is a four-time Australian Memory Champion, Managing Director of the Tansel Institute and organiser/licensee of TEDxDocklands

Daniel Kilov: This isn’t our first interview. Memorious readers may recall our 2015 interview wherein we covered how you memorised the Sydney Yellow Pages in only 24 days, your attempts to bring memory techniques into the classroom and the School Mind Games event, and your use of memory techniques as meditation. However, I didn’t ask you about how you initially discovered memory techniques, or why you wanted to compete. So what’s the story there?

Tansel Ali: I discovered memory techniques through curiosity really. A friend of mine back at uni had told me he could memorise a list of forty random items and I didn’t believe him. I naturally had to test him and surely enough he memorised every word I gave him in random order perfectly. I thought he was playing a trick on me, however he advised me he used memory techniques and to read up on it. So I went and did my reading and Tansel Ali. discovered a whole new world of self development that actually worked. I always Daniel Kilov: It feels to me that the whole people can get a hold of and exposure to thought I had a pretty bad memory until memory scene has changed since we last these memory techniques then they can I learned these memory skills myself. I spoke, with the advent of new organizations only benefit from them. wanted to learn more as I was excited and events and even new techniques like The most exciting development I believe about the benefits of having a better Lance Tschirhart’s ‘shadow system’. Would is the creation of Memory League. It memory gave me, like learning and reading you agree? If so, what do you see as the makes a seemingly boring non-spectator faster, and I stumbled across the Australian most exciting recent developments in the sport now exciting to watch. Not only that, Memory Championships one day Googling memory world? but much simpler for new individuals to memory training. I asked my friend to quickly learn memory techniques and get join me to enter the competition since we Tansel Ali: The memory scene has into the sport without having to sit through knew a few techniques. To our surprise definitely grown, especially in the past an hour of memorising numbers and cards. we both did really well, broke Australian few years. This is particularly exciting for I also have my coaching clients train on memory records and ended up on national me personally as I am not only a memory Memory League as the short one-minute television showcasing our memory skills. athlete but someone who is an advocate memorisation bursts don’t overwhelm and The rest as they say is history. of the skills, as it has not only helped me provide great feedback for improvement. but changed my life for the better. If more

18 TableAus Daniel Kilov: Of course, not all change look like? Do you do anything special equals progress. Do you think there is that you feel has given you an edge over Accessing the anything competitors have lost sight of? competitors in the past? Anything we should rethink or revisit? Mensa website Tansel Ali: Yes, I use Memory League as Tansel Ali: To be honest, I don’t well as my own resources to train regularly. at www.mensa. necessarily think competitors have to Training clients assists me as well. I usually have a vision. It’s more the organisers and train different systems, new techniques I’ve org.au leaders that will have to think how the developed as well as old systems I’ve revived. sport moves forward and what the vision My training usually consists of making lots Your user name is based on your first and is. I think we will eventually get there, of recall mistakes by memorising faster than last names, as recorded in our database, and do believe we can make memory usual. This is so I can go back and analyse separated by a full stop. Some people have competitions a spectator sport and gain what I’ve done wrong, how I can improve two first names recorded, e.g. Peggy Sue huge exposure to further increase growth. and get better. I also train with speed-reading Smith in which case the user name would books as the visualisation from that helps be peggysue.smith. Daniel Kilov: People are sometimes greatly as well. I enjoy working out at the If the user name allocated to you causes suspicious of the idea that memory gym and regularly. I think if you a problem, email us at info@mensa. techniques have a real place in education. you’re going to train your mind you should org.au. We can change your user name to They doubt they can be used to memorise do the same with the body as well. I also do something friendlier. complex information. I think this stems intermittent fasting and cold showers which To access the members-only sections from the fact that most of the examples generally keeps me alert. Aside from that, I of the website, you must log in. Once you used in books are simple lists, mostly. Can don’t think I do anything special to give me have, a link will appear below the Logout you give a detailed example of how you’ve an edge over other competitors. My only button for the Member Centre. You need used memory techniques to memorise competitor is me. to click on this to get the members’ menu. more complex information? This allows you to deal with your Daniel Kilov: Mindfulness and meditation account and members-only pages. The Tansel Ali: I can understand how people are all the rage right now, but, of course, ‘Membership and Payments’ option is can think that. From my experience even medieval mnemonists would use memory where you can renew your membership. those that have a basic understanding techniques to meditate in various ways. You can register for member events and of memory techniques doubt their use Can you say more about how you use your view official documents, forms and the in education. I think it’s more than just memory techniques as a form of meditation? Current Membership List. ■ knowing the techniques. Anyone can learn memory techniques. However, the real skill Tansel Ali: Since visualisation is a big part lies in the strategy. Knowing how to use of memory, every time I train I make an memory techniques is much more difficult effort to relax and use that as a form of and requires a greater depth of knowledge meditation. Going through my memory Call for Gifted than just remembering a list. This is where palace and also being in the moment my work as a coach is centred around for I think adds to that. Otherwise I don’t Children’s people to utilise these skills so they can practise meditation as much anymore as learn how to learn and implement systems I’ve embedded it mostly in my daily life Coordinators that will help them achieve the things they instead of having a meditation session. ■ want with the use of memory strategies. Mensa Australia’s kids’ events are driven A great example to give is studying. by passionate Mensa parents and we rely I’ve worked with many students over the Mensan Daniel Kilov is a Memory Athlete. on members to volunteer time as Gifted years and it’s not as easy as showing them He believes that we are all mental athletes; Children’s Coordinators (GCCs). Even if in a competitive world, we all need to be a memory palace or how to Mind Map. able to remember more, to be more creative, your child is a member, you also need to be Students need to know how to best use the innovative and focused. In this sense, the a member to take up the role. memory techniques so they actually learn techniques used by memory athletes should be We urgently need GCCs for NSW and become efficient at it. available to everyone. and the NT. The role is simple: can you

If you advised a student to just use a For more, visit DanielKilov.com and follow volunteer to organise a single event every memory palace and link information then Daniel on Twitter at @DanielKilov. month or two, and tell other families about they would essentially be drowned in the it? Next steps include a conversation amount of connections they would have to with our National GCC, a Working with make and potentially double up on their study Children Check, and setup. Australian and learning time. This is counter-productive. Mensa thrives on social events for all A memory strategy in this case will allow members. Help us provide local support the student to understand which technique and a colourful range of events for our to use and even not use, so that their time is fastest growing membership: gifted maximised and their efforts are concentrated children. Email: [email protected] for on the learning of information. more information. ■

Daniel Kilov: Do you still do much formal memory training? If so, what does that

July – August 2019 19 Puppets

Regan Rist

The interview had been going for ten himself wishing the network would at least minutes now and Neil the producer trial an animatronic producer. was starting to relax. Eric Lancaster’s The Shadow Minister’s interview preliminary questions had had the intended proceeded without any technical problems, effect: the Prime Minister had been caught much to Neil’s relief, but was alarmingly off guard by the interviewer’s ineffectual short on controversial statements. Of probing into the Pets For The Homeless all policy areas, industrial relations was fiasco and had made several attempts to always the safest bet for exaggeration shift the subject to industrial relations. In and hysteria, but the Shadow Minister doing so, he had made several tenuous had played a straight bat to every leading claims about his party’s achievements in take an hour.’ question Lancaster threw at him. Neil had that area. This was exactly what Lancaster ‘That’s what you said last time,’ Neil a strong suspicion that he was positioning had hoped for and now he was turning up replied. himself for a leadership challenge before the heat. ‘It did take an hour.’ the next election. That could be next ‘You say that the Opposition doesn’t ‘And it didn’t fix it,’ Neil said, indicating week’s story. For now though, he had a have a policy on this, but in fact they do the Prime Minister’s prostrate form. ‘We heap of raw footage to edit into a debate. have one; they announced it last week.’ go to air at 8.30 tonight. We don’t have Mitch returned to an empty studio, ‘They have a policy, yes, but it’s not the time for this.’ everyone else having packed up and left same as ours.’ ‘Do you want me to get the Minister for by the time he’d finished repairing the ‘That’s not the same thing as not having Industrial Relations?’ Mitch asked. Neil Prime Minister. Eric Lancaster and the a policy. And the fact that it’s different to thought for a moment. Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations yours is the entire point.’ ‘No. Get the Shadow Minister. I think were still sitting in their interview chairs, ‘It’s not a real policy. Our policy is we’ve got enough from the PM to turn this switched off. Mitch had always found it better. It has a better slogan.’ into a debate.’ Mitch nodded. slightly unsettling to imagine Lancaster Neil motioned to the cameraman on ‘Mike!’ he called to his assistant. sitting there all night in silence, face to his right, indicating that he should zoom ‘Yeah, I heard. Shadow IR Minister.’ face with his most recent interview subject, out to capture the Prime Minister’s hands Mitch addressed himself to the problem of waiting for Neil to return the following compulsively dog-earing the corners of dragging the Prime Minister off the set. It day to orchestrate his next performance. the documents he held in his lap. Nervous wasn’t easy; the Prime Minister weighed Mitch avoided looking directly at the fidgeting always made interviewees look almost as much as a real human, and two figures as he made his way across the dishonest; the fact that this Prime Minister the rest of the crew had conveniently all studio floor, locked up and went home. ■ did it even when reciting the alphabet was found something else to do. Eric Lancaster something Neil was happy to exploit. watched in silence, the bearings in his neck ‘Our policy will create jobs and…jobs smoothly turning his silicone head to keep and…our policy—’ The Prime Minister his eyes tracking Mitch. clutched at his chest and slumped forward. Mike returned with the Shadow ‘…jobs…’. Minister for Industrial Relations on ‘Cut!’ called Neil tersely. ‘Mitch! What a trolley. He opened the panel on the the hell’s the problem?!’ Shadow Minister’s back, flipped a switch Mitch Green the technician leaped on and quickly closed the panel again as to the stage and ran over to where the the Shadow Minister stood, took in his Prime Minister was slowly sliding off his surroundings and began preparing himself chair on to the floor. He pulled open a for the interview. Mitch helped Mike load panel in the back of the Prime Minister’s the inert Prime Minister on to the trolley jacket and looked inside. and vacated the set, aware the entire time ‘Board’s fried again,’ he reported to of Neil’s death stare boring into the back Neil, frustrated. ‘I can replace it, but it’ll of his head. Not for the first time he found

20 TableAus Words

Kate Nacard Reprinted from Mensa World Journal No 78, July 2019

Honest crooks... An oxymoron is a set of words, phrases, or even sentences, whose meanings are contradictory. The word itself comes from the Greek ‘oxy’ (sharp and pointy) and ‘moros, moron’ (dull, foolish)—in other words, pointedly foolish—and it’s often used for literary effect. When it’s not a silly mistake! One of the most famous oxymorons used for literary effect is Shakespeare’s ‘parting is such sweet sorrow’, while ‘honest politician’ and ‘chaste whore’ often form part of the satirist’s everyday vernacular. The website www.wordfocus.com brings Kate Nacard. us some beauties: Hell’s Angels, silent scream, hot ice, random order, negative growth, initial conclusion, objective opinion, the most unkindest cut of all’, while the natural synthetic, near miss, invisible ink, Lord Chancellor at the time (1864), Lord non-stick glue, and open secret. Alfred Lord Westbury, in the English case of ex parte Tennyson’s ‘His honour rooted in dishonour Gorely, described a phrase in an Act as stood, and faith unfaithful kept him falsely ‘redundant and pleonastic’! true’ is a masterpiece of the oxymoron used Advertisements often carry ‘Receive a to say, in apparent admiration, to the to poetic effect. free gift with every purchase,’ and ‘I ate a pompous bloke next door as you enter William Safire’s rules for writing as tuna fish sandwich,’ is so common that it is the new mansion he is inordinately proud seen in The New York Times finishes with accepted without the ‘blink of an eyelid’. of, ‘My goodness, Mr Pemberton-Smythe, a doubler: ‘Last, but not least, avoid cliches Now, personally, I think it’s time for me your home is perfectly nosopoetic!’ And like the plague’, whilst Samuel Goldwyn, the to get some cold, bubbly champagne out how useful for your teenager to be able to film-maker, is quoted as saying (amongst of the fridge! say, ‘Sorry, Mum, I will not clean Justin’s many other things) ‘If I could drop dead room! It’s automomy hell in there! There’s right now, I’d be the happiest man alive!’ Anyone for battology? hairs and skin all over the carpet!’ If you fall and break your legs, don’t come Bellibone (a woman excelling in Wish I’d thought of that one when I running to me, and, I never put on a pair of both goodness and beauty), biggin (a needed it! ■ shoes until I’ve worn them for five years. silver coffeepot with separate heater Akin (or opposite) to the oxymoron whick holds the coffee as it’s heated), Pleonasm information courtesy of Wikipedia: bumplepuppy (a game played with a Nosopoetic: producing disease, unhygienic, is the pleonasm which is the unnecessary infected; Automomy: the spontaneous shedding repetition—or redundancy—of words, such tennis ball tied to a post) and battology by a living organism of part of itself (such as as new recruit, PIN number, SAM missile, (the continuous repetition of words or crabs and salamanders) join together, climb up, and anonymous phrases in speech or writing)—just a *Methuen Australia, Victoria, 1982 stranger. Again coming from the Greek few of the unusual words in one of my (‘pleon’ meaning more), a pleonasm is favourite little books, Peter Bowler’s The understood to mean a word or phrase Superior Person’s Book of Words*. which is repetitive. As with the oxymoron, Where else would you find such exotic it can be used for literary effect and can words for the more commonplace ‘foolish also serve as emphasis and clarification of or empty chatter’ (bavardage), ‘to grow what has been said or written. dull or stupid’ (hebetate), or to bruise As Caesar said of Brutus, ‘This was (suggilate)? And how fabulous to be able

July – August 2019 21 Mensan Paul Daniels is a philosopher who is trying to find his way out of Nietzsche’s labyrinthine philosophy of tragedy, and Nocturne is writing a PhD thesis to that effect. In composing short pieces of music on the side, he imagines reclaiming the often-pejorative ‘amateur’ in the French sense of un amateur Nr. 1 in C#-Moll d’art—a lover of art—and enjoys sharing these compositions among friends. By Paul Daniels This nocturne was composed in recent years, and an audio rendition played on a Steinway Model D Concert Grand can be streamed through SoundCloud at https:// goo.gl/kptp45. ■

‘Without music, life would be a mistake’ —Friedrich Nietzsche

22 TableAus July – August 2019 23 Australian Mensa Inc 2017 Financial Statements

Report not as yet approved by NatCom Unfortunately the audit of our 2017 financials is still incomplete and as an interim measure the Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet are presented here. While the final audited values are not expected to change, until they are available and approved by the National Committee (NatCom), we cannot be certain. It should be noted that the figures for the costs of the 2016 Australian Mensa Conference (AMC) in also included the cost of the NatCom meeting, which has greatly inflated that value. The actual costs would be about the same as the income, if NatCom travel and accommodation costs were removed. This practice has been adopted in subsequent AMCs. The 2017 Asian Mensa Annual Gathering Expenses and Income were amounts that occurred in the 2017 financial year even though the event itself occurred in the 2018 FY and hence are only part of the accounts for that event. These would have included venue deposits and early registrations.

Kymberley Wilson (Outgoing Chair) Jean-Marc Genesi (Incoming Chair) ■

24 TableAus July – August 2019 25 26 TableAus July – August 2019 27 28 TableAus —With arguably the greatest Submissions to The lowdown limited-overs batsman in this world in the form of Virat Kohli in their arsenal, Young Mensans on the 2019 I see this Indian team going a long way. However, things haven’t gone to plan Email your articles, letters and enquiries Cricket World in England for India as of late. Last to the editor, Peter Gibson, editor@mensa. year they lost 4 – 1 to England in a test org.au. The editor has a Working With Cup series while they lost to in the Children check. Champions Trophy final in 2017. However Due to space constraints and technical Four years ago, I was watching the TV I see India reaching the final. acceptability of material submitted, not all on Channel 9. I was wondering what was Prediction: Finalists, possible champions. contributions will necessarily be published. going on. You see, it was the 2015 Cricket Note that if any contribution is World Cup and prior to that I had no New Zealand—The perennial dark published in TableAus, permission is knowledge of cricket. Post that however, horses at the World Cup and often granted to other Mensa publications such the national sport of this country became forgotten, I see the Kiwis making a big as Mensa World Journal for reproduction, my favourite pastime, my passion and 95% statement this year. They’ve got a chance provided that the author, TableAus and of what the pixels on our TV showed. On to make a real impact with arguably the TableAus’ editor are acknowledged and the 29th of March, I remember seeing best exponents of swing in their arsenal the copyright of the contributor noted. Steven Smith pull away that ball from in Trent Boult and Tim Southee. In Kane Matt Henry to hit the winning runs and Williamson, the Black Caps have an Submission deadlines kick off raucous scenes. inspirational leader. Deadlines are always on page 1 of TableAus. Four years on from that epic World Prediction: Semifinalists, possible finalist. Cup, the cricketing world is at a very different place. For starters, England is Articles and pictures West Indies—Arguably the most exciting actually expected to win. This is intriguing We accept Word and other text files, JPGs and team at this year’s World Cup. DreRuss seeing as England has never won the PDFs. No PowerPoint or Publisher files please. comes in off the back of a spectacular World Cup and just four years ago, they Pictures need to be ‘high resolution’ run in the IPL and Chris Gayle comes were knocked out in the group stages by images, so make sure you set your camera, in off an absolutely insane campaign , a relative cricketing minnow. phone or scanner to its highest quality against England. Don’t be surprised if Also, Australia is in a very different place. setting. Scanned images need to be 300 DPI. you see scores of 350 and 400 coming Here I look at each team and what A picture grabbed off a website or from them. has occured since 2015. These are all my out of the body of an email or Facebook Prediction: 5th in Group Stage. personal opinions so please do not use this message can’t be used—it will be low as a tool to predict outcomes. resolution. Pictures should be sent as Pakistan—Things have tailed off recently attachments to an email message, NOT for the country with one World Cup to Bangladesh—This team will cause upsets embedded in the body of an email or their name which was won under recently- this tournament and don’t be surprised to embedded in a Word document. elected PM Imran Khan. They lost 5-0 at see England among their potential scalps. You must have the right to use the home against the Aussies before being Bangladesh have a bowling attack that isn’t picture. A picture in another publication flogged 4 – 0 against England. They then quick or threatening but they are consistent. or on the internet is probably someone went on to lose to Afghanistan in the Prediction: 6th in Group Stage. else’s intellectual property and unless you warm-ups, a sign that not much is going to have permission you should not use it. plan for the team. I see them finishing at England—The Three Lions have done a the bottom of the table. lot since crashing out in the group stages Privacy Prediction: 10th in Group Stage, at best 9th. of the 2015 World Cup. They’ve started to If you send us photos of yourself, your play a new all-or-nothing approach. Yet, I kids, other people’s kids or other parents, South Africa— The sole African team don’t see them lifting the trophy. England we assume you have their consent to in the competition has gone about their came into the 2017 Champions Trophy on publish the pictures in this magazine. ■ business quietly in the lead-up to the a similar run of form with everyone saying tournament and have now gone on a they were going to win yet they crashed stretch of 11 wins from their last 15 games. out in the quarter-finals to Bangladesh. However, a thrashing at the hands of Prediction: Semifinalists.

July – August 2019 29 It all started in Ranchi where Australia thumping towards him. were 2 – 0 down against India, Aaron Finch ‘Ohaii fren!’ Shouted a voice outside seemingly couldn’t get a run and Mitchell his doorway. It was Sweeboi, the magic Starc was injured. But Australians fight. We seal. Suddenly, Nerm realised where the won that series 3 – 2 and all of a sudden slug came from. had some form and momentum. We beat Sweeboi came into Nerm’s room. ‘You Pakistan 5 – 0 in the UAE before winning like slug?’ he asked. both our practice games against England ‘Nope.’ and . ‘Oh mmkay. It just that you looked England to open their World Cup might Prediction: Finalists, possible champions. lonely, so I gave you a hug slug.’ Sweeboi mean that they continue their run of This World Cup has many intriguing was always very caring of others. ignominious exits. subplots such as Jofra Archer, a Barbados- ‘Look man, I don’t want a heavy slug in Prediction: 7th in Group Stage born quick who represented the West my bed every morning.’ Indies at Under 19 level and is now ‘You no like slugs?’ Sweeboi had a sort Sri Lanka—Everyone loves a good eligible to play for England, Steven Peter of sad puppy look in his gelatinous seal underdog story and if Sri Lanka were to Devereux Smith and David Andrew eyeballs. He could not see that well out of win it would be exactly that. But since the Warner’s return to International Cricket water, so he was staring at a lamp instead retirements of Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne and how the older men go such as Imran of Nerm. Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and the Tahir (40), Lasith Malinga (39), Mahendra ‘It’s not that I don’t like slugs,’ said decline of Lasith Malinga, the rebuild for Singh Dhoni (37), Mashrafe Mortaza (35) Nerm, feeling sorry for the squishy fellow. Sri Lanka hasn’t exactly gone to plan. I and Hashim Amla (36) to name a few. ‘I just don’t like being woken up early.’ would go as far as to say they don’t belong Let the games begin and let’s hope the ‘Oh mmkay fren! I must go now, I need in this World Cup and perhaps a team like Aussies bring home the trophy! to go wake up Pig.’ Ireland or Scotland would have been a Nerm chuckled at the young seal. better inclusion than Sri Lanka. Sumedh Kundu (13) NSW ■ ‘Sweeboi, can I just ask you one question?’ Prediction: 10th in Group Stage, at best 9th. ‘Yass.’ ‘How can a seal walk?’ Afghanistan—This is a team that is sure ‘Magic, fren.’ to be everyone’s second team. The story The Great ‘WHAT THE *%^&?’ of this team is nothing short of amazing. Pig was being pecked by one of his After neighbouring Pakistan won the Dying* chickens, which had somehow grown six world cup in 1992, popularity for the game feet tall. started to increase in Afghanistan. But in Prologue: Antimatter ‘You like? Pls say you like!’ shouted 2001, the Taliban enforced a ban on cricket. Meeme’s jaw dropped. The scientific Sweeboi. Pig did not like. However, in 2010 the ban was lifted. By breakthrough of the 21st century was ‘Sweeboi, you have got to stop 2015, Afghanistan had qualified for a World right in front of him. He had made a tiny wreaking havoc in this house! I know that Cup and they won their first game at a particle accelerator in his apartment, and you are trying to make things better, but world cup in Dunedin against Scotland. finally, it had happened. The collision of this is a massive inconvenience!’ By 2017, a star had been unearthed in subatomic particles in his creation. It was a ‘Oh. Sorry fren. I just noticed that that Rashid Khan. This man is nothing short of miracle happening before his eyes. But he you loved poached eggs, so I made your extraordinary. He already holds the world was not using his breakthrough for useful chimkens real thicc.’ record for fastest to 100 ODI wickets after things, no. Meeme had other ideas. ‘Sweeboi, I don’t need thicc chimkens.’ taking the title form Mitchell Starc. This You see, Meeme had been bullied replied Pig. ‘There is no way I can feed team will cause a few upsets. severely for all of his life due to his that fluffy thing enough without spending Prediction: 8th in group stage. unorthodox name. He had been punched, thousands of dollars every week.’ kicked and spat on. He had been slammed ‘Mmkay then. Bye-Bye fren!’ Australia—Well, well, well. It was only one against the concrete walls of his school. ‘WAIT! MY CHIMKEN! and a half years ago that we were singing He was suicidal. Meeme wanted to die, ‘Oh. Right.’ Australia’s praises after cruising to a 4 – 0 and take the world down with him. He was Sweeboi flapped his flippers and then win in the Ashes. How things have changed. going to make antimatter bombs. Weapons pointed them at the chicken. It shrunk down Only 14 months ago, we saw Steven Smith, so powerful that they could move entire to its normal size in three seconds flat. the best test batsman since Sir Donald continents... Pig was amazed. This seal was amazing. Bradman bawl out his eyes in Sydney Even though he had the personality and Airport after Cameron Bancroft decided 03/12/3088: A Treehouse in Madland cuteness of a puppy, he was powerful that if he wanted to fit into this team he had ‘Aargh!’ enough to disintegrate a whole town. to rub a cricket ball with some sandpaper. Nerm woke up to feel something slimy ‘Good morning.’ In 2018 Australia lost 22 of their 28 games. in his bed. To his horror, he found a giant It was Xiv. That should mean that the Australians have slug snuggling in under his bedsheets. But ‘Ohaii Xiv!’ yelled Sweeboi. no chance of going back-to-back. Yet, in how did a giant slug get there? he thought. Sweeboi was Xiv’s best friend. They had 2019 there’s been a stunning form reversal. Just at that moment, he heard something known each other since they were kids, and

30 TableAus had spent years fighting alongside each Pig walked into one of the rooms of the other for freedom of all creatures great and bunker, and locked himself in. Momolo, 2019 NT Chief small, across the observable universe. fell over, and put his paws on his head. Xiv ‘How’s everything going?’ comforted him. Minister Anzac Xiv picked up the chicken and scooped ‘What is a maa?’ Sweeboi seemed quite a handful of wheat out of a bucket. The confused. Spirits Study chicken pecked at the food in her hand. ‘Sweeboi, it’s his mum.’ said Xiv. ‘Sweeboi made my chimken massive.’ ‘Oh.’ Tour said Pig. They could hear Pig in his room. ‘WHY ‘But I shrunk it back!’ GOD? JUST WHY?’ For as long as I can remember, I have ‘That doesn’t change the fact that you ‘Umm, Nerm, I gotta call Sean.’ dreamed of visiting the battlefields enlarged my chimken!’ Sean was a friend of Xiv’s. He was a in Gallipoli, France and Belgium. I ‘Okay, geez. We don’t wanna make this beaver who lived in a lodge on the edge of remember reading a book about WW1 morning a <&%*fest.’ Crystal Lake. Xiv went into her room and a few years ago and gained a newfound ‘Language, Xiv!’ hissed Pig. called him. level of respect for the Anzacs after Sweeboi looked towards Pig. ‘You said ‘Hi, you have reached Sean. Who is it?’ learning what they went through, inspiring the F-word, fren.’ ‘Sean, it’s me.’ me with their strong spirit. I told myself ‘Well yes, but—’ ‘Oh, Xiv! Long time no see! How are that one day, I would attend the Anzac ‘You said bad word fren!’ you?’ Day Commemoration at a place that was Nerm came into the room. ‘Hey, what’s ‘Well, we got bombed, and we think a major site for the foundation of the up?’ that Pig’s mum is dead.’ Anzac Spirit to pay a personal tribute to ‘Pig say naughty word. Xiv aswell.’ ‘Oh crap. I can come, and bring the all the brave and courageous Anzacs. I Nerm sighed. ‘Guys, you’ve got to stop others so we can help you.’ would also travel to the battlefields where swearing.’ ‘Yes please, that would be great. We’re so much occurred, tracing the footsteps ‘I’m not a guy.’ in the emergency bunker at the moment. of many servicemen and women and ‘You know what I mean Xiv.’ I’ll send you our location.’ thanking them for the sacrifices they ‘I had a reason to swear’ declared Pig. ‘Okay. we’ll be on our way.’ made to allow us to be living in the great Sweeboi made my chimken massive.’ Xiv sighed. She had been living a country we live in now. This dream came ‘You still said no-good word mmkay.’ good life in Madland for two years, and true when my video featuring diary entries ‘Come on sweeboi!’ cried Pig. ‘I listen was hoping that she could just stay. This exploring the heroic role of Australian to music that swears, and you don’t mind!’ unfortunate turn of events had stuffed up women during World War I was selected Xiv sighed. ‘Pig, that’s different.’ everybody’s lives. She trudged out of her to be one of the winning entries for the ‘Okay, okay, okay. You win. But you room and saw that even Sweeboi, who was 2019 Chief Minister Anzac Spirit Study swore as well’ usually so jolly and cheerful was looking Tour. ‘OKAY, ENOUGH OF THIS quite sad. Three Year 10 and 11 NT students ARGUMENT!’ yelled Nerm. ‘Anything to cheer us up?’ asked Nerm. and two chaperones travelled to the ‘Whoa.’ said Pig. ‘You really got ‘Well, Sean is coming.’ Western Front in France and Belgium in triggered just then.’ This made Sweeboi perk up quite a bit. April for a 10-day tour. We left Darwin ‘MREOEAYUIEOW!’ cried Momolo ‘Oh Sean! I know him!’ for Singapore on a Silk Air flight. While the cat, who had just come into the room. ‘Yes Sweeboi. Help is on its way. In the in transit, we checked into the amazing ‘Hey Pig, what does that mean?’ asked meantime, let’s eat breakfast.’ Ambassador Lounge at T3 of Singapore Nerm. ‘Is he hungry? Upon hearing a food-related word, Changi Airport! The lounge offers free ‘OH MY GOD.’ Pig looked terrified. Momolo got up and started rubbing his Wi-Fi, bathrooms with large showers and ‘EVERYBODY, TO THE BUNKER head against Xiv. great food from all over the world. On the RIGHT NOW! GO! GO! GO! RUN FOR ‘Wow, he loves food.’ way to Paris, we flew in the massive Airbus YOUR LIVES OTHERWISE YOU ARE About an hour later, Pig walked out of A380, the world’s largest commercial GOING TO GET HIT BY A BOMB!’ his room. passenger plane. On our arrival, a driver Nobody hesitated to run to the ‘Well, listening to some angry music assigned by Mat McLachlan Battlefield emergency bunker, as they saw through and smashing some stuff helped a lot.’ Tours picked us up and took us to our the windows that there was something hotel, the 4-star Pullman La Defénse. We plummeting towards them from the upper Ze-Pig, AKA Luke-Xiong (11) WA ■ had two days to explore Paris on foot reaches of the atmosphere. An antimatter and on the Hop-on Hop-off bus to see bomb. They got to the bunker just in time, beautiful world icons such as the Eiffel as their beloved home was reduced to *This is the first chapter of a work in progress. Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre rubble. Dame, which was unfortunately on fire ‘Oh no. Oh, no, no, no!’ Pig looked only three days before we arrived. Luckily devastated. ‘My maa was going to visit for me, the bus only costs €19 for those at 8 in the morning today! Nerm, what’s who are 12 and under, including me. Yay! the time?’ Nerm looked at his watch. ‘I’m After spending time in beautiful Paris, sorry Pig.’ we went to Ypres. The journey through the

July – August 2019 31 battlefields is just as important as Ypres itself. Along the way, we visited the brand- new Sir John Monash Centre, the Menin Gate, the In Flanders Fields Museum, the Victoria School, the Australian battlefields in the Salient and the Passchendaele 1917 Museum. In the Passchendaele 1917 Museum, we were given the opportunity to feel what a pack weighing 30 kgs felt like, get a sniff of what chlorine and mustard gas would have smelled like and wear a German steel helmet. The museum also had an amazing life-sized replica of a trench system and a large underground fort (called a dugout). After a few days in Ypres, the group was taken to explore Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage City where we enjoyed a nice canal boat tour Peter Susanto at Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium. and a €13 waffle for lunch. On the way back, we visited Essex Farm Cemetery where Dr John McCrae wrote his famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ in May 1915. In Amiens, we visited the battlefield of Fromelles, where Australia lost 5,533 men during its first action on the Western Front and Bullecourt where Australia lost 10,000 men in two great battles in 1917. In the Australian Memorial Park at Fromelles, we visited the Don’t Forget Me Cobber Memorial, which contains a statue of an Australian soldier carrying a wounded soldier back to the home line, showing the Anzac Spirit of bravery and compassion. The most unforgettable experience during this once-in-a-lifetime trip was the visit to the Dawn Service at Villers- Bretonneux. Everything about the Dawn Service was so moving. The Voices of Birralee choir singing ‘Advance Australia Fair’ and ‘Amazing Grace’, speeches and laying of wreaths by VIP guests and the public, in addition to the strong sense of remembrance among the attendees were all so remarkably beautiful. Upon hearing one of the VIP guests reading a letter from a young soldier to his Visiting the war graves in the Adelaide Cemetery, Outside the Aussie Digger Restaurant, Pozières. mother, telling her how much he loved her Villers-Bretonneux, France. and missed her before he was killed the next day, I was remembering the lives of Australian 15th Brigade liberating the of diligent, valiant, friendly soldiers has those who sacrificed for all of us while at village from the Germans. In his book been idolized and publicised throughout the same time reflecting on the impact of Pompey Elliott at War: in His Own Words, Australia ever since World War 1. It the war on all lives around the world and McMullin wrote: continues in the NT today, an example of also on how the Anzacs’ experience has ‘General Monash, who had nothing which was the work of many Territorians shaped the present. The Anzacs allowed us to do with the battle himself, declared during the aftermath of Cyclone Marcus, to live in our beautiful country, Australia, that ‘this counter-attack, at night, without where neighbours assisted each other and taught us endurance, courage, artillery support, is the finest thing yet done in the clean-up and supported severely ingenuity, good humour, larrikinism, in the war, by Australians or any other affected people. I believe that the legend and mateship. On the 25th April 1918 in troops’, and he wasn’t the only one to draw of the Anzac Spirit has especially impacted Villers-Bretonneux, Australians showed this conclusion immediately afterwards.’ the NT because Darwin is the closest their ingenious tactics that saw the The legend of the Anzac Spirit and major city to neighbouring countries

32 TableAus and as such is the gateway to Australia In Great Expectations we get to know His journeys in London take you that must protect the country, just like Pip, a young orphan who lives with his into the second stage of Pip’s Great the Anzacs did in WW1. The strong sister who is at least twenty years older Expectations. He meets Herbert, Mr military presence in the area highlights than him. She marries a village blacksmith, Matthew Pocket, Startop, Drummle, the important role of the NT in keeping name of Joe Gargery, and wields a weapon Wemmick, Ms Skiffins, the Aged P, and the Indo-Pacific region safe. The NT also called ‘The Tickler’, which; unlike what its some others as he grows into a gentleman. strives to foster strong friendships between name suggests, isn’t a long cattle prod with Pip saves Miss Havisham from a fire, and Australia and other countries in the region a feather on the end, but a long cattle prod in doing so burns both his arms. He has by hosting joint military exercises, such as regularly dipped in the burning hot coals of his left arm in a sling when he receives Exercise Pitch Black, and sporting events the kitchen fire. This weapon of torture is a strange message in the mail. He does such as the Arafura Games. quite familiar and accustomed to Pip’s skin. what it tells him to do, and in doing so This trip has helped me see the real Joe and Pip are absolutely best friends. almost dies. This is one of the best bits of impact that war had on people at the As a child, Pip is visiting the graves of his the story. The gentleman is saved by his time—civilians as well as soldiers—and parents and five brothers, when a convict friends Herbert, Startop and technically made me think of what I can do for the with an iron leg appears and threatens to even Trabbs’ boy (an old assistant of his future that will leave a positive legacy, like slice his throat and release an even worse town’s tailor, Mr Trabbs). those fallen Diggers’ legacy. I may not be convict upon him if he doesn’t bring him Unfortunately, this gentleman of ours able to change this world for the better; a file and food by the next morning. Pip is in debt. A lot of debt. To a lot of people. however, I should be able to change is frightened into secretly stealing the His mysterious benefactor reveals him/ myself for the better. Therefore, I have Christmas pudding, and switching the beer herself, but I won’t reveal him/her to reinforced my will to become a good son, a for draught so that he may bring some for you, and ends up making Pip incredibly good student, a kind, positive person and a the escaped convict. Then, it is discovered heart-wrenchingly ungrateful for all that good citizen. that the convicts escaped so the town the benefactor has done for him. Pip If you are interested in find out more guards, Joe and Pip—riding on Joe’s takes it upon himself to try and help his about my special journey, please go to shoulders, and almost falling asleep—go benefactor, in an enthralling journey https://anzacspirit19peter.home.blog/ on a chase to find the convicts. They which I really must not spoil, and in the To conclude, I would like to encourage all do, and it is discovered that Pip’s secret end, ends up with a dead benefactor, of us to invigorating the past and reflect on it convict is attempting to murder another Herbert in another country, and breaking to make our current and future better. convict, so both of them are brought back all the last ties he may have had once to their hulk (prison ship). to Joe and Biddy, a past teacher/friend Peter Susanto, 12 (NT) ■ Pip can never forget this. One day, Pip of his. He becomes sick, and Joe comes is invited to ‘play’ at a lady’s house. He to visit him, and stays by his side all the ventures to the lady Miss Havisham’s huge, time, being so nice, kind and gentle. I Book review luxurious estate where he is crudely greeted completely agree with the book when it by a maiden named Estella. She leads him says that Joe’s arm could swing a hammer Great through dark corridors till they arrive at a on an anvil as well as stroke a butterfly! small room, and inside is Miss Havisham, Once Pip starts his recovery, Joe seems to Expectations dressed in a wedding dress which was grow more and more distant, and slowly once white but was now a faded yellow. leaves Pip. Pip feels like this is all his fault by Charles Dickens He is criticised for his broad, blacksmith because he was very ungrateful to him

like fingers and the way he ‘calls jacks in and Biddy. Pip goes and apologises when ‘My father’s family name being Pirrip, cards, knaves’ by Estella. Then he is cruelly he discovers that they are newly-weds. He and my christian name Phillip, my infant treated like a dog, and disrespected in every ventures back to Miss Havisham’s place to tongue could make of both names nothing way possible. The main thing that Estella find Estella, taking in the views of her new longer or more explicit than Pip. So I called and Miss Havisham really make clear is property which Miss Havisham had left myself Pip and came to be called Pip.’ that they would respect him a lot more if he her in her will. was a ‘gentleman’. Great Expectations had a story line of I received a So Pip’s great expectations start. He is interesting, boring, interesting, boring, and copy of Great apprenticed by Joe, but keeps on dreaming even though the whole fifty or so pages in Expectations out of becoming a gentleman. the middle chunk really were a torture to of the blue on Later, Pip is in the local restaurant, when get through, I score this book a 4.5/5 stars. a holiday. I was a Mr Jaggers declares himself the legal encouraged to guardian of Pip for a large sum of money, read it, and when Lia Henrichs (11) VIC ■ and he tells Pip he should go with him to I did, I was glad London to become a gentleman. Mr Jaggers that I had. My dad is a lawyer for a mysterious benefactor; recommended to and presents Pip with a set of rules about me to review this his secret benefactor. He is not to inquire, book instead of guess or hint to anyone who his benefactor the Pratchett series. is. Obviously, he thinks it is Miss Havisham.

July – August 2019 33 My trip to see the world’s first commercial metal 3D printer

On 16 May, Mum, Dad, my brother and I visited the world’s first commercial LightSPEE3D metal printer which is located at Charles Darwin University (CDU). The 3D printer is the centrepiece of the new industrial transformation research hub for advanced manufacturing in the , known as the Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (AMA). The printer has successfully produced a copper flywheel in a fraction of the time and cost the metal manufacturing Above, Dr Murray, Matthew Harbidge, Peter Susanto industry is currently capable of. It took and Eva Susanto with the a copper goblet produced the printer just 11 minutes and 38 seconds on the LightSPEE3D metal printer at Charles Darwin to produce the flywheel at a cost of $4.60, University, and right, Eva tries the goblet. demonstrating its capability to generate low-cost metal parts at speeds that could the SPEE3D. Fortunately, when one part revolutionise metal manufacturing. of the printer breaks, it can be replaced I was very excited to meet Dr Murray, individually, so another machine is not the Director of Advanced Manufacturing necessary. This saves a lot of money and Alliance at Charles Darwin University. time, as the printer is expensive and takes When we reached her office, she explained a long time to reassemble the parts. her job to us and the reasons why her When the goblet finished printing, we job is important. Dr Murray also talked had to wait for a while and Matthew had about her past job in making shoulder and to dip it in cold water so that we can hold it hip joints. We hung around the office for without burning our hands. It was heavy and about 20 minutes before heading to the smelled weird, as it was made from copper. laboratory to see the 3D printer. Visiting CDU to see the printer was loads At the laboratory, we met one of Dr of fun and it helped me understand more Murray’s colleagues, Matthew Harbidge, about metal 3D printer. I am so privileged who we later found out is the son of one to have the rare opportunity to visit the of Dad’s colleagues. The printer is located world’s first metal 3D printer. I hope that in its own room, next to the control room other children will have this opportunity too. where design for the object to be printed My favourite part of the trip was to see how is done and also functions as a viewing the printer works and learning how it can be room. We were fortunate that the printer improved in the future. was at the latter stage of printing a goblet I would like to see the 3D printer be so we could see the printer in action and improved and possibly be a part of the hold the final product. development. I want to be able to make Dr Murray and Matthew took us parts of a human body like Dr Murray into the room to see the printer up close does and work with the printer like and explained how the printer works. Matthew does. I think it would be amazing We had to wear ear muffs as it was very if I could pursue a career in 3D metal noisy in the room. We were given a brief printing. description of the printer, for example, the chamber needs to be approximately Eva Susanto (10) NT ■ 450°C to print a copper goblet. I also learnt that only two types of metal, copper and aluminium, have been printed on

34 TableAus July Slippery Sudoku Slippery Sudoku The solution will be published in the next edition. by Peter Eden

Slippery Sudoku requires you to fill every row, every column, each of the sixteen four by four sections, and the two main diagonals with the numbers from 1 to 16. Every number must appear once and only once in each row, column, etc. The two main diagonals are shown with blue circles and green circles to make them easier to pick out. The diagonals aren’t a factor in conventional nine by nine Sudoku puzzles but are needed to solve this bigger puzzle.

This puzzle Several people have asked for the occasional difficult puzzle. Since I’ve been waylaid in Sydney and unable to spend the time making an easy or moderate puzzle this is the perfect opportunity to give you a difficult puzzle which are easier for me to compile. This puzzle has 96 squares filled in with 160 for you to find. I know there is only one solution as all 17 of my trial and error algorithms come up with the same solution. I know the puzzle will be hard as none of my logic algorithms can solve it. That doesn’t mean it can’t be solved by logic, it just can’t be solved by simple logic. Don’t be too disheartened if you cannot solve it. I promise to not do May Slippery solution this too often. Addendum: My trusty puzzle tester was defeated by this puzzle but made much better progress than my logic program. This puzzle will be a good test for any budding programmers.

Feedback For any feedback please email me, Peter Eden, at [email protected]. Each month when the puzzle appears in TableAus a large format PDF file of the puzzle and the solution to the previous puzzle can be downloaded from the Australian Mensa website. When printed, the large format puzzle provides plenty of room for pencilling in the solution. For the duration of each current puzzle, a slightly larger, stretched version with more white space and no heading will be posted on the website. This allows even more space for pencilling in your workings. ■

July – August 2019 35 Richard Blake’s cryptic crossword ACROSS 1. On this one takes a chance, or so we hear. In fact, it’s something struggling to appear. (5) 8. Life on the lam generates totally bad reputation. (3, 4) 9. Animal noise funnier than way-out headgear. (4, 3) 11. Bird found in poor shape by insect. (8) 12. Germs, 101 in all, two being outside. (7) 13. Requiring a single set of drops at once for help. (3-3) 16. He guided campers to right song. Any old iron? (5, 8) 20. This pressure line is no necessity in court. (6) 22. From Berlin, Alexander did migrate happily. (7) 23. Position held with charges in tanks. (8) 24. Gambles the best way: a shilling. Has sound start. (7) 25. Old lute faked by hooter, including bass. (7) 26. Being rigorous, take no approximation. (5)

DOWN 2. Parks presented in a picture, not in poetry. (7) 3. On a break, 6 playing around in Spanish bars. (8) 4. Close win the historian objected to. (6, 7) Website 5. A fact book the old school Mum left can twist. (7) As well as the whole of TableAus being posted on the website, 6. In a loss, 3 playing a card game. (7) the above clues are also also posted in the website’s crossword 7. A plane, thank you, goes out to welcome boats. (5) section about the same time, i.e. about the beginning of the (odd) 10. One place a flash mob can show confidence! (6) month. The grid is also posted as follows: in non-Extra Challenge 14. The mistakes of a bad guy during a long period. (6) months at the same time, and in Extra Challenge months at the 15. Gas and water unknown at these holiday homes. (8) end of that month. The solution is always posted at the end of the 17. Precept holding four at a time makes a stream. (7) month. A completely blank grid for printing out is available all 18. The nonsense no-one superior, e.g., spouts. (7) the time. There is also an article there on solving clues. 19. On day off, rough diamond caught moving about. (7) If you cannot access the website, feel free to contact me for any 21. The messy stuff we used to much apply of the above items, and I will get them to you by other means. Today can mean a process quick and dry. (5) Feedback Every letter of the alphabet occurs at least once in the solution. Please feel free to comment or to query any word or clue. I will reply. If two or more people query the same thing, I publish a Difficulty Rating out of ten: 6 response in the Results section. Results of May/June 2019 Competition A prize from the Mensa Boutique will be awarded for one correct solution selected at random from all correct solutions that are mailed or emailed by 1 August 2019. Entries can be in diagram or list form. Please include your mailing address. Extra challenge In alternate issues of TableAus, i.e. in January, May and September, we just give you the clues, and you are invited to the extra challenge of working out for yourself where the black squares and numbers go.

36 TableAus There were four correct entries. Congratulations to Kymberley Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once. There is a grid, Wilson, of Willetton, WA, whose entry was selected at random. hidden away on page 42 of this magazine. The solution will be in Correct entries were also received from: Graham Dixon, Don the next edition of TableAus. Kitchin, and John Smith. See the Crosswords and Puzzles option in the Member Centre There were three incorrect entries, each with an error in 19D. of our website for information on solving crosswords and a program written by me for creating and solving crosswords. Extra note Kymberley Wilson ■ 19D UVULAR. In the context of pronunciations, this means ‘arising in, and therefore produced from, the back of the throat’. The English language does not generally have this feature. May–June 2019 solution

Cheers, Richard Blake 2/82B Donald St, Hurstville NSW 2220 02 9150 6817 or [email protected] © Richard Blake 2 June 2019 ■ Kymberley Wilson’s cryptic crossword

ACROSS 1. Vent in a bed is taken away. (8) 5. What a drug user may get. (4) 9. Note, after mixing, bake this food. (5) 10. There may be a boundary in the level of charisma, but, talent is unlimited. (7) 11. Doctor returns with a loud thud. (3) 12. This bottle sounds awful. (4) 13. Someone who may work with model or against. (7) 17. The queen, Elizabeth that is, may return to this country. (4) 19. The beast crosses the river here at the university. (6) 21. Black out parts of communist law. (6) 24. About to be set down in LA. (4) 26. Eastern art of bird made from clay. (7) 29. A number mentioned in electronic message about plant. (4) 30. I have a turn after East. (3) 32. Space for the French stableboy. (7) 33. Oiler floating on French River. (5) 34. Sounds like questions for the learned. (4) 35. Wise men follow parents into the corridors. (8)

DOWN 1. Thank him for holding the symbol of life. (4) 2. Ask questions about free bid. (7) 3. Fish pie? (7) 4. Captivate when gold hair is taken up. (6) 6. Seizure of a about 100 in situ. (5) 7. Even during hail, I try to find some amusement. (8) 8. Outfit missing point of joke. (4) 14. Half the sauce is a spirit. (4) 15. Strangely uneven. (3) 16. Supermarket rule on Salad. (8) 18. For the French, I would do nothing. (4) 20. Where you might be cold and unconcious. (3) 22. Surrounds the old fens. (7) 25. I name a condition of blood deficiency. (6) 27. Gets angry as the side gets older. (5) 28. A thug may wear this. (4) 31. Black aircraft? (4)

July – August 2019 37 International News Mensa World Journal

Reprinted from Mensa World Journal Issue No 77, June 2019 and No 78, July 2019 (editor Kate Nacard)

by the association, the vitality and robustness of the association, and the From the social value our organisation brings. The awarding of the title “Royal” is a favour, Executive so it is always subject to the judgment of His Majesty. Director ‘The honorary title is granted after a favorable opinion has been obtained from the appropriate minister and the Provincial Governor, and is generally sealed with a ceremony held by the governor of the province where the association has its seat. ‘It gives the association the right to bear the title of Royal Society and to include a Belgian crown in the logo. ‘A few years ago we had our 50th anniversary and the idea to apply for the title “Royal” was suggested to the board. The board asked the Annual Gathering for permission to pursue this title. Under guidance of our Vice-chair, Professor Johannes Thuy, who is most The Governor of the Province of Antwerp, Cathy Berx, knowledgeable about such things, we hands the Royal Proclamation to Chairman of Mensa Michael Feenan. Belgium, Wim Proost. compiled a dossier about our association. We had to prove our 50 years of existence, mention our objectives, show an activity Well, here we are again! Once every two report for the past five years, elaborate years—when there is an International Royal Honours on future projects, show our publications Election and the ExComm column is of the past five years, the federations or delegated to me—I have to decide what for Mensa organisms which the grouping is part of I should write about. Of course, as the or to which it is be affiliated, and so on. Executive Director, it would be inappropriate Belgium This dossier was then sent to the Chief for me to comment on matters that could be of Cabinet of the King, who sought thought of as policy or controversial. So, I will Recently, Mensa Belgium was bestowed information through the competent start with a short story. the great honour of receiving Royal minister and the Provincial Governor In 1986, when British Mensa offered Society status from King Philippe of about our association. After a favourable its members the chance to buy a hardback Belgium. Mensa Belgium Chairman, Wim recommendation, the Chief of Cabinet copy of the current membership list as a Proost tells us more below. recommended us to the King, to grant us way of marking the 40th Anniversary, I ‘As of March 20th, Mensa Belgium the favour of the title “Royal”.’ did so. The book listed the membership is a Royal Society. The title “Royal” can Congratulations from all of us to by local groups, which meant searching only be awarded by the King to Belgian you, Wim, and to all Mensa Belgium through the many lists to find if friends or associations that have, among other members! ■ perhaps even celebrities were members. criteria, been in existence for a minimum Completely by chance I stumbled upon of 50 years. Other criteria also taken into a name I knew very well—my mother! I consideration include good management, immediately called her on the phone and the non-profit-making objective pursued challenged her.

38 TableAus Mensa World Journal ‘Mother, you never told me you were As well as the many initiatives in national for Mensans, and the opportunity is there in Mensa!’, I said. I had always known that Mensas, the new international website will for you to be one of these authors. Topics she was undoubtedly highly educated and make a contribution to that in a new section can cover reports of Mensa events you’ve something of a polymath, attributes which in the public pages, where there is advice attended, your achievements, unusual she never hid, but she apparently had on how to recognize that one’s child may hobbies and interests, or your successes. chosen to keep her membership secret be gifted, as well as directing visitors to You can also write about recent from me. Her response was typical of available resources. research into intelligence or any other her. ‘You never asked’, she replied. Then topic that would be of general interest to there was a dramatic pause, before she Michael Feenan our members. continued, ‘But I hope you never doubted Executive Director ■ Please limit your article length to 600 for a second that I could have been a words and send it to the Editor, Kate member!’ That was certainly true. Nacard, [email protected]. Please also I knew that she had gone to university include your National Mensa and your at the age of 16 at a time when fewer than membership number. ■ 10,000 degrees were awarded in the whole Honorary of the UK each year and only a quarter of international those were to women. In her adult life, she Workplace was successful in the largely male world of positions open business; she wrote poetry and articles for mobbing magazines, as well as writing and directing for nomination plays in a popular amateur dramatic society. ‘Small is the number of them that see Her span of knowledge was intimidating, Nominations are being accepted for with their own eyes and feel with their which made my frequent teenage arguments the positions of Honorary President own hearts.’ Albert Einstein. with her particularly frustrating. I eventually and Honorary Vice-President of Mensa discovered her one weakness, though, which International. There may be more than The term ‘workplace mobbing’ was was that she really had no understanding of one Honorary Vice-President. created in the 1980s by research pioneer how electricity worked, and I exploited that The holders of these positions are Dr Heinz Leymann. Canadian social ruthlessly thereafter! considered honorary members of the worker Richard Schwindt wrote a book I was reminded of the relationship International Board of Directors, and the entitled Emotional Recovery From between parents and children when I was Honorary President has a small budget for Workplace Mobbing. I interviewed visiting a Mensa group recently and had the expenses. There is no formal job description Richard and asked him to first of all opportunity to meet many of the members or requirement for either of these roles explain the difference between ‘bullying’ there, as well as parents of some of the other than that the person must be a and ‘workplace mobbing.’ younger members. The memorable feature current member of Mensa. The term length ‘Bullies are common,’ said Richard, of those meetings was that almost every is three years and can be renewed. ‘but the single bully paradigm is limiting. parent spoke of the significant challenge Nominations may be submitted by any When it comes to workplace mobbing, the of coping with a gifted child and wanted to Mensa member and should be no longer scope is much broader.’ know how they could best assist the child than 300 words. There is no form to fill out, With mobbing, workers collectively develop its full potential. In that country, just send in a narrative saying why you scapegoat a peer by means of goading, there is currently no special provision think this person is deserving of being an ostracization and the circulation of lies. made in the education system for gifted Honorary President or Honorary Vice- Mobbing can be initiated by one, or a few children, and this is unfortunately true in President of Mensa International. individuals of ill intent. Shills are groomed. very many places. However, the minister of Nominations for the above positions They are made privy, on an individual education was interested in discussing how must be received by August 20, 2019 and basis, to ‘hush-hush’ info about a ‘problem’ to address the situation with Mensa, which must be sent to the International Office at with the targeted individual and are easily was encouraging. There are a number of [email protected], copied to recruited. Why easily? Because much national Mensas around the world which the Director of Administration at admin- of human behaviour is driven by the are in the privileged situation of being [email protected]. ■ ‘persecutory unconscious of groups.’ invited to advise the ministry of education Loyalty is welded in place by bestowing on the particular needs of gifted children, favouritism and secret perks. Before and one hopes that number will increase in long, even one-time close friends become the future. Writing for the convinced the target is a threat. In frequent discussions on the topic Mensa World Takedown tactics can include around the world, I always offer the view withholding information essential to one’s that policy-makers should not concentrate Journal job performance; skewing of productivity resources only on disadvantaged or under- stats; and exclusion from collaborative performing children and assume that the The Mensa World Journal is your tasks and social functions. Richard children at the higher end of the intellectual magazine and it would be wonderful if you related a case where the target was falsely scale will somehow be OK without help. were to share your thoughts with the rest rumoured to be having an affair with a It is surely the duty of educators to ensure of the Mensa world. By and large, most co-worker who had refused to participate that all children reach their full potential, of the articles are written by Mensans, in his persecution. As per Richard, ‘The and Mensa can certainly assist that process. more outrageous the lie, the more it will

July – August 2019 39 Mensa World Journal be believed, as we tend to believe what we books for Mensa World Journal. You can least expect to hear.’ Book review contact Hal via email at mwjreviews@ A prototypical goading technique: gmail.com. You must be a member in good everyone at your office leaves personal Fred Leavitt. The Profound Limitations standing; please include your membership items on their desk. On your desk is of Knowledge. History and Philosophy of number and identify your national Mensa roughly the same amount of personal Science Book 7. Bern, : Peter in all correspondence with him. ■ items as anyone else. But you alone are Lang, 2018. 215 pp. US$53.29 hardback, issued a reprimand for keeping too much $23.95 Kindle. ASIN: B07LGDWR8Z stuff on your desk. The next day, and every Ageing day thereafter, you’re chastised regarding Mensans have some new, senseless issue. a reputation gracefully According to Richard, this is something for questioning different from petty office nastiness. established University of Alberta neuroscientists have ‘You’re not dealing with a boss who’s knowledge, or identified different factors for maintaining tough but fair; you’re dealing with a boss what passes for it, healthy memory and for avoiding memory who’s a bully. Your composure is being and this volume is decline in those over age 55, according to tested on a daily basis.’ a prime example. a new study. The results have implications If a target is earning good money, it Fred Leavitt trained for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease can be hard to leave, but his/her wellbeing as a psycho- through targeted early intervention efforts. suffers. ‘If you talk to lots of people who pharmacologist, Memory decline is one of the first have been mobbed,’ attested Richard, and has produced signs of cognitive and neurodegenerative ‘they have suffered extreme stress and several previous studies on the corruption diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. something has appeared to impair their of the pharma industry, as well as how Understanding and designing physical health.’ to evaluate scientific research in relation interventions for memory decline is The victim becomes withdrawn, unable to human existence. This work is, so to critical for efforts toward preventing or to sleep and naturally feels an impulse to speak, what his previous training and delaying these illnesses. fight back. If she loses her cool, the mob writing have led up to. As he explains The study found that adults with rejoices. ‘See, she’s mentally unstable. in his introduction, his psychopharma healthy memory were more likely to be She’s the bully.’ Based on Richard’s education left him more, not less, certain female, educated, and engage in more experience with clients, many human about scientific methods, not to mention social activities, such as hosting a dinner resource departments will believe just that. epistemology generally. Well, he knew party, and novel cognitive activities, such Most targets feel abandoned by HR and that many or most published scientific as using a computer or learning a second by their union. papers are unsound methodologically or language. For adults age 55 to 75, healthy Most HR departments see individuals otherwise, or wrongly reasoned, or even memory was associated with lower heart rather than the systemic problem. ‘There plain fraudulent. rate, higher body mass index, more are two questions to ask when attempting Beginning in the tradition of Socrates self-maintenance activities, and living to ascertain who’s really being targeted,’ from knowing nothing and admitting companions. Adults over 75 had faster gait Richard elucidated. ‘1) Who’s hurting? 2) it, Leavitt proceeds, chapter by chapter, and fewer depressive symptoms. ■ Who’s isolated?’ to take down the foundations of logic, Who gets targeted? Anybody. A target empirical methods, and other ways of Extracted from www.sciencedaily.com/ can be perceived as extremely beautiful, ‘knowing’ what are deemed to be ‘facts’. the most intelligent, the least intelligent, His second point of departure is Immanuel the most ethical or from the wrong culture. Kant, in some ways a curious choice for But all targets are seen as being different. a book whose conclusion is that radical From the ‘The system is losing many of its best skepticism is most probably the ‘correct’ people.’ commented Richard. philosophy—or is it even possible to be Director of Richard has counselled clients who correct, let alone know you are, if even were forced to rely on their partners to accepted scientific methods cannot prove Development literally spoon-feed them during the initial anything? This is a deep exploration of months of recovery from mobbing. Most whether and how we can know reality. ■ Dear Members of Mensa, victims do recover. Some partially recover. Some end up dead. Right now I am in my second year as Swiss anthropologist Noa Davenport, International Director of Development. has estimated that 5 to 10% of the Written any The time passes very quickly—too quickly, workforce will be mobbed. That’s a lot of I would even say! cruelty. Surely we can do better. good books Development is a very big task, in every respect. It consumes a lot of time, a lot of money—and it needs a lot more Cindy Hunter, Mensa ■ lately? travelling. These requirements are limited, This article is an encapsulated version If you are a member of Mensa and have a as unfortunately, neither the quantity of previously published in Humanist Perpectives published book currently available, send time nor amount of funds were available – KN your book to Hal Swindall who reviews to pursue the big steps I was dreaming of.

40 TableAus Mensa World Journal

have an Emerging Mensa now. Many activities are usually lined up alongside Mensas in South America (Bolivia, Chile, the meeting for members to interact and , Ecuador and Peru) are well on foster new friendships that make Mensa so the way to receiving official recognition special and meaningful. within the next year. One of the key events that make this Another important matter we always IBD 2019 special is that it is also the should keep in focus: already existing Malaysian Mensa’s 35th Anniversary and National Mensas should also develop. Our we will have the opportunity to celebrate theoretical maximum of members is 2% of it at the Gala Dinner scheduled for 12 the population! Everywhere there is a lot to October 2019 at Carcosa Seri Negara, do. Let’s make some more steps forward! one of the most prestigious and historical Floreat Mensa. venues in all of Malaysia. It is the place where the Constitution of Malaysia was Rudi Challupner drafted and has had the honour of hosting Director of Development ■ many eminent guests such as Queen Elizabeth II and King Bhumibol. The organising committee for the 2019 IBD has been working hard since Rudi Challupner. Decemebr 2017 to prepare for this IBD Meeting incredible event. Many great experiences This means that one Director of 2019 are lined up and will be open for Development would need a huge registration very soon. All the latest Department of Development, and the From 10 – 13 October 2019, Malaysian information will be uploaded at: www. funding of it. A bigger involvement Mensa has been chosen to host the ibd2019.mensa.my. The Facebook group is of many officers, for example of the International Board of Directors (IBD) at www.facebook.com/groups/ibd2019 Executive Director will be necessary in meeting, the most important International the next working period, and additionally Mensa Meeting in the world. Hosted Tan Kee Aun it will be necessary to focus on creating a at the prestigious Hilton Hotel Kuala Chair, Mensa Malaysia ■ pool of motivated volunteers. Lumpur, it is a meeting that will bring I am not a candidate in the together more than 50 National Mensa International Elections for another period chairpersons from around the world as Director of Development—but if I had who make up the International Board of What you eat been, I would request from the next IBD Directors (IBD). to allow the realisation of a worldwide At this annual meeting, decisions will could impact Gathering of Development. All these be made on how the society around the wonderful members with excellent ideas world is run. These include governance your brain and for developing and spreading the Mensa decisions including global growth efforts, mind over the globe should come together, trademark protection, presentations on memory get to know each other, coordinate their Mensa projects around the world, sharing initiatives and lay the basis for a big step of ideas, and much more. You may be familiar with the saying, ‘You forward. It’s a good time for it! It is the single most important Mensa are what you eat,’ but did you know the But enough of dreaming; let’s turn meeting that ensures we as a society food you eat could impact your memory? to the focus of development at present. continue to grow and achieve the vision Auriel Willette, assistant professor, We, and by ‘we’ I mean the International that our founders set out to achieve and his team of researchers in Iowa Board of Directors, and many other through this society and we as members State University’s Department of Food members supporting development want through our elected office bearers. Science and Human Nutrition discovered activities have made progress. Steps, The fostering and nurturing of intelligence a satiety hormone that, at higher levels, some big, some small, were set in Algeria, through the various programs run by could decrease a person’s likelihood Andorra, Baltic Countries, Bolivia, , Mensa International and Mensas around of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, the world, the research and development paper outlining the results of their study Cyprus, Ecuador, Iceland, India, Israel, of methods to investigate and understand recently was accepted for publication in Jordan, Luxembourg, , Moldova, human intelligence and the socially Neurobiology of Aging. , Peru, Portugal, , stimulating environment that is so Using data from the Alzheimer’s Senegal, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, the essentially Mensan. Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), and Uruguay. One of the biggest highlights of the the researchers looked at the satiety Remarkably successful, and always IBD meeting is the opportunity to get to hormone, Cholecystokinin (CCK), in 287 with the energy and the almost unlimited know Mensans from all around the world. people. CCK is found in both the small commitment of the local leaders, we were Besides the Chairpersons, members from intestines and the brain. In the small in Montenegro, which could be recognized other countries will also come and take intestines, CCK allows for the absorption as a Full National Mensa soon, and part in the various events held around the of fats and proteins. In the brain, CCK recently in Taiwan, where we officially IBD. Dinners, tours and other exciting is located in the hippocampus, which is

July – August 2019 41 Mensa World Journal the memory-forming region of the brain, Mensa International Limited Willette said. The researchers found for individuals Chair SIG Coordinator who have higher CCK levels, their chance Ms Bibiana Balanyi Ms Barbara Kryvko of having mild cognitive impairment, a [email protected] [email protected] precursor state to Alzheimer’s disease, or Mr Martyn Davies Director Administration [email protected] Alzheimer’s disease decreased by 65 per cent. Mr Dan Burg ‘It will hopefully help to shed further light [email protected] Executive Director on how satiety hormones in the blood and Mr Michael Feenan, Slate Barn, Church Lane, Director Development Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EL, UK brain affect brain function,’ Willette said. Mr Rudi Challupner Tel/Fax +44(0)1400 272 675 [email protected] [email protected]

Why CCK? Treasurer Editorial Staff Alexandra Plagman, lead author and Mr Nick Sanford graduate student in nutritional science, [email protected] Editor said they chose to focus on CCK Ms Kate Nacard Director Smaller National Mensas 407/23 Corunna Rd, Stanmore NSW 2048 because it is highly expressed in memory Mr Mark Dettinger Australia formation. The researchers wanted to [email protected] [email protected] see if there was any significance between Tel +61 402 152 858 Honorary President levels of CCK and levels of memory and Dr Abbie Salny, 407 Breckenridge, Wayne NJ Science grey matter in the hippocampus and other 07470 USA Tel +1 973 305 0055 Mr John Blinke important areas. [email protected] International SIG Coordinator They also looked at p-tau and tau Ms Barbara Kryvko Books proteins, which are thought to be toxic to [email protected] Mr Hal Swindall the brain, to see how these might impact [email protected] SIGHT Coordinator CCK and memory. They found that as Mr Henkhenk Broekhuizen Puzzles tau levels increased, higher CCK was no [email protected] Ms Therese Moodie-Bloom longer related to less memory decline. [email protected] The researchers hope this study will encourage others to look into the nutritional aspect of diets, versus just looking at caloric Grid for Kymberley Wilson’s intake. Plagman already is looking at how diet impacts an individual’s CCK levels crossword (from page 37) through researching fasting glucose and ketone bodies. ‘By looking at the nutritional aspect, we can tell if a certain diet could prevent Alzheimer’s disease or prevent progression of the disease,’ Plagman said. ‘The regulation of when and how much we eat can have some association with how good our memory is,’ Willette added. ‘Bottom line: what we eat and what our body does with it affects our brain.’ ■

Science Daily

42 TableAus Teresa Wong Steve McKewen—Design Consultant Property Development and Renovations Specialist Do you need some electronics, software, or Australian Building 300 units or renovating a kitchen control system design work done? Do you need requires insider expertise. I can tell you what your help with developing your business’ internal Mensa Business consultants don’t! design procedures? Do you want to encourage Initial consultation gratis. innovation within your team? Do you have a Tel 0418 993 688 system, machine or process that you want to Network Email [email protected] operate at peak performance? Short term or ongoing services to ACT, Do you have a business, service, HyperSymmetry Pty Ltd – Innovation Southern NSW and Victoria. Consulting Tel 0417 260 375 Email [email protected] initiative, idea or special offer to share Full-service management consulting for small www.belvesdesign.com with the rest of Mensa? and medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, Send brief details of your service. Notices inventors needing advice for launching new Pornography, Gaming and Gambling Addiction are accepted on a space-available basis and entrepreneurial ventures, introducing new Help products and discovering new consumer Learn exactly how you can dismantle your are restricted to 10 lines (plus heading). segments. Solutions include: 1) market research, addiction from its roots so it’s gone for good: Note that Mensa does not check or 2) strategy development and 3) marketing • Personalised help, advice and accountability endorse the products or services. for growth. The methodology is based on • Total understanding and zero judgement cutting-edge, academically validated research. • Save years of struggle and painful relapses Ed Love Greg Nyilasy, PhD; Tel: 04 5179 5989, www. • Get your life back and feel awesome again Are you stressed out? Not sure what to do? I hypersymmetry.com.au, Get help Australia-wide by phone/Skype: can help. Career stress gave me appendicitis, [email protected] • All sessions 100% private and guaranteed before I finally slowed down. Learn to unravel • 15% off for Mensa members and their the causes of stress, so you can finally relax. Redox Cell Signalling Supplement friends Contact me on 0411 111 816, skype:ed65love, Our mitochondria produce redox cell signalling Contact AJ Lester now: 0424 053 072 or [email protected] for a free introductory molecules which: Email [email protected] ■ session. • Signal the immune system to protect our cells • Activate and increase antioxidants John Mack—Tarot Readings • Detect and initiate DNA repair Free Tarot or Angel Card readings to Mensa • Initiate apoptosis when required members. Limit one reading per member per • Positively influence gene expression calendar month. • Potentiate other supplements John Mack Contact Jay Garland 0412 714 615 Tel 0407 746 643 Email [email protected] Email [email protected] www.facebook.com/Scarlatti Michelle Harvey—Finance and Mortgage Broker Daniel Kilov’s Memory Coaching My service is free and my experience could in New Acton, ACT make all the difference. I have access to a large $60/hour (normally $70/hour) panel of lenders and I can assist with finance Group fee (three or more): $25 per person for residential and commercial properties, Email [email protected] refinancing of existing loans, and debt www.danielkilov.com consolidation. Tel 0403 452 688 David Cordover’s Kids Unlimited Email [email protected] Schools in VIC; and centres in Ormond and Mt Facebook: MoneyQuest–Ringwood Waverley Classes, Workshops and Holiday Programs Psychological and Counselling Services For kids ages 5-14 Mine Psychs Pty Ltd Coding, Chess, Science, Electronics, Cooking Psychological services to Mensa members, and more… either in person or via Skype/phone. 5% off all fees for current MENSA members Employing qualified professionals experienced Tel 1300 424 377 (1300 4 CHESS) in the treatment of depression, anxiety, stress, www.kidsunlimited.com.au relationship issues, grief and loss, loneliness and isolation. Hagen’s Organic Butcher (Melbourne Metro) Face to face counselling – $135 Hagen’s Organics is a butcher specialising in Skype/Phone counselling – $100 quality organic and biodynamic meats, with Contact us to discuss eligibility and arrange a five stores in Victoria and an online store for booking. deliveries in all Melbourne suburbs, Tel 0410 152 992 Offer: 10% discount on all in-store and www.minepsychs.com.au online purchases on presentation of a current Australian Mensa membership card. For Mind Games online purchases, see special discount code on Mind Games is a specialist game retailer with Australian Mensa Members’ Resources website. the largest collection of games and puzzles www.hagensorganics.com.au in Australia. Six stores in Victoria, two in and one store in Tasmania. Michael Hunt’s Quartet ‘Innerstrings’ Offer: 10% in-store discount on full-price items Northern NSW and Gold Coast excluding Games Workshop products that have $50 off bookings for weddings, parties and a 5% discount. Discounts on presentation of functions. a current Australian Mensa membership card. Tel 02 6624 8505 No discount for sale, trading cards and second www.innerstringsquartet.com hand items. www.mindgames.com.au. Dr Jason Betts Cost-price Mensan Marriage Celebrant Dmitri Tai Chi—Tai Chi private lessons in Tel 03 6249 8484 Adelaide Email [email protected] With a 30 year background in Martial Arts, I www.emeraldalchemy.com bring a unique perspective to Tai Chi. Jason’s IQ Tests www.psiq.org/lux From meditation to self-defence. World Genius Directory www.psiq.org Mensans receive 25% off the standard rate. One Dollar IQ Test www.onedollariqtest.com www.dmitritaichi.com.au

July – August 2019 43 Mensa merchandise

Laura Parsons SA State Secretary

Have you checked out the online store on the Keep Calm poster Multi tool Mensa website? A4 poster on quality The handy dandy There are quite a few new items as well paper is ready for Mensa multi tool as some regulars. Here are some of the items framing. Price includes will amaze you! It’s available for purchase. GST and postage. a letter opener, box $14.95. opener, cell phone Blaze magnetic torch with logo stand, screwdriver, This is a new item bottle opener, can in the Mensa online opener, ruler and peeler. Australian Mensa logo store. Powerful is printed on both sides. It’s the size of a credit push-button LED card and comes in a protective pouch. Price handy torch with magnet for attaching to metal includes GST and postage. $8. surfaces. COB (Chips on Board) technology produces extremely bright LED light with Nylon tech travel backpack Lapel pin lower current draw than conventional lighting Drawstring backpack. Black and silver lapel for longer battery life. Great for emergency use Perfect size for pin. Total length is in houses, cars and outdoors. 3 AAA batteries the beach or gym. 5 cm. Price includes included. Mensa logo is printed in black on Measuring 330 GST and postage. white. Measures 16 x 17 x 27 mm. Price includes mm x 440 mm this $8.95. GST and postage. $15.95 (Disclaimer: It will not backpack features a tell you whether you are pregnant or not). zippered front pocket, earphones hole and Grey T-shirt with Mensa logo two drawstring handles This is a new item with reinforced in the Mensa online eyelets. Price includes store. Grey T-shirt with GST and postage. black Mensa logo. 85% $18.95. cotton, 15% viscose. Other items Available in sizes S, Laser printed keyring You can also purchase a full report of your M, L, XL, 2XL. Keep losing the keys test results, if you took the test after July Measurements: to the Kombi? Keep 2014. These cost $55. A Mensa Membership Length (shoulder them safe on this Certificate is $33. These are ready for framing. to hem): Width carbon fibre keychain. Do you have any ideas or suggestions (Underarm to Mensa logo is laser for new items for the online store? Let me underarm laid flat). printed in silver on know via email [email protected]. All items S 68:50, M 69:54, L 70:58, XL 74:60, 2XL 75:63. black. Gift boxed and measures 80 mm x 30 are available in the Merchandise section of Price includes GST and postage. $29.95. mm. Price includes GST and postage. $21.95. the website: www.mensa.org.au/onlinestore/ members-on-line-store. Keep Calm mug USB memory stick with logo The red and white Custom shaped 32GB Laura Parsons ‘Keep Calm and Join USB memory stick Mensa’ mug…take it to with Mensa logo. Price SA StateSec ■ work and be the envy includes GST and of your co-workers. postage. $26.95. Holds 300 ml of your favourite bevvy. Price Pop! Pop out phone holder and grip includes GST and Whenever you need a phone grip, a phone postage. $22.95. stand, a headset management system or just something to play with! Mensa logo is printed on one side. Price includes GST and postage. $5.

Mensa ballpoint pen Black ink push-button ballpoint pen in blue and silver. Laser etching inscribed ‘Australian Mensa mensa.org.au.’ Price includes GST and postage. 2 for $5.50.

44 TableAus Australian Mensa national directory

Australian Mensa Office General contact email addresses SIGs Coordinator Sarah Entwistle Missing or delayed orders, including certificates: Position vacant Office Coordinator [email protected]. (Reports to the Membership Secretary) PO Box 537 Paddington NSW 2021 Claims or invoices: [email protected]. Social Media Officer Tel 02 9360 4516 Anna-Marie Redpath Email [email protected] Questions about testing or joining via prior [email protected] Send all renewals, contact updates and evidence: [email protected] (Reports to the Recruiting Officer) administrative mail to the Paddington office; all other mail to the Membership Secretary. Membership, payments, membership number or TableAus Editor card, rejoining or a transfer from another country: Peter Gibson Administrative Committee [email protected] 0425 211 313 PO Box 537, Paddington NSW 2021 Chairman and Australian representative on Gifted Children: [email protected] [email protected] the International Board of Directors Jean-Marc Genesi State events and issues: [email protected] where Test Liaison Officer 0419 900 254 XXX is a 2 or 3 character state abbreviation, i.e. Ken Watt [email protected] act, nsw, qld, sa, tas, vic or wa. [email protected] 0485 801 198 Immediate Past Chairman Information for visitors: [email protected] Kymberley Wilson Webmaster Media enquiries: [email protected] Mike Hadzic [email protected] [email protected] Website problems including login: [email protected] (Reports to the Chair) Membership Secretary Elton Thie The [email protected] address should only be Mensa.org.au website 0424 562 445 used if none of the above apply. All members have logins based on their first name [email protected] then a full stop then their last name (as on the Non-Voting Officers membership card). Logging in gives you access to Treasurer members-only areas. These pages hold the latest Nicholas Scott Archivist news, puzzles, discussion forums, upcoming state 0407 801 105 Hrvoje (Hal) Hancevic-Grabic events, the member business network, minutes of [email protected] [email protected] official meetings, Mensa boutique and more! (Reports to the Chair) Recruiting Officer SIGs Teresa Wong Boutique A Special Interest Group (SIG) is a subset of [email protected] Laura Parson people within the Mensa community with a [email protected] particular interest. SIGs are a great platform National Committee (NatCom) (Reports to the Membership Secretary) for members to exchange ideas, socialise with Comprises the Administrative Committee plus the like-minded individuals, and a great avenue State Secretaries (listed on following page). Bull Bequest & Gifted Students’ Funds for members in remote areas to get involved in Coordinator Mensa. Involvement might be solely via emails or International Appointments Gavan Cushnahan Facebook, or face-to-face meetings and activities. [email protected] Chairman, Information and Communications (Reports to the Chair) Aussie SIGs Technology Advisory Committee Lego Enthusiast SIG Kymberley Wilson Gifted Children’s Coordinator Open to all Lego enthusiasts, regardless of age Alan D. Thompson (parents of young Lego enthusiasts also welcome). Super admin on mensa.org website [email protected] Request to join at www.fb.com/groups/LegoSIG Kymberley Wilson (Reports to the Chair) Coordinator: Johann Bell, johann.bell@mensa. org.au International Volunteers Network Committee Isolated Member Coordinator Kymberley Wilson Vacant IDS General (Reports to the Membership Secretary) Internet Discussion SIG (email list) Co-Chair, Gifted Youth Committee This is a pre-Facebook general discussion SIG email Alan D. Thompson IT Coordinator list. Be warned: the discussions are often more in Mike Hadzic depth and challenging than the discussions on the Awards Committee [email protected] Facebook groups. To join: http://bit.ly/11hZYCu Therese Moodie-Bloom (Reports to the Chair) M<18 Name, Logo and Licensing Committee Legal Officer Facebook group for Mensans aged 13 to 17 Kate Nacard Jeremy Feiglin: 03 9252 0600 www.facebook.com/Mensa18 [email protected] Email enquiries to [email protected] Editor, Mensa World Journal (Reports to the Chair) Kate Nacard Mensa Parents’ Facebook Group Networking Coordinator A Facebook group exists for the parents of kids Honorary Life Members of Australian Mensa Jean-Marc Genesi who become Mensa members, since children at Howard Bellin 0419 900 254, [email protected] this age do not necessarily have access to social Neville Bendall media. This group was set up to keep the children David Bennett (NSW) Ombudsman in the know via their parents, facilitate discussion David Bennett (VIC) Kate Nacard and support parents with gifted children. Trevor Best [email protected] Emails registered with any child Mensa Ruby Brooksby (Reports to the Chair) members’ profile are sent an invitation to join the Mary Campbell parent Facebook page after the child gets accepted Carole Cragg Public Officer into Mensa. Only parents of Mensa children under John Greenway Debbie Smith 18 years can join the group. If you have somehow Chris Harding [email protected] missed being part of this group contact Australian Bill Helm (Reports to the Chair) Mensa at [email protected], with your child Max Hooper member’s details and ask to be added to the group. Ann Jackson Acting Returning Officer Mike Jinman Sandi Miller Stan Johnston [email protected] Raymonde Kelleher (Reports to the Chair) Huigh Malcolm Bill Patchett Richard Johns Research Grant Committee Armida Poli [email protected] Merrilee Robb (Reports to the Chair) Graham Tucker Jean Whittle SIGHT Coordinator Jeff Whittle Tereen Hough Ruth Whittle [email protected] July – August 2019 (Reports to the Membership Secretary) 45 Australian Mensa state directory

The roll-call TAS (42 members) Social Media Total membership of Australian Mensa at the end State Secretary: Jason Betts Join your local Facebook group, stay in touch with of May 2019 was 2,443. 03 6249 8484, [email protected] activities in your area, discover another Mensan Facebook: www.fb.com/groups/MinTas who lives just around the corner! Members around Australia organise regular and ad hoc events for local members. To Hobart luncheon is held on Tuesdays noon at Australian Mensa: stay in touch with other Mensans and Beaujangles (upstairs) in the Elizabeth St Mall. activities join the Facebook group for your All Mensans and friends are welcome. Contact www.fb.com/pages/MensaAustralia/ state or email the contacts below. Deidree (0408 277 674) for confirmation. www.fb.com/groups/MinAus www.facebook.com/groups/MinAusSoapbox (an ACT (109 members) The Tas Gifted Children’s Coordinator is Kate unmoderated discusion group). State Secretary: Hrvoje (Hal) Hancevic-Grabic Wadley (0407 845 770) and there are monthly 0477 777 605, [email protected] (fun!) get-together activities! All family are ACT: www.fb.com/groups/MinACT Facebook: www.fb.com/groups/MinACT welcome. Events Coordinator: Ruth Chipman WA: www.fb.com/groups/MinWA Gifted Children’s Coordinator Ronald Yu, actgcc@ Northern Tasmanian monthly socials are organised mensa.org.au. by Chel Bardell (03 6362 3102). SA: www.fb.com/groups/MinSA

Mensa in the ACT organises dinners/lunches, VIC (545 members) NSW: www.fb.com/groups/MinNSW games nights, Australia Day and Christmas parties Acting State Secretary: Louise Lambert and random events such as wine tastings, field 0417 810 512, [email protected] QLD: www.fb.com/groups/MinQLD trips, picnics, pool parties, etc. Newsletter editor: Louise Lambert, vicnews4@ mensa.org.au TAS: www.fb.com/groups/MinTAS NSW (806 members) Facebook: www.fb.com/groups/MinVIC State Secretary: Claire Jensen Gifted Children’s Coordinator: Joerg Henrichs, VIC: www.fb.com/groups/MinVIC 0448 617 216, [email protected] [email protected] Facebook: www.fb.com/groups/MinNSW Gen Y coordinator: Emllyn Green, vicyouth@ M<18: www.facebook.com/Mensa18 mensa.org.au Mensa NSW’s flagship event is dinner/drinks on New member welcoming group: Mail or electronic delivery of TableAus the second Wednesday of the month, currently Geelong and Western Victoria: Chris Borch, If you would prefer not to get a printed copy of at the Commodore Hotel, Blues Point Road, [email protected] TableAus in the mail because you read the PDF McMahons Point, (just a short walk from North NW suburbs and retirees: Marian Anear, memsec@ on the Australian Mensa website, let us know by Sydney Railway Station) hosted for over 20 years mensa.org.au emailing [email protected] and we will stop by Therese Moodie-Bloom (recently, Director of mailing you the printed version. Administration, Mensa International). There are WA (390 members) lots of additional events; contact [email protected]. Acting State Secretary: Malcolm Osborne au or see the website and newsletter for details. 0433473034 [email protected] NT (8 members) Facebook: www.fb.com/groups/MinWA Please contact Mensa Office Events Coordinator: Steve Peterson Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/689453454489122/ [email protected] Gifted Children’s Coordinator: Chee Wong, QLD (407 members) [email protected] State Secretary: Richard Klysz [email protected] Western Australian Mensa holds regular monthly Facebook: www.fb.com/groups/MinQLD events—book club, movie night, games afternoon, Gifted Children’s Coordinator: Robyn Bailey, discussion group, dinner meeting and several pub [email protected] quiz nights. Kids’ events and speaker meetings are also held from time to time. See website for details. SA (122 members) State Secretary: Laura Parsons 0433 820 570, [email protected] Facebook: www.fb.com/groups/MinSA Events Coordinator: Anne Harrex 08 8278 2601, [email protected]

46 TableAus