American Mensa - Region 3

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September, 2009

The AMFM AG hosted by WPAM was fabulous. Mary Lee Kemper of Cincinnati and Marc Lederman were just phenomenal co-chairs. What an awesome effort by everyone who held leadership positions and by all the volunteers who worked so very hard to make the 2009 AG the very best! Thank you everyone.

I arrived in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and had time to visit the Frabel glass exhibit at the Phipps Conservatory and Gardens and have dinner with friends I haven't seen in far too many years. Wednesday, the first day, found me attending a session for freshmen on the AMC -- started at 3 and I was done with official RVC3 duties at 11:30. Thursday, the AMC meeting started at 9. The room was so cold, I almost grabbed a tablecloth from one of the back tables in which to wrap myself. We did have a break after an hour's video on parliamentary procedure (which I thought was a waste of my time) so I was able to grab a fleece wrap. The room remained cold throughout the AG. After meetings all day, I then chaired an RVC meeting that ended at 11:30. Friday didn't begin quite so early; I hosted the Region 3 Meet and Greet at 10:30, attended the Awards Luncheon and gave a Leadership Development Workshop on Registration that went from 1:30 to 2:30. Then I was able to attend some of the programs offered -- and they were many and fabulous. I got a chance to visit, albeit briefly, the games and puzzle rooms. I spent quite a bit of time at the entrance to hospitality with my official white security hat not on, but nearby, visiting with friends. My favorite parts of my duties were to officially thank the AG Chairs, Committee and WPAM at the end of the AMC Meeting and to move the meeting’s adjournment. Minutes of the meeting can be found at: http://www.us.mensa.org/meetingreports, select 2009-07 Meeting Reports.

I have attended 15 AGs and this one was every bit as wonderful, even more so because it was right here in Region 3, but my official duties precluded my attending many programs that I wanted to be at. No regrets. I am delighted to be RVC3 and thank everyone for your support.

After the AG, and on my way to the Canadian AG, I had the pleasure to have dinner with Buffalo Ms at the Anchor Bar, the home of Buffalo Wild Wings, and with Rochester Ms at Beale Street Café. I know I have made many new friends and I hope to see them more often. I had dinner with Maumee Valley Ms in Toledo, too. And, the Columbus RG was great! I don’t bother putting my suitcase away! July has been busy.

I am very pleased to tell you that Julia Ashley agreed to continue as Region 3 Scholarship Chair.

Region 3 had many PRP nominations. It is an honor to be nominated. Congratulations to Region 3 winners of the following awards: Calendar, M-Pathy, Southeast Michigan, Daniel Biedzen; Outstanding Gifted Children Challenges, Cleveland Area Mensa, Jim Szirony; Poetry, “Astride the Gale,” Southeast Michigan Mensa, Dean Unick.

I hope to see many of you at the PEP Rally Marianne A. Kane of Dayton Area Mensa won for Region 3. Marianne’s award winning, clever entry was:

It's a shame
This is so lame
But a LocSec clueless
Is like a foot shoeless.
An LD Retreat
For DAM would be sweet.

Northern Michigan Mensa received Honorable Mention for outstanding membership retention.

And Region 3 faired extremely well in CultureQuest® 2009: third place, MECCA, Cincinnati, Captain Tiffany Everett; fourth place, The ORIGINAL Standard Deviants, WPAM, Captain Marty Flowers; sixth place, Uncle Churd, ECOM, Captain Barbara McIntyre; and the top Next Generation team was Una Mensa, Cleveland, Captain Michael Cowett.

NEWSFLASH! The American Mensa vs. Inpharmatica/BioFocus legal action is over. The following actions occurred this week (July 27, 2009):
-- AML withdrew its appeal of the summary judgment decision on fame and the jury verdict on infringement to the U.S. Court of Appeals;
-- Inpharmatica withdrew its federal trademark application for ADMENSA;
-- Inpharmatica withdrew its request for reimbursement of its costs and attorney fees;
-- Inpharmatica agreed not to use MENSA in any form in the United States in the future;
-- Judge William Quarles vacated his ruling that MENSA was not a famous mark under U.S. trademark laws. This removes any precedential value his previous ruling on fame may otherwise have had.

This comprehensive settlement of all outstanding issues in the case was reached without any money changing hands between the parties. AML did not pay any part of Inpharmatica's costs or legal fees.

AML Chairman Elissa Rudolph was informed of the judge's decision on her way to represent American Mensa at the Mensa International Executive Committee Meeting in the Netherlands. Rudolph said, "We are pleased that recent actions will allow closure to the AML vs. Inpharmatica matter. Mensa worldwide benefits from our tenacity in this case and our protection of the Mensa name. This conclusion of the case is like a breath of fresh air and allows American Mensa to move forward with a new focus on our strategic plan."

American Mensa's intellectual property counsel, Clif McCann of the Venable firm in Washington D.C., was pleased by the settlement and Judge Quarles' ruling and its impact on Mensa's trademark efforts. "District court judges seldom grant motions to vacate final judgments," McCann said. The unusual step taken by the judge in this case vindicates AML's position that the MENSA mark is a famous mark under the federal trademark dilution statute."

More information on the matter is available to members on the national website.

Please visit the Region 3 website, our Facebook group, and our Yahoo group. At these 3 sites, you will find updates on what’s happening in this great region and reMARK.

If you need to reach me, I can be e-mailed at rvc3@us.mensa.org. My address is 3674 Oak Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, my home phone number is 734-434-5757 and my cell phone number is 313-530-2055. If you get my voice mail, be sure to let me know when it is best for me to return your call.

LLAP and Peace,
Betsy

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