Mensa 76

Mensa 76 is the official branch of American Mensa for Fort Worth, Texas and the surrounding area (almost all parts of Texas with zip codes starting with "76"). Here is a map of Mensa 76's coverage.

Expand the sections below for more information about Mensa 76.



Join Mensa

To qualify for Mensa you must score above the 98th percentile on a qualifying test.. You may either:

We have local test proctors to make it easier for you to qualify. American Mensa offers a home test (for $18) that you can take to give you a sense of whether or not you will qualify before you take the actual test.

Thanks for your interest in Mensa, and good luck with your test!

Mensa 76 Local Officers

Voting Board of Directors a.k.a. Executive Committee
President(Local Secretary) Naomi Sims 972.510.8611 nnsims(at)gmail.com
Vice President(Vice Loc. Sec.) Jeremy Jones jdj(at)alum.northwestern.edu
Scribe Antonia Valdez 858.245.5725 vantonia(at)gmail.com
Treasurer David McCallister 817.988.3283 david.mccallister(at)gmail.com
Member at Large Felicia Davis 316-519-9738 felicia313(at)gmail.com
Member at Large Miranda Johnson 817.688.5288 mirandaj1223(at)gmail.com
Member at Large Joe Burnet 817-675-1063 jobutex(at)icloud.com
 
Non-voting Appointed Positions or Volunteer Positions
Denton Area Coordinator Deb Ramsey 940.391.9657 deb_ramsey(at)hotmail.com
Gifted Youth Open
Membership Chair Shelton Alsup 817.437.0202 s.alsup(at)sbcglobal.net
Program Chair Open
Newsletter Bonnie Stroman 817.897-5156 editor(at)m76.us.mensa.org
Ombudsman Leon Flusche 817-832-2478 ombudsman(at)m76.us.mensa.org
Curmudgeon at Large Hy Siegel 817.457.2665 hysiegel(at)hotmail.com
 
Testing Coordinator David McCallister 817.988.3283 david.mccallister(at)gmail.com
Proctor Kit Robertson 817.875.0507 armbarangel(at)gmail.com
Proctor Carol Raymond 817.223.8755 craymond(at)eayoungacademy.com
Proctor Bryan Davis 321.408.8733 bryan.davis8413(at)gmail.com
 
Webmaster Miranda Johnson 817.688.5288 mirandaj1223(at)gmail.com
Games Librarian Janine Gibson 469.734.2365 pray4wisdom(at)gmail.net
S.I.G.H.T. Coordinator OPEN
Scholarship Chair David McCallister 817.988.3283 david.mccallister(at)gmail.com
 
Last updated July 18, 2022

Getting Active (article)

(From the 1995 Central Alabama Mensa Member's Handbook, Lewis Sanford, Editor.
Published in the Mensa Bulletin, December 1997)

Being an active Mensan adds a new dimension to your life. The obvious, new friends and stimulating conversation, is only part of your gain. The not-so-obvious is your feeling of belonging, somewhat like coming to a family reunion.

Dress Code

Generally, there is none. Most members feel clothing should be worn, but not all will agree even on this. Wear what makes you comfortable. Most of us dress in anything from shorts and T-shirts to slacks and shirts or dresses. If the activity is in a public place, wear something suitable to the location.

Events in Private Homes

Attire is defined by the host, but is almost always informal. Conduct yourself as you would wish a guest in your home to behave. At most home events, expect a small door charge to help defray some of the host's expenses.

Smoking

Consult your newletter's calendar for the smoking policy of an event and be considerate of those who do not smoke. At house events, ask the host.

Guest

Hosts may invite anyone they choose. Significant others of attending Mensans and official guests are welcome. You may also bring a friend, your teenager, your parents or anyone else with whom you wish to share the joys of Mensa. Guests should feel no uneasiness - they won't be asked their IQ, they will not be quizzed or tested. They will be welcomed and, if they are urged to join, it only means we like them and want to get to know them better.

Questions?

Is there anything else you want to know about Mensa or what really goes on at all of those events? Just ask . . . another thing Mensans seem to have in common is that they all love to talk!

One Final Note

You'll notice that Mensans rarely talk about their IQs. It is assumed that everyone is smart or they wouldn't be here. No one will ask you your scores. Probably no one will tell you theirs, either, so it's better not to ask.

Nobody's Perfect (article)

(By Tim Goetsch, from the Minnesota Mensa Member Handbook, David Lowe, Editor.
Published in the Mensa Bulletin, December 1997)

I hope someone has already told you that Mensans are not as you would expect them to be. If not, let me tell you: Mensans are not as you would expect them to be. Most Mensans are not eggheads, but some are. Most Mensans have a normal social life, except for the ones who haven't been out of their rooms in 20 years. Mensans are usually bright, just not in every area.

Just what is a typical Mensan like? I don't know. I've been with my local group for quite a few years and I still can't figure it out. All I can say is you should expect something bigger than life. Even the shy ones have bigger-than-life shyness.

Mensa's inexplicability is easily explained. A sociologist might refer to our group as a self-atomizing association. This means that individuality is encouraged and highly prized. Sayings like "Don't rock the boat" and "Follow the leader" might as well be in a foreign language for all the good they do us. This makes Mensa fun to be in, but hard to describe. The expression "herding cats" comes to mind.

However, preparing you for the eccentricities of Mensans is my task and I may as well do my best.

Trivial Galoots

In a conversation among Mensans, someone is bound to say something like, "Ch'eng-tu is the capital of Szechwan province in China, isn't it?" New members might interpret this as showing off. Undoubtedly, there are times when it is, but in most conversations it means the same as "Nice day, isn't it?" It's a way of getting into the conversation and staying in. The only real difference between "Nice day" and "Ch'eng-tu . . ." is that they latter has to be apropos to the conversation. If it's not, you'll get strange looks, even in Mensa.

The Pun and Only

Not all Mensans are good punsters (a lot of people think "good punster" is a contradiction in terms, admittedly), but puns fly thick and heavy at some of our meetings. Conversation is the cornerstone of Mensa, words are an element of which conversation is made, and punning is a way of having fun with words, so naturally we pun. If you don't like puns, you should find subgroups in Mensa where puns are uncommon or banned. Speaking for myself, however, I find banned puns very musical.

Yes, I know. I'll quit now.

Who Was That Strange Mensan I Saw You With Last Night?

Remember what I said about self-atomizing association? Some Mensans take their individuality to an extreme. Their heads are filled with strange ideas and their lives filled with strange hobbies. Many are this way simply because they want interesting lives, but some are really on the cutting edge of the bell curve. Even allowing for those who are only pleasantly eccentric, that still leaves a small handful of annoying people.

How Do You Handle Annoying Mensans?

The same way you handle normal people who annoy. If the person is really bothering you, get away from him or her. Don't apologize; don't make excuses. Just get your feet moving and go to the other side of the room. Sticking around will only encourage him or her. If, however, the person is polite but weird, a low-key approach is called for. You listen politely for a few minutes, then make some excuse like running out of dip. Then you walk away.

Or you might decide that you like these people after all, that they can provoke a thought or a laugh. As the old saying goes, you won't know if you like it until you try it.

Duh . . .

Often a new member will spend the first hours of the first meeting waiting for something intellectual to happen. Sure, the conversation has been intelligent so far, except for the parts that were goofy, but none of the really great questions of philosophy, science and religion were even hinted at. Don't smart people think about such things? Sure, but not all the time. You must remember that some of us have intellectual jobs and would rather give the brain a rest in the evening. Remember also that Mensa is a social organization and great questions can make for poor socializing.

Yet sometimes, in spite of ourselves, an intellectual conversation breaks out. The equipment is there and sometimes it gets used. The secret is to be there when it happens. If you go to some of our meetings, you can usually scare up a few people who enjoy intellectualism. Expect to put effort into finding these folks and, once you have found them, don't expect them to always be in the mood. You'll have better luck if you watch your local newsletter calendar page and go to meetings that interest you. On the national level, the Mensa Bulletin publishes a monthly column on Special Interest Groups and also publishes a complete list of nationally recognized SIGs twice a year.

Good luck, and I hope that Mensa has what you're looking for.