From rocket scientists to cab drivers and every demographic in between, everyone is welcome to join the prestigious and non-profit Mensa organization. There is only one catch--members have to be in the top two percent of the intelligent life on Earth.
Mensa, meaning “table” in Latin, is a worldwide organization made up of people who have scored 98 percent or better on a standardized test.
According to Mensa proctor coordinator Thomas Miles, the organization’s mission is to identify and foster human intelligence to benefit humanity, encourage and promote research, and provide intellectual social contact for members.
Although there are many IQ tests available, only certain ones pass the rigorous standards of Mensa America and are considered acceptable. One of the ways to qualify is to take the Mensa test, which will be administered Saturday, at 10 a.m. at the Cordova Presbyterian Church or at 3 p.m. at the Germantown Branch Library. Registration, which can be completed upon arrival at the testing location, costs $30 dollars--payable in exact change, personal checks, or Visa or MasterCard. The test takes a total of two hours and focuses on reasoning skills.
The Mensa test results are private, and no one receives a numerical score. Test takers are either invited into the organization or declined within two weeks.
There are approximately 120,000 people active in International Mensa, in over one hundred countries, including nearly 48,000 Americans in roughly 200 different chapters.
While the Memphis Mensa chapter covers quite a large area--halfway from here to Little Rock to halfway from here to Nashville to halfway from here to Jackson, there are currently only 200 members, something Miles would like to see changed.
“We are always looking to have more members,” said Miles. “A lot of people just don’t know about it, and many test and are invited to join, but cannot find time to participate.”
Miles says he hopes to start administering the Mensa test four times a year instead of twice a year, in a bid to increase membership.
While the Memphis group may be smaller than many chapters, according to Miles, they still hold plenty of activities, such as conventions, informal talks and outings. Members are part of Mensa International SIGs, or Special Interest Groups, where they are able to exchange opinions on various topics with other members around the globe. Mensa orchestrates several student contests and recently awarded a high school student $250 dollars for writing the winning entry in an essay contest the group sponsored.
They also host a lecture series, and are planning to hear a lecture from the University of Memphis’own Dr. David Patterson, professor of Judaic Studies, entitled “Life, Death, and New Age Spirituality.”
Intellectual pursuits do rule their agenda, but Mensans have a good sense of humor and aim to have fun, according to Miles.
“We have a fun group we jokingly call 'Temperance Memphis,'” said Miles. “We say that it is so evil and wrong for the world to drink that we want to drink up all the alcohol to save humanity. So we consume for the common good and sit and eat pretzels and talk about world problems, sex and religion--every topic you could think of.”
Most people know Mensa as “ the high IQ club,” but according to Miles, those who think that Mensa members are elitist and snobby assume incorrectly.
“An IQ of one hundred is considered average,” said Miles. “ Socially, it is not acceptable to ridicule those eighty points off average at an IQ of twenty. Those people are retarded, and that was how they were born and they have special programs accordingly. Why, then, are people eighty points in the other direction shunned, and called names, when their IQ cannot be helped either?”
“Many people say tests and scores don’ t matter,” added Miles. “But when you go to a doctor, would you want a doctor that cheated on his medical exam or didn’t finish school or know the material? You would want one with good grades because you realize their proficiency.”
Because being a member of Mensa declares a certain intelligence level to the public, while some celebrities like Geena Davis and Alan Rachins openly admit their membership, many members decline to be recognized or noted as being a Mensan.
But Miles says that he is not at all ashamed. As a long-term member who joined, dropped out for a few years, and rejoined the organization, Miles said he found Mensa to be a great source of intellectual conversation and socialization. “ I missed the international contacts when I was gone,”said Miles. “I’d recommend looking into Mensa to anyone.”
