(Written and posted 5/10/07)
Northwest Passages
RVC Column for June Newsletters in Region 8
by John Recht, Region 8 RVC
rvc8@us.mensa.org
It's another late night, not my favorite time to write, but it's deadline time again. Not only that, but the Oregon Mensa Regional Gathering (RG) starts tomorrow, and I have a ton of stuff still to do for that. Once the RG is done, I'll be back at work on the draft Gatherings Handbook, which I am determined to finish in time for the American Mensa Annual Gathering (AG), and at the same time, I am watching over several other handbook updates. Oh, and I'll have blurbs to write for the Leadership Development Workshop sessions that I will be leading at the AG. The computer and I will commune quite a bit in the weeks to come. As usual.
So let's see, should I tell you the Great Idea I had for an icebreaker for the Oregon Mensa RG today? I will consult the Magic 8-Ball: it says, "As I see it yes." OK, then. I was pretty bored with the game of finding people who had done all sorts of things, and couldn't find an icebreaker online that I wanted to use, so I made up my own. Here are the instructions:
Each registered guest at the RG will receive a sheet of instructions for this game, with a slip of paper stapled to it that gives him or her a secret set of randomly selected attributes in seven categories. The categories are COLOR, TASTE, SHAPE, SOUND, TEXTURE, TRUTH/LIE, and NUMBER. The object of the game is to determine the correct attributes in all of the above categories for at least four different people, not including yourself, of whom at least two must have the attribute "Truth" and at least two must have the attribute "Lie." All those who submit entries meeting the above conditions will be entered in a prize drawing to be conducted at the brunch on Sunday. There will also be a prize for the entry with the correct attributes for the greatest number of people.
The list of all attributes for each category is as follows:
COLOR. .TASTE. .SHAPE. .SOUND. .TEXTURE. .TRUTH/LIE. .NUMBER
Red. . . . .Sweet. . .Triangle. .Beep. . . . .Prickly. . . . .Truth. . . .1 to 150
Yellow. . .Sour. . . .Square. . .Honk. . . . .Rough. . . . . .Lie
Blue. . . . .Salty. . . .Circle. . .Aaoogah. . .Smooth
Green. . . .Bitter
Purple. . . .Umame
In the game, when you meet someone and ask them, he or she must tell you his or her correct NUMBER. In order to determine their other attributes, you must ask them direct questions, to which the answer must be "Yes" or "No." If the person asked has the attribute "Truth," he or she must always answer direct questions truthfully. If the person asked has the attribute "Lie," he or she must always answer direct questions untruthfully. Please do not reveal your own set of attributes to anyone except when asked directly, in the manner just described.
Next month I'll let you know how the icebreaker and the rest of the RG turned out. It's starting out well! The June issue of the Mensa Bulletin will have my annual report, but in my column for the region for July newsletters, I'll expand on that a bit more. Space is at a premium, of course. And time is for me, right now, so I'll close by reminding you to go to check out what is planned for the AG at www.ag2007.org/. It's simply the best event that Mensa has to offer, and I know I'll be there...without my computer.
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