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Oh, what a night! About 13 people from RAM and related guests toured the Monet Immersive Experience on February 28. The exhibit is an ongoing 360-degree digital art showing in Richmond that invites you to step into the universe of the French genius, Claude Monet. The captivating experience – a previous winner of USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Award – is presented by the organizers of a collection of widely successful exhibitions present in cities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. It was well worth the price of admission. Dinner afterward at Wong’s Taco was fantastic, too. It was a tremendously good time learning about Monet’s history, taking in his paintings, and enjoying the modern creative use of A/V to bring art to life. Highly recommended to everyone, if you have not yet seen it for yourself. Members thoroughly enjoyed the art/history and great conversation afterward. Common sentiments were “truly great time” and “let’s get together for Game Night.”
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Combine both and become a scholarship judge!
One doesn’t have to be a Mensan, but should be over 21 with above average English skills (c’mon, not such a high bar). When you sign up you’ll be given a few instructions, including how to rule out ineligible essays, and you’ll get something everyone can use: a short, example-loaded paper on how to discern AI-written essays. Which are disqualified. The online website https://mensafoundation.awardspring.com/ is very easy to use. Essays are batched in groups of 50 and might be from any state. Each one-page essay will take about five minutes to judge, but disqualifications are much faster. We have until March 9th to complete our batch(es). You can work from your computer at your convenience. The final winners now get a minimum $1,000 scholarship and they range up to $5,000. I’ll announce the winners from Virginia in the May newsletter, on our Facebook group, and on the local webpage. Sign up by emailing Jill Beckham at Jillb @ mensafoundation . org Lynnette Hartwig Central Virginia Scholarship Chair, Region RAMarks
Hope you are surviving Snowmageddon 2026! Your RAM ExComm officers are hard at work to expand opportunities for you to connect and grow with fellow Mensans, including a pending membership survey to better understand the activities in which you are most interested. So, reach out to us via this website (or see the officer list in the back of the newsletter) with any interests or concerns, for 2026 is shaping up to be a fantastic time of intellectual fellowship. To that end, please RSVP for Monet: The Immersive Experience and dinner afterward on Saturday, February 28 (see newsletter for details). The Monet event builds on the RAM Summer picnic, Christmas party, Van Gogh museum tour, as well as Escape Room, Games Night, Dining Out, and Unplugged ongoing events. We are also soon updating RAM’s By-Laws, so let us know if you are interested to participate. And if so inclined, please also consider switching your RAM monthly newsletter receipt from the physical to the electronic version, if applicable (see instructions sent via email and in the February newsletter). Cost savings from this small change frees up a large sum of money that can be re-allocated to producing even more events for you. NOTE: it is perfectly fine if you wish to continue to receive the physical copy. As well, please consider volunteering. It is an incredibly rewarding experience! With volunteers like you, we host events, a website, a Facebook site, a newsletter, and more for you to meet Mensans like you and enjoy all things intellectual. Here is a list of currently open positions:
Your experience in Mensa is what you make it. Increase what you get out of RAM by increasing what you put into RAM. Thank you. Hope to see you soon! Cheers, Andy President, Richmond Area Mensa In 2024, RAM members attended the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. It was a fantastic time! We even hoped that event sponsors might repeat the exhibition in the future featuring Monet. That is exactly what has happened. To wit, RAM is soon going to also take in Monet: The Immersive Experience! The Monet exhibition is a 360-degree digital art showing in Richmond that invites you to step into the world of the French painter Claude Monet, one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the nineteenth century. This captivating experience, a previous winner of USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Award, is brought to you by the organizers of a collection of widely successful exhibitions present in cities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. We’ll meet at 4pm on Saturday, February 28 at 12151 West Broad Street, Henrico, VA 23233. We’ll all then go out for dinner afterward, though each person pays their own way for dinner (NOTE: RAM will purchase various appetizers for the tables). RAM will subsidize a ticket for each of the first 15 RAM members who RSVP with Mensa #. You can also bring guests, if desired, but guest tickets are NOT subsidized and should be purchased separately at https://feverup.com/m/471068. Prices for non-refundable tickets are about $37/adult, $31/senior (65+)/student (13-26), and $22/child (4-12). RSVP is required. Please see recent emails or our February newsletter for instructions. Deadline for subsidized tickets is February 15. See you soon IN the paintings of Monet  Photograph by Exhibition Hub. Registration is open for American Mensa’s 2026 AG, July 1–5, in Fort Worth! Set your compass for five unforgettable days of connection, curiosity, and clever conversation. With new programs, classic favorites, and the kind of company that makes every session a highlight, this is the can’t-miss destination for the intellectually adventurous. Enjoy Hospitality, Games and Tournaments, Meet-and-Greets, Spark! for youth, the Gala Dinner, and more. Arrive early to catch the Mensa Foundation Colloquium (June 30): “Brain Health Across the Lifespan,” exploring how to protect and strengthen brain health from before birth through late life, including practical steps and research into actions people can use at home, in classrooms, and in clinics. So plot your path, pack your curiosity, and get ready to explore brilliance from every direction. Register now and let the wandering begin! https://ag.us.mensa.org Dress up your intellect and your appetite. At the AG 2026 Gala Dinner in Fort Worth, enjoy an evening of great food and even better conversation with Monica Lewinsky — activist, writer, producer, and host of Reclaiming Monica Lewinsky. In a moderated discussion, she'll explore identity, resilience, and compassion in a culture shaped by public scrutiny and digital life. The July 2 Gala Dinner is a ticketed event. Learn more and purchase tickets now. Then make AG 2026 unmistakably yours. Step onstage by leading a workshop, hosting a Meet-and-Greet, running a tournament, or sharing that brilliant obsession you've been fine-tuning.  Richmond Area Mensa member Bill Lemmond brings wit, charm, and a unique perspective via his webcomic, Pizza from Scratch. Blending clever humor with thoughtful observations, each strip serves up a fresh slice of life, from the delightfully absurd to the intellectually curious. Check it out at pizzafromscratch.net and support one of our own!     On June 14, a group of Mensans descended on Basilico New York Deli, in Fredericksburg. The conversations flowed across many topics, including members' travels to Alaska, Amsterdam and Japan, cybersecurity, how to learn biblical Hebrew and Greek, how to turn freelance work into viable businesses, how to handle reptiles without getting injured or freaking out, and how to raise children, just to name a few. The group also discussed the recent ballot received from AMC - members had wanted to discuss this to get a better handle on it before deciding how to vote. Basilico is known for their Italian deli foods like salads, pastas, soups & stews, panini, pizzas... not to mention an impressive variety of pastries and gelato. The feedback on the food was very positive - the consensus was that Basilico was great. Watch the newsletter, the Facebook group and your email to see details of the next Fredericksburg event (likely to take place in September) and the activities of the Dining Out group. And let us know if you have ideas for what to do next!  RSVP by December 15 for the Richmond Area Mensa Holiday Party. Places are limited. Join us for good food and holiday cheer at the Grapevine!
Good food, good company: Choices at Buffet:
Dinner includes a Garden salad w/ Greek option, Soft drinks, Iced Tea, Coffee, & Chef Michael’s famous homemade rolls. There will be a cash bar available. How to register: RSVP to Andy White at [email protected] with number attending as soon as possible. Please provide your Mensa membership number. The room's capacity is 20-25, so places are limited. Deadline to RSVP is December 15.  Get your booking fingers ready, because registration is open for some of US Mensa's hottest events.
2025 Mensa Annual Gathering - Chicago - July 2-6, 2025 The Colloquium is on Tuesday, July 1 with the AG running from the 2nd through the 6th. The first rate increase for registration was at the end of November. Hotel is the Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Avenue.
MIND GAMES – Portland, OR - April 24-27, 2025 Registration for MIND GAMES® 2025 opened on Oct. 15! The initial registration period was for current Mensa members only. Beginning Oct 22, any registered Mensa member may also register a guest (limit one guest per member) until the cap of 40 total nonmember guests is reached. Spaces for members and guests fill-up very quickly. Venue is the DoubleTree by Hilton Portland.
BLAST!, the Northern New Jersey Regional Gathering – January 17-19, 2025 The 3rd Annual BLAST! RG will be held at the SpringHill Suites in Newark, N.J., Jan. 17-19, 2025, and will feature games, speakers, and special activities specifically for MENSAns. Registration includes all meals between Friday evening and Sunday morning, with snacks and drinks available in Hospitality throughout the weekend. As in previous years, we also have RG add-ons, including wine tasting and whisky tasting events, available on a first come, first serve basis.
— The BLAST! Team About 24 people from RAM and related guests toured the Van Gogh Immersive Experience on November 2. The exhibit is an ongoing 360 degree digital art showing in Richmond, which invites you to step into the universe of the Dutch genius, Vincent van Gogh. The captivating experience – a previous winner of USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Award – is presented by the organizers of a collection of widely successful exhibitions present in cities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. It was well worth the price of admission, which in the case of RAM members plus up to one guest this time around, was free. Dinner afterward at Genghis Grill was pro bono for all, too. It was a tremendously good time learning about Van Gogh’s history, taking in his paintings, and enjoying the modern creative use of A/V to bring art to life. Highly recommended to everyone, if you have not yet seen it for yourself. Most rewarding, members who are both active and some who had not attended any RAM events in about 15 years, thoroughly enjoyed the art/history and great conversation afterward. Aidan also freely handed out his 3D-sculpted Christmas figurines. Andy even learned about Triple Nine Society. Check those out! As for we mere Mensans (and guests) though, common sentiments were “truly great time” and “let’s get together for Game Night.” [next game night is Saturday 23 November - Ed] |
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