Standing Orders of the Executive Committeeas of March 14, 2014
(Note: U.S. Mensa uses the phrase “Actions Still In Effect” [ASIE’s])
81-01 05/04/81 as amended 04/06/87: The minutes of the previous Executive Committee meeting will accompany the mailed notice of the next scheduled Executive Committee meetingas amended 09/15/2012: The minutes of the previous Executive Committee meeting will be emailed at least five days prior to the next scheduled Executive Committee meeting[cwp1].
81-02 05/04/81: The fiscal year for Southeast Michigan Mensa will begin on May 1 and end on April 30.
81-03 05/04/81 as amended 05/30/87: Mileage reimbursements will equal the current IRS allowanceas amended 09/15/2012: SEMM does not reimburse for mileage[cwp2].
81-04 05/04/81 as amended 05/30/87: Checks will be issued only after receipt of a "Cash Control Form."
81-05 05/04/81 as amended 01/07/87:Complimentary copies of M-Pathy shall be mailed to the Canadian Mensa national Newsletter Editor and the LocSec and Editor of the Windsor, Ontario chapter.[cwp3]
81-06 06/07/81 as amended 11/16/98: S.E.M.M. will invite Monthly Gathering speakers to a repast after the meeting, paying the expenses incurred.
82-01 01/08/82 as amended 04/06/87: Perishable food items remaining at the end of Special Events will be distributed by the Special Events chairperson in the following sequence:
Sold or auctioned off.
Distributed to event committee members.
Distributed to event attendees.
Non-perishable items will be held for subsequent S.E.M.M. functions.
82-02 02/07/82 as amended 04/06/87: S.E.M.M. will be Proctor of Record on all proctored tests in the S.E.M.M. area.
82-03 03/02/82 as amended 05/30/87: The following Special Interest Group (SIG) procedures will be adopted:
SIGs may be started by any member.
A SIG cannot be started having the same name as a SIG already in existence. Anyone wanting to start a SIG similar to one already in existence should contact that SIG's coordinator as a courtesy.
Any member is welcome at a SIG, except that at one's home the host may bar the admittance of any other member.
82-04 03/02/82 as amended 8/20/94: Any audit or finance report shall not be disseminated to the general membership in any form until such time as it is reported to a regular S.E.M.M. business meeting.
82-08 05/10/82 as amended 01/07/87: M-Pathy advertising rates shall be set by the Editor with approval of the ExComm.
82-10 09/09/82 as amended 11/16/98: During Monthly Gatherings, smoking is restricted to areas outside the room where the Monthly Gathering is held. Signs will be displayed indicating that smoking is restrictedas amended 09/15/2012: In compliance with Michigan law, smoking is prohibited at the Monthly Gathering. If permitted by the meeting facility, smoking may be permitted outside the facility.[cwp4]
83-03 06/16/83 as amended 04/06/87: The President, Vice-President, and Treasurer are the authorized signatories on S.E.M.M.'s chapter bank account.
83-05 10/08/83 as amended 05/30/87:The outgoing President will present a gavel to the incoming President, with nameplate detailing the office and dates of service.[cwp5]
83-06 10/08/83 as amended 11/21/9809/15/2012: Each new member will receive from the Membership Officer a certificate allowing free attendance at a Monthly Gathering[cwp6] or $2.00 off admission to another S.E.M.M. event.
83-07 11/10/83: S.E.M.M. will not restrict in any way the scheduling of events on the calendar.
84-01 01/27/84 as amended 05/30/87: Paid advertisements will be accepted for M-Pathy on a first come, first served basis within the Second Class postal regulations, as long as they are adequately labeled as such. The Editor has the right to reject any ad.
84-02 01/27/84: The ExComm will not endorse any candidate for any office, in any arena.
84-03 03/14/84 as amended 11/16/98: Candidates for the "Order of the Golden Owl" award should meet the following criteria:
Have a continuing and abiding interest in the good and welfare of Mensa in general and Southeast Michigan Mensa in particular.
Have been an active local or national officer or activities chair serving with distinction for a minimum of three (3) years, or performed some other activity of a singularly distinctive and significant nature benefiting Southeast Michigan Mensa.
Be past or present members in good standing of Southeast Michigan Mensa.
Candidates may be proposed to receive membership in the "Order of the Golden Owl" by any member in good standing:
A short biography listing the candidate's accomplishments shall be submitted for review by the Executive Committee no later than the March ExComm meeting.
Candidates' names and biographies must be submitted to the secretary, who shall prepare ballots of the candidates.
Candidate selection shall be by secret ballot.
Each candidate must receive a majority of votes of those present in favor of his or her membership to be selected; proxy ballots will be accepted from ExComm members.
Those candidates selected shall be notified in writing by the Local Secretary of the award and when presentation is scheduled to be made; normally the award shall be presented at the Regional Gathering or, if this is not possible, at the next appropriate Monthly Gathering.
[cwp7]
84-05 07/15/84 as amended 05/30/87 and 06/15/13: The Regional Gatheringwill take place between April 16th and May 15th, if possible.
85-01 06/05/85 as amended 11/16/98: Monthly Gathering tickets will be sold in discount packages. The ticket shall contain a statement to the effect that they are only for the use of members.
86-02 04/08/86 as amended 09/16/2000 as amended 11/16/98: Effective January 1, 1988, members aged 14 years and over will be charged $2 at the Monthly Gathering. Guests aged 14 years and over will be charged $3 at the Monthly Gathering. Members and non-members under 14 years of age will be charged $1 at the Monthly Gathering. Effective January 1, 2001, members aged 14 years and over will be charged $3 at the Monthly Gathering. Guests aged 14 years and over will be charged $4 at the Monthly Gathering. Members and non-members under 14 years of age will be charged $2 at the Monthly Gathering.as amended 09/15/2012: Effective January 1, 2013, Monthly Gathering admission rates will be as follows:
Members aged 14 years and over - $5.00
Guests aged 14 years and over - $7.00
Members and non-members under 14 years of age - $4.00.
Members may purchase discounted admission tickets at the price of $20 for a strip of five tickets.
Members will be given free admission to the next Monthly Gathering following their birthday[cwp8].
87-02 05/30/87: Anyone sponsoring a Calendar event will make certain that at least one member is at the event site to greet other members as they arrive.
87-03 05/30/87: S.E.M.M. will strive to use gender neutral language throughout all official S.E.M.M. documents, including the Standing Orders.
87-04 07/18/87: S.E.M.M.'s RG shall be budgeted to at least "break even" financially. If a deficit appears likely, it will be reported to the ExComm promptly.
87-05 07/18/87: Bank account(s) distinct from chapter bank account(s) shall be maintained for the RG. Signatories on RG account(s) shall include the RG Chairman, RG Treasurer, and S.E.M.M. LocSec (or official designee).
87-06 07/18/87: The RG Chairman shall personally report to the ExComm periodically throughout the year, with increasing frequency during the last quarter before the RG. These reports shall include, but not be limited to, major changes from traditional S.E.M.M. RG practices.
87-07 07/18/87: The ExComm reserves the right to overrule, by a 2/3 majority, any decision of the RG committee.
87-08 07/18/87: The chapter and RG financial records shall be maintained in a way which allows easy audit review. They shall be audited no less frequently than yearly, and at each change of each Treasurer, by the S.E.M.M. Audit committee.
87-10 08/23/87 as amended 11/16/98: All non-RG, non-routine expenses for amounts greater than $100 [cwp9]shall require ExComm approval. The following expenses are considered routine: Monthly Gathering room, M-Pathy printer, M-Pathy mailer, M-Pathy supplies, U.S. Post Office, Web site expenses, and telephone bills for all official S.E.M.M. phones.
87-11 08/23/87 as amended 12/7/9909/15/2012: Attendance at S.E.M.M. events is limited to current Mensa members and their accompanied guests. However, unaccompanied visitors are welcome at public S.E.M.M. events (those events posted on the calendar page of the S.E.M.M. web site)[cwp10]. Non-members who show evidence of pending application for membership in Mensa may attend non-public S.E.M.M. events. Non-public events include the Winter Bash, SEMMantics,, and the SEMMer Bash and events held in members’ homes (subject to host’s approval)[cwp11].
88-02 09/09/88: Non-Mensa members may not subscribe to M-Pathy.
88-03 12/02/88 as amended 4/19/97: S.E.M.M. will have a scholarship program, defined as follows:
Participation is open without restriction except geographic: The applicant's home address must be in the S.E.M.M. area.
Judging will be blind.
Awards are to be based on an essay, not more than 550 words in length, regarding the use to which the money will be put.
Within financial bounds, scholarships may be provided for youth enrichment and/or post secondary education. The distribution between "youth" and "adult" awards, size, and number of awards is to be determined each year by a vote of the ExComm upon recommendation of the Scholarship Chair.
"Youth" scholarships are to be used by pre-college level youth for attendance at a gifted or enrichment program.
"Adult" scholarships will follow the rules of the National Scholarship program.
Administrative matters will be recommended by the Scholarship Chair to the LocSec and ExComm for approval.
89-02 11/16/98: The S.E.M.M. Monthly Gathering shall be held on the third Saturday of months in which it is held, subject to the discretion of the ExComm.
92-01 02/15/92: The ExComm directs the Editor to set the M-Pathy subscription rate for Mensans who are not members of S.E.M.M. at twice the then-current member rate set by American Mensa, Ltd.
95-01 05/20/95: The editor shall comply with ASIEs from the American Mensa Committee. The ExComm encourages the editor to follow the Model Editorial Policy and the M Editor's Ten Commandments contained in the Editor's Handbook. The ExComm directs that the following statement be published in a conspicuous location in each issue of M-Pathy:
"Mensa, as a group, holds no opinion on any subject. Its members do. All opinions expressed in M-Pathy are those of the individual authors. The editor will consider for publication all materials submitted. Anonymous material will not be printed, but names will be withheld upon request. Nothing that is, in the editor's opinion, libelous, obscene or a personal attack, will be published. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission for length or clarity. Other Mensa publications are granted permission to reprint any material that does not contain a copyright notice. Attribution to M-Pathy and the author are required. A courtesy copy to the M-Pathy editor is requested."[cwp12]
95-02 08/19/95: Each event's chairperson shall submit a financial statement to the treasurer after the event. The statement shall list all revenues and expenses by category, and shall include attendance figures broken down by advance and at-event registrations.
95-03 08/19/95: All expenses for an event shall be submitted to the treasurer for reimbursement by the event's chairperson.
96-01 03/16/96: Southeast Michigan Mensa Dues Subsidy Policy
Southeast Michigan Mensa (S.E.M.M.) may provide a dues subsidy to members in good standing who can demonstrate a need for such a subsidy.
The amount of each subsidy will be determined individually by S.E.M.M.'s Dues Subsidy Administrator (DSA), based on his or her determination of the applicant's need, but will not exceed 75% of the applicant's annual dues payable to American Mensa, Ltd. (AML). The S.E.M.M. budget for the Dues Subsidy Program will be $500 per AML dues year [cwp13]unless changed by S.E.M.M.'s Executive Committee.
Every dues subsidy awarded will be considered a one-time award, and must be re-applied for each AML dues year should the need for a subsidy continue.
Every applicant receiving a dues subsidy agrees to volunteer his or her services to S.E.M.M. on a reasonable basis.
Determination of whether an individual or family qualifies for a dues subsidy, and the amount of that subsidy will be made by the DSA, based on the information provided by the applicant. The DSA may ask the applicant to provide additional documentation to prove need. An applicant may appeal any decision of the DSA to the Local Secretary, whose decision will be final.
The DSA will be an appointed position, subject to the same appointment and removal policies as any other appointed position. Great care should be taken in the selection of this individual; the DSA's impartiality, discretion, judgment, and integrity should be well-known and unquestioned. The DSA will not be eligible for any elected position, or any position directly appointed by the Executive Committee, for the current officer term. The DSA must agree to have his or her address printed in the Appointed Officers section of M-Pathy.
The DSA will keep the identities of all dues subsidy applicants and all dues subsidy recipients strictly confidential. At no time will the DSA make the amount of any dues subsidy known to anyone other than the recipient.
Any member in good standing may apply for a dues subsidy by writing to the DSA at least six weeks prior to the final due date for the payment of dues to AML. The correspondence should explain the applicant's need for a subsidy, the amount of the subsidy being requested, and the applicant's history of service to S.E.M.M. if any. Requests will be considered on a first come, first served basis until such time as the dues subsidy budget is exhausted.
The DSA will respond to every applicant, in writing, within two weeks of receiving the request. This response will be an approval, a denial, or a request for more information; if an approval, it will indicate the amount of the subsidy awarded. Each applicant receiving a subsidy will be required to send a check, made out to American Mensa, Ltd., to the DSA for the difference between the subsidy and the applicant's AML dues, along with any required AML paperwork. The DSA will then request a check from S.E.M.M.'s Treasurer to cover the remainder of the applicant's dues, i.e. the amount of the subsidy, and send all necessary material to AML.
The Treasurer will be authorized by the approval of this policy to write checks, payable to American Mensa, Ltd., for amounts requested by the DSA, not to exceed the dues subsidy budget. These expenses will not require pre-approval by the Local Secretary.
An article will be placed in the January and February issues of M-Pathy briefly explaining the dues subsidy policy and informing members how to apply.
97-01 5/17/97: In the S.E.M.M. bylaws, any reference to ‘mail’ relating to the Executive Committee agenda and minutes shall be interpreted to include electronic mail.
97-02 6/21/97: In honor of their many years of service to Southeast Michigan Mensa, the Executive Committee officially names S.E.M.M.’s local scholarship program the Mernie and Phelps Hines Scholarship Program.
98-01 11/16/98: The name of the "General Meeting" is changed to "Monthly Gathering," including in all previous Standing Orders.
99-01 6/19/99: “The purpose of SEMM is to provide opportunity for intellectual and social belonging and networking amongst diverse people.”
00-01 2/19/00 as amended 09/15/2012: Subgroup ZIP Codes:
To define the following subgroups of Southeast Michigan Mensa:
Northeast Michigan Mensa goes from north of the metro Detroit area to just south of Alpena, and is defined by ZIP Codes 48400 to 48799.
Ann Arbor Area goes from Plymouth/Canton west past Ann Arbor and north to (roughly) 1-96, and is expressed by ZIP Codes: 48103-48109, 48111-, 48114, 48115, 48116[cwp14], 48118,48130, 48137, 48139, 48143, 48158, 48160, 48167, 48169, 48170, 48175, 48176, 48178, 48187-48191, and 48197-48198.
00-02 2/19/00: Upon request, S.E.M.M. will provide up to $25.00 upon the death of any current officer, past LocSec, or member of their immediate family (parent, spouse or child). This donation will be disbursed according to the wishes of the member or family, with priority given to donations to charitable organizations and highest priority given to requests for donations to Mensa-related charities (e.g., MERF).[cwp15]
12-01 01/14/12: M-Pathy Ad Placement Rates and Guidelines;
Last updated by Kathleen Giesting on 1/14/2012.
Part 1 of 6: M-Pathy is published monthly for members of Southeast Michigan Mensa which has approximately one thousand members. It is a members-only publication.
M-Pathy is distributed in print (black & white) to those members who opt for postal distribution. All others receive the (color) newsletter via an email link to a .pdf that is also available to all other members of American Mensa via the American Mensa website.
In preparing advertising copy, please take into account how your ad will reproduce in black and white.
The types of ads available and placement in M-Pathy are covered below. In general, ads will be placed near related articles, e.g. an ad aimed at parents of gifted children would be placed near our regular Gifted Children’s Coordinator’s column. Final ad placement is at the discretion of the editor(s).
Rates are shown below in Part 6 of 6, along with ordering instructions.
Please direct any questions you may have about these guidelines to .
Part 2 of 6: Full Page ads are 6” x 9.” NOTE: All pages have 1” margins all around + 1/2” gutter.
Ads of any size may be placed on any internal pages, after page 4, excluding the 2nd last page (inside back cover). There must be 1/4" minimum between ads.
Part 3 of 6: Half Page ads are EITHER 2.75” x 9” -- Half Page vertical ads will only run on the right hand side of an odd-numbered page; OR 6” x 4.25” -- Half Page horizontal ads will only run on the bottom half of a page.
Part 4 of 6: Quarter Page ads are 2.75” X 4.25.” Quarter Page ads will only run on the bottom half of a page.
Part 5 of 6: Business Card ads are 2.5” x 4.” Business Card ads will only run on the bottom quarter of a page. Generally, we will run no more than 2 ads on the same page.
Part 6 of 6: Advertising Rates: M-Pathy accepts prepaid ads from members and non-members. Ads should be sent digitally in .jpeg format to . Copy and payment must be received no later than the first of the month preceding the target issue, e.g. March 1 for the April issue. Payment can be made via PayPal or via check. Rates are shown in the table below. PayPal rates are lower as less coordination is needed.
Via PayPalVia Check
Rates Members Non-members Members Non-members
Full Page $55 $75 $60 $80
Half Page $30 $42 $40 $50
Quarter Page $16 $22 $20 $25
Business Card $7 $10 $10 $15
If paying via PayPal, go to PayPal.com and click on the “Send Money” tab. Enter email address nd your payment amount. Notein the comments: “For M-Pathy ad to run in mm/yy” or “For M-Pathy ads to run inmm-mm/yy” for an ad to be run multiple months, where mm is the month and yyis the year to run the ad.
If paying by Check, send check, made payable to SEMM, to
M-Pathy Advertising,