The Quest for an Effective Chairman in 1997

Candidate: Sander Rubin

History: On Local Group Support & Good Politics

Isn't it a shame that the AMC Chairman doesn't run against his real opponent instead of against a false image of his own (and his associates') devising? Can't Mensa conduct its politics on a level worthy of its most intelligent members rather than that of misrepresentation and spin? Here's an example of the quality of our leadership's standards of integrity quoted in full directly from the CompuServe forum:

	From: Dave Remine, 72203,3022 To: Bob Beatty, 74777,152 Topic: postings Msg #812635, reply to #812596 Section: Inside Mensa [14] Forum: Mensa Date: Wed, Apr 9, 1997, 8:48:25 AM
Quoting Robert Beatty	>Based on my personal dealings with Sander since 1989, a Sander Rubin administration would make any problems and disagreements we've seen over the past eight years seem like kid's play.<
The false allegation	Having actually served on an AMC chaired by Sander (I was National Services Officer 71-73) I could not agree more. His turnaround, as reported here by his campaign manager, on money for local groups is amazing. I remember him at a 1970 AMC meeting saying, "all the local groups do is whine for more money, we could never give them enough. We should give some money to the RVCs and let them decide who gets it." I wish I had saved all the minutes of those meetings but then they have been preserved in the office should someone need to refresh his memory regards his position on topics now popular politically. His previous positions on these hot topics seems to have undergone a major change since he last stated them. Could it be in an attempt to be popular? Let's make sure history does not get totally rewritten.
Speaking for others without permission	Don't like Remine's opinion of an AMC chaired by Sander? Others still around from that AMC are: Lya Korda, Stu Friedman, Art Gardner, Jim Sprague, Alan Truelove, Stan Bercovitch, and Gabe Werba. And if you are tuned in many of those folks aren't exactly rabid supporters of Remine. If you wish to find any of them to ask and have trouble locating them let me know and I will supply addresses. They all worked with Sander while he was Chairman so have real facts about his style that they may care to share with you.

Yes, we'd better not rewrite history. There has been no "turnaround." I was the person who initiated national support to local groups with the newsletter subsidy -- which is still in effect. I have always recognized a need for national and local bodies to support one another -- and still do. Mr. Remine was evidently not paying close attention during that meeting. In fact, I laid out a well-thought-out plan based on the following considerations:

Mensa was not then a wealthy organization, existing hand to mouth; resources had to be husbanded.
Local groups were differently situated; some (principally the smaller ones) needed more resources to grow, others were prosperous and informed us that they did not need more funds from national.
The RVCs had few line responsibilities.
AMC was spending too much time quibbling over small issues that could be disposed of by RVCs if they were given resources.
The RVCs were well-situated to make decisions about the needs of the local groups with which they dealt.

At that point, Mr. Remine objected that RVCs would use their allocations as "slush funds." I then made the following points:

There was no a priori reason for distrusting the RVCs.
RVCs should be responsible to those who elected them, not to the AMC; if their constituents didn't like the way they were distributing their discretionary funds they could vote them out of office.
The funds were to be spent in the interests of the members and groups within the respective regions and would accounted for after the fact.
It is bad policy to write rules on the basis of what a bad apple might do. One treats the bad guys as individual exceptions rather than hamper the constructive majority.

My arguments prevailed. AMC adopted the RVC discretionary funds plan. It has worked well for many years and has not been rescinded. I have not had to change my views; I support local groups as I always have. There has been no "turnaround."

"Let's make sure history does not get totally rewritten," and let's not elect leaders who try to do so.

Art Gardner

"I object to Dave Remine using my name to imply that I in any way
disapprove of Sander Rubin or his "style" or suitability for the AMC
Chairmanship.  I was AMC Treasurer under Sander, and as far as I'm
concerned he did an effective job. I have no hesitation in saying he is
competent, capable, and honest.  He ran a tighter ship than others, it
is true, but that worked to the benefit of the Society.  - Art Gardner"
(Art does not have email, but can be reached at (215) 934-5600.)

Created: 11 Apr 97
Revised:28 Apr 97