New Member Welcome Materials: Local Group Examples

What is a New Member Packet?

A New Member Packet is a collection of information provided to new members to help them understand their local group, discover opportunities for involvement, and learn how to access Mensa resources.

Packets vary widely from group to group. Some are printed and handed out at events, while others are distributed electronically. They may include welcome letters, event information, newsletters, contact information, volunteer opportunities, explanations of Mensa programs, or guides to using national resources.

The goal is not to overwhelm new members with information, but to help them take the next step in their Mensa journey. A well-designed packet answers common questions, highlights opportunities for engagement, and helps members understand that Mensa offers many ways to participate.

Sample Welcome Packets

The samples below were contributed by local groups and illustrate different approaches used by local groups. Feel free to borrow ideas, adapt content, and create a packet that reflects your group's personality and goals.Groups should adapt their materials to fit their size, culture, resources, and member needs.

Tampa Bay Mensa's Welcome Packet

Hello, this is a publication from Tampa Bay Mensa in response to member requests for information on the various communication methods and sites available to members.  You don’t need to use all of these communication options; any major group information will be sent to you several ways. However, some of these features might enhance your membership experience.

I hope this information is helpful. Keeping our Tampa Bay Mensa members informed and connected is important!

American Mensa Website

American Mensa’s website (https://www.us.mensa.org/) is a good place to start to learn more and connect with other Mensans. This site can be accessed by logging on with your unique member number. After logging in you can navigate to the different parts of the site by selecting options from the drop-down menu pictured below. While I am going to highlight a few uses for this site, I encourage you to get in there and explore as there are many more features than I can detail.

Tab	What's There	Why You Care
Attend	Provides a link to the Events Calendar, including Regional and National events. There is also a filter for virtual events available to attend. This is separate from our local events calendar.	Find events beyond your local group, including virtual opportunities and national gatherings.
Connect	Provides links to Mensa Connect, the member directory, and the Special Interest Group (SIG) listing. SIGs may meet on Mensa Connect, Facebook, or in person. Members may also start new SIGs.	Meet members who share your interests and connect with the broader Mensa community.
Lead	Contains officer reports and tools used by local group leaders and volunteers.	Useful if you serve—or are considering serving—in a leadership role.
Learn	Contains information for new members and resources related to gifted youth.	Learn more about Mensa and explore resources for gifted children and families.
Read	Provides access to local group newsletters and National publications.	Stay informed about events, activities, and topics of interest throughout Mensa.
Recognize	Lists group and individual awards.	See how members and groups are recognized for their contributions and achievements.
Volunteer	Provides information about volunteer opportunities and allows groups to share community projects.	Discover ways to contribute, develop skills, and meet other members.
Shop	Provides access to Mensa merchandise and branded items.	Purchase Mensa-themed apparel, gifts, and other merchandise.
Play	Provides information about games and gaming opportunities within Mensa.	Connect with other members through board games, trivia, online games, and similar activities.
My Mensa	Allows you to update your profile, contact information, and communication preferences. It also includes newsletter delivery options.	Keep your information current and make sure you receive the communications and publications you want.

Mensa Connect

Mensa Connect is a communication platform provided by American Mensa. As such, it is an official site unlike Facebook. Its purpose is to provide space to engage in conversation and share information. Events can be posted here also. There are numerous subgroups called communities.  Current members are automatically enrolled under their local group’s community as well as the general group.  After you sign in to Mensa Connect using your Mensa credentials, you can browse different communities and request to join ones that interest you. Some are private, such as officer communities, but many are not.

There are two ways to sign in to Mensa Connect, either from the American Mensa website under the Connect Tab or through the MemberCentric application. There are more features available using the web-based version versus the app. On the web-based version, you can log in and select the drop down Participate Tab to get information on using Mensa Connect. One big question folks have is how do I receive notices on postings in my communities? You can choose to have notices sent to your email in real time or daily digest, or you can also decline email and check the communities yourself. The tutorial Q and A explains how to post and reply to conversations. There is also a personal email box feature. So if you reply to a sender rather than a group on a chat, it becomes a private conversation. This is another area where just signing in and exploring will be the best way to learn what the site has to offer.

As Tampa Bay Mensa members, it might be of interest to join the Region 10 Mensa Connect group since events and information from other groups in Florida may be of interest.

Facebook

If you are already a Facebook user, then odds are you are already in the Tampa Bay Mensa Facebook group. If you prefer not to use Facebook, no worries. Any important group information will be provided in multiple ways. Besides the Tampa Bay Mensa group there is also a Region 10 group, Tampa Bay Mensa Bookclub group and American Mensa on Facebook. For our Gifted Youth member parents, we also have a new group for their use, Tampa Bay Mensa Gifted Youth.

Tampa Bay Sounding

Our newsletter is now published every two months, on even months. I know folks are used to using this as their main source for information on group events, but I urge you to check our online calendar on our website (tampabaymensa.org) to be informed of the latest event information. As mentioned earlier, if you would like to change to electronic delivery it would reduce printing expenses for our group. When a new edition is published you can have a notice emailed to you that it is available.  To submit an article to the newsletter, contact editor@tampa.us.mensa.org

Local Group Website

To navigate to our local group website use tampabaymensa.org. You can view the event calendar, look up local group officer listings, read the ExComm minutes or link to the newsletter.

Metropolitan Washington Mensa's Welcome Packet

The Dummy’s Guide to Something for Everyone

The purpose of this document is to provide a glimpse of the breadth of offerings that Mensa provides, and to show that there is something for everyone.

Many members regret that they were inactive for their first few years, having joined just to see if they could pass the test, and later realizing they did not know how much Mensa has to offer.

Whether you explore now or later, we hope you realize that there is value for you here: friends and community, things to do, and intellectual stimulation on your own time. The deeper you dive, the more you will discover.

Regularly Scheduled MWM Events

Event	Frequency
New Members Open House	Monthly
Saturday Night Party	Monthly
Young Adults Trivia Night	Weekly
Young Adults Brunch	Monthly
Young Adults Bar Night	Monthly
Gourmensans and other food events	Monthly
Games Nights	Weekly
Nationals Games	Annual
Capitals Games	Annual
Gifted Youth and Teen SIG Activities	Monthly
Movie Screenings	Monthly
Book Club	Monthly
Classical Music Night	Monthly

Recent Unique Activities

• Walking tours and city-wide scavenger hunts
• Lectures and discussions with experts
• Escape rooms
• Wine festivals and winery trips
• Axe throwing
• Fused-glass making class
• Georgetown GLOW
• Pop-up poutine restaurant visit
• Zoo events, including ZooLights and Brew at the Zoo
• Karaoke
• Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Truffle factory tour
• Travel to Las Vegas for a trivia tournament
• Intro to curling class

Key

• W = Weekly
• M = Monthly
• A = Annual
• RS = Regularly scheduled event, but not on a set cadence

National Events

• Regional Gathering (RG) — MWM’s RG takes place each summer and is one of the largest in the country. Regional Gatherings are a great place to meet much of the chapter, with full hospitality, speaker tracks, meet-and-greets, activities, and a games room. This weekend-long event has something for everyone. Book a hotel room; you’re going to want to stay the night.

• Other RGs — Other local groups hold RGs throughout the year. Many Mensans travel to larger ones, such as Snowball in New Jersey or WeeM in Chicago.

• Annual Gathering (AG) — The national gathering for American Mensa. This takes place in the summer and is held in a different city each year.

• Mind Games® — An annual event where Mensans gather for a weekend to play new games being released by game makers, with the chance to judge and provide feedback.

• CultureQuest® — A trivia competition in which teams of up to five Mensans gather simultaneously to compete.

Ways to Get to Know People

• Attend events — There is no better way to meet like-minded people than going to events. This is how many members build their circles of friends within Mensa.

• Special Interest Groups (SIGs) — SIGs offer a wide variety of ways to connect. Some allow members to casually follow a topic of interest and make like-minded friends, while others offer opportunities for deeper involvement, including trips and shared activities.

There are over 140 SIGs covering many topics, including games, fitness, entertainment, technology, SCUBA diving, travel, dating, generational groups, books, art, aviation, music, musicals, health conditions, philosophy, food and drink, career fields, sports, politics, religion, and more.

• Volunteer — Whether you organize a picnic, help at the registration desk at an RG, or assist with the Gifted Youth program, volunteering is one of the best ways to meet Mensans while contributing to the organization.

• Play games — Mensans love playing games, whether board games or online games. Games can be a fun and easy way to meet people, especially for members who are more introverted.

• SIGHT — SIGHT, the Service of Information, Guidance and Hospitality to Travelers, allows Mensans to meet, host, or stay with other Mensans while traveling around the country or the world.

Communities

• Facebook groups — Approximately 200 Facebook groups are unofficially or semi-officially associated with Mensa, including groups for SIGs. These groups can be good places to connect around shared topics, interests, hobbies, and backgrounds.

• Mensa Connect — The official Mensa forums platform.

Ways to Follow MWM and American Mensa

• Benefits and Services — Membership in Mensa provides access to various partner benefits, including discounts on insurance, travel, technology, and more.

• Facebook — Join MWM’s Facebook group, DC Area Young Adult Mensa, and DC Gen X Mensa; and follow MWM’s page as well as American Mensa’s. Groups are private, so only other people in the group can see that you are a member or what you post.

• Make sure you receive emails — On the website, ensure that you allow your local group to contact you by email and that you are opted into messages. We don’t send many emails, we promise.

• Capital M (CapM) — MWM’s monthly newsletter includes the calendar of events and other notices, and is always available online.

Publications

• Mensa Bulletin — The national magazine of American Mensa.
• Local Group Newsletters — Every local group publishes a newsletter, including ours.
• Mensa Research Journal — Publishes recent findings on giftedness and intelligence.
• Young Mensan Magazine — A magazine for our youngest members.
• Mensa World Journal — The membership magazine for Mensa International.
• Email Newsletters — Four different newsletters focusing on the world both inside and outside of Mensa.

Things to Do or Know

• Mensa Foundation — Mensa’s philanthropic arm, offering awards, grants, fellowships, and gifted youth education through Mensa for Kids.

• Mensa verification badge — Although many Mensans are modest about their intelligence and membership in Mensa, some like to show proof that they are members. This digital badge allows members to verify their Mensa membership.