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.
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
| Event | What It Is | Why You Might Attend |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Gathering (RG) | A weekend-long event hosted by a local Mensa group, typically featuring hospitality, speakers, games, activities, and social events. | Meet large numbers of Mensans, enjoy a variety of activities, and experience one of Mensa's signature social events. |
| Other Regional Gatherings | Regional Gatherings hosted by other local groups throughout the year. Many Mensans travel to attend larger gatherings around the country. | Explore different Mensa communities, visit new places, and meet members from outside your local area. |
| Annual Gathering (AG) | American Mensa's national convention, held in a different city each year during the summer. | Attend the largest Mensa event of the year, featuring hundreds of programs, speakers, games, social activities, and members from across the country. |
| Mind Games® | An annual event where Mensans evaluate newly released tabletop games from publishers and help select the Mensa Select® winners. | Play dozens of new games, provide feedback, and help identify outstanding games for the public. |
| CultureQuest® | An annual trivia competition in which teams of up to five Mensans compete simultaneously against teams from around the country. | Test your knowledge, work as a team, and enjoy friendly competition with fellow Mensans. |
| Activity | What It Is | Why You Might Try It |
|---|---|---|
| Attend Events | Local groups host a variety of social, cultural, educational, and recreational activities throughout the year. | The easiest and most direct way to meet other Mensans and build friendships. |
| Special Interest Groups (SIGs) | SIGs bring together members who share a common interest. Some focus on discussion, while others organize activities, travel, or events. There are over 140 SIGs covering topics such as games, fitness, entertainment, technology, SCUBA diving, travel, books, art, aviation, music, food and drink, career fields, sports, philosophy, religion, and more. | Connect with people who share your interests, whether casually or through deeper involvement. |
| Volunteer | Members help organize events, support programs, serve as officers, and contribute in many other ways at both the local and national levels. | Meet a large number of members while making a meaningful contribution to the organization. |
| Play Games | Board games, card games, trivia, online games, and other gaming activities are popular throughout Mensa. | A fun, low-pressure way to meet people and interact, especially for members who are more introverted. |
| SIGHT | The Service of Information, Guidance, and Hospitality to Travelers connects Mensans who are traveling with Mensans willing to provide local information, hospitality, or accommodations. | Meet Mensans while traveling and make connections around the country or around the world. |
Communities
| Community | What It Is | Why You Might Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Groups | Approximately 200 Facebook groups are unofficially or semi-officially associated with Mensa, including many local groups and Special Interest Groups (SIGs). | Connect with members who share your interests, participate in discussions, learn about events, and build relationships between in-person gatherings. |
| Mensa Connect | American Mensa's official online discussion platform, available to all members. | Participate in discussions, ask questions, join interest-based groups, connect with members nationwide, and stay informed about Mensa activities. |
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
| Publication | Who It's For | What You'll Find |
|---|---|---|
| Mensa Bulletin | All members | The national magazine of American Mensa, featuring articles, member news, and information about Mensa programs and activities. |
| Local Group Newsletters | Members of local groups | Local events, announcements, volunteer opportunities, and news from your local Mensa community. |
| Mensa Research Journal | Members interested in giftedness and intelligence research | Scholarly articles and recent findings related to intelligence, giftedness, and related fields. |
| Young Mensan Magazine | Young members and their families | YM² is a free quarterly magazine designed to help Young Mensans connect and share their interests. |
| Mensa World Journal | Members interested in the international Mensa community | News and stories from Mensa organizations around the world. |
| Email Newsletters | Members who want regular updates | Periodic newsletters covering Mensa activities, programs, events, and topics of general interest. |
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.