MEME-2 Report

Dear friends

I want to inform you about MEME-2 (Mensa of East and Middle Europe) meeting held in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 29th-30th 1999.

MEME is a meeting of Mensa heads of east and middle Europe. First was held in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, in 1994. This was a second one. With financialy support of Mensa International and Ed Vincent, ExDir, MEME meetings, we hope, will continue to be held every 5 years.

Attendance and proxies were:
1. Ms Annette Kunz, MIL Director of Development
2. Mr George Chavdarov, MIL Director of Administration
3. Mr Rudolf Challupner, Mensa Austria, Chairman
4. Ms Rossy Alexieva, Mensa Bulgaria, Chairwoman and Organizer
5. Mr Branko xxxxx, Mensa Croatia, Vice-Chairman
5. Mr Jirka Belohlavek, Mensa Czech Republic, Chairman
6. Mr Carl-Christian Dressel, Mensa Germany, Chairman
7. Ms Edyta Zagorowicz, Mensa Poland, Secretary
8. Mr Vladimir Kovar, Mensa Slovak Republic, Chairman
9. Ms Ivana Filipovic, Mensa Yugoslavia, Vice-Chairwoman

Also in attendance:
10. Mr Vaclav Fortik, Mensa Czech Republic
11. Ms Sanja Drakulovic, Mensa Yugoslavia
12. Mr Petar Pandilov, Macedonia, Mensan
13. Mr Oktay Ahmed, Direct Member of MI, (Chairman of unsuccessful Mensa Macedonia)

First day, May 28, 1999, Friday, after the arrival and accomodation of participants, there was ICE BREAKING PARTY at the office of Mensa Bulgaria, at 6:30pm. Excluding the two Yugoslavian girls from Belgrade (because of NATO bombings of Belgrade), all the others were there. We had wonderful party with music and many fun. There were two Members of Bulgarian Parliament, both Mensans. Mr Sasho Stoyanov, MP, was with us for hours, while the other (I forgot his name) came to say hello and take photos. Ms Rossy Alexieva, the Chairwoman of Mensa Bulgaria, told us that they have 8 Mensans in their Parliament.

After the intervention of Bulgarian officials, the two Yugoslavian girls entered Bulgaria and arrived to Sofia Saturday at 6am.

The second day, May 29, 1999, Saturday, at 9am started the official meeting at the Conference Hall, PLISKA Hotel. From 9am to 11am there were 7-minute presentations of the national representatives. Every speech had two parts: history and development of different Mensa chapters, and special initiatives (for example, Gifted Children's Programmes, etc). After each speech, there were discussions about specific problems and possible solutions; how can individual Mensa chapters co-operate?; how can Mensa International help?, etc.

After 30 minute coffee break, the second session started with work. From 11.30am to 1.30pm Mr Carl-Christian Dressel, the Chairman of Mensa Germany (Mensa in Deutschland, MinD), had presentation and workshop of Mensa Germany and discussions. His very interesting multi-medial speech was on structure and organization of Mensa in Germany. Shortly, the presentation was something like this:
1. History of Mensa in Germany
a) Re-Foundation of Mensa in 1979 - Background Information
b) Membership Figures 1979-1999
2. Different Structures of Organization since MinD's Foundation
a) Start: Office Staffed with One Volunteer Non-paid M; Three Board Members; Appointees
b) 1991: New Office (paid one-M-staff); Some Tasks done by Volunteer Ms
c) 1992: Five Board Members; More Tasks done by Volunteer Ms
d) 1997: New Office (One Paid, Self-employed Non-M); Trying to Re-Centralize some Tasks
3. Today's Structure
4. Problems in Developing (former) Eastern Germany
a) No Interest in Mensa - Different Problems
b) Mensa in Berlin
c) Reaching Out into Territories close to the former Border
d) Ags 2000, 2001 in former Eastern Germany
5. What can Mensa Germany offer to other European Mensa Groups?
a) Public Relations and Marketing
b) MensaMate, etc.

We had many questions. Every question was answered very carefuly by Mr Carl-Christian Dressel.

After this interesting presentation, Ms Annette Kunz, MIL Director of Development had short speech on SIGs, as an important part of Mensa. Discussions were very interesting about the development of more SIGs.

Then we had one-hour lunch break. Sanja Drakulovic, the Yugoslavian girl, had unofficial mini piano concert, and, of course, fun.

MEME-2 participants at 3pm had 60 minutes press conference. All TV stations and major newspaper and magazines had their journalists there. Firstly, they were interested in the future of Mensa and programmes for gifted children.

At 6pm, Mensa Bulgaria gave a cocktail at Atrium Bar, Pliska Hotel. Personaly I had many interesting official conversations with others about the developing of Mensa on the region, help, co-operation, concrete projects, etc. They gave me many advices about re-founding Mensa in Macedonia. I heard their experiences. I realized that with some countries we in Macedonia had the same problems with the authorities.

Sanja, beautiful Yugoslavian Mensan, once again had unofficial mini piano concert for us, who wanted more fun.

At 10pm we went to BOOGIE Bar, near the Pliska Hotel, where a Bulgarian rock and blues band had live fun. We had very good time there.

The third day, May 30, 1999, Sunday, we gathered at 10am and went to Bulgarian Parliament (National Assembly of Bulgaria). Our hosts, members of Mensa Bulgaria, introduced us their Parliament. We took many pix. Then, was a visit to the most famous monument of Sofia: the (Eastern Orthodox) Churh of Alexandar Nevsky. So, the sightseeing of Sofia continued.

My friend Petar Pandilov and I, had a bus at 5pm to Skopje. Many others left us before this. Once again, we sad OK to MEME-3. We hope that MIL will continue to support these gatherings.

I must here to say that our hosts, members of Mensa Bulgaria, were excellent organizers and friends. They helped us every time we needed it. My friend Petar and mine host, Mr Vesselin Houbanov, was an excellent guy, with good sense of humor, well known businessman in Sofia. He worked as University Profesor, was Director of many famous companies, few years worked and lived in USA, etc. He was always with us and we used his Renault 21 as a taxi: to go everywhere. Everything was absolutely free.

Even our countries are, more or less, enemies to each other, we, Mensans from ex-Yugoslavia, Branko from Croatia, Ivana and Sanja from Yugoslavia, and Petar and me from Macedonia had very good time together. This is Mensa! I am proud of beeing Mensan!

I must to say that three days we had contacts just with Mensans. The only contact with "regular people" was with waiters in the hotel.

Bulgaria is country with too much police control on the roads. I was positively surprised when saw that their policemen knows Mensa. Every time we had a problem, they helped us just because we were Mensans.

I took some pix from this meeting. I plan to publish them on the web. Of course, I'll inform you when I'll do this.

Today is Saturday, June 5, 1999. I was out with my friends, just to drink our coffee (or beer). I was surprised when a very pretty girld came to our table. She was Ivana Filipovic, Vice-Chairwoman of Mensa Yugoslavia. I met her in Sofia. She is still out of the borders of Yugoslavia. She said that she will wait for peace and stop of NATO air strikes, and after that, she'll return to Belgrade. She said that she don't want to live under bombs, without electricity, water, telephone, Internet, food, etc. She have some friends here and tonight she'll go to Ohrid, a city near lake, the best Macedonian tourist center. She'll have some rest and on Monday she'll return to Skopje. She said that she'll call me on Monday, just to meet each others and to drink somethink. The other Yugoslavian girl, Sanja, is still in Sofia.

That's all.

Best,
Oktay Ahmed, a Mensan from Macedonia

June 5, 1999

Skopje, Macedonia