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Quarterly, in August, November, February, and May, there is a General Gathering of San Diego Mensa, open to all members, just before the Board meeting (traditionally, 15 minutes before). Our bylaws state its purpose:
"The General Gathering may make motions expressing the sense of the members assembled. Such motions may commend, deplore, and/or recommend. The General Gathering may make motions requesting that the Board of Directors consider specific actions. Should any such motion receive a majority approval, it shall be placed on the Board of Directors' agenda as New Business for its next regular meeting. The General Gathering may vote to recess to a time and place to be determined by those members present. The time and place at which the General Gathering is to reconvene shall, if publication schedule allows, be announced in the Mensan. The Chair shall notify the editor within 24 hours of recessing of the time and place of reconvening."
A "General Gathering" is not the same as a "Regional Gathering"; it is a watchdog mechanism by which the membership at large can lean on a runaway Board. In the much more common situation in which the Board has not run away, the General Gathering will be very short—maybe 10 seconds. If folks are feeling sociable and there is a fresh pot of coffee—maybe 10 minutes.
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