Believe it or not, I think we’re finally getting the hang of this Theodore Talks thing. In 2024, 2,665 members registered — a 208 percent increase over 2023 — with participants from 118 Local Groups, 49 states, and 10 countries joining us. It’s been our most engaging year yet. Some of you might have even learned something!
From the beginning, we’ve offered Theodore Talks to add more value to your membership. So many Mensans don’t live in large urban areas or are members of an inactive Local Group, and that’s why we keep doing what we do. Thank you for your support, and we hope you can join us this year.
We’ve been asked how we select our topics. Frankly, I’ve given up trying to figure out what people might be interested in. One of the most well-attended talks was on horology — the study of time measurement and time measurement devices — a subject I had never heard of before Shirley brought it to my attention. Your topic suggestions are always welcome.
Of course, none of our growth could have happened without the terrific volunteers who help notify members about upcoming Theodore Talks: Kimberly Strickland, Michael J. Kravec, Steve Welch, Richard Herko, Alan Baltis, Alison Brown, Deborah Bell, Martha Confray, Tim Bentley, Bill Horton, Lily Noonan, and Heidi Conde. We’d also like to thank Curt Krambeck who facilitated funding our Zoom license, the chapter newsletter editors who share the Talks, and the Mensa Bulletin for championing them from the start.