New Members

For our New members, returning members, and transferees

Joining any new group can be intimidating. After the initial joy at finding out you have qualified to join Mensa, receiving your official membership card and finding out which group you will belong to, what do you do next?

• What do you attend?
• How do you meet people?
• Will you be made welcome?
• Do you go back to bed and pull the covers over your head?

The information in this section is designed to help you get to know our group, and make your membership rewarding and enjoyable. We are a very friendly group and we're always excited to meet new members. If you have any questions, hover your cursor over our mascot, Noet Owl, (he tends to snooze a lot). He will wake up and open a window to deliver your questions to one of our Executive Board members.

We were all “the new guy” at one time or another. Welcome home!

Getting Started

You can’t meet anyone if you don’t get up, get dressed, and actually come out to an event. One of the best ways to meet people and get involved is to start by attending one of our regular monthly get-togethers. New Members are always welcome.

Our newsletter, i.e., lists events and activities for our members each month on our calendar pages.

IEM's longest running successful dinner group, Desert Diners, meets at a different restaurant on the third Wednesday of every month in the Coachella Valley. Desert Diners has also added a book discussion and welcomes everyone to join. Details may be found in our newsletter.

Another great way to get involved is to attend one of our monthly Executive Board meetings. Always informal, they are usually held at the home of one of our Board members. Watch the Calendar in i.e. for details. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

To Host or Not To Host

Mensa is an all-volunteer organization. What does that have to do with hosting anything? IE Mensa doesn’t host anything per se; our members do.

Every local event you see on the calendar is being hosted by an individual member or a group of members. Hosting can be a very simple enterprise. Decide what you would like to do, pick a title (Third Thursday Lunch in Murrieta, Bad Movie Monday, etc.), call the editor of the newsletter and have your event posted, and prepare to meet some new friends!

Volunteers don’t have to host at home. You can meet at a restaurant or the local movie theater, take in a play or concert, go hiking or dancing, or even go out to the local pistol range. Think of an activity you like to do, notify the newsletter and invite some local Mensans to join you. It’s that easy. It can be a one-time event or a regular monthly get-together (see SIG information below).

We are actively seeking Area Coordinators to help increase local activities and foster member participation, as our group is spread out over a very large geographical area.

SIGs - Special interest groups

Do you have a hobby, passion, or special interest? Anyone may start their own Special Interest Group, or SIG. IEM needs SIG leaders. Some suggestions include a book group (most Mensans are voracious readers), a writer's group, start a paintball team, a golf group, a car club; the possibilities are endless. Contact our Member at Large with your suggestion for a SIG, and the Executive Board and our newsletter editor will provide you with all the support you need to launch your new SIG.