Mommy Letter
Oregon Mensa RG 2008
RG Registration Desk
The Registration Desk will be open:
Fri. 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Outside of these hours, contact the Registrar, Stephen Darnell.
Dress Code (not!)
Several of our programs (such as Juggling) will take place in the Activity Room, so it would be wise to wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing. There will be opportunities to walk or jog along the river as well, so pack accordingly if you’re interested in a little exercise!Some attendees dress up a bit for the Saturday banquet dinner; others wear the same jeans and t-shirts they brought to wear during the rest of the RG. There's no dress code for our RGs, other than that the hotel might get upset if our attendees weren't more or less fully clothed (e.g., shirt *and* slacks, skirts or shorts *and* shoes). Otherwise, do your own thing!
Thursday Dinner
Early arrivals may enjoy a group dinner at a local eatery on Thursday, May 1st. If you’re interested, RSVP to Scott Rainey 503-228-1100 or mensan@1100.us.
Friday Tours
Columbia Gorge Tour:
The tour bus leaves the hotel at 10 am; please arrive early so we can leave on time. You should wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes. Layers are a good idea, as the weather and temperature can be very changeable. The bus is scheduled to return to the hotel in time for the 5:00 pm dinner in Hospitality. A camera and binoculars are also highly recommended.
OMSI tour:
Participants will meet at OMSI at 12:30. You can drive or take a taxi; there is no bus service to OMSI. Carpooling from the hotel is highly recommended. The tour will be inside, but there are good opportunities to enjoy the outdoors as well, so dress accordingly. For more details about OMSI, visit www.omsi.edu.
Icebreaker/Mixer
There will be a “Uniqueness Mixer” which will help everyone get better
acquainted. In preparation, think of something unusual about yourself, which is
honestly true, which you believe will not also be true about any other RG
attendee. It could be something you have done, someone you have met, some
unusual skill, an unusual award, etc. The mixer will involve the sharing of this
information with the other attendees.
First Timers
Meet our genial host Scott Rainey in Hospitality, Friday at 6:15 pm for a quick tour and presentation on how to maximize your enjoyment of this weekend. Questions such as "Where is the free food?", "Where is the free booze?", and "Are all the Mensans labeled?" will be answered, and mysteries such as Attack Bidding at the auction explained.
The RG takes place in a casual atmosphere, so even if you’ve never attended, don’t hesitate to join in. There are no secret rules, or elaborate rituals. If you have questions about an activity, just ask anyone, and they’ll be happy to explain it to you...at length!
Volunteers
Any help you can give during the RG is greatly appreciated. Lend a hand wherever you see a need, or ask someone how you can help. Anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or two can make a big difference to the smooth running of the RG, and you will find yourself enjoying the RG more as a result.
Hospitality Room
Our Hospitality room is expected to be open during the following hours:
Friday: 4 PM - 2 AM
Saturday: 8 AM - approx. 6 PM; closed during the catered banquet and possibly also the scholarship auction; then open until 2 AM
Sunday: 8 AM until the catered brunch begins
Hospitality is both a refueling stop and an RG's social hub, where attendees can eat, drink, chat and relax. This year we have one large Hospitality room with windows overlooking the Columbia River. It's located on the ground floor of the hotel, very close to our other meeting rooms, so it will be easy to drop by Hospitality for a drink or snack in between talks, or you may hang out there as long as you like. Some attendees spend much of the RG in Hospitality! The cost of the food and drink served in Hospitality is included in your registration fee, so please feel free to consume your share!
Hospitality is staffed by fellow Ms who have volunteered to keep everyone as “well fed and watered" during the weekend as our budget allows. The offerings available at any given time change throughout the weekend, but generally consist of snack and finger foods (available whenever Hospitality is open) plus enough more substantial fare at mealtimes that few of our attendees have found it necessary to purchase meals during our RGs. Beverages available will include local craft beers, domestic wines, hard cider, sake, soft drinks, coffee, tea, juices and bottled water. Please note that we can't allow minors to consume any of the alcoholic beverages we're providing, even if their parents are also present and agreeable, and we may check IDs if we feel it's necessary.
On Friday from 5-7 PM there will be a dinner/icebreaker in Hospitality, which we hope will be attended by everyone registered for the RG who can get to the hotel by then. Start off the RG with some dinner while seeing which old friends are present and/or starting to make new friends! Dinner offerings are expected to include fried chicken, green salad, and baked potatoes with numerous toppings (including some suitable for vegetarians).
We'll serve similarly substantial foods for breakfast and lunch on Saturday. However, Hospitality will be CLOSED during the catered dinner on Saturday and the catered brunch on Sunday. If you choose not to purchase those meals, you'll be on your own during those hours with respect to food and drink.Sunday breakfast at our RG traditionally consists to some extent of "leftovers", but should suffice to either tide you over until the catered brunch or fuel your journey home if you need to leave the RG before the brunch.
If you require special foods (e.g., if you're a diabetic or on a no-salt diet), please feel free to contact 2008 BeaveRG Hospitality Chair Laurie Yadon (lyadon@spiritone.com) *before* the RG to try to determine whether your nutritional needs can be met by our Hospitality offerings. Our budget won't allow us to cater to every attendee's food WANTS, but we try to fulfill our attendees' nutritional NEEDS if at all feasible.
Meals
Saturday Banquet:
Our dinner buffet will include fish, meat, and vegetarian choices, and a no-host bar. No dress code, most people wear whatever they’ve been wearing to other RG events, however some people enjoying dressing up for dinner, too. Hospitality will be closed during this meal, so if you don’t attend the banquet you’ll need to make your own arrangements for dinner. After dinner, you can still join us for the awards announcements, and the live auction. The dinner speaker is Doug Rhoades, author of “Labels, Leadville, and Lore”. His presentation is about his discovery of a cache of tin cans with original labels dating back to the 1870’s. His talk combines history, some science, and northwest geography.
Sunday Brunch:
Sunday please join us for a farewell brunch buffet! This is a great way to wind down at the end of the RG, with a variety of breakfast and lunch choices. The brunch speaker will be The Oregonian pet columnist Deborah Wood, author of books such as “The Tao of Meow” and “Help For Your Shy Dog”. Hospitality will be closed during this meal as well.
Meals away from the RG
There is a Restaurant and Bar onsite at the hotel. Downtown Vancouver is a few blocks walk to the north. Portland is across the river and there are multiple restaurants just across the bridge. Downtown Portland is a 20 minute drive south.
Hugging and Hug Dots
The "Secret" Mensa handshake may or may not be a hug, but Ms take hugging very seriously. We sometimes have roving judges who give awards for the best huggers. However you are under no obligation to participate if the idea of being hugged by strangers makes you the least bit uncomfortable. At the registration table you'll see colored dots which people attach to their RG Name Badges. Here's the color code:
Red - Don't.... Even.... Ask!
Yellow - Ask First, Then Maybe.
Green - I'm Ok With Hugging.
Green Green Green (three or more dots) um, well....
Free Airport Pick-up
If you are flying in to this event, the hotel will pick you up at PDX airport for free (please tip the driver a few bucks anyway). Just call from one of the free hotel phones at the baggage claim area. It's 360.694.8341 from your cell phone, or 503.285.0636 from any Portland area phone. Shuttles run 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM, and may take up to 20 minutes to arrive.
Public Transportation
A great way to see many cities (including Portland) on the cheap is via public transportation. A few blocks from the Inn at the Quay, catch a #4 C-Tran bus, which will take you to the Vanport Transit Center. From there you can take a bus or MAX train into Portland. TriMet, the regional transportation authority in Portland, runs diesel busses all over town. There are 3 MAX light rail lines (East, West, and Airport) and a modern trolley system that connects Portland State University and Northwest Portland. All can be accessed by the same fare coupon. TriMet is an "Exact Fare" system so carry lots of small change. Fares are $1.25-$2.25. The $6 all-day all-zone pass is a great deal.
Airport MAX is NOT a good way to get to the RG Hotel. More info: www.trimet.org and www.c-tran.com.
Hotel
River view rooms may be available, you just need to ask. Extended stay: the hotel will host you for the RG rate from April 30th through May 9th. The hotel has plenty of free parking.
The pool will NOT be open for the RG. There is no hot tub.
For more details about hotel amenities, visit redlion.com.
Behave Yourself
Excessively rowdy or visibly intoxicated persons may be ejected from hospitality or the event at the sole discretion of the event chair.