SynRG is the annual Regional Gathering or RG for Gulf Coast Mensa. This year a mini-SynRG will be held September 13-15, 2024. The event is held in a large Houston area hotel and registration for the RG includes speakers, activities, meals and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Each year's gathering is organized around a theme with the weekend's speakers and activities being somehow related and each year's theme is different. Past themes have included literature, visions for the future, metamorphosis and palindromes.

 

Registration

If you have not yet registered, you can do so online.

 

Registration Rates

• Through August 25: $110
• Thereafter and at the door: $125

 

Day Rates

• Friday: $50
• Saturday: $75
• Sunday: free with a donation to the scholarship fund

 

Age Discounts

• Age 18-20: 25% off
• Age 7-17: 50% off
• Age 0-6: free

 

Registration Policies

• Minors (under 18) must be accompanied by a registered adult.
• Refunds will be issued if you need to cancel by 8/15/2024 with a 10% fee, or you can choose to transfer your registration to next year with no fee. Any cancellations between 8/15/2024 and 8/25/2024 will transfer to next year. Any cancellations after 8/25/2024 will be forfeit, as we've already spent your money!

 

Hotel

The RG will be held at the Doubletree Intercontinental, 15747 John F Kennedy Blvd, Houston, TX 77032. The Gulf Coast Mensa room rate of $96 per night includes passes for two people to enjoy the breakfast buffet in 747 Bar and Grill each morning. You can book your reservation online or call the hotel directly at 281-848-4000. Please note that the breakfast offer is only included if you book with the GCM block. Other rates will not include the breakfast passes.

 

Travel

Flying: You will want to book your flights through Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). There is a free courtesy shuttle from the airport to the hotel that takes only 5 minutes. Call the hotel at 281-848-4000 to request a pickup.

Hobby Airport is 27 miles from the hotel; cab fare is about $40.

Driving: From Beltway 8, Sam Houston Parkway, take JFK Blvd exit. Go north on JFK for half a mile, turn left into hotel parking lot at 15747 JFK Blvd.

 

Games

One of the staples of SynRG is the well-stocked games room. Throughout the weekend we'll have tournaments and "learn to play" sessions hosted by various attendees. If you are interested in hosting either a tournament or learning session, please fill out our easy form.

Thanks to our friends in Chicago Area Mensa, we now have our game library fully catalogued and available online. If you're stuck and don't know what to try, head over to Game Picker to easily search the GCM games collection for what will likely become your new favorite game.

 

Schedule

The following is the tentative schedule for SynRG 2024. This will be updated as we finalized and confirm with our speakers. You can find details on the program below.

 

 

Events

 

Mensa Admission Test

The Mensa Admission Test is offered for the convenience of those individuals interested in joining Mensa who either: 1) do not have a qualifying intelligence test score on a previously-taken exam (see partial list), or 2) prefer to take the admission test.

This test is intended for individuals 14 years of age or older, so if you are between 14 and 17, you must have parental permission to take the test.

The Mensa test has two parts, so you'll have two chances to qualify for Mensa membership! Allow 2 hours total for the two tests. The standard Mensa Admission Test features "fill in the blank," "which item comes next," and "which one doesn't belong" sorts of questions, as well as some math and vocabulary.

As an added bonus, anyone who sits for the test is invited to stay and enjoy Saturday at the RG at no cost..

To sign up, please contact our This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Name That Movie!

John & Geri Neemidge

Name That Movie consists of short clips from about 40 movies. Each movie clip presents one or more themes. We ask that you identify each movie and the themes. Play as individuals or as a team of up to 6 members. We try to make each clip interesting on its own, so even if you don't know movies very well we hope the game will be entertaining. Clips (not the movies themselves) are chosen to be PG or G rated. We'll provide a key with information about each movie and themes at the end.

 

Trivia

Jason Seiler

Are you ready? Trivia master Jason Seiler is coming all the way from the nation's capital to deliver another round of devious questions to us. And with the glint in his eye and maniacal grin, we can tell this year will be a doozy. Come test your wit, your wisdom, and your weird levels of expert knowledge in esoterica. Jason is a life-member of Mensa, a former RVC and national officer of the AMC, and a perennial attendee of SynRG.

 

Carnelli

Carnelli is a title association game invented by Mensans 40 years ago and enjoyed at Gatherings ever since. The players take turns linking titles by a common word ("Black Beauty" and "Paint It Black"), a common creator or major role ("Hamlet" and "Macbeth"), or an egregious pun ("The Guns of Navarone" and "Never On a Sunday"). No prior knowledge of the game is required. The rules will be described in more detail before we start. Disclaimer: "The decisions of the Carnelli Master are Arbitrary, Capricious, and Final." See also the Wikipedia entry for Carnelli.

 

Murder Mystery Game

The Phantom Casino

Welcome to the Phantom Casino, where you can hear chips clinking and drinks pouring all night long. The Phantom is more than just your standard Vegas gambling den, however. It’s a gathering place for intelligence agents, undercover operatives, and spies of all nations. It’s the perfect spot to win a hand of cards or steal a briefcase of secrets - and tonight, it seems to be the perfect spot to solve a murder.

One of the nation’s top agents lies dead atop the roulette table, and it’s up to the rest of the spies to figure out who did it before the regular police can get involved and spoil everyone’s plans.

No experience or preparation is necessary to play, all information will provided at the start of the game.

 

Speakers

New Technologies in Trucking

Keith Tienken

The trucking industry affects every aspect of American life. There are new technologies that change the way cars need to operate to stay safe. Are you ready for the future? Learn about trends in trucking, including electric trucks and driverless trucks.

 

How InforMensa Happens

Bruce Poppe

Come along for the ride as we create the October issue of Gulf Coast Mensa's newsletter. If you've wondered what it would be like to write for the newsletter or to be a local group Editor, here's a great opportunity to see how it works. If there's interest, we can create an article or two to publish in the next issue.

Bruce Poppe has been the Editor of Gulf Coast Mensa's monthly newsletter, InforMensa for over a year.

 

Poetry and Parody

Bob Hrncir

An irreverent romp through the reading list. No great master will be left unscathed, no sacred cow left unmilked [if not barbecued]!

Bob Hrncir, after studying for two years in the seminary, completed his B.A. and M.Ed. at Sam Houston State U. He taught High school English & theatre for 35 years [3 as Language Arts Chair of one of the largest high schools in Houston], and was a 4 time laureate in Who’s Who among America’s Teachers, as well as a semifinalist for the Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also taught college English for 36 years. Bob has won GCM’s Punkin Award. He is a past board member, coordinator, RG & Holiday Party chair, Voice of Mensa [calendar-phone], & columnist for Informensa.

 

Meet the RVC

David McCallister

Join RVC-6 David McCallister and other members of the Southwest Region to talk about what is going on in Mensa as a whole and in our region in particular, as well as get to know one another.

David is a Life Member, has served at the local and national levels, and continues to be a working ambassador for the organization. He believes that despite our best-laid plans, the journey is rarely what we would’ve imagined but that those unexpected moments are what make the journey so worthwhile.

 

What's Behind the Curtain? A Peek Into Non-Profit Professional Theater

Taz Criss

Have you ever wondered how exactly nonprofit, professional theater gets made? Bring your preconceptions and inquisitiveness to learn about the business model of professional theater within the U.S. Learn about the various theater collectives and unions, who has final say (spoiler alert: it depends) and how the stage magic happens. Taz will either know or make up answers to your questions about all the dramatic or comedic things.

Taz is a second-generation Mensan who joined as a teenager. She has served in various roles in Local Groups, SIGs, and even on the AMC. She first became involved with AG program planning at age 14 when she helped found TeenSIG. Her leadership style is uniquely honest, upfront, and jovial. If confidence were inches, she would be 10 feet tall.