New-and-Old Party

Every month, usually on the Third Friday, some wonderful and hospitable member of San Diego Mensa opens his home for a party. This party is what many Mensa chapters call "Open House". We call it the "Newcomers and Oldtimers Party", or (in the vernacular) the "New-and-Old Party".

We used to call this party the "Newcomers Party", as a way to welcome our new members. Unfortunately, some people thought that only new members were welcome, so we changed the name to the "Newcomers and Oldtimers Party".

Sometimes it's held on Saturday instead of Friday, if the host finds that to be more convenient. Three times a year, it might even move to a different weekend entirely, so as to accommodate:

• in March, the Ides of St. Patrick party;

• in October, the Halloween party; and

• in December, the Holiday Party (what we used to call the "Christmas Party").

("Host", as used herein, means "host/hostess/host-and-hostess"; and "his home" means "his/her/their home". Wouldn't it be grand if there were a gender-neutral and number-neutral term?)

The new members arrive at 7:00 PM for a half hour orientation by our Member Services Officer:

• How does the group work?
• How do I make friends when everyone in the room is— finally! —as smart as I am?
• Please, Mr./Ms. Member Services Officer, answer me a question in private so that I don't look stupid in front of all these smart strangers.

At 7:30, the oldtimers start to drift in. Everybody talks and talks and talks, and grazes on the chips and dips. By 11:00 (well, there may be a straggler or two up to midnight, depending on how perky/droopy the host appears), the host has his home back to himself again.