Several years ago, Minnesota Mensa's first webmaster, Al Heigl, was removed from that appointive position by the Board. Al did not accept that action and continued to run his website as mnmensa.org, using the trademarked Mensa logo and copying the monthly calendar from Minnesota Mensa's (new) official website. LocSec DeDe Tredinnick asked Paul Jensen to meet with Al Heigl to find out what he needed in order to shut down his website. Paul returned from that meeting with a contract between Mr. Heigl and Minnesota Mensa, obligating Mensa to a number of actions. When some of these proved impossible to do, Mr. Heigl insisted on continuing his website. Negotiations between Minnesota Mensa and Mr. Heigl escalated over time, eventually involving the National Office and the AMC. Because the contract existed, the NO had to involve lawyers skilled in contract law, at significant expense.
This matter is now closed and requires no further Board action, nor is the national organization concerned with it any longer. When she resigned as LocSec, DeDe was reluctant to turn over the files on this issue to Paul because of his close involvement in the issue's escalation. Eventually, as the following email chain shows, DeDe's position was supported by our RVC and the NO, but not before a lot of opposition by Paul.
There are some names (or email names) in this that won't be familiar to everyone. They are:
bulldogatty: email name for Paul Chamberlain, legal counsel to MN Mensa's Board
Eric Adams: MN Mensa's Ombudsman
Pam Donahoo: Executive Director of American Mensa, Ltd.
Cyndi Kuyper: Region 4 Vice Chairman or American Mensa, Ltd. (includes MN)
From: DeDe T.
To: Paul D. Jensen ; Mary Abbey ; Marian Bystrom ; ken silver ; Gordon Andersen ; Bill Conlan
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 9:38 PM
Subject: Stuff
Hello everyone!
Okay, the scholarship coordinator needs to be filled (Jane might do, call her), so does the state fair coordinator, certificate of appreciations needs to be done, the lapsed letter and an update form.
Someone needs to call John about the SIG use of the booth.
I'll bring all the paperwork and files to First Friday. So if Paul is there he can get them there. If he's not at First Friday, he will have to make arrangements to pick them up at my house.
Pam Donahoo told me to give the Heigl file to Gordon Andersen, since she trusts him. I'll keep Paul's file for the time being!
From: Paul D. Jensen
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 10:16 PM
To: ExecutiveDirector@AmericanMensa.org
Cc: Bulldogaty; ericbadams@att.net
Subject: MNMensa records/files transfer
I am concerned about the intent expressed in this email from previous Loc Sec and past Board member DeDe Tredinnick. As newly elected Loc Sec, I expect a complete transfer of all records and files.
Is this process regulated by rules of this organization.
DeDe states " Pam Donohoo told me to give the Heigl file to Gordon Anderson, since she trusts him." I don't see how that is possible. He is not a board member.
Can you help our Board straighten this process out?
Thanks,
Paul Jensen
LocSec
MNMensa
From: Pam Donahoo
To: 'Paul D. Jensen' ; ExecutiveDirector@AmericanMensa.org
Cc: 'Bulldogaty' ; ericbadams@att.net ; Cyndi Kuyper
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 7:24 AM
Subject: RE: MNMensa records/files transfer
Morning Paul:
Prior to the board selecting her replacement, DeDe asked about the legal files related to the now completed action against Al Heigl regarding the domain. I told her to send those files here for safekeeping. She indicated that the board did not trust "National" so she didn't think that would fly. I then suggest that as the unofficial "historian" of the group perhaps giving them to Gordon Andersen would work and she agreed.
The decision is your board's, the most important thing being that they need to be kept safe, although in theory all the documents should also be in our files as well.
Pam
Pamela Donahoo, CAE
executive director
From: Paul D. Jensen
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 9:42 AM
To: pamd@americanmensa.org; ExecutiveDirector@AmericanMensa.org
Cc: 'Bulldogaty'; ericbadams@att.net; Cyndi Kuyper; Paul Jensen; ken silver; marianb@copper.net; Karen Cyson; Mary Abbey; William T. Conlan
Subject: Re: MNMensa records/files transfer
Hi Pam,
thanks for your answer to one of my two questions. I am sure the Board will find this answer interesting, as at no time has anyone except DeDe Tredinnick voiced any mistrust of the National Office. None of us except DeDe have actually seen that file.
I would request this file be returned to the Board now. Tomorrow at First Friday would be appropriate.
After making it available to all Board members to review, we will forward it to the NationalOffice for safekeeping.
Re my second question yet unanswered and here repeated: do American mensa rules deal in any area or in any way with required transfer of all files and records from a past LocSec over to the new LocSec?
Please advise.
Thanks for your help.
Paul Jensen
Minnesota Mensa
From: Pam Donahoo
To: 'Paul D. Jensen' ; ExecutiveDirector@americanmensa.org
Cc: 'Bulldogaty' ; ericbadams@att.net ; 'Cyndi Kuyper' ; 'ken silver' ; marianb@copper.net ; 'Karen Cyson' ; 'Mary Abbey' ; 'William T. Conlan'
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 11:22 AM
Subject: RE: MNMensa records/files transfer
Per MN Mensa bylaws:
Article III, Section 10. All officers, elected or appointed shall turn over all files, office equipment and materials pertaining tot heir offices to either their successors or to another member of the Board of Directors no later than four weeks after leaving office.
Pam
From: DeDe T.
To: Bill Conlan ; Gordon Andersen
Cc: Paul D. Jensen
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 11:41 AM
Subject: Re: MNMensa records/files transfer
The Al Heigl filed are a non-factor, I can't find the larger second file anyway. Ever since I moved everything downstairs, I'm missing a ton of files. I culled the Loc Sec files and boxed them last month. So I'll bring the filebox to FF, I'll even put it in my van now.
DeDe
From: Paul D. Jensen
To: DeDe T.
Cc: William T. Conlan ; GKAndersen@aol.com ; Mary Abbey ; Karen Cyson ; ken silver ; marianb@copper.net ; Paul Jensen ; Bulldogaty ; ericbadams@att.net
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: MNMensa records/files transfer
Hi DeDe,
let's quote this Article III, Section 10 again: "all files, office equipment and materials pertaining to their offices..."
The Al Heigl files ARE a factor. That decision is out of your hands. The Heigl files must be included in the stuff you turn over. None of them are to be delivered to Gordon Anderson.
If you have missing files downstairs at your home, our Group Articles say you have 4 weeks to find them them and deliver them to your successor or to a board member..
Please don't violate the Articles of our group during this transfer.
I sure don't understand your efforts to move some of these files to non-board personnel. Is some of this information on matters you feel the Board should not see?
This thing is getting strange.
Paul Jensen
From: DeDe T.
To: Paul D. Jensen
Cc: William T. Conlan ; GKAndersen@aol.com ; Mary Abbey ; Karen Cyson ; ken silver ; marianb@copper.net ; Paul Jensen ; Bulldogaty ; ericbadams@att.net
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: MNMensa records/files transfer
I'll give you part of the file. I really don't know if I'll have time to look for everything. If someone wants to help me that would be great. I can't find the re-chartering info for Boy Scouts either. Since I moved everything and everything is unpacked and gone through, it will mean that I will have to go through every file that I have, which are in the hundreds.
In a message dated 6/2/2005 5:03:53 PM Central Daylight Time, poppoppj@visi.com writes:
Hi DeDe,
vill you verify that the complete files in your posession - including all Al Heigl documents - will be there for transfer to me?
A simple yes or no is enough of an answer.
You keep qualifying by only describing partial files, etc.
Paul
In a message dated 6/2/2005 4:22:54 PM Central Daylight Time, cyndi9352@yahoo.com writes:
To all:
To settle all of the emails and concerns about the Al Heigl files, send all, or whatever is available to date, to the National Office. This should be done in compliance with ASIE 2004-122, Records and Retention Policy. Any evidence or information concerning this legal matter should be filed in total with the settlement papers. Any mention or action of Al Heigl at any ExComm meeting or any letters that were generated during the extended course of this issue should be included. If all files cannot be located at this time, I would suggest what is available be sent and the rest sent after recovery.
The matter of trusting one or more of the members of the local group isn't part of this decision. It is more difficult to retain continuity as board members change over the years, then it is to keep all information in one place.
Thanks for all of your help in this matter.
In a message dated 6/2/2005 5:30:18 PM Central Daylight Time, poppoppj@visi.com writes:
Cyndi, thank you very much for your help in defining how these documents should be handled. Of course as a key participant I must now only speculate on how the information was presented and defined. But it is best this file gather dust down there.
