Mensa Picnic Review

by Joy Gomez-Farrow

About fifty people braved the EXCELLENT weather on Saturday, August 10 to attend DVM’s annual free barbecue/picnic this year at Pavilion 14 at Ridley Creek State Park. I cannot remember when the weather has ever cooperated so fully.

It felt like homecoming, meeting and greeting old as well as new members.  This is one event that some members attend, even if they come to no others the rest of the year. What is amazing is to see so many Gifted Youth and their families who came out in droves. It is so heartening to see these youth play board games and frisbees with each other, socializing with each other, instead of sitting alone playing video games. I remember outlawing gaming consoles from our home, instead telling my son he could play video games at his friends’ homes, and that he would have to bring his friends back to our home to learn to play board games. That was one of the better decisions we made with our son.  And several of them still attend our DVM Games Nights as well!

Joe Neff headed the picnic team and did an excellent job. Lots of fresh hamburgers and hot dogs, and Bob Mazzi brought Jersey corn. It wouldn’t be a summer picnic with Jersey corn! Ellen and Marian Bauer brought their signature fruit salad, Arlyn Bell brought quinoa salad, Woolly Farrow made his great killer chocolate cake, among the many foods donated by attendees.

Members came from above Yardley, as far west as Downington, and as far east as Monroeville, NJ,and from CNJ as well (Joe Haber and Maria Scaglione).

And we had gaming galore. I barely saw some people stray from the gaming tables. There were lots of games to choose from. And some intrepid children even played with frisbees and boomerang!

This is such a wonderful site, and the event is so low key. And the food was, as usual, plentiful and delicious! If you missed it this year, plan to be there next year. We will be at the same site, hopefully with the same weather!