The SIG began as a one-man effort at the Mensa Annual Gathering (AG) in San Francisco in 1992. The sole hoax perpetrated at that AG was the alleged postponement of the Mensa Retest, which was promulgated as a sign posted in the Hospitality Suite. As time passed, additional hoaxes were created and posted at Regional Gatherings (RGs) in Region 9. As the Orlando AG approached in 1993, we came up with the idea of dressing as ducks and parading out to the fountain at the Peabody hotel in Orlando, FL, ahead of the real Peabody ducks. It was so well received that we had to repeat it. The hotel staff even helped us with our staging. We also posted a number of signs at that AG.
At the 1994 New England Annual Gathering held in Cambridge, MA, our reputation preceded us. We were virtually expected to have some sort of parade. Since we were near Boston, it seemed appropriate to dress as tea bags and parade through the hotel and into the Charles River. Along the way, we were filmed by The Discovery Channel for their Amazing America program, which aired in November. Oh, and we keep coming up with more and more signs, which we post at AGs and RGs, and even at American Mensa Committee (AMC) meetings.
Our parade in St. Louis in 1995 was proceeded by considerable controversy. The plan was to parade as "The Spirits of St. Louis," in ghost-like sheets with beanie propellors on top. Our esteemed leader was to wear a Lucky Lindy leather helmet with propellor on top, goggles, and a scarf. Several people were concerned about us parading around in sheets, and we learned later that the Ku Klux Klan was planning a protest on the Courthouse steps in St. Louis that weekend. Soooo, Ruth Ancona, our official SIG costume maker dyed the sheets blue and made sure the circles around the eye cut-outs were black and large. (As some of you may realize, the St. Louis National Hockey League team is the Blues, so that also fit in nicely.) Nevertheless, we paraded late at night, and did NOT appear near any television cameras.
We are still thinking about a parade for the Black Gold Blowout AG in 1996 in Houston. The AG logo features armadillos, a common form of native roadkill, and that does have us thinking. We are not sure yet if we will be doing a parade in England in 1996 at the Mensa 50th Anniversary Celebration.
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hutch@rain.org