TABLE OF CONTENTS - NEW MEMBERS

Monte C. Washburn
Joseph E. Byrne
J. R. Simons
Jonathan Berman
Jessica Spence

Name: Monte C. Washburn
User Email – monte.washburn@heartlandits.com

Qualifying Score/Test – Army GCT, Mysterium 4 Exam
Poetry – Q-0002 - Published in The Torch (1973); Emotion - Published in The Torch (1973)

Biography – He was born in Birmingham, AL (USA) in 1955 and moved to Chicago, IL and then to Skyline, AL before starting college. His first college was Georgia Military College, where he intended to major in astrophysicist. With the collapse of NASA in the 70’s, he lost his direction and began to search for a purpose in life. He joined the US Army and attended 5 colleges before graduating with a B.S. in Computer Science (Summa Cum Laude) from Park College in 1988. Since then he has completed a Masters Degree in Education (90), Masters Degree in Science (93) and an Executive Masters of Business Administration (04). He owns a computer consulting company (www.heartlandits.com) and is currently working with the Department of Health and Human Services in the Metro DC area.

He is a member of the following High IQ Societies: International High IQ Society, HighPotentialsSociety, Mensa, Sigma, Intertel, and Colloquy.

Welcome Monte

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Name: Joseph E. Byrne
User Email – josephb1@hotmail.com

Qualifying Score/Test – Culture Fair
Poetry – Titles are forgotten, but published a long time ago at high school and in HMS Caledonia (R.N. college) magazine

Biography – First educated? at local comprehensive schools, after which came a brief time doing 'A' levels. I left college to join the R.N. as an engineering apprentice, and stayed in for thirteen years. During this time I started dealing in property and generally that is something I am still involved in . I spent three years sailing my boat around the Caribbean and solo across the Atlantic,(I wanted to see if it was as big as they said it was-it is), and now I'm in the process of setting up an S.L. company in Andalucia, Spain to renovate old farmhouses. Of course, the only reason I bother with trying to make money is to allow me to sail my boat, go exploring, read, oh, and write some amazing poetry!(Trying to cover the physical and metaphysical)

Welcome Joseph

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Name: J. R. Simons
User Email – jovialities@excite.com

Qualifying Score/Test – ACT
Poetry – I AM (available at http://www.visionpage.info/id5.html) was an Honorable Mention in the Visions of Poetry contest in 2003

Biography – My self-published chapbook of poetry, A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES, is available at www.lulu.com/jovialities Biography -- J. R. Simons works full-time as the Product Sales Department Manager for Vincent Lighting Systems. In his spare time, J. R. serves on the Ohio State Board of the Educational Theatre Association, serves as Treasurer/Interim President of the Lorain County Children's Pioneer Theatre and owns and operates an acting company that performs murder mysteries, comedy weddings and Renaissance feastes called The Jovialities Entertainment Company, Ltd.

J. R. received his BFA and MA in Theatre from Kent State University where he specialized in acting, directing and theatre history, theory and criticism. Prior to taking on his current position, J. R. worked as a photo retail store manager, a substitute high school teacher and the drama club director for both Elyria (Ohio) High School and Marion L. Steele (Amherst, Ohio) High School.

J. R. has directed plays for Elyria High School, Amherst Steele High School, Elyria Summer Theatre Association, Jovialities Entertainment and Aurora Community Theatre. His set and lighting designs have been seen at all of the above venues as well as at Avon High School.

J. R. has been married to his wonderful wife, Kim, since 1990. They met while J. R. was directing a production of Grease in 1987 and have been together ever since. They are the proud parents of three children: Kelsey, Will and Hayley and the proud owners of several pets: cat, Pepper, and dogs, Titania and Sadie and hamster, Cocoa.

J. R. loves to play golf and would love nothing better than to hone his game to such a point that he can retire at age 50 and join the Senior PGA Tour. He has a few years yet to make this dream come true. In the meantime, J. R. expects to write, publish, produce and direct for quite a while longer.

Welcome J.R.

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Name: Jonathan Berman
User Email – Profrufusbmellow@yahoo.com

Qualifying Score/Test – SAT

Poetry – "Student Council Speech" I don't know if this counts, but I was allowed to read a poem I wrote as my speech when running for student council. ~ 750 students and teachers heard it. In addition, I once sent a poem a wrote about Nestea to them, and they sent back a coupon.

Biography – In 2000 I got my amateur radio license. I have run for student government twice, and lost. I write columns for two school newspapers. I am president of the school's rocketry club. I started writing poetry about a year ago. My preferred style is narrative verse. I entertain other students by playing concertina in the courtyard sometimes. I am thinking of incorporating russitation into my 'act'. Despite my understanding of language, I cannot spel or be producting the proper grammer for the life of me. Is that sufficient?

Welcome Jonathan

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Name: Jessica Spence
User Email – evilgrin_3@yahoo.com

Qualifying Score/Test – SAT
Poetry – TWISTED RAIN (published by Young Poets Contest 03-04)

Biography – I am an 18-year-old aspiring novelist, poet, and music journalist. I've been writing since a very early age, and I've been published in many aspects...mostly feature stories for certain magazines, but some poetry as well, which is my first love.

Welcome Jessica

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