Speaker Luncheon

As the "Speaker Seeker" for Piedmont Area Mensa, I am starting a monthly speaker luncheon at the City Club, where you can order lunch and enjoy interesting topics! This is a private event not listed on the City Club calendar, but it is on the Piedmont Area Mensa calendar. There is a business casual dress code (no athletic wear, jeans, t-shirts, caps, shorts, sweats, sneakers or flip-flops). I am open to suggestions of speakers you know, who may want to participate.
This month will be:
The California Gold Rush, presented by Bruce Mathews.
The California Gold Rush had a profound impact on the development of the United States, as it is how the US gained what are now the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and portions of Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. It also increased the sectional rivalries that a dozen years later would erupt in the Civil War.
The US-Mexican War tends to be glossed over in history classes, which is a shame. There is an assumption that it was a case of big, bad bully America taking advantage of poor, little Mexico. While that was indeed the result, it was far from obvious at the time that that would happen. Mexico and the United States were the same size. When the war began, the Mexicans had a large army trained in the latest European methods, while the US Regular Army was tiny, and largely composed of Irish and German immigrants. Mexico was defending, while the US had to cross deserts, seas, and mountains to get at them. Yet the Americans not only won the war, but every significant battle. How could something like that happen?
Mensa member Bruce Mathews will explain why the campaigns and battles unfolded as they did. There were multiple reasons, including tradition, morale, technology, training methods, geography, politics, corruption, other foreign policy, economics, and downright luck. Please join us for a wild ride!

Lunch is available to order from the City Club menu at 12:00 (credit or debit card only - this is a cashless club. 20% gratuity will automatically be added). The speaker will begin once the orders are taken. We will try to wrap up before 2:00, so parking will be free!
Park in the Liberty Square garage.
The first two hours are free (next hour is $6).
When entering the One Liberty Square building, go straight ahead to the elevators, and press 17 on the panel on the wall outside of the elevators (it will indicate which elevator to enter). Once at the City Club (the entire 17th floor), go to the receptionist stand and say you are a guest of Cindy Cohn for the Speaker Meeting.
I hope to see you there!