Activities Bulletin
April 2019

If you’ve joined Chicago Mensa Meetup, also check out the April Calendar, which may have additional events posted that are not in the April ChiMe. (And if you haven’t, please consider signing up for this great tool — an active Mensa number will be requested to verify your Mensa membership before you can be added to our CAM Meetup group.) Meetup will have the same RSVP contact information that is on our website and in ChiMe. On Meetup, even though events may have an RSVP option, a few CAM event coördinators are not members of Meetup. You may RSVP there to let other CAM Meetup members know you are attending, to easily add the event info to your calendar, and to set up notifications for the events, but you should always contact the CAM event coördinator as specified.

In addition to the events listed below (which includes all those listed in ChiMe and usually all those listed on Meetup), some area groups and the youth-related groups have their own closed Facebook group where they may publish events which are not included on our website. Contact South Suburban Coördinator Jeudi or Southwest Area Group (SwAG) Coördinators Kevin and Steve for information on how to join their respective Facebook group. Contact Gifted Youth Coördinators Stacey/Stephen or the Teen Coördinator to join their Facebook groups.

1/Monday

• ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Advertising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the May ChiMe.
  Deadline was changed this month to Friday, March 29th!!

• ChiMe Editorial Deadline. Last day for editorial submissions to the May ChiMe. Please submit original articles, insights, puzzles, brain teasers, or short poems. Your fellow Chicago Area Mensans would love to hear from you.

4/Thursday

• Downtown Lunch 1 PM. Join us for lunch at Petro’s Restaurant located at Randolph and LaSalle (160 N. LaSalle St. in Chicago). To confirm the location and for reservations, contact event coördinator Gene E. before 11 AM.

• Southeast Side Mensa Social (SEMinalS) 7 PM. Mensa dinner at Cocula South Chicago located at 8847 S. Commercial Ave. in Chicago. We will probably be in the back room near the windows nearest Commercial Ave. I will try to display a flag of some kind. For more information, contact Carol M. (her contact information can also be found in April ChiMe). This event will recur on the first Thursday of the month.

6/Saturday

Pride Parade

• Rainbow SIG Trivia Contest 3 PM. At the Teal Room, 6956 N. Glenwood Ave. in Chicago (Rogers Park), adjacent to PUB626 or The Glenwood Bar. Open to all Chicago Area Mensans. We encourage non-SIG members to attend. It’s just north of the CTA Morse Station. Bar services will be available. Our own Kirk Williamson, who is a professional trivia contest organizer, will conduct the program. Please RSVP by Thursday, April 4th by contacting Jim C..

9/Tuesday

• Downtown Lunch 1 PM. Join us for lunch at Petro’s Restaurant located at Randolph and LaSalle (160 N. LaSalle St. in Chicago). To confirm the location and for reservations, contact event coördinator Gene E. before 11 AM.

Northern Exposure

10/Wednesday

• Northern Exposure: North Suburban 7 PM. Join us in the private “Florence Room” of Dissotto Italian for freshly made pasta and sauces! Dissotto is a part of Chef Scott Harris’s family of restaurants, which includes the fabulously successful Francesca’s Chain. “Walking into Disotto is like being transported to another place & time, like visiting your Nonna’s wine cellar on the Italian countryside for a homemade meal. The dining room is rich with stone, brick and wood and the aroma of pomodoro sauce & fresh pasta permeates throughout. The clinking of wine glasses and laughter of friends pulls you in and sets the stage of a meal reminiscent of vintage Italy.” Salute! Located at 310 Greenbay Road in Highwood. Please RSVP (no later than 10 AM) to our North Suburban Coördinator Mike B., so he can reserve a big enough table; also let him know if you need to cancel, even if it’s last minute (by texting), so the restaurant can change the seating and doesn’t wait until everyone shows up to take orders.

11/Thursday

• Feed My Starving Children 6 PM. As part of National Volunteer Week, Chicago Area Mensa will participate by helping to pack meals for hungry children at Feed My Starving Children at 740 Wiley Farm Ct. in Schaumburg. Feed My Starving Children has a 5-star rating from Charity Navigator, and supplies life-saving food to children across the globe. In 2017, over 333,000,000 meals were provided. This event is child-friendly for children five years of age and older. There are roles available for volunteers of all physical abilities. Please wear closed toed shoes. Contact Heather B. to order a T-shirt and to RSVP or check out the CAM Facebook Event . T-shirts must be ordered by Monday, April 1st. Feed My Starving Children respectfully requests that we make a donation to cover some or all of the cost of the food that we’ll pack. You can bring cash or check to the event, or donate in advance online. RSVPs are required since there are only a limited number of volunteers that can be accommodated.

12/Friday

• Rockford Mensa Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Dave and other Rockford-area Mensans for dinner at the Olympic Tavern at 2327 N. Main St. in Rockford (SE corner of N. Main and Fulton St.). For more information or to get on our e‑mail list, contact Dave L. the Rockford Area Coördinator.

Poetry SIG

• Poetry Discussion 7:30 PM. We’re having yet another SYOP (send your own poem) session. Please e-mail your copies and suggestions to Joe D., the SIG coördinator this month, or contact him for general information about this SIG. Peter K. is most generously hosting again in his north-side place. Call him for directions. This event is usually held on the second Friday of the month.

13/Saturday

SwAG Session

• SwAG Session 4 PM. Join the Southwest Area Group for its monthly, laid-back time together with food and talk of any imaginable topic. We meet at Kevin’s home (aka SwAG HQ) on Windstone Dr. in Plainfield. If possible, please bring a small dish to share. No pets — and please do not ask if an exception can be made. End time is 11 PM promptly. RSVP by one week prior (Saturday, April 6th) is required. Kevin B.’s contact information is on our website. Please see the Southwest Area Group Facebook page for information about this and other SwAG events; contact the Southwest Area Coördinators to find out how to join. We’ve been meeting on the second Saturday of the month. Hope to see you there!

14/Sunday

• 
  Ethnic Dining

  Ethnic Dining: Dim Sum 6 PM. Join us for the oft requested Dim Sum, family-style, dinner at Furama Restaurant located at 4936 N. Broadway St. in Chicago (Uptown). One non-Mensan guest may accompany each member at the GOBS-subsidized price of $25, but additional guests will be charged the full cost of $50. Cash only payable upon arrival. Reservations are requested no later than noon Friday, April 12th; attendance is limited. The CTA Red Line Argyle station is only a block northeast of the restaurant. Contact Carey S. directly and include 1) your full name, 2) the names of any guests, and 3) the guest’s Mensa membership status. If you don’t receive a confirmation e‑mail, try again. If you need to cancel, let Carey know ASAP since your fellow Mensans may be waitlisted and would love your spot. Please try to avoid cancelling in the last 24 hours, but if you must, contact Carey by mobile phone, which you may also use if you are lost or will be late. If possible, text first, then call, as he may not hear it ring. See article in the April ChiMe. For Ethnic Dining notifications, updates, and all the details, sign up for the Ethnic Dining E‑Mails.

15/Monday

• Federal Tax Deadline

WSW Dinner

16/Tuesday

• Near West-Southwest (WSW) Mensans Dinner 6:30 PM. This month, we enjoy dining at Skadarliya, 9237 Ogden Ave. in Brookfield. Spouses, dates, and significant others are also welcome. Reservations are appreciated. Please contact Jay V. so he can give the restaurant an accurate headcount. This event usually recurs on the third Tuesday of the month.

18/Thursday

• Downtown Lunch 1 PM. Join us for lunch at Petro’s Restaurant located at Randolph and LaSalle (160 N. LaSalle St. in Chicago). To confirm the location and for reservations, contact event coördinator Gene E. before 11 AM.

19/Friday

• Passover Begins

• Mensa of Wisconsin RG Registration. The RG will be held Friday, April 26th through Sunday, April 28th, just outside of Geneva, at the The Ridge at W4240 WI-50 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The theme is Gemütlichkeit which is a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness and good cheer — dipped in chocolate and wrapped in bacon — Wisconsin style. Your registration fee includes: meals, snacks, and beverages Friday through Sunday; several tracks of the fine speakers you’ve come to expect; a games suite loaded with dozens of your favorites, and two hospitality suites with adult beverages open 24/7. The registration form is on the Mensa of Wisconsin RG website, which will be updated frequently as more details become available.

• CultureQuest® GOBS Deadline. If you’ve registered, but have not submitted your request for GOBS funds, you still have time before the April Monthly Business Meeting. On Sunday, April 28th, all across the country, all at the same time, teams of Mensans participate in a 90-minute-long contest of general trivia administered by American Mensa. Prizes will be awarded to the twenty teams with the highest scores! The registration deadline was Sunday, March 31st. CAM teams may apply for GOBS funds to cover the team registration fee. Team captains should read the GOBS instructions and fill out the online application form.

• Rainbow SIG Sponsors Participation in the Chicago Annual Pride Parade held Sunday, June 30th, the last Sunday of the month. The Rainbow SIG will be marching and riding on their float again this year in the Chicago Annual Pride parade. For details, see the article in the May ChiMe or Sunday, June 30th. The SIG is also participating in the Buffalo Grove’s 1st Pride parade on Sunday, June 2nd and the Aurora Pride parade on Sunday, June 9th. To join in, you can sign up at one of the Monthly Gatherings, or e‑mail the parade coördinator.

2018 CAM Picnic

• Chicago Area Mensa Summer Picnic. The picnic will be held at 11 AM on Sunday, July 14th in Elmhurst. Get some of the details here and continue to visit our website for updates. In the meantime, save the date!

• WeeM 44: May the Fours Be With You Rate Increase Alert! Join the fun at WeeM at the Chicago North Shore Westin in Wheeling starting Thursday, October 31st through Sunday, November 3rd. Saturday, May 4th (less than 2½ weeks from today) is the last day you can preregister for WeeM and qualify for the early bird WeeM discount. Preregistering means you won’t have to fill out any forms at registration, you’ll get a pre-printed badge, and you can pay via PayPal. And best of all, it’ll be much quicker to get your registration packet when you arrive.

• WeeM 44: May the Fours Be With You Hotel Rate Deadline! Thursday, October 10th is the last day you can book a hotel room at the WeeM discount rate of $117 at the Chicago North Shore Westin in Wheeling. So book now while this great rate is still available.

20/Saturday

• Conservatives Lunch 11:30 AM. Join other members of the Mensan cell of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy for lunch and “secret planning” at The Patio, 2780 S. Highland Ave. in Lombard. The Patio is on the NW corner of Butterfield and Highland, but you can enter only from Highland. Look for our reserved section in the northeast corner of the restaurant. RSVPs appreciated. Open to non-Mensans; bring a conservative friend. For more info, contact Jim Z. the event coördinator. You may also RSVP via Meetup.

• Beverly Area Saturday Salon (B.A.S.S.) ~Noon. Spontaneous conversation in far SSW Chicago, approximate vicinity of 103rd St. & Western Ave. Please contact Rick E. the Beverly Area Coördinator, for this month’s location and the exact time as well as more information; if e‑mailing, put “BASS” in the subject line. Usually recurs on the 3rd Saturday of the month, about midday.

• Games and Conversation 3 PM. Games at the WeissWard Home for Wayward Mensans, on Broker Rd. in Bloomingdale. We have a wide variety of card and board games. Bring a snack to share and your beverage of choice. Around 6, we’ll order in pizza. Call if you need a ride from the Medinah train station. For more information or to RSVP, contact Beth. You may also RSVP via Meetup.

• RSVP for Chinese on Saturdays no later than 2 PM.

  Chinese on Saturdays 6 PM. We meet at Lao Sze Chuan House, 1331 Ogden Ave. in Downers Grove. Come for good food, good conversation, and occasionally some slightly warped humor. Please RSVP by 2 PM via e‑mail, Meetup, or phone number. For those using the phone or whose Meetup messaging is blocked, provide a way you can be contacted about any last-minute changes to the event. Walt L.’s contact information can be found in the April ChiMe or on our website.

• South Bend Mensa Dinner 6 PM. Contact Gary L., the South Bend Area Coördinator of Fort Wayne, Indiana Mensa, for location information. His contact information is available here on our website or in the April ChiMe. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup since Gary is not a member.

21/Sunday

• Luncheon on April 21st 11:30 AM. Today is, of course, Easter. If you don’t celebrate that day or if you want to get together with other Mensans before or after your Easter-related events, join us at this luncheon. We are meeting at the Bakers Square at 3649 N. Harlem Ave. in Chicago. In addition to the varied and tasty food, this low-key get-together should appeal to those Mensans who are either new to the Chicago area or who just want some stimulating conversation before going on to other activities. Please RSVP via Meetup (if you are able to receive messages on Meetup). You will receive a confirmation letting you know if you’re among the first lucky few to get a spot. If you need to cancel, do so ASAP so someone else can take your place.
  Learn more & RSVP @ Chicago Mensa Meetup.
  Meetup Event Not in ChiMe!!

• 
  W-Sub Sundays

  West Suburban Sundays Noon. Join us for Sunday lunch in the southwest suburbs at the Major Restaurant at 301 W. Ogden Ave. in Westmont. The restaurant has a large variety of breakfast, lunch, and brunch items, reasonably priced. Please contact John or Betty N., the West Suburban Coördinators, by 2 PM on Saturday, April 20th and let them know if you are coming. Their contact information is also in the April ChiMe. You may also RSVP via Meetup. This event recurs on the third Sunday of the month.

23/Tuesday

• Downtown Lunch 1 PM. Join us for lunch at Petro’s Restaurant located at Randolph and LaSalle (160 N. LaSalle St. in Chicago). To confirm the location and for reservations, contact event coördinator Gene E. before 11 AM. Do not RSVP via Meetup since Gene is not a member.

• Tasty Tuesday Table Treats 7 PM. This month we dine at the Good Tequilas Mexican Grill, 950 Elk Grove Town Center in Elk Grove Village (strip mall at the SW corner of Biesterfield and Arlington Heights Rd.). Delicious Mexican food including various combination plates not found at most other places. Order whatever you wish; the GOBS Trust subsidy will be ½ of your total (food, drink, tax, and tip) up to $30 (maximum subsidy is $15). You are responsible for the balance, payable in cash. I [Ken] will collect a $15 or $20 cash deposit per person prior to dinner. After dinner, the totals will be calculated, and you will either receive a refund or pay any overage. This event is open to Chicago Area Mensa members and one non-member guest and is limited to 10 people. You may RSVP via Meetup. If you RSVP by email or phone, your reservation is not confirmed until you receive an email confirmation from me. RSVP to Ken L..

24/Wednesday

• Mensa Testing 6 PM. Location just west of State & Ontario St. in Chicago. You must preregister and prepay — very limited seating. Parking is very expensive; public transit strongly recommended! Latecomers and anyone without an reserved spot will not be admitted. If you are or someone you know is interested in joining Mensa, see our Testing Information for contact details and additional dates/locations.
  Event Not in ChiMe!!

• Cheddar Curtain Area Dinner 7 PM. It’s South-of-the-Border, north of the border! Please join us for our monthly Mexican feast, bringing together Mensans from both sides of the IL/WI state line. We’ll meet at Iguana Wana Mexican Grill & Tequila Bar located at 9080 76th St. in Pleasant Prairie, WI (a couple minutes east of Exit 344/US-50 on I-94). Please RSVP via e‑mail or via Meetup by 10 AM the morning of the dinner so I [Janice] can reserve us a big enough table. This event recurs on the fourth Wednesday.

26/Friday

• Mensa of Wisconsin RG 3 PM. The RG is being held today through Sunday, April 28th, just outside of Geneva, at the The Ridge at W4240 WI-50 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The theme is Gemütlichkeit which is a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness and good cheer — dipped in chocolate and wrapped in bacon — Wisconsin style. Your registration fee includes: meals, snacks, and beverages Friday through Sunday; several tracks of the fine speakers you’ve come to expect; a games suite loaded with dozens of your favorites, and two hospitality suites with adult beverages open 24/7. The registration form is on the Mensa of Wisconsin RG website, which will be updated frequently as more details become available.

• SEMMantics 40 (An XL-ent RG) held today through Sunday, April 28th at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott at 30559 Flynn Dr. in Romulus, MI. Join the Southeast Michigan Mensans for their 2½ day RG. For more information, visit their website, which will have their most up-to-date information.

• CultureQuest® GOBS Deadline. If you’ve registered, but have not submitted your request for GOBS funds, you still have time to submit it today before tomorrow’s Monthly Business Meeting. On Sunday, April 28th, all across the country, all at the same time, teams of Mensans participate in a 90-minute-long contest of general trivia administered by American Mensa. Prizes will be awarded to the twenty teams with the highest scores! The registration deadline was Sunday, March 31st. CAM teams may apply for GOBS funds to cover the team registration fee. Team captains should read the GOBS instructions and fill out the online application form.

27/Saturday

• 

  CAM Monthly Gathering @Rolling Meadows Community Center

  
  

  Monthly Gathering
  Our April Monthly Gathering will be held the Rolling Meadows Community Center
  3705 Pheasant Drive in Rolling Meadows.
  We will have games and hospitality in their spacious auditorium, with overflow space in the lobby. The speaker event will be in the Card Room. There will also be a Parents-Kids Play Room available. Please note that we have this venue only until midnight, so plan accordingly. There will be a parent-child play room available. This gathering is open to the general public. So if you’re interested in learning more about Chicago Mensa, come join us. There is an admissions fee to help cover costs; the April MG is free to all members. Members, RSVP via Meetup to let your friends know you’re going to be there.

  
  Monthly Gathering

  Test:	4 PM.
  Business Meeting:	5 PM.
  Game room opens:	6 PM.
  Voting opens:	7 PM.
  Program:	7:30 PM.
  Voting closes:	8:30 PM.
  Party:	8:30 PM - Midnight.

  Time to vote for your Chicago Area Mensa Board Members!! See the candidates’ statements in the April ChiMe. If you can’t attend today’s gathering, please fill out, and mail in your paper ballot which is in the April ChiMe by following the instructions on the page preceding the ballot. You may print out the ballot from the pdf version of our April ChiMe , if you do not get the paper version.
  * * * * *
  Our GenRep Megan has arranged for a free taxi to pick members up from the METRA station and to get them back in time to board the last train. Details are on our Monthly Gathering page.
  * * * * *
  Get involved! Chicago Mensa needs you. We’re looking for volunteers to fill some of the open positions listed both in the back of ChiMe or on the List of Officers. Or consider watching the children at the MG for a fee. You can also view the job descriptions and the required qualifications. Or try your hand at writing an article for ChiMe, submitting a photo, or creating a puzzle; see our Submission Guidelines for contact information and deadlines.

  Program Topic: The Best of Disney’s True-Life Adventures
  In the 1950s Walt Disney revolutionized nature films by putting the power of his studio into making films about real animals. The 14 films won 8 Oscars and were later shown on Disney’s TV show. Films include The Living Desert, Beaver Valley, Water Birds, Perri & Secrets of Life. Bob Finnegan has created DVDs of the very best segments for your viewing pleasure.
  See the full write-up in our April ChiMe.

28/Sunday

• CultureQuest® 3 PM. Today, all across the country, all at the same time, teams of Mensans participate in a 90-minute-long contest of general trivia administered by American Mensa. Prizes will be awarded to the twenty teams with the highest scores! The registration deadline was Sunday, March 31st. CAM teams may apply for GOBS funds to cover the team registration fee. Team captains should read the GOBS instructions and fill out the online application form. We wish our teams the best of luck today!

29/Monday

30/Tuesday

• Breakfast in Mt. Prospect 10 AM. We meet at at Jelly Café located at 1784 W. Golf Rd. in Mt. Prospect. Diverse breakfast menu includes Mimosas, eggs, benedicts, omelettes, scramblers, skillets, french toast, pancakes, crepes, breakfast sandwiches, waffles, oatmeal, etc. RSVP via Meetup or directly to Ken L. no later than 24 hours before the event. This event will recur on the last Tuesday of the month.

• Sterling/Rock Falls/Dixon Dinner Cancelled. The group will be on hiatus until May. For the location or more information or to get on our e‑mail list, please send a message to Dave L. the Rockford Area Coördinator. Do not RSVP via Meetup since Dave is not a member. This event is usually scheduled on the last Tuesday of the month from May through September.
  Event on Winter Hiatus!!

* * * * *

1 May/Wednesday

• ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Advertising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the June ChiMe.

• ChiMe Editorial Deadline. Last day for editorial submissions to the June ChiMe. Please submit original articles, insights, puzzles, brain teasers, or short poems. Your fellow Chicago Area Mensans would love to hear from you.

• Rainbow SIG Sponsors Participation in the Chicago Annual Pride Parade held Sunday, June 30th, the last Sunday of the month. The Rainbow SIG will be marching and riding on their float again this year in the Chicago Annual Pride parade. For details, see the article in the May ChiMe or Sunday, June 30th. The SIG is also participating in the Buffalo Grove’s 1st Pride parade on Sunday, June 2nd and the Aurora Pride parade on Sunday, June 9th. To join in, you can sign up at one of the Monthly Gatherings, or e‑mail the parade coördinator.

2018 CAM Picnic

• Chicago Area Mensa Summer Picnic. The picnic will be held at 11 AM on Sunday, July 14th in Elmhurst. Get some of the details here and continue to visit our website for updates. In the meantime, save the date!

• WeeM 44: May the Fours Be With You Rate Increase Alert! Join the fun at WeeM at the Chicago North Shore Westin in Wheeling starting Thursday, October 31st through Sunday, November 3rd. Saturday, May 4th (less than 2½ weeks from today) is the last day you can preregister for WeeM and qualify for the early bird WeeM discount. Preregistering means you won’t have to fill out any forms at registration, you’ll get a pre-printed badge, and you can pay via PayPal. And best of all, it’ll be much quicker to get your registration packet when you arrive.

• WeeM 44: May the Fours Be With You Hotel Rate Deadline! Thursday, October 10th is the last day you can book a hotel room at the WeeM discount rate of $117 at the Chicago North Shore Westin in Wheeling. So book now while this great rate is still available.

All May Events