Activities Bulletin
April 2020

1/ Wednes­day

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

• 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.

Northern Exposure

• Northern Ex­po­sure Dinner Cancelled. Please join us for dinner at Wildfire. “From the décor and jazz to the incredible service, Wildfire has the style and warmth that brings something special to experience of dining out in one of the Chicago area’s best restaurants. We offer a mouthwatering selection of steaks, chops, and seafood, along with a variety of fresh salads and sandwiches in a modern-day 1940s superclub atmosphere.” Many affordable entrées! Located at 235 Parkway Dr. in Lincolnwood. Please RSVP (no later than 10 AM) to our North Suburban Coördinator Michael 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.
  Event Cancelled Due to Illinois Stay-at-Home Order!!

2/ Thurs­day

• Downtown Lunch Cancelled. Join Gene and Sue E. for lunch at the Exchequer Pub at 226 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago. For res­ervations and/or to be put on the mailing list, contact event coördinators Gene or Sue E. before 11 AM. Their contact information is also in the April ChiMe.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

• Southeast Side Mensa Social (SEMinalS) Cancelled. 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 [Ca­rol] will try to display a flag of some kind. To RSVP or for more information, contact Carol (her contact information can also be found in the April ChiMe). RSVP recommended as event may be cancelled without notice. This event will recur on the first Thursday of the month.
  Event Cancelled Until Further Notice!!

7/ Tues­day

• Downtown Lunch Cancelled. Join Gene and Sue E. for lunch at the Exchequer Pub at 226 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago. For res­ervations and/or to be put on the mailing list, contact event coördinators Gene or Sue E. before 11 AM. Their contact information is also in the April ChiMe.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

8/ Wednes­day

• 

  Pass­over begins.

10/ Fri­day

• Rockford Mensa Dinner Cancelled. Join Dave and other Rockford-area Mensans for dinner at the Olympic Tavern, lo­cated at 2327 N. Main St. in Rockford (SE corner of N. Main and Fulton Streets). To RSVP, for more information, or to get on our e‑mail list, contact Dave L., our Rockford Area Coördinator.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

Poetry SIG

• Poetry Dis­cus­sion 7:30 PM. Contact Joe D., the SIG coördinator , for the contact information of the person selecting and providing copies of the poems and of the host(s), or for general information about this SIG. This event is usually held on evening of the second Friday of the month or the following Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

11/ Satur­day

• Games and Conversation Cancelled. Games at the WeissWard Home for Wayward Mensans, on Broker Rd. in Bloomingdale. We have a wide variety of card and board games. I’m hoping for a game of Wizard as well as some euchre. Bring a snack to share and your beverage of choice. Beth is making TBD for dinner (hope you like surprises). Call if you need a ride from the Medinah train station. For more information or to RSVP, contact Beth.
  Event Cancelled Due to Coro­na­virus Concerns!!

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. RSVP by one week prior (Saturday, April 4th) is required. Please see the South­west Area Group Facebook page to RSVP and for information about this and other SwAG events; contact the South­west Area Coördinators to find out how to join (Kevin’s contact information is also on our website). We’ve been meeting on the second Saturday of most months. Hope to see you there!

• Chinese on Saturdays Cancelled. 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. 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. For e-mail or phone RSVPs, Walt L.’s contact information can be found on our website or in the April ChiMe.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

12/ Sun­day

15/ Wednes­day

• 

  Federal Tax Deadline
  Now extended 90 days until July 15th
  for both federal and Illinois!

16/ Thurs­day

• Downtown Lunch Cancelled. Join Gene and Sue E. for lunch at the Exchequer Pub at 226 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago. For res­ervations and/or to be put on the mailing list, contact event coördinators Gene or Sue E. before 11 AM. Their contact information is also in the April ChiMe.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

18/ Satur­day

• Conserv­atives Lunch Cancelled. 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 a table with a red Meetup sign. RSVPs appreciated. Open to non-Mensans; bring a conservative friend. For more info, contact Jim Z. the event coördinator.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

• 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. This event usually recurs on the 3rd Saturday of the month, about midday.

• South Bend Mensa Dinner Cancelled. 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.
  Event Cancelled Due to Coronavirus Concerns!!

19/ Sun­day

W-Sub Sundays

• West Suburban Sundays Cancelled. Join us for Sunday lunch in the south­west suburbs at the Steven’s Family Restaurant at 2393 63rd St. in Woodridge. The restaurant has a large variety of breakfast, lunch, and brunch items, reasonably priced. Please call John or Betty N. or e-mail John N., the West Suburban Coördinators, by 2 PM on Saturday, April 18th and let them know if you are coming. Their contact information is also in the April ChiMe. This event recurs on the third Sunday of the month.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

20/ Mon­day

21/ Tues­day

• Downtown Lunch Cancelled. Join Gene and Sue E. for lunch at the Exchequer Pub at 226 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago. For res­ervations and/or to be put on the mailing list, contact event coördinators Gene or Sue E. before 11 AM. Their contact information is also in the April ChiMe.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

22/ Wednes­day

• 

  Earth Day

23/ Thurs­day

• CAM Business Meeting 5 PM. Due to our bylaws requirements, Chicago Area Mensa must have a business meeting in April. This meeting will be held via video teleconference using Zoom or you can dial in, especially if your internet connection is spotty. The Zoom meeting id and phone numbers can be found on our website.
  Special CAM Business Meeting!!

24/ Fri­day

• 

  Arbor Day

26/ Sun­day

Ethnic Dining

• Ethnic Dining: Korean Cancelled. Join us for a family-style dinner (BYOB) at Pa Lian Burmese Restaurant, lo­cated at 254 E. Geneva Rd. in Wheaton. The food is mild with spicy sauces. The tea leaf salad alone is a sufficient reason to come…Gailon (Chinese broccoli), baby fish, goat…and the green tea cheesecake — it’s all good. Some of the ordered dishes are vegan and the variety may be increased depending upon the number of people indicating that preference when RSVPing. More details in the April ChiMe.

  One guest may accompany each CAM member at the GOBS-subsidized cost of $20, but additional guests will be charged the full price of $40 (cash only; payable upon arrival). Reservations are required by Thursday, April 23rd; attendance is limited. Contact Carey S. directly and, for each person in your party, include 1) their full name, 2) their CAM membership status, and 3) anyone who prefers vegan-only dishes. For Ethnic Dining notifications, updates, and all the details, join the Mensa Connect Ethnic Dining Group.
  Event Cancelled Due to Non-Approval of GOBS Funds!!

28/ Tues­day

• Breakfast in the NW Suburbs Cancelled. This month’s lo­ca­tion: Le Peep lo­cated at 10 E. Northwest Hwy. in Mt. Pros­pect (NW corner of Northwest Hwy. (U.S. 14) and Main St. (IL 83) where the parking lot can be accessed from Main St.). Sepa­rate checks will be available. Attendance is limited. RSVP strongly suggested in case of possible cancellation or changes in venue. RSVP Ken L. via e‑mail. Recurs on the 4th Tuesday of the month.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

• Sterling/Rock Falls/Dixon Dinner Cancelled. For more information or to get on our e‑mail list, please send a message to Dave L. our Rockford Area Coördinator. This event is usually scheduled on the last Tuesday of the month from May through October.
  Event on Hiatus!!

29/ Wednes­day

• Dinner Out West Cancelled. Dinner Out West at Good Tequila’s Mexican Grill at 149 E. North Ave. in Glendale Heights. If we can have our April Monthly Gathering on April 32nd, we can have our Cinco de Mayo dinner on May -2nd (more commonly known as April 29th). The reviews mention tasty margaritas and good food. Please RSVP directly to Beth W. no later than Tuesday, April 28th so she can reserve the right size table.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

30/ Thurs­day

• Downtown Lunch Cancelled. Join Gene and Sue E. for lunch at the Exchequer Pub at 226 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago. For res­ervations and/or to be put on the mailing list, contact event coördinators Gene or Sue E. before 11 AM. Their contact information is also in the April ChiMe.
  Event Cancelled — Cannot Dine-in at any Illinois Restaurant!!

• Northern Exposure: Online Discussion on Caffeine 5:45 PM. We have been discussing issues of the day by video & phone since the March shutdown began. Typically 10-20 friends, acquaintances, and Mensans compare concepts, statistics, and tentative conclusions in a friendly and non-confrontational manner.

  Caffeine changed the world in so many different ways! For one thing, our European ancestors were often forced to drink mind dulling alcohol morning, noon, and night because they knew that liquor made them sick less often than the available “drinking” water of the day. When coffee & tea became available in the 1600s, they noticed that these boiled drinks also made them sick less often, in addition to boosting productivity, stamina, and mental clarity.

  Go to Chicago Mensa Meetup for the complete write-up, for links to listen to an audio interview about the book Caffeine, and links to articles as well as the information on how to join this teleconference. The discussion may include the following:

  • Would America be as powerful and rich if we hadn’t caffeinated?
  • Would Americans be lazier without coffee?
  • Would Americans cooperate more or less if they weren’t high on caffeine?
  • Does caffeine elevate your mood and make you more confident?
  New Meetup Teleconference Event!!

• 

  CAM Election Ballot Deadline. Today was the deadline for any mail-in ballots. The candidates’ statements are in the April ChiMe as well as on our website.
  Mail-in Ballots Only This Year!

* * * * *

1 May /Fri­day

• 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.

2 May /Satur­day

• Monthly Gath­ering
  (Held via Video Teleconference)
  The pseudo April Monthly Gathering will take place via video teleconference featuring breakout rooms. If you don’t have Zoom already, we recommend you download Zoom and sign up at least 30 minutes before the event; it’s free. The CAM Board has purchased some Board Game Arena premium accounts so we can play games with one another online while using audio chat . Or people can play via Zoom in one of the breakout rooms. The initial setup of Board Game Arena is an easy process that requires some lead time; try to sign up and and add the CAM Game Hosts no later than the day before the MG. After completing the setup, try to find time to practice. Check out the CAM Zoom FAQ.

  The Zoom id was available via our website, via a Mensa Connect e-mail, and on CAM Facebook. The election results will be announced. Zoom breakout rooms make it easy for smaller groups of people to converse and people can switch from one room to another. Join the group as we all experiment with a different way of interacting. BYOB and snacks . After all these weeks of being shut in, aren’t you ready to have some fun and to try something new?
  Rolling Meadows has closed its Community Center over concerns about the coronavirus. The April Business Meeting took place on Thursday, April 23rd via video teleconference.

  Test:

  Cancelled Until Further Notice.

  Business Meeting:

  Via video teleconference at 5 PM on Thursday, April 23rd.

  Voting opens:

  Cancelled — Mail-in Only!

  How to Use Zoom :

  6 PM.

  Socializing :

  6:30 PM.

  Election Results :

  7 PM.

  Socializing :

  7:10 PM.

  Program:

  Cancelled.

  Voting closes:

  Cancelled — Mail-in Only!

  Socializing & Games via Zoom or Board Game Arena :

  8 PM.

  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. You can view the job descriptions and the required qualifications for all the open positions and ones you may be interested in. 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.

  

  Monthly Gathering

  Video Teleconference Event!!