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 (when it becomes available). (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.

• 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.

• 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. Rates increase after Sunday, March 31st.

• 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 is 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.

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. Do not RSVP via Meetup since Gene is not a member.

• 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 latest issue of ChiMe). You may also RSVP via Meetup. This event will recur on the first Thursday of the month.

6/Saturday

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. Do not RSVP via Meetup since Gene is not a member.

RSVP for Northern Exposure no later than 10 AM. You may RSVP via Meetup.

 

Northern Exposure

10/Wednesday

• Northern Exposure: North Suburban 7 PM. Join us at a venue TBA in Lake County. 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. You may also RSVP via Meetup.

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. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup since Dave is not a member.

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. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup. 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; 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: Chinese 6 PM. Join us for dim sum at Furama Restaurant located at 4936 N. Brodway St. in Chicago (Uptown). One non-Mensan guest may accompany each member at the GOBS-subsidized price, but additional guests will be charged the full cost. Reservations are requested no later than noon Friday, April 12th; attendance is limited. The CTA 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. More details on Meetup (when posted). See article in the April ChiMe (when it becomes available). 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 a venue TBA. Spouses, dates, and significant others are also welcome. Reservations are appreciated. Please contact Jay V. so he can give the restaurant an accurate headcount. You may also RSVP via Chicago Mensa Meetup. 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. Do not RSVP via Meetup since Gene is not a member.

19/Friday

• Passover Begins

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.

• 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 latest issue of 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 latest issue of ChiMe. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup since Gary is not a member.

21/Sunday

• 
  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 latest issue of 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.

24/Wednesday

• 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. Rates increase after Sunday, March 31st.

• 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 is 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.

Our next Monthly Gathering is on February 23rd.
The February Monthly Gathering will be held at the
Rolling Meadows Community Center,
3705 Pheasant Dr., Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

The locations of the MGs vary.

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 (when it becomes available). 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 (when it becomes available) , if you do not get the paper version.
  * * * * *
  Forward your Mensa Voucher Program (MVP) code, that AML e‑mailed you, to a non-member, who may, at no cost, either submit prior evidence before the end of March, or preregister for the supervised test held today.
  * * * * *
  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: TBA
  See the full write-up in our April ChiMe (when it becomes available).

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 is 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.

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 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. The theme of the month is “Favorite Book.”

All May Events