The organizers of the events listed on this calendar have expressed willingness for members elsewhere in the world to join in. Please don’t give them a bigger crowd than they can handle, and do be careful about time zones. The displayed time zone is GMT! If you add them to your own calendar, the time zone should convert to your specified time zone.
To have your virtual event added to this calendar, contact Matt C., the CAM International Calendar contact.
There may be other virtual events, as well as in-person events, which may be of interest to CAM members, hosted by various local groups listed on the American Mensa Calendar of Events.
25/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. Join a video chat with our kin from across the big pond in London at 2 PM BDT. I [Carey] participated previously, along with a few other CAM members, and had a very nice chat with some of our “siblings” in the London area. RSVP (via Meetup preferred) to local host Carey S. to receive the Zoom sign-in information. The London host is Ian David Moseley.
Virtual Event!!
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. Perhaps the longest running Mensa event anywhere, Chicago’s Zoom Lunch (formerly known as the Downtown Lunch) is held every week, alternating between Tuesday and Thursday. Join us for conversation, laughs, and attempts to define words you’ll never use again. The Zoom id is 836 1178 6315 and the passcode is 190710; it is also included as part of your host Jon G.’s contact information if you prefer a link. Questions? Contact Jon via email or call/text him. We’d love to have you join us!
Virtual Event!!
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CAM Election. The candidates’ statements are available on our website as well as in the April issue of ChiMe. The Election Notice can be found in Appendix B.
If you’re not attending April’s Monthly Gathering on Saturday, April 27th, please cast your vote electronically using this fool-proof online ballot at or before 8 PM on Saturday, April 27th. If you prefer a paper ballot, mail it so it is received by Friday, April 26th or give it to a trusted messenger who can drop it into the ballot box at the Monthly Gathering. Visit our Voting Info webpage for all the details.
In the case multiple ballots are received from a member, only the most recently received ballot will count. For mailed ballots, the postmark will be used as the date of submittal. The results will be announced sometime after in-person voting closes at the April Monthly Gathering. The results will be available on the website a few days later and in the June issue of ChiMe. Our Officers webpage will reflect the new ExComm members as of May 1st, the first day of their term. If you have questions, please contact Deb Johnston, our Election Procedures Committee Chair.
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53rd Chicago Annual Pride Parade held Sunday, June 30th, the last Sunday of the month. The CAM contingent is sponsored by the Rainbow SIG. The Rainbow SIG will be marching and riding on their float again this year in the Chicago Annual Pride parade. There will also be a GOBS-subsidized meal nearby after the parade. For all details, visit the Parade Info webpage or see the articles in the April ChiMe, May ChiMe, or June ChiMe (when it becomes available). Register by Monday, June 17th.
26/ Friday
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Arbor Day
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CAM Election Mail-In Ballot Deadline midnight.
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Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) through Sunday, April 28th. This event promotes the latest and greatest from the worlds of comics, movies, television, toys, anime, manga and video games, and is being held in the South Building of McCormick Place in Chicago. For more information, see the C2E2 website.
Public Event!!
27/ Saturday
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CAM Election Electronic Ballot Deadline 8 PM.
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Monthly Gathering
The location of our April Monthly Gathering is the Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Dr. in Rolling Meadows.Games and hospitality are in the spacious auditorium, with overflow space in the lobby. The speaker event is in the Card Room. A Parents-Kids Play Room is available after the Mensa Test. Park in the NW lot behind the building and use Entrance K (near inner corner). Please note that we have this venue only until midnight, so plan accordingly. 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 (major credit cards accepted); the April MG is free to all CAM members. Members, RSVP via Meetup to let your friends know you’re going to be there.
Test:5 PM.Business Meeting:5 PM.Game room opens:6 PM.Voting opens:6:30 PM.Program:7:30 PM.Voting closes:8 PM.Refreshments:8:30 PM - Midnight.Time to vote for your Chicago Area Mensa ExComm Members!! See the candidate statements here or in the April ChiMe. If you can’t attend today’s gathering, please use either the online electronic form or the paper version of the ballot and follow all the instructions. You may print out the pdf version of the ballot from our website or from the April ChiMe. Your mail-in ballot must be received at or before midnight on Friday, April 26th. Make sure you mail it at least 5 business days prior to the mail-in deadline. Your electronic ballot must be submitted at or before 8 PM on Saturday, April 27th. If you have questions, please visit our election information webpage or contact Deb Johnston, our Election Procedures Committee Chair.
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The CAM Executive Committee has allocated GOBS funds to be used for the reimbursement of either or Uber ridesharing services from/to the Arlington Park METRA station. Details are on our Monthly Gathering page.
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Volunteer
Get involved! Hone your leadership, organizational, or web skills. We’re looking for volunteers to fill some of the open positions listed both near the back of ChiMe or on the List of Officers. Try your hand as the Gifted Youth Coördinator, a co-Program Officer, a website designer, or a MG Hospitality Volunteer. You can view the job descriptions and the required qualifications for all the open positions and ones you may be interested in. Or consider supervising the children at the MG for some extra cash.
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Express Yourself
Write an article, submit a photo, or create a puzzle for ChiMe; see our Submission Guidelines for contact information and deadlines. Host your own event or your own virtual event using Discord!Program Topic: To Be Well—Nurturing Our Mental Health and Wellness
We all want to have good mental health, but do you or someone you care about ever feel down or anxious? Are there strategies an individual can use to combat those feelings or is professional help needed?
As our speaker, psychologist Kelli Johnson writes, “While not always at diagnosable levels, most of us, at some point in our lives, experience levels of stress, sadness, and/or overwhelm that significantly influence the sense of joy, fulfillment, and wellness that we experience in our day-to-day lives.”
Show all…The focus of her presentation will be identifying signs and symptoms that alert us to pay attention. It will outline how to recognize when “a little out of sorts” is becoming more than “a little.” She will also provide strategies for nurturing positive mental health in ways that preserve our overall wellness and functioning in sustainable ways.
Kelli F. Johnson, Ph.D., serves as Dean of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences at National Louis University. She has been a licensed psychologist in Psychotherapy and Counseling since 2016 and maintains a small private clinical practice in Chicago.
Dr. Johnson earned a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami. She completed her internship and post-doctoral residency at the University Counseling Center at Florida State University and remained there on the counseling staff until 2008.
She has been the Training Director of the predoctoral internship program at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Director of Clinical Training for the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Schaumburg, and Department Chair for the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Beyond clinical and academic activity, Dr. Johnson has held multiple roles in the professional community. Her interests include multicultural competence in clinical practice, intersectionality, social responsiveness in psychology, and professional identity development. In addition to her commitment to mentorship, Dr. Johnson’s current focus is on advocating for equitable access to a healthy educational experience for students from historically marginalized populations.
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Rainbow Mensans Potluck 5:30 PM. The Rainbow SIG will host a potluck at the home of members living close to Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. Please contact Jim, the Rainbow SIG coördinator (email or text preferred) to reserve a seat, coördinate dishes, and receive address and parking instructions.
28/ Sunday
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Theodore Talk: Why Black Baseball Matters 2:30 PM. In 1920 Andrew "Rube" Foster established the Negro National League in Kansas City, Missouri. Featuring teams in Chicago, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and St. Louis, the NNL adopted the slogan, “We Are the Ship, All Else the Sea” as a pledge to set its own course. Many teams discovered financial success coming out of the gate; Foster’s American Giants drew nearly 200,000 spectators during the 1921 season.
The NNL created a forum where many star players could make a bigger name for themselves — especially to white audiences. Future Hall of Famers Cool Papa Bell, Martín Dihigo, Willie Foster, Judy Johnson, Satchel Paige, and Turkey Stearnes all flourished in the NNL, along with many others. The creation of the Negro Leagues proved that Black players could play on even terms with their white counterparts — and draw just as much interest from baseball fans.
Larry Lester, co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, located near the AG site, will discuss how these men of color changed the landscape of American history and became a bridge over troubled waters. When you place their achievements against the background of discrimination and political resistance it makes all of baseball history more impressive in its efforts toward social change. See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Events website. Even if you can’t attend the live Talk, as long as you register you will receive a link to a recording of the event. Closed captioning enabled.
Virtual Event!!
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CultureQuest® XXXV 3 PM. Today, all across the country as well as Canada, all at the same time, teams of Mensa members will participate in a 90-minutes-long contest to test cultural literacy administered by American Mensa. Prizes will be awarded to twenty “Classic” (no age restrictions) teams and one “Next Generation” (youth) team with the highest scores! Get all the details including, if you want your team to meet virtually, how to request your own Discord channel. After CultureQuest® has ended, you may use the Reimbursement Form to get your approved GOBS funds. We wish our teams the best of luck today!
30/ Tuesday
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, April 25th.
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1 May/ Wednesday
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ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Advertising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the June ChiMe. Interested in organizing and hosting a virtual or in-person event? There’s bound to be an activity or a restaurant you want to try, but you just want some other people to experience it with you. So invite your fellow Mensans. Find out how by visiting our guide to hosting events.
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ChiMe Editorial Deadline. Last day for editorial submissions to the June ChiMe. Please submit original articles, insights, puzzles, brain teasers, photographs, or short poems. Your fellow Chicago Area Mensa members would love to hear from you.
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53rd Chicago Annual Pride Parade held Sunday, June 30th, the last Sunday of the month. The CAM contingent is sponsored by the Rainbow SIG. The Rainbow SIG will be marching and riding on their float again this year in the Chicago Annual Pride parade. There will also be a GOBS-subsidized meal nearby after the parade. For all details, visit the Parade Info webpage or see the articles in the April ChiMe, May ChiMe, or June ChiMe (when it becomes available). Register by Monday, June 17th.
Activities Bulletin
April 2024
RSVPs - Always contact the CAM event host as specified in the event details — email , phone , text , or Meetup .
Meetup
Chicago Mensa Meetup - All our events are listed; see who signed up, get notifications, and add the event(s) to your personal calendar. Check out the April calendar.
Chicago Mensa Meetup - All our events are listed; see who signed up, get notifications, and add the event(s) to your personal calendar. Check out the April calendar.