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.

1/ Wednes­day

  • ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Ad­ver­tising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the March ChiMe. Interested in organizing and hosting a virtual or in-person event? Find out how by checking out our guide to hosting events.

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

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  • CultureQuest® XXXIV Registration. On Sunday, April 30th, at 3 PM CDT, 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! Today is the first day you can submit your team registration information to American Mensa and the last day is Friday, March 31st. Get all the details including how to get the registration fee covered by GOBS funds and, if you want your team to meet virtually, how to request your own Discord channel.

2/ 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 BST. 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 to local host Carey S. to receive the Zoom sign-in information. The London host is Ian David Moseley.
    Virtual Event!!

  • Downtown Lunch: Virtual 1 PM. Perhaps the longest running Mensa event anywhere, Chicago’s 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 e-mail or call/text him. We’d love to have you join us!
    Virtual Event!!

  • groundhog

    Ground­hog Day

  • Capricon 43: Eternity awaits… through Sunday, February 5th. This event promotes the sci-fi genre, and is being held at the Sheraton Grand Chicago in downtown Chicago. For more information, see the Capricon website.
    Public Event!!

3/ Fri­day

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  • A Gathering of Gamers (AGoG) - Preregistration Deadline Alert! Join us for a relaxing weekend of games and hospitality on February 17th – 19th. Today was the last day you could pre­reg­ister for AGoG and qualify for an AGoG discount. Also, if you’re paying by check, it must have been received today, else you’ll have to reg­ister at the door because your preregistration and any discount will not be honored. If you haven’t pre­reg­istered, come to AGoG and reg­ister at the door!

7/ Tues­day

8/ Wednes­day

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Northern Exposure

  • Northern Ex­po­sure Dinner 6:45 PM. Do you brake for caribou? Then you should have dinner with us. Join us at Jameson’s Charhouse in Vernon Hills for burgers, steaks, chops, salads, and more. Lo­cated at 151 E. Townline Rd. in Vernon Hills. Please RSVP (Meetup preferred) to Janice E., so she can reserve a big enough table.

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  • New/Less Active Members Zoom Gathering 7 PM. Are you new to Chicago Area Mensa? Or perhaps, not so new, but haven’t gotten involved yet? Or even, not new at all, but haven’t been around for a while? Come join us at the CAM New Member Zoom Gathering! We’ll share some background on Mensa and what CAM has to offer you! Meet some of us on-line to make it more comfortable to come out to in-person events. The Membership Officer Stacey K., LocSec Beth W., and other CAM members will be there and are looking forward to meeting you! The Zoom link is included as part of the hosts’ contact info. The Zoom info is also accessible in the February ChiMe.
    Virtual Zoom Event!!

9/ Thurs­day

10/ Fri­day

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Rockford Mensans

  • Rock­ford Mensa Lunch Noon. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for lunch at the Stone Eagle Tavern, lo­cated at 6445 E. State St. in Rockford (just east of Mulford Rd. on the south side of State St.). To RSVP , for more information, or to get on our e‑mail list, contact Dave L., our Rockford-Area Coördinator. RSVP required in case of cancellation, time, or restaurant change. This event is usually recurs on the second Friday of the month.
    Time Change!!

  • Poetry Dis­cus­sion 7:30 PM. Our poetry group is now using Zoom for meetings. Interested persons who are not currently members of the poetry group can contact Joe D. , and he will e-mail the poems to be discussed or you can view them by tapping/clicking here. This event is usually held on evening of the second Friday of the month.
    Virtual Event!!

  • Virtual Mixology with Mister Tootsie 7:30 PM. Let’s get ready for Valentine’s Day with sweet red cocktails. Participants will get a list of needed ingredients and equipment (which you probably have in your house already), as well as the Zoom info prior to the event. Make this your month to join in! This is a GOBS-subsidized activity. The subsidized cost is $12.50 for up to 2 people per Zoom login. Participation maxes out at 15 Zoom logins. One person at each Zoom login has to be a CAM member. If space permits, the event is now open to non-CAM members (unsubsidized @$25/login). To RSVPs and get payment information, e-mail Beth W.. Payment is required to hold your spot.
    Virtual Event!!

11/ Satur­day

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  • Saturday Movie & Dinner 2:45 PM. We’ll see Missing, “a thrilling roller-coaster mystery…” that does not involve roller coasters. Join us at the AMC Randhurst 12 Theaters, located at 200 Randhurst Village Dr. in Mount Prospect. After the movie we’ll hike across the street to the Blackfinn Randhurst Grill, located at 157 Randhurst Village Dr., for dinner and debriefing. To RSVP (welcome, but optional), send an e-mail Bill S.. If you show up and can’t find us, text Lisa S.. We hope to see you there!

12/ Sun­day

  • lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
    State of Illinois holiday.

13/ Mon­day

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  • GOBS NSEW Dinner: Mexican 6 PM. Dinner will be at Hacienda El Sombrero lo­cated at 1100 S. Elmhurst Rd. in Mount Prospect (in a strip mall on the west side of Elmhurst Rd. (IL RT 83), just south of Golf Rd.). This is a a GOBS-subsidized event where ½ the total cost (including tax plus a 20% tip, rounded up to the nearest dollar) of a CAM member’s, and up to one guest’s, dinner will be covered for a maximum of fifteen people — for a maximum of $25/person for a dinner totaling $50 or more; cash or PayPal only for your portion. RSVP (and get more details) on Meetup, but if not on Meetup, e‑mail Ken L. at least 24 hours in advance.
    New Recurring Event!!

14/ Tues­day

Happy%20Valentine’s%20Day!

15/ Wednes­day

  • GOBS Request Deadline Noon. Today is the last day to submit a request for GOBS funds to be approved at this Saturday’s Business Meeting for any planned, eligible event, activity, or class taking place after Saturday, February 18th and through Saturday, March 25th or later; to be eligible, events involving CAM members must be published in the issue of ChiMe corresponding to the month in which they occur.

  • Mensa Testing 6 PM. Location just west of State & Ontario St. in Chicago, in the River North neighborhood. You must prereg­ister and prepay — very limited seating. Parking is very expensive; public transit strongly recommended! Latecomers and anyone without a 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!!

16/ Thurs­day

17/ Fri­day

  • A Gathering of Gamers (AGoG) 3 PM. Join us for a relaxing weekend of games and hospitality at the Westin Northshore1, 601 North Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling. Bigger than a house party, smaller than an RG; just hundreds games supplied Chicago Area Mensa, plenty of tables, and well over a hundred friendly, albeit competitive, players. At AGoG, you can play all your favorite board and card games, including Euro/German games as well as party games and classics, or bring your own to share with friends. There are also social deduction games planned. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are provided throughout the weekend. Plus the fee includes access to Saturday’s Monthly Gathering. If you haven’t pre­reg­istered, you can reg­ister at the door. Please e‑mail our Chairs  regarding questions or concerns you have about anything other than registration. Learn more about CAM Discord which enable you to plan and connect with other attendees.

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  • Gallery Talk - Wormholes in the Laboratory 7:30 PM. Part of the Fermilab lecture series, this one given by Doctor Joe Lykken of the Fermilab Quantum Institute. A wormhole, also known as an Einstein-Rosen bridge, is a hypothetical tunnel connecting remote points in spacetime. While wormholes are allowed by Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, wormholes have never been found in the universe. In late 2022, the journal Nature featured a paper co-written by Joe Lykken, leader of the Fermilab Quantum Institute, that describes observable phenomenon produced by a quantum processor that “are consistent with the dynamics of a transversable wormhole.” Working with a Sycamore quantum computer at Google, a team of physicists was able to transfer information from one area of the computer to another through a quantum system utilizing artificial intelligence hardware. Read the full write-up on the Fermilab Events website. This event is free but registration required. Also view previous event recordings.
    Public Virtual Event!!

18/ Satur­day

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AGoG 2015

  • A Gathering of Gamers (AGoG) continues. Join the fun and attend the long weekend gathering of just games all day through Sunday afternoon at the Westin Northshore, 601 North Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling! All the games we have at WeeM and more, because folks like you bring their own to share. There are also social deduction games planned. We provide food, non-alcoholic beverages, and all the games you want for a reasonable price. Plus the fee includes access to today’s Monthly Gathering. If you haven’t pre­reg­istered, you can reg­ister at the door. Learn more about CAM Discord which enable you to plan and connect with other attendees.

  • Conserv­atives Lunch 11:30 AM. Join other members of the Mensan cell of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy for lunch and civilized Un-PC conversation. No forbidden questions, no unchallengeable answers. This lunch happens on the third Saturday every month, but the location changes and can’t always be determined in time to make the ChiMe schedule. If you’re curious about the location and the COVID restrictions at this month’s meeting place, e-mail Jim Z. the event coör­di­na­tor. Open to non-Mensans; bring a conservative friend.

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  • Beverly Area Saturday Salon (B.A.S.S.) ~Noon. Spontaneous conversation in far SSW Chicago, approx­i­mate vicinity of 107th 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.

Our next Monthly Gathering is on April 29th.
The April gathering will be held at the
Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center
3705 Pheasant Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
* * * * * *
Our April MG is free for all CAM members!


The locations of the MGs vary.


  • Monthly Gath­ering
    The location of our February Month­ly Gath­ering was the Westin North Shore Hotel
    601 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling.

    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).

    Test:
    2 PM.
    Business Meeting:
    5 PM.
    Game room opens:
    All weekend for AGoG!
    Nomi­nations for Local Officers:
    7:30 PM.
    Program:
    ~7:35 PM.
    Refreshments:
    8:30 PM - Midnight.

    The Nomi­nating Committee is looking for qualified candidates to run for the elected po­sitions on the Chicago Area Mensa Board of Directors. If you’re interested or just curious, see Deb J.’s ar­ticle in the February ChiMe for details. You can also view the job descriptions and the required qualifications.
    * * * * *
    Volunteer
    Get involved! Hone your leadership, organizational, or web skills. 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. Try your hand as the Gifted Youth Coördinator, Communications Officer, website programmer, or as 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.
    * * * * *
    Express Yourself
    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. Host your own event or your own virtual event using Discord!

    Program Topic: Trivia Contest

    run by Tim Schifle

    It’s AGoG weekend and, as usual, the Monthly Gathering theme is games-related. Our special treat will be the Trivia Contest run once again by trivia guru Tim Schifle. Prizes are expected to be fabulous, or maybe they’ll look a lot like M&Ms. Bring your knowledge of the obscure and find out.

    If you played last year, you might remember Tim Schifle as our virtual trivia host. An M since 2001 and a veteran of over 1,500 trivia games in Cleveland, Tim recently took his talents to the Motor City, where he now lives with wife Vanessa. He is excited for the unique challenge of trying to stump the best of the best—in 3D this time!

    If there is a spike in Covid cases, the in-person MG may become virtual & testing would be cancelled!!

19/ Sun­day

  • A Gathering of Gamers (AGoG) continues until 3 PM. Join us for a relaxing weekend of games and hospitality at the Westin Northshore, 601 North Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling. Bigger than a house party, smaller than an RG; just hundreds games supplied Chicago Area Mensa, plenty of tables, and well over a hundred friendly, albeit competitive, players. At AGoG, you can play all your favorite board and card games, including Euro/German games as well as party games and classics, or bring your own to share with friends. There are also social deduction games planned. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are provided throughout the weekend. Sunday breakfast is included as well. If you haven’t pre­reg­istered, you can reg­ister at the door. Please e‑mail our Chairs  regarding questions or concerns you have about anything other than registration. Learn more about CAM Discord which enable you to plan and connect with other attendees.

20/ Mon­day

  • mtrush

    Presidents Day
    Federal Holiday

21/ Tues­day

  • mardi

    Mardi Gras

22/ Wednes­day

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  • City Dinner at the Berghoff 7 PM. Berghoff Restaurant, 17 W. Adams St. in Chicago (Loop). This is a GOBS-subsidized event for which any CAM member and up to one guest qualifies; GOBS will cover ½ of your tab, including tax and tip, up to a maximum of $25/person. Any additional guest and anyone RSVPing after the GOBS cap of 15 people is reached pays full price. To RSVP contact Hilarie C.by Friday, February 17th.

  • washington

    George Washington’s Birthday

23/ Thurs­day

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  • Dinner Out West 6:30 PM. Bien Trucha, located at 410 W. State St. in Geneva, is ranked #2 on TripAdvisor among 120 restaurants in Geneva, and we’re going to check it out! This is a GOBS-subsidized event. GOBS will cover ½ of your meal cost, including tax and tip, up to a maximum of $10, for each CAM member and their guest. Reservations are required so Beth knows how big of a table to reserve. RSVP directly to Beth W. no later than Wednesday, February 22nd.

  • Deadline for Nomi­nation Statements. Candidates’ statements for publication in the April ChiMe are to be no longer than 500 words and cannot include any boldface, italic, or larger type; they should be sent directly to Deb J. via e-mail.

26/ Sun­day

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  • Comedy is a Funny Business 2:30 PM. We all like to laugh (or at least most of us do). From class clown to comedy kingpin, Dustin Kauffman has been making people laugh, one way or another, for most of his life. He first appeared in front of a crowd at an open mic night in 1999. Within six months he was performing professionally. He started touring in 2003, appearing in clubs in New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles.

    Tired of the life on the road, he returned to Kansas City in 2014, where he … sold flooring. Which he was very good at. But still, it didn't carry the same thrill as entertaining people. So he began thinking about his own comedy club. In the summer of 2018 he signed a 5-year lease on what used to be a Waid’s Diner, and before that a small four-screen movie theatre. In April on 2019 the Comedy Club of Kansas City opened. At least for a while, until Covid shut it down.

    Dustin will talk about what is like to run a comedy club. From obtaining a liquor license to booking comedians like Andy Dick, Andrew Dice Clay, Emo Philips, Margaret Cho, Paul Rodriguez and Marsha Warfield, it may not be as funny as you think.

    Find contact info and more information on the American Mensa website.
    Virtual Event!!

28/ Tues­day

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  • Break­fast in Mount Pros­pect 10 AM. Breakfast or lunch and conversation at Jelly Café lo­cated at 1784 W. Golf Rd. in Mount Pros­pect (northwest corner of Golf Rd. and Busse Hwy.), featuring a large and diverse menu. Sepa­rate checks are available. Use Meetup, but if not on Meetup, RSVP to Ken L. via e‑mail. If you RSVP by e-mail, your reservation is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation e-mail.


* * * * *

1 March/ Wednes­day

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

  • ChiMe Editorial Dead­line. Last day for editorial submissions to the April 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.

  • pulaski

    Casimir (Kazimierz) Pulaski Day
    Observed in Chicago & Cook County
    City offices closed.

Activities Bulletin
February 2023

February
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RSVPs - Always contact the CAM event host as specified in the event details — e-mail , phone , text , or Meetup .

About
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 calendar,

Facebook - The following CAM group has its own closed Facebook group which may have events not listed here nor on Meetup (contact them to join):

About
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 calendar,

Facebook - The following CAM group has its own closed Facebook group which may have events not listed here nor on Meetup (contact them to join):

All March Events
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