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/ Thursday
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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.
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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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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!!
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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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CultureQuest® XXXV Registration. On Sunday, April 28th, 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 Sunday, 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/ Friday
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Groundhog Day
4/ Sunday
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A Gathering of Gamers (AGoG) - Preregistration Deadline Alert! Join us for a relaxing weekend of games and hospitality on February 16th – 18th. 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!
6/ Tuesday
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, February 1st.
8/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, February 1st.
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Mensa Testing 6 PM. The location is in the River North neighborhood of downtown Chicago. You must preregister and prepay — very limited seating. Parking is very expensive; public transit is strongly recommended! Latecomers (you must arrive before 6 PM to be admitted) 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!!
9/ Friday
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Poetry Discussion 7:30 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Interested persons who are not currently members of the poetry group can contact Joe D. , and he will email the poems to be discussed or you can view them by tapping/clicking here. This event is usually held on the evening of the second Friday of the month.
Virtual Event!!
10/ Saturday
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Rockford Mensa Lunch Noon. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for lunch at Sam’s Ristorante & Pizzeria located at 6075 Riverside Blvd. in Rockford (on the SE corner of Riverside and Mulford; entrance south off Riverside). To RSVP , for more information, or to get on our email list, contact Dave L., our Rockford-Area Coördinator. RSVP required in case of cancellation, time, or venue change. This event is usually recurs on the second Friday of the month.
Venue, Date & Time Change!!
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Saturday Movie & Dinner 3:45 PM. We’ll see Argylle, a movie that may or may not be about fancy socks,at the AMC Randhurst 12 Theaters , located at 200 Randhurst Village Dr. in Mount Prospect. Lisa and I usually opt for seats on the aisle, closest to the theater entrance, and the first row up. You, of course, can sit anywhere you like. After the movie we’ll dine at the Blackfinn Randhurst Grill located at 157 Randhurst Village Dr., a short walk across from the theater. To RSVP (welcome, but optional), email Bill S.. If you show up and can’t find us, text Lisa S.. We hope to see you there!
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Lunar New Year
Year of the Dragon
11/ Sunday
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SFRM: The Next Pandemic 4:30 PM. Presented by Robert Enteen, PhD, who has 25 years of experience in health research and policy analysis on acute and chronic disease, and disability. Outbreaks and epidemics of highly virulent infectious diseases are occurring with notably increasing frequency, yet the world’s defenses remain essentially as porous and insufficient as they were in 2019, when Covid emerged. Please register early; we are limited to 100 seats for this presentation. To register, visit San Francisco Regional Mensa (SFRM)’s registration signup for this event. For more details, visit the SFRM Zoom RSVPs group on Facebook.
Virtual Event!!
12/ Monday
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Learn about IGNYTE! - The First Young Mensans Gathering 5 PM. Experience sharing: Meet Franck Mounier and the IGNYTE! Organizational Committee and learn how this first-of-its-kind YM meeting that gathered 176 participants was organized to achieve such success. We will review the program, the general organization, the location, the feedback from the participants, and the challenges the team faced along the way. We expect this meeting to be very interactive. Visit the AML Event for the Zoom registration link.
Virtual Event!!
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Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
State of Illinois holiday.
13/ Tuesday
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Northern Exposure Dinner 6:45 PM. Aurora borealis an everyday thing? Then you should have dinner with us. Join us at The Silo, in Lake Bluff, famous for pizza (including low-carb and gluten-free varieties), appetizers, sandwiches, salads, ribs, loaded baked potatoes, and much more. Located at 625 Rockland Rd. in Lake Bluff. Please RSVP on Meetup or via Janice’s email, jesser@chicago.us.mensa.org , so she can reserve a big enough table.
Schedule Change!!
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Mardi Gras
14/ Wednesday
15/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, February 1st.
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, February 1st.
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Dinner Out West: Italian, Family-Style 6:30 PM. join us at Maggiano’s, located at 1847 Freedom Dr. in Naperville, for an Italian dinner. We will be ordering family-style. 1st course: salads. Starters: stuffed mushrooms and crispy zucchini fritte. Main course: Four-cheese ravioli, Our Famous Rigatoni “D”, Chicken Marsala, and Salmon Lemon & Herb. Desserts: sampler of mini desserts. Cost is $38.99 per person (plus tax and tip). Drinks are not included. This is a GOBS-subsidized event. GOBS will cover ½ of your meal cost, including tax and tip (rounded up to the nearest dollar), up to a maximum subsidy of $25, for each CAM member and their guest. Cash, Zelle, or PayPal for your portion. Limit 20 people. Reservations are required so Beth knows how big of a table to reserve. RSVP directly to Beth W. no later than Tuesday, February 13th.
16/ Friday
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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. Although AGoG is laid back, we do offer scheduled tournaments and opportunities to learn new games. To find out more, view the Online Schedule. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are provided throughout the weekend. If you haven’t preregistered, you can register at the door. Please email our Chairs regarding questions or concerns you have about anything other than registration.
17/ Saturday
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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. Although AGoG is laid back, we do offer scheduled tournaments and opportunities to learn new games. To find out more, view the Online Schedule. 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.
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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 at this month’s meeting place, email Jim Z. the event coördinator. Open to non-Mensans; bring a curious 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 emailing, put “BASS” in the subject line. This event usually recurs on the 3rd Saturday of the month, about midday.
Our next
Monthly Gathering
occurs on
April 27th.
at the
Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
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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:The BM was held on Monday, February 26th.Game room opens:All weekend for AGoG!Nominations for Local Officers:7:30 PM.Program:~7:35 PM.Refreshments:8:30 PM - Midnight (food & beverages put out earlier than 8:30 PM is for AGoG registrants only).The Nominating Committee is looking for qualified candidates to run for the elected positions on the Chicago Area Mensa Executive Committee. If you’re interested or just curious, see Deb J.’s article in the January ChiMe for details. You can also view the job descriptions and the required qualifications.
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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: 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!
18/ Sunday
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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. Although AGoG is laid back, we do offer scheduled tournaments and opportunities to learn new games. To find out more, view the Online Schedule. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are provided throughout the weekend. Sunday brunch is included as well. If you haven’t preregistered, you can register at the door. Please email our Chairs regarding questions or concerns you have about anything other than registration.
19/ Monday
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Presidents Day
Federal Holiday
20/ Tuesday
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, February 1st.
21/ Wednesday
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GOBS Request Deadline Noon. Today is the last day to submit a request for GOBS funds to be approved at this Monday’s Business Meeting for any planned, eligible event, activity, or class taking place after Monday, February 26th and through Tuesday, March 12th 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. For CAM events, it’s recommended you submit the GOBS request and get it approved before submitting your event information for publication in ChiMe — so no later than today for events planned for April or later. April events need to be submitted by the 1st of March to the activities editor to be included in the April ChiMe. An article must be featured in the April ChiMe for GOBS-subsidized May events with an RSVP deadline in April (same 1st of March deadline but article emailed to the editor; see editorial deadline).
If you’ve registered or are planning to register for CultureQuest® XXXV (get all the details), but have not submitted your request for GOBS funds, today was the last chance to submit a GOB request before the February monthly Business Meeting. The entire registration fee (and only the registration fee) will be covered and reimbursed after the event for approved GOBS requests.
22/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, February 1st.
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George Washington’s Birthday
25/ Sunday
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Theodore Talk: Kansas City National World War I Museum & Memorial 2:30 PM. Soon after World War I ended, Kansas City leaders formed the Liberty Memorial Association (LMA) to create a lasting monument to the men and women who served in the war. In 1919, the LMA and citizens of Kansas City raised more than $2.5 million in just 10 days. The equivalent of more than $40 million today, this staggering accomplishment reflected the passion of public sentiment for the Great War that had dramatically changed the world. In 1921, more than 100,000 people gathered to see the supreme Allied commanders dedicate the site of the Liberty Memorial. This was the first time in history these five leaders were together in one place. The local veteran chosen to present flags to the commanders was a Kansas City haberdasher, Harry S. Truman.
Join us for this Theodore Talk to learn more about what you will experience when touring the National World War I Museum & Memorial during the 2024 AG in Kansas City. It is a visit you will never forget.
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!!
26/ Monday
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Virtual Monthly Business Meeting 7:30 PM. Our ExComm and any other interested members discuss various topics and issues as well as GOBS requests. Members are welcome to attend and voice their opinions, but only the five elected members of the Executive Committee can vote. The Zoom login info was available on our Contacts webpage.
Virtual Event!!
27/ 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 email. If you RSVP by email, your reservation is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email.
28/ Wednesday
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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., our Elections Procedures Chair, via email .
29/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, February 1st.
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, February 1st.
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1 March/ Friday
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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.
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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.
RSVPs:
To protect our members’ privacy, contact information has been removed from this listing but is available on our website for members only. Each of the CAM events has a link to the host’s RSVP information which also takes you to this same information.
Password Issues?
You must use the AM password reset. If you forgot your id (email address), contact the National Office. Their phone number and email address are at the bottom of AM login webpage.
Event Emails
CAM members will get periodic Mensa Connect emails about upcoming events, including ones that did not make it into ChiMe, or to get notified of any special events or last minute changes.
Activities Bulletin
February 2024
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4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
Already a CAM Discord member?
Simply open up the Discord app, look for the CAM icon on the very left, and tap/click on it. You’ll often find fellow gamers online even when no official CAM event is taking place.
New?
A few days before the event, check out the Introductory Guide to Discord as well as our CAM Discord FAQ for instructions about downloading the Discord app on the device you’ll be using, and registering yourself. Read the doc and/or peruse the various questions and answers to familiarize yourself with our customized version.
About three days prior to the event, the Invitation Link, needed only by new CAM Discord users, will be available as part of the event host’s contact info as a button. Tap/click on the button, then tap/click on the Invitation Link, and it will open the Discord app you installed. You must acknowledge the displayed Code of Conduct to see all the rooms (aka channels). Do this by tapping/clicking on the emoji symbol at the bottom that best describes Your membership category. Once you’ve done that, you’re in and won’t need an Invitation Link again.
When you join a Discord event you won’t automatically see all the participants like in Zoom when the host lets you in or you join a meeting in progress. Instead you’ll scroll down and find the channel specified as part of the event info. You get to see the list of names indicating who is in the channel before you tap/click on it to join. And if there is someone presenting, you’ll need to tap/click on the presenter’s feed or double-click the Live button next to the presenter’s name to enlarge the feed.
It may feel weird at first but the learning curve is pretty short and chances are you’ll like it better than Zoom and choose to use it to video call a fellow Mensa member/group who is part of the CAM Discord community and definitely to play online games while chatting with everyone participating.
RSVPs - Always contact the CAM event host as specified in the event details — email , phone , text , or Meetup .
Meetup
Meetup and the website sometimes include events that are not in the February ChiMe. So consider signing up for this great tool and then join the CAM group — an active Mensa number will be requested to verify your Mensa membership. Because Meetup notifies the host directly, it doesn’t require the same RSVP contact information that is on our website and in ChiMe.
- RSVP, but you should always contact the CAM event coördinator as specified. A few CAM event coördinators are not members of Meetup, so for those events, your RSVP there only lets other CAM Meetup members know you are attending, plus you benefit by getting reminders.
- It’s easy to use Meetup to add the event info to your personal calendar.
- Set up notifications and Meetup will email you about upcoming events. (You can adjust your Meetup email settings to limit notifications to one email/day.)
And why not host your own event, virtual or in-person?
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,
Meetup
Meetup and the website sometimes include events that are not in the February ChiMe. So consider signing up for this great tool and then join the CAM group — an active Mensa number will be requested to verify your Mensa membership. Because Meetup notifies the host directly, it doesn’t require the same RSVP contact information that is on our website and in ChiMe.
- RSVP, but you should always contact the CAM event coördinator as specified. A few CAM event coördinators are not members of Meetup, so for those events, your RSVP there only lets other CAM Meetup members know you are attending, plus you benefit by getting reminders.
- It’s easy to use Meetup to add the event info to your personal calendar.
- Set up notifications and Meetup will email you about upcoming events. (You can adjust your Meetup email settings to limit notifications to one email/day.)
And why not host your own event, virtual or in-person?
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,