Activities Bulletin
March 2019

If you’ve joined Chicago Mensa Meetup, also check out the Calendar, which may have additional events posted that are not in the March ChiMe. (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/Friday

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

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

• 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 Stacey. She’d prefer them via e‑mail or you may send your statement on disk to her at home. Her address was available on our website.

5/Tuesday

• Mardi Gras

7/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.

• 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 [Carol] will try to display a flag of some kind. For more information, contact Carol M. (her contact information can also be found in March ChiMe). This event will recur on the first Thursday of the month.

8/Friday

• Rockford Mensa Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Dave and other Rockford-area Mensans for dinner at the Olive Garden Italian Kitchen, 6367 E. State St. in Rockford (on the south side of State Street between Mulford and Perryville). To RSVP, for more information, or to get on our e‑mail list, contact Dave L. the Rockford Area Coördinator.

• 
  Poetry SIG

  Poetry Discussion 7:30 PM. Mary G., whose day job is medical research, consistently compiles poems that are related in theme, subject, etc.; pleasing to the ear; and stocked with food for thought. Call her for a copy of the poems and directions. The meeting will be elegantly hosted, with food for the body and soul, by Ruth R. in Winnetka. Contact Joe D., the SIG coördinator, for general information about this SIG. This event is usually held on the second Friday of the month.

9/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, March 2nd) is required. Kevin B.’s contact information is on our website. Please see the Southwest Area Group Facebook page for information about this and other SwAG events; 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!

10/Sunday

• Daylight Saving starts. Remember to change your clocks by adding an hour so you’re not late.

• Futures & Fantasies 2:15 PM. We will discuss Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon. It is the first in the Kylara Vatta series and reveals how Kylara, despite expulsion from the Space Academy and receiving command of an obsolete vessel about to be scrapped, nonetheless turns her situation around. The discussion will take place in Conference Room G on the 3rd floor of the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake Street in Oak Park. Water, soda and light snacks acceptable. Parking is available under the building. To RSVP, or for more information about this event and/or SIG, contact Steve M., the SIG coördinator. F&F usually meets on the second Sunday of most odd-numbered months.

• 
  Ethnic Dining

  Ethnic Dining: Vietnamese 6 PM. Join us for an Asian, family-style, seafood dinner with a Cajun influence at Asian Cajun Too located at 1322 Chicago Ave. in Evanston. BYOB. One non-Mensan guest may accompany each member at the GOBS-subsidized cost of $20, but additional guests will be charged the full price of $40. Reservations are requested no later than noon Friday, March 8th; attendance is limited. The CTA Purple Line Dempster station is only a block southwest 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 . See article in the March ChiMe. For Ethnic Dining notifications, updates, and all the details, sign up for the Ethnic Dining E‑Mails.

12/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.

13/Wednesday

Northern Exposure

• Northern Exposure: North Suburban Dinner 7 PM. Join us for dinner at the Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Vernon Hills. This wildly successful California chain just opened its first restaurant in the Midwest, bringing quirky exotics such as Bacon Candies, Mini Corn Dogs, and Campfire Pot Roast! The menu also contains more standard fare for the faint of heart. Located at 1115 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Vernon Hills. 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.

14/Thursday

• π Day.

16/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.

• 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.

• Rainbow SIG Dinner 5 PM. Dinner at Las Mañanitas, 3523 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Located in Boys’ Town, just a few blocks southeast of the Addison CTA station. Contact Jim C. by Thursday, March 14th, so we know how many seats to reserve.

• 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. RSVP by 2 PM Saturday 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 March ChiMe.

• 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 March ChiMe.

17/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, March 16th and let them know if you are coming. Their contact information is also in the March ChiMe. This event recurs on the third Sunday of the month.

• St. Patrick’s Day. Sláinte!

19/Tuesday

• 
  WSW Dinner

  Near West-Southwest (WSW) Mensans Dinner 6:30 PM. This month, we enjoy dining at D. Thai, 7221 Ogden Ave. in Lyons (just west of Harlem). Spouses, dates, and significant others are also welcome. Reservations are not required, but please contact Jay V. so he can give the restaurant an accurate headcount. This event usually recurs on the third Tuesday of the month.

20/Wednesday

• Northward — Vernal in our hemisphere — Equinox

21/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.

23/Saturday

• Our next Monthly Gathering is on July 27th.
  The July Monthly Gathering will be held at the
  North Park University,
  5000 N. Spaulding Ave., Chicago, IL 60625
  
  The locations of the MGs vary.

  Monthly Gathering
  Our March Monthly Gathering will be held Benedictine University
  5700 College Rd. in Lisle.
  The gathering will be held in Goodwin Hall (building 8 on the campus map) which is near the south-center end of the campus. The parking garage (building 7 on the campus map) is closest to Goodwin Hall. The business meeting, games, and hospitality will be in room 411. Parent-child play and testing will be in room 212. Our speaker will be in room 317. Note: The rooms tend to be a bit chilly, so you may want to bring a sweater or sweatshirt. The Monthly Gathering directions section has more detailed information about parking and driving instructions. 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.

  
  Monthly Gathering

  Test:	4 PM.
  Business Meeting:	5 PM.
  Game room opens:	6 PM.
  Program:	7:30 PM.
  Party:	8:30 PM - Midnight.

  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: Illinois Peregrines — From Decline to Recovery
  Due to many factors, prominent of which was the weakening of egg shells caused by DDT and its byproducts, the Peregrine Falcon species had disappeared from our area. Mary Hennen's presentation will take us through the recovery of the Peregrines in Illinois.
  See the full write-up in our March ChiMe.

26/Tuesday

• Mt. Prospect Breakfast 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 to Ken L. no later than 24 hours before the event. This event will recur on the last Tuesday of the month.

• 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.

• Tasty Tuesday Table Treats 7 PM. This month we dine at the Lisle Country House, 2799 Maple Ave. in Lisle. Steak, seafood, pasta, sandwiches, etc. Burgers include beef, brisket, bison and elk. Order whatever you wish. The subsidy will be ½ of your total (food, drink, tax and tip) up to $30. (Maximum GOBS subsidy is $15.) You are responsible for the balance, payable in cash only. I [Ken] will collect a $15/person prior to dinner. After dinner the totals will be calculated and you will either receive a refund or pay any overage. This event is open to Chicago Area Mensa members and one non-member guest and is limited to 10 people. I have the official list of attendees and will notify you if your reservation is confirmed or whether you are on a waiting list. RSVP to Ken L..

• Sterling/Rock Falls/Dixon Dinner Cancelled. The group will be on hiatus until May. To get on our e‑mail list, please send a message to Dave L. the Rockford Area Coördinator. This event is usually scheduled on the last Tuesday of the month from May through September.
  Event on Winter Hiatus!!

Cheddar Curtain Dinner

27/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 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.

28/Thursday

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

29/Friday

• ChiMe Activity Bulletin Deadline. Last day for these submissions to the May ChiMe.
  Deadline Change This Month!!

31/Sunday

• CultureQuest® Registration Deadline. On Sunday, April 28th, at 3 PM CDT, 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! Today was the last day to submit your team registration information & payment to American Mensa.

* * * * *

1 April /Monday

• ChiMe 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.