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 September 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 September 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 BDT. 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. You may also RSVP via Meetup. We’d love to have you join us!
Virtual Event!!
4/ Sunday
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Gifted Youth Book Club 12:30 PM. Recurs on first Sunday of the month. At this Zoom meeting, we will be discussing The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Zoom link.
Virtual Event!!
5/ Monday
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NNW 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.). Dining might be indoors or outdoors, depending on conditions. This is 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 subsidy of $20/person; cash (no coins) or PayPal only for your portion. RSVP (and get more details) on Meetup, but if not on Meetup, email Ken L.. If you RSVP by email, your reservation is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email.
6/ Tuesday
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, August 1st.
8/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, August 1st.
Virtual Event!!
9/ Friday
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Rockford-Area Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for dinner at the Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom located at 6280 E. State St. in Rockford (east of Mulford in Logli’s lot). 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. Do not RSVP via Meetup. This event usually recurs on the second Friday of the month.
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Poetry Discussion 7 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. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup. This event is usually held on the evening of the second Friday of the month.
Schedule Change!!
Virtual Event!!
10/ Saturday
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Rainbow Mensans Restaurant Outing 5:30 PM. Join us at the All Meal Prep Kitchen & Café in their private dining room, located at 1100 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Chicago (Edgewater). At this meeting, we will plan our calendar for the next 12 months. Please contact Jim, the Rainbow SIG Coördinator (email or text preferred) . If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jim C. via email or visit our website at RainbowM.org.
12/ Monday
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Best Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing will reach its maximum rate of activity tonight. Some shooting stars associated with the shower are expected to be visible each night during the week before and after. For more information, see the space.com website. There are also some amazing photos posted on Flickr.
Public Event!!
14/ Wednesday
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Northern Exposure Dinner 6:45 PM. Frost in August? Then you should have dinner with us. Join us at Kaiser’s Pizza & Pub in Gurnee, famous for pizza and a wide variety of casual fare. Located at 1801 North IL Route 21 in Gurnee. NOTE: Because it’s a smaller venue, this event will be limited to 20 people. Please RSVP on Meetup or via Janice’s email, jesser@chicago.us.mensa.org , so she can reserve a big enough table.
15/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, August 1st.
Virtual Event!!
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, August 1st.
16/ Friday
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North Suburbs Lunch 11:30 AM. Hackney’s on Lake located at 1514 E. Lake Ave. in Glenview. Free parking. Separate checks available. Please RSVP via Meetup (preferred) or email Brent B.
Venue Announced!!
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FanExpo of Chicago today through Sunday, August 18th at the Donald E. Stephens (DES) Convention Center at 5555 N. River Rd. in Rosemont (accessible via CTA Blue Line). Visit their website for more information. (Check online for discounted tickets on sites like Groupon or LivingSocial.)
Public Event!!
17/ Saturday
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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. You may also RSVP via Meetup. 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 midday on the 3rd Saturday of the month.
18/ Sunday
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SFRM: AI and Society Virtual Discussion 4:30 PM. Tune in to learn how AI is changing the way governments, companies, and individuals behave. By choosing the right sort of architectures for AI and for data, we can make this transition much safer and more likely to produce a healthy society.
Prof. Alex “Sandy” Pentland is a pioneer in AI, privacy and security, and is a co-founder of the field of Computational Social Science. He is one of the most cited authors in computer science, co-founded several significant companies, and has been on advisory boards for Google, AT&T, and UN Secretary General.
For more details, visit the SFRM Zoom RSVPs FB Group. To register, visit San Francisco Regional Mensa (SFRM)’s registration signup for this event.
Virtual Event!!
19/ Monday
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Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: Are Financial Markets Efficient? 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.
One of the crucial ideas in finance is that markets are efficient — that they fully reflect all available information. If so, what about market bubbles? Over the last year, people have been willing to pay exorbitant amounts for extremely odd assets such as Non-Fungible Tokens, meme stocks etc. Why do they do this? This lecture will explore some investors’ systematic behavioral biases, and how these can be used to predict returns.
Professor Raghavendra Rau is the Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Professor of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School. He is a past president of the European Finance Association, and a past editor of Financial Management. He is a founder and director of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) and a member of the Cambridge Corporate Governance Network (CCGN). He also serves on the editorial boards of several journals including the Journal of Corporate Finance, the Journal of Banking and Finance, Financial Review and the Quarterly Journal of Finance, among others. His research has frequently been covered by the popular press including The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist.
For the full write-up and to join, visit the American Mensa event. One does not have to register for the event — simply click on the Zoom link at the appropriate date and time.
Virtual Event!!
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Supermoon Viewing tonight. Also a Blue Moon. This is the first of four consecutive supermoons. For more information about supermoons, visit earthsky.org.
20/ Tuesday
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, August 1st.
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Dinner Out West 6:30 PM. Join us at Two Brothers Roundhouse at 205 N. Broadway in Aurora. Their food is good; their Dumaine DuPage is the official beer of the WWHfWM. I’m hoping their soup of the day will be Cream of Mushroom. 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 $15, 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 via Meetup (strongly preferred) or directly to Beth W. no later than Saturday, August 17th.
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 Saturday’s Business Meeting for any planned, eligible event, activity, or class taking place after Saturday, August 24th and through Saturday, September 28th 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.
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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!!
22/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, August 1st.
Virtual Event!!
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North Suburbs Dinner 6:30 PM. Maggiano’s Little Italy (Westfield Old Orchard) located at 4999 Old Orchard Ctr. in Skokie (northwest of Golf Rd. & Skokie Blvd.). Separate checks available. Please RSVP via Meetup (preferred) or email Brent B.
Venue Announced!!
24/ Saturday
Our next
Monthly Gathering
occurs on
December 7th.
at the
Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
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The October Business Meeting is being held at 10 AM on Sunday, November 3rd in Wheeling.
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Monthly Gathering
The location of our August Monthly Gathering was 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 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). 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.Program:7:30 PM.Refreshments:8:30 PM - Midnight.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.
* * * * *
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: Storytelling within the Mise-en-Scène
presented by Bob Moss
As we view the credits at the end of a film, we realize that it takes hundreds of people to make a film. There is, however, a small group of very important people that collaborate closely with the Director to create the images that help tell the story onscreen.
This talk will examine how the efforts of these seven filmmakers carry out a dual function, first — creating the world that the characters inhabit and the emotions they feel, and second — arousing the visceral, emotional, and mental reactions of the viewer. We focus on the creative process and the ensuing result that occurs within the camera’s lens for a particular shot or scene. (Images, not sounds)
Each one of these people is necessary to communicating a visual message to viewers. Their working together is essential to the film’s success. Understanding how each contributed to the communication of the story will enhance your appreciation of the art of film.
Show all…Bob Moss moved to Chicago from London, England when he was 11 years old. He attended James G. Blaine Elementary and Lake View High School. Bob is a graduate of Northwestern University and I.I.T. Chicago Kent College of Law.
Following a career as a social worker, lawyer, and state district judge, Bob Moss retired and began studying about film—his passion. He returned home to Chicago in 2004 after a 30-year absence. Bob is a member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Northwestern University in Chicago.
Over the past several years, he has coordinated several film-study groups at OLLI on topics such as “The Art of Watching Films,” “Scene by Scene,” and “The Story of Film.” In addition, Bob leads biweekly movie-discussion groups in which members analyze current feature films. He has also written the book, Vibes From the Screen: Getting Greater Enjoyment From Films.
Show less
25/ Sunday
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Theodore Talk: Resisting Misinformation 2:30 PM. As the growth of human-like chatbots and other forms of generative AI continues to accelerate across the internet and infiltrate every aspect of our lives, we are inhabiting a reality where misinformation and disinformation become increasingly more difficult to discern and combat. Detecting deception has never been so difficult and so imperative. Don’t assume that being a Mensan makes you immune to being duped!
Dr. Jevin West, Associate Professor at the University of Washington's Information School, will address some of the new challenges of generative misinformation and potential next steps to resist manipulation. Dr. West co-founded the new Center for an Informed Public at UW, aimed at resisting strategic misinformation, promoting an informed society, and strengthening democratic discourse. His research and teaching emphasize the influence data and technology have on science and society and explores how to slow the spread of misinformation.
See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Events website. Even if you can’t attend the live Talk, provided you register, you will receive a link to a recording of the event. Closed captioning enabled.
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. Dining might be indoors or outdoors, depending on conditions. 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.
29/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, August 1st.
Virtual Event!!
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, August 1st.
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Gifted World Experience 2024 starting Thursday, August 29th through Saturday, August 31st.
Prof. Alex “Sandy” Pentland is a pioneer in AI, privacy and security, and is a co-founder of the field of Computational Social Science. He is one of the most cited authors in computer science, co-founded several significant companies, and has been on advisory boards for Google, AT&T, and UN Secretary General.
For more details, visit the SFRM Zoom RSVPs FB Group. To register, visit San Francisco Regional Mensa (SFRM)’s registration signup for this event.
Virtual Event!!
* * * * *
1 September/ Sunday
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ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Advertising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the October 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 October 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.
October 31 – November 3, 2024
Only 7 more days! Join us for a fun, long weekend with hundreds of Mensans, their families, and friends at the Westin in Wheeling including a multi-track program plus games as well as beverages, snacks, and most meals. If you’d like to share a room or ride with someone, fill out our Room/Ride Sharing form. Win prizes by volunteering now!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 August ChiMe, or to get notified of any special events or last minute changes.
Activities Bulletin
August 2024
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11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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 August 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 current calendar
Meetup
Meetup and the website sometimes include events that are not in the August 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 current calendar