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/ Sun­day

  • ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Ad­ver­tising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the January 2025 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 January 2025 ChiMe. Please submit original ar­ticles, insights, puzzles, brain teasers, or short poems. Your fellow Chicago Area Mensa members would love to hear from you.

4/ 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, December 7th and through Saturday, January 18th 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 February. February events need to be submitted by the 1st of January to the activities editor to be included in the February ChiMe. An article must be featured in the February ChiMe for GOBS-subsidized March events with an RSVP deadline in February (same 1st of January deadline but article emailed to the editor; see editorial deadline).

5/ Thurs­day

7/ Satur­day

Our next Monthly Gathering occurs on January 27th.
at the
Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center
3705 Pheasant Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

  • Monthly Gath­ering
    The location of our December 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.
    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 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.
    * * * * *
    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 a co-Program Officer, a website designer, web content creator, 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.
    * * * * *
    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: Sally Rand, American Sex Symbol

    presented by William Hazelgrove

    Sally Rand would appear in more than thirty films and be named after a Road Atlas by Cecil B. DeMille. Her beauty and physicality would work to great advantage in the silent film era. A football play would be named after her. She would appear on To Tell the Truth. She would be arrested six times in one day for indecency.

    Paving the way for every sex symbol to follow from Marilyn Monroe to Lady Gaga, Sally broke the mold in 1933. She proclaimed the female body as something beautiful and took it out of the strip club with her ethereal fan dance. She lives on as the iconic symbol of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933. She would be immortalized in the final scene of the movie, The Right Stuff. She was 58 years old at her performance for the astronauts in 1962 and continued to dance until 1975.

    Show all…

    Come and hear Bill Hazelgrove relate the rags to riches and back life story of Sally Rand.

    William Hazelgrove is the National Bestselling author of ten novels and twelve nonfiction titles. His books have received starred reviews in Publisher Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, Book of the Month Selections, ALA, Editors’ Choice Awards, Junior Library Guild Selections, Literary Guild Selections, History Book Club Selections, History Book Club Bestsellers, and Distinguished Book Awards.

    He was the Ernest Hemingway Writer in Residence where he wrote in the attic of Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace. He has written articles and reviews for USA Today, The Smithsonian Magazine, and other publications and has been featured on NPR All Things Considered. The New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, CSPAN, USA Today, and World News Tonight have all covered his books with features.

    His book, Madam President: The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson, is in film development. He has two forthcoming books: Dead Air: The Night Orson Welles Terrified America and Hemingway’s Attic: Hell and Glory in Cuba and the Writing of Old Man and the Sea.

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

9/ 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.). 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.

10/ Tues­day

11/ Wednes­day

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Northern Exposure

  • Northern Ex­po­sure Dinner 6:45 PM. Ice road truckers cruising past your door? Then you should have dinner with us. This month, join us at Olivia’s Italian Restaurant in Gurnee for some great Italian fare in a warm, inviting atmosphere. The address is 750 S IL Route 21 in Gurnee. Please RSVP on Meetup or via Janice’s email, jesser@chicago.us.mensa.org , so she can reserve a big enough table.

12/ Thurs­day

13/ Fri­day

  • MELT 11:30 AM. It might be Friday the 13th, but it’s good luck to hang out with Ms. Join us for MELT (Mensans Eating Lunch Together) at the Big Skillet Pancake House, located at 90 Tyler Creek Plz. in Elgin. You can check the menu and decide if you want breakfast or lunch—it’s up to you. We can accommodate 12 people. RSVP by Thursday, December 12th, via Meetup (strongly preferred) or directly to Beth W.

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Rockford-Area Mensans

  • Rock­ford-Area Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for dinner at Vanakkam India, lo­cated at 1620 N. Bell School Rd. in Rockford (a few blocks north of State St. on the west side of Bell School). 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.

  • 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.
    Virtual Event!!

  • Best Geminids Meteor Shower Viewing peaking on the night of the 13th through Saturday morning. For more information, see the NASA website or see the viewing tips at space.com.
    Public Event!!

16/ Mon­day

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  • Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: Medieval Carols 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.

    From the first Christmas song by a 12th-century Northumbrian hermit, through the earliest surviving Christmas carol of the mid-14th-century, to the heyday of the carol in 15th-century England, Jeremy Summerly traces the early history of the world’s favourite musical genre with sung illustrations from the St Luke’s Carollers of Chelsea.

    Jeremy Summerly is a British conductor. He was educated at Lichfield Cathedral School, Winchester College, and New College, Oxford. In 2010, he was appointed Director of Music at St Luke’s Church, Chelsea. He conducted the choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford for the 2013–14 academic year, and was Director of Music at St Peter’s College, Oxford from 2015 to 2019. In 2017, he was made a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music and he was Visiting Professor of Music History at Gresham College 2019-2022.

    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!!

17/ Tues­day

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  • MEANS (North Suburbs) Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Mensans Eating Around North Suburbs (MEANS), at Hackney’s on Lake located at 1514 E. Lake Ave. in Glenview. Free parking. Separate checks available. Limit 12. Please RSVP via Meetup (preferred) or email Brent B.

  • Dinner Out West: Montri Thai Fine Cuisine 6:30 PM. Come join us for dinner at Montri Thai Fine Cuisine at 2S535 Route 59 in Warrenville. 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 Sunday, December 15th.

19/ Thurs­day

21/ Satur­day

  • 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. The venue will be The Patio, 2780 S. Highland Ave. in Lombard (NW corner of Butterfield and Highland, but you can enter only from Highland). RSVP by emailing 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.

  • winter

    Winter Solstice

  • A Gathering of Gamers (AGoG) - Preregistration Rate Increase Alert! Join us for a relaxing weekend of games and hospitality on February 14th – 16th. Friday, January 3rd (less than 2 weeks from today) is the last day you can pre­reg­ister for AGoG and qualify for the best AGoG discount. By pre­reg­istering, you may pay with PayPal , and, once you get to AGoG, you avoid the hassle of filling out forms at registration plus you’ll get a pre-printed badge. So instead of wasting time at registration, you can start playing!

  • AGoG Hotel Rate Increase Alert! Friday, January 24th is the last day you can book a hotel room at the AGoG discount rate of $122.

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  • Mind Games® 2025 Judge Registration. Join American Mensa members for Mind Games Thursday, April 24th through Sunday, April 27th, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland located at 1000 NE Multnomah St. in Portland, OR. Visit the website for all the details.

22/ Sun­day

  • Best Ursids Meteor Shower Viewing tonight through Monday morning. See viewing tips at timeanddate.com.
    Public Event!!

23/ Mon­day

  • Festivus Day

24/ 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.

  • 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!!

  • xmas-tree

25/ Wednes­day

  • toys

    Christmas Day
    Have a merry holiday.

  • chanukkah

    Hanukkah starts this evening.

26/ 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. 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!!

  • Boxing Day

27/ Fri­day

  • MY-NY 2024/2025: New Year’s International Event by the Mensa Youth SIG (18+) now in the Italian Alps! Get ready for an exhilarating adventure during your winter break! Picture this: crisp mountain air, powdery slopes, and a lively atmosphere that’ll warm your heart.

    Location: Hotel Stella Montis, nestled in the enchanting Piancavallo ski resort in the Dolomites of northern Italy.
    Participants: Over 250 spirited souls—young, young at heart, and everyone in between!

    What's in store? Skiing bliss, brain teasers at the Pub, outdoor adventures (from snowshoeing to snowball fights, we’ve got it all!), poker nights, and… Brace yourself for the ultimate soirée—a spectacular party that’ll light up the Alps! Dance, laugh, and make memories that’ll echo through the snowy peaks.
    Why miss out? See you there!
    Registration rates, including room and board, costs between 300-550 Euros, depending on lodging type. Visit the Mensa Youth Events website for details and to register.

31/ Tues­day

  • newyear

    Happy New Year’s Eve

  • Ring in the New Year at the New WWHfWM 7:30 PM. You are invited to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the new location of the Weiss Ward Home for Wayward Mensans. Plans include conversation, food, bevers, and games. Please bring your beverage of choice and a snack to share. RSVPs appreciated but not required (Meetup preferred). The exact address is available as part of Beth W. contact info. If you have any questions, please contact her.

  • 3rd Annual Around the World Zoom New Year’s Eve Party from the wee hours (3:30 AM) of our morning & well into our New Year (5:30 AM) but show up anytime. Our 2020-2021 New Year’s Eve Party was a terrific hit — with attendees from all over the world helping us celebrate each time zone’s New Year’s as we rolled around the planet. We’re all looking forward to another great bash at the end of this year. As an added bonus, I[Priscilla S.]’ve found that this awesome bash has put various Mensans in contact with each other around the world, and has established several new friendships, some looking to be lifelong. So, yay! Kicking things off, then running with the event through the entire day was a taxing effort — but well worth it. And boy, did I need a sleep and a half afterwards! Learn more & RSVP on the American Mensa website.
    Virtual International Event Not in ChiMe!!


* * * * *

1 January/ Wednes­day

Happy New Year

  • ChiMe Activ­ity Bulletin and Ad­vertising Dead­lines. Last day for these submissions to the February 2025 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 February 2025 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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  • Annual Gathering (AG): All Fired Up Rate Increase Alert!
    Register for the AG, held Wednesday, July 2nd through Sunday, July 6th in Chicago, Illinois, in the Hilton Chicago on south Michigan Avenue, before midnight EST Friday, January 31st, before the next rate increase. Due to all the 4th of July and weekend festivities in the area, it may be best to book a room.

Activities Bulletin
December 2024

December
1 2 3 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 30 31        

RSVPs - Always contact the CAM event host as specified in the event details — email , 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 December calendar

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 December calendar


Come & play at AGoG!
Feb. 14th – 16th

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Add AGoG @ Westin North Shore Hotel

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