13/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 post on the AGOG Facebook Event or email our Chairs regarding questions or concerns you have about anything other than registration.
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Poetry Discussion 7 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Please send a poem or two to Joe D. by Monday, February 9th. Interested persons who are not currently members of the poetry group can contact Joe D. , and he will email the poems to be discussed. Contact Bill K. for the Zoom links or any help you might need. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup. This event is usually held on the evening of the second Friday of the month.
Virtual Event!!
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Chicago Area Mensa Odd Outing @
Registration.
The outing will be held at 2 PM on Sunday, March 22nd in Batavia.
Find out the details and/or register online by
10 PM Saturday, March 21st.
You may also register in-person during the AGOG weekend at the Westin.
There will be no on-site registration at Funway.
Join us for a fun time indoors with a wide variety of activities for any Chicago Mensan and the entire family (bumper cars, black light mini golf, laser tag, bowling, roller skating, and arcade games).
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CultureQuest® XXXVII Registration. On Sunday, April 26th, 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! Submit your team registration information to American Mensa by Tuesday, 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.
14/Saturday
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Rockford-Area Lunch Noon. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for lunch at the Olive Garden Italian Kitchen, located at 6367 E. State St. in Rockford (on the south side of State St. between Mulford and Perryville). To RSVP , for more information, or to get on our email list, contact Dave L., our Rockford-Area Coordinator. 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.
Schedule Change!!
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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 Bi-Monthly Gathering. If you haven’t preregistered, you can register at the door. And join our AGOG Facebook Event .
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Bi-Monthly Gathering
The location of our February Monthly Gathering is the Westin North Shore Hotel
601 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling.Join all the AGOG attendees this evening for fun and games. There'll be a larger crowd than usual including Ms and their families from out of town. There is an admissions fee to help cover costs (major credit cards accepted). (This fee is included in the AGOG registration fee.) 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:All weekend for AGOG & 6 PM for MG attendees.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. Interested or just curious? See the article about nominations in the February ChiMe or January ChiMe or the Monthly Gathering webpage for details. You can also view the job descriptions and the required qualifications.
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The Deadline for Candidate Statements is Friday, February 27th. The statements for publication in the April ChiMe are to be no longer than 500 words and cannot include any boldface, italic, or larger type; the person to whom they should be emailed has yet TBD.
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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 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.
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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: Taskmaster Challenge
Prepare yourself for an interactive experience with this month's speaker—Jason Brooks—as five participants will become contestants in a Taskmaster challenge. Based on the British comedy game show Taskmaster, contestants will demonstrate their wit and creativity as they're challenged with and perform a series of tasks in front of our MG/AGOG audience. Cheer on your favorite contestants as they attempt to cleverly carry out each task in the hopes of earning the favor of (and more importantly—lots of points from) the Taskmaster.
Show all…Jason Brooks (Brookspun Games) has designed and published tabletop games for nearly a decade with his first game—Legacies—successfully funding on Kickstarter and sold out of its first print run. His second board game—Clandestine—came out in Fall 2025. Prior to board game design, Jason's primary hobby was competitive Scrabble® where he ran clubs and tournaments in Chicago and reached expert status on the tournament scene before moving on to play (and eventually design) a wide variety of games.
For his day job, Jason has spent ~30 years as a process and technology consultant helping companies find better ways to get things done and solve problems. His wife and four children love his hobby and how busy it keeps him, but have grown weary of always being asked to be the initial play-testers for new designs.
Show less
15/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. Vote for the HELL’s M’s AGOG Party Animal. If you haven’t preregistered, you can register at the door. Please post on the AGOG Facebook Event or email our Chairs regarding questions or concerns you have about anything other than registration.
Pascal Lee, PhD
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SFRM: From Earth To Mars: Steps Toward the First Human Journey to the Red Planet 4:30 PM. The first human mission to Mars will be humanity’s greatest adventure in space exploration this century. As with all expeditions, its success depends on planning. The first steps are already under way, as we build more efficient rockets, achieve longer space flights, plan our return to the Moon, and work in extreme environments on Earth viewed as Mars “analogs.” We will discuss progress made around the world, from the Arctic to Antarctica, from basement labs to the International Space Station and the Artemis Program, to achieve the first human voyage to Mars. We will examine in turn the what, why, how, when, and who of the first human mission to Mars.
Dr Pascal Lee is a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, the Mars Institute, and NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. He is the director of the NASA Haughton-Mars Project, the leading planetary analog field research project on Devon Island in the High Arctic. He is also professor of planetary science at Kepler Space University. Dr Lee studied physics and geology at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, and earned a PhD in astronomy and space sciences from Cornell University where he was Carl Sagan's last T.A. He is internationally recognized for his work on the history of water on Mars, the study of ice and caves on the Moon and Mars, the origin of Mars' moons, and planning the future human exploration of Mars. He has led over 30 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica to study Mars by comparison with the Earth. He also led the Northwest Passage Drive Expedition, the subject of the award-winning motion picture documentary film Passage To Mars (2016). Pascal Lee is also committed to science education. His first book, Mission: Mars, won the 2015 Prize for Excellence in children's science books from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
For more details, visit the SFRM Zoom RSVPs FB Group or the SFRM List of Presentations. To register, use San Francisco Regional Mensa (SFRM)’s registration signup.
Virtual Event!!
16/Monday
RSVP for Dinner Out West held on Thursday, February 19th no later than Monday, February 16th. RSVP via Meetup preferred.
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Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: Calendar Curiosities for February 29 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.
Did Archbishop Whitgift really die on February 29, 1603? Why are there more Friday 13ths now than in the Middle Ages? How did a famous composer (who died on Friday 13th) manage to write all his 39 operas before his ninth birthday? And how can we explain the mysterious date of the death of St. Teresa of Avila? This lecture will cast light upon the quirks of our calendar, and you'll also learn a quick way to work out the day of the week of any given date.
Professor Tony Mann has taught mathematics and computing at the University of Greenwich for over twenty years. He was President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics from 2008 to 2011 and is editor of the Newsletter of the London Mathematical Society. He has always been fascinated by the interface between mathematics and computing, and he began his career writing software for the mathematical modelling of power plants in the electricity supply industry. Since moving into academia he has taught subjects ranging from abstract algebra and the history of mathematics to digital media and human factors in computing.
For the full write-up and to join, visit the American Mensa Event. One does not have to register early for the event—
simply click on the Zoom link before the session starts (check back here for that link on Monday, February 16th).
Virtual Event!!
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Presidents Day
Federal Holiday
17/Tuesday
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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!!
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Northern Exposure Dinner Cancelled. Join us for dinner at a venue TBD in Lake County.
Event on Hiatus This Month!!
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Mardi Gras
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Lunar New Year
Year of the Horse
18/Wednesday
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MWW: Nonfiction Book Discussion 4:30 PM CDT. Please join us in discussing The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel. We generally discuss what we liked about the book or found challenging. We also discuss what we would like more or less of, what format we read the book in, and whether it was a recent read. Can't make it this month? The next books will be March (Omnibus edition) by John Lewis (March 18), The Technological Republic by Alexander Karp (April 15), and Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Peter Attia (May 20).
See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Event.
Virtual Event!!
19/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 BT. 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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Dinner Out West: Chinese 6:30 PM. Mapo is one of the very best Chinese restaurants in the area and is centrally located for us, close to I-88 at 1563 Naperville-Wheaton Road in Naperville. Have a look at their menu if you haven't already discovered Mapo. As usual, Good Old Burt Spain will give you a 50% subsidy, to a limit of $15. Be prepared to settle up with Apple Cash, Zelle, PayPal, or legal tender. We will have room for up to 16 people, but I [ Matt C.] need to give them the count two days before, so please RSVP on Meetup by Monday, February 16th.
21/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. 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 coordinator. 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 Coordinator, 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.
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SFRM: Wormholes, Spacewarps, and Tunnels to Otherwheres 4:30 PM. The advent of general relativity transformed our understanding of gravity and introduced us to the idea that the underlying fabric of the universe is a tapestry we call “spacetime.” That fabric is a dynamic entity, constantly evolving and changing. It can be bent, twisted, warped—and perhaps ripped. In the hundred years that we have been aware of spacetime, our understanding of it has been informed by astronomical observations, detailed mathematical calculations, vast computer simulations, and wild speculation. Some ideas and predictions, though exotic, have been found to be wholly true; others we are skeptical of, but cannot disprove; of others, we still have no idea what to think. This talk will discuss the nature of spacetime and our measurements of it, and examine some of the most remarkable predictions we have made about it: black holes, wormholes, and time warps.
Shane Larson was a research professor at Northwestern University, serving as Associate Director of CIERA (Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics) for more than a decade. He joined Clarkson University in the summer of 2025 as a Professor of Physics and the Director of Integrated Engineering and Applied Science Projects. He works in gravitational wave astrophysics, studying compact binary stars and the galaxy with the forthcoming space-based observatory LISA. He is an award-winning teacher and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He contributes regularly to a public science blog at writescience.wordpress.com and posts at Bluesky with the handle @sciencejedi. Dr. Larson received a BS in Physics from Oregon State University (1991), an MS in Physics from Montana State University (1993), and his PhD in Physics from Montana State University (1999).
For more details, visit the M-Wisely's Cafe.
Virtual Event!!
22/Sunday
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Theodore Talk: Munich and the Rise of the Nazi Party 2:30 PM. Adolf Hitler once referred to Munich as the “capital of the Nazi movement,” a title he officially conferred on the city in 1935.
Dr. Shelly Cline, Historian and Director of Education at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, will explore Munich's central role in the rise of National Socialism—from its roots in the aftermath of World War I, through Hitler's transformation of the Nazi Party, to the city's function within the broader machinery of the Third Reich. The presentation will also examine how Munich has since reckoned with this complex and troubling legacy.
The list of all the Theodore talks will be on the American Mensa Event Calendar. Provided you register for the live talk, you will receive a link to a recording of the event. Closed captioning enabled.
Virtual Event!!
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George Washington’s Birthday
23/Monday
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AML Leadership Workshop: Level Up! Permission to be Human: Rewriting the Gifted Identity to Prevent Burnout 7 PM. Many gifted people will recognize the weight of high expectations and how it can shape an identity rooted in achievement, perfectionism, and over-functioning. In leadership roles, this identity can drive excellence, and also makes burnout more likely. This talk explores how the early formation of a “gifted identity” can become a double-edged sword, especially when adult realities don't match childhood projections of exceptionalism. We'll examine how reframing identity to include the core of being human can open the door to self-compassion, sustainable self-care, and more effective and inclusive leadership. By understanding limits, imperfections, and vulnerability in a new way, gifted leaders can protect their well-being and lead others with greater empathy and authenticity.
Dr. Rebecca Hubbard is a licensed clinical psychologist, TEDx Speaker, and certified Kemetic yoga instructor based in Chicago. With personal experience navigating hustle culture, she understands the toll that burnout and chronic overworking can take on mental health, especially for high-achieving individuals. Since earning her doctorate in Counseling Psychology in 2014, she has provided therapy in private practice to athletes, graduate and professional students, and people with immigrant backgrounds. She uses both clinical tools and holistic practices to help clients reconnect with themselves and avoid burnout. Dr. Hubbard is deeply committed to helping others redefine success, reclaim rest, and thrive beyond the demands of constant productivity.
For more details, visit the AML Event which includes the Zoom link for this event.
Virtual Event!!
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.
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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. Recurs on the 4th Tuesday of the month.
26/Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, February 19th.
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Tuesday, February 17th.
27/Friday
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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 a person TBD.
28/Saturday
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New Zealand Saturday Seminars: Global Forces, Local Impacts: How World Events are Shaping the NZ Economy 5 PM (Sunday Noon NZT). Between geo-political realignments, tariffs, AI, and many other forces, there's a lot going on in the world. This seminar will examine how current international developments may affect the New Zealand economy in 2026 and beyond.
Shamubeel Eaqub is the Chief Economist at Simplicity. He graduated with Honours in Economics from Lincoln University and is also a CFA Charterholder. He has 25 years of experience as an economist in Wellington, Melbourne, and Auckland in leading financial institutions and consultancy (ANZ Bank, Goldman Sachs, JBWere, NZIER, Sense Partners and Simplicity).
For more details, including how to register, visit the American Mensa Event. All attendees must preregister.
Virtual Event!!
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1 March/Sunday
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ChiMe Activity Bulletin Deadline. 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 and Advertising Deadlines. 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.
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Annual Gathering (AG): Online Registration Deadline! Register for the AG, held Wednesday, July 1st through Sunday, July 5th in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, before midnight EDT, Tuesday, March 31st, which is your last chance to qualify for a discount.
Activities Bulletin
February 2026
RSVPs -
Always contact the
CAM event host
as specified in the event details—
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 February calendar
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 February calendar
Come & play at AGOG!
Feb. 13th – 15th
Outing
