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.
7/Tuesday
-
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!!
-
AGoG Hotel Rate Increase Alert! Friday, January 24th (less than 3 weeks from today (Monday)) is the last day you can book a hotel room at the AGoG discount rate of $122.
-
A Gathering of Gamers (AGoG) - Preregistration Deadline Alert! Join us for a relaxing weekend of games and hospitality on February 14th – 16th. Friday, January 31st is the last day you can preregister for AGoG and qualify for an 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!
8/Wednesday
-
Northern Exposure Dinner Cancelled. Join us for dinner at a venue TBD in Lake County.
Event on Hiatus This Month!!
9/Thursday
10/Friday
-
MELT 11:30 AM. MELT (Mensans Eating Lunch Together) is going back to the Southern Belle’s Pancake House, 152 S. Western Ave. in Carpentersville. You can have breakfast or lunch—it’s up to you. Check out their menu. We can accommodate 12 people. RSVP by Thursday, January 9th, via Meetup (strongly preferred) or directly to Beth W.
-
Rockford-Area Lunch Noon. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for lunch at The Machine Shed, located at 7475 E. State St. in Rockford (on the southwest corner of State St. and Bell School Rd.). 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.
Time Change!!
-
CAMBeer! 6 PM. Une, dva, tres, vier, I declare a CAMBeer! at Sturdy Shelter Brewing at 10 S. Shumway Avenue in Batavia. There will be food 4–8 PM by the pop-up Kitchen Ten, or you are absolutely welcome to bring food in from elsewhere. Your host is Matt Crawford, our Region 4 Vice Chair.
Event Not in ChiMe!!
-
Poetry Discussion 7 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Please send a poem or two to Joe D. by Monday, January 6th. 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!!
12/Sunday
-
Ethnic Dining: Indian 1 PM. Join us for the return of Ethnic Dining. Lunch will be at Gaylord Fine Indian Cuisine located at 555 Mall Dr. in Schaumburg (SW corner of Kimberly & Mall Dr.). They provide a good-sized buffet with typical Indian buffet items. The day I went, the goat curry was tender and meaty and theirs was the first Tandori chicken for which I ever went back for seconds. The GOBS-subsidized cost (tax & tip included) is $15 for each CAM member and for their guest with a limit of 20 subsidized people for this event; additional guests will be charged the full price of $30; cash only, payable upon arrival. Please RSVP via Meetup (preferred) or by emailing Carey S. directly and, for each person in your party, include 1) their full name and 2) their CAM membership status. If you need to cancel, let Carey know ASAP since your fellow CAM Ms 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. For Ethnic Dining notifications, updates, and all the details, join the Mensa Connect Ethnic Dining Group. This event recurs on the 2nd Sunday of the month.
New Recurring Monthly Event!!
14/Tuesday
-
Breakfast/Lunch in Arlington Heights 10:30 AM. The Southern Kitchen is located in a strip mall at 818 E. Kensington Rd. in Arlington Heights, a little west of the northwest corner of Kensington and Dryden. Separate checks are available. A 2% surcharge is added to the prices on the menu, but is waived if payment is in cash. A gratuity might or might not be added to the bill. Check your bill and please leave a tip if it is not included. You may include an additional tip for good service. 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.
New Recurring Event Not in ChiMe!!
15/Wednesday
RSVP for South Suburbs Brainstorming Event held on Saturday, January 25th no later than Wednesday, January 15th. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup since the event coördinator is not on Meetup.
-
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, January 18th and through Saturday, February 15th 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 March. March events need to be submitted by the 1st of February to the activities editor to be included in the March ChiMe. An article must be featured in the March ChiMe for GOBS-subsidized April events with an RSVP deadline in March (same 1st of February deadline but article emailed to the editor; see editorial deadline).
16/Thursday
-
Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, January 9th.
Virtual Event!!
-
Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Tuesday, January 7th.
18/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.
-
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.
-
Monthly Gathering
The location of our January Monthly Gathering is 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 Deadline for Candidate Statements is Thursday, 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; they should be sent to Deb J., our Elections Procedures Chair, via email .
* * * * *
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: One World: Peak Photographic Travel Experiences to All Seven Continents
Join Michael S. Lewis, M.D. for a photographic journey through all seven continents. Dr. Lewis will share a selection of these photos and discuss his peak experiences that demonstrate how we are all connected. He will also share tips for improving travel photographs as part of his presentation.
Michael Lewis started taking photographs when he was stationed in the United Kingdom as an orthopedic surgeon in the United States Air Force. At that time, he was able to travel throughout Europe, as well as East Africa, Nepal, and India. Since then, his passion for photography has grown exponentially.
Show all…Award-winning images of people, animals, and landscapes captured during his travels have been shown in numerous galleries and exhibitions. They have been published in books and magazines, including the Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin, Nature Photographer, and Black and White Magazine.
His photographs have been shown at the Chicago Cultural Center, Brushwood Nature Center, and Orthopedics in Art, an international exhibition sponsored by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. His work is in the permanent collections of Brandeis University, the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute corporate headquarters, and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Michael S. Lewis, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon and former consultant to the Chicago White Sox baseball team, Chicago Wolves hockey team, and the Chicago Bulls basketball team, with whom he won two championship rings. He previously served as chief of staff at North Shore University Health System’s Skokie Hospital, and received a best teacher award from Chicago’s Rush University Medical College.
Dr. Lewis is an award-winning author who has published seven books, including One World: A View of Seven Continents (as seen on PBS TV); Seeing More Colors: A Guide to a Richer Life; Invitation to Joy: Viewing Birds on Seven Continents; The Ball’s in Your Court: A Doctor Shares Life Lessons from Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Abraham Maslow, and other Inspiring Teachers; and Getting Wiser: 101 Essential Life Lessons and Inspiring Stories.
Show less
19/Sunday
-
SFRM: Exploding Stars and Their Impact on Life on Earth 4:30 PM. Scientists have long speculated that the history of life on Earth may have been influenced by cosmic explosions such as supernovae. In recent decades the combination of astrophysical data and computational models have allowed detailed study of the potential effects of nearby stellar explosions on Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere. Impacts range from destruction of stratospheric ozone, exposing life to extreme levels of solar UV, to direct damage to organisms by high-energy neutrons and muons. I will summarize what we know today and discuss connections to mass extinctions and the evolution of life over the last few hundred million years.
Dr. Brian Thomas is a Professor in the Physics & Astronomy Department at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Since 2003 he has worked on various problems related to understanding how the history of life on Earth may have been affected by high-energy astrophysical events such as gamma-ray bursts and supernovae. He and his collaborators from multiple disciplines have together produced the most detailed and state-of-the-art studies of the effects on Earth by nearby stellar explosion. Dr. Thomas has a BS in physics from the University of the Pacific, 1999, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Kansas, 2005.
For more details, visit the SFRM Zoom RSVPs FB Group or the SFRM List of Presentations. To register, visit San Francisco Regional Mensa (SFRM)’s registration signup for this event.
Virtual Event!!
20/Monday
-
Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: The Convoluted Brain: Wrinkles and Folds 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.
The human brain has a very distinct and complex appearance with valleys and ridges folding over themselves. The same convolutions are found in large mammals, but not in smaller ones. This observation suggests that size and geometry play a role. This lecture addresses questions such as how do these shapes emerge? How are they arranged? Simple mathematical models can help us understand the emergence of these beautiful patterns during development as well as their pathology.
Alain Goriely is a mathematician with broad interests in mathematical methods, mechanics, sciences, and engineering. He is well known for his contributions to dynamical systems, mathematical biology, as well as fundamental and applied mechanics. He is particularly well known for the development of a mathematical theory of biological growth, culminating with his seminal monograph The Mathematics on Mechanics of Biological Growth (2017).
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, January 20th).
Virtual Event!!
-
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
21/Tuesday
RSVP for Dinner Out West held on Thursday, January 23rd no later than Tuesday, January 21st. RSVP via Meetup preferred.
-
Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Tuesday, January 7th.
23/Thursday
-
Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, January 9th.
Virtual Event!!
-
Dinner Out West: A Little Further North 6:30 PM. Join us for “create your own bowl” (or order off the menu) at Jiang’s Mongolian Grill, located at 1740 S. Randall Rd. in Algonquin. 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 Tuesday, January 21st.
25/Saturday
-
Theodore Talk: Exploring the Universe: Citizen Science and Beyond with the Adler Planetarium and Zooniverse 2:30 PM. Join Laura Trouille, Vice President of Science Engagement at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and Principal Investigator for , for an engaging exploration into the world of citizen science and space discovery.
As the world’s largest platform for people-powered research, Zooniverse empowers nearly 3 million volunteers to contribute to groundbreaking projects in astronomy, biology, and the humanities. Laura will share stories of how Zooniverse has tackled scientific bottlenecks by combining the efforts of human volunteers with automated routines to process massive datasets—leading to innovations and discoveries across fields. From tagging animals in camera trap images to discovering planets around distant stars, Zooniverse opens the door for anyone to participate in real research.
Laura will also introduce Adler’s exciting new Other Worlds exhibit, an interactive journey through our Solar System and exoplanet discovery. Featuring hands-on opportunities through the Zooniverse Planet Hunters project, the exhibit invites visitors to actively search for planets orbiting distant stars, providing an inspiring connection between citizen science and space exploration. Whether you’re curious about contributing from home or planning a visit to the Adler, this talk offers a unique glimpse into how public engagement is pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. To register, check your email for the Zoom link for this Theodore Talk or, on or after Thursday, January 23rd, tap/click on the Zoom link that will be available here on our website. See a list of all the Theodore talks 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!!
-
South Suburbs Brainstorming Event 6 PM. Dorin R., our new South Suburbs Coördinator, is excited to propose a new initiative: a series of events organized by our South Suburbs Mensa members! To kick things off, you’re invited to a brainstorming meeting. This is open to all Mensa members, not just those in the South Suburbs. We even welcome colleagues from other areas who might be interested! At this first meeting, we’ll be focusing on generating ideas and themes for future events. Please RSVP by Wednesday, January 15th to Dorin R. so we can get a headcount. Let us know if you have any special needs for the meeting. Feel free to bring guests who are not Mensa members! To help us find a convenient location, please mention the suburb where you’re coming from. We’re open to all suggestions! With your input, we can create a vibrant calendar of events for the South Suburbs community. Looking forward to brainstorming with you all!
28/Tuesday
-
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.
-
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.
29/Wednesday
-
Lunar New Year
Year of the Snake
30/Thursday
-
Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, January 9th.
Virtual Event!!
-
Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Tuesday, January 7th.
31/Friday
-
A Gathering of Gamers (AGoG) - Preregistration Deadline Alert! Join us for a relaxing weekend of games and hospitality on February 14th – 16th. Today is the last day you can preregister for AGoG and qualify for an 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!
-
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.
* * * * *
1 February/Saturday
-
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? 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 March 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.
Activities Bulletin
January 2025
RSVPs - Always contact the CAM event host as specified in the event details — email , phone , text , or Meetup .
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 January 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 January calendar
Come & play at AGoG!
Feb. 14th – 16th