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!!

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!!

Rainbow Mensans Potluck 5:30 PM. The Rainbow SIG will host a potluck at a member’s home in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. Bring a dish and favorite beverage to share. Parking is available in the member’s building for a fee subject to availability. Also, there is limited seating. Please contact our Rainbow SIG Coördinator (email or text preferred) for more information or to reserve a seat.

Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, January 2nd.

Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, January 2nd.
Virtual Event!!

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 located 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!!

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. RSVP by 1 PM, Saturday, January 11th via Meetup (strongly 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 after the RSVP deadline, 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, but do not use it to RSVP. This event recurs on the 2nd Sunday of the month.
New Recurring Monthly Event!!

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 for cash payment. Check your bill and if a gratuity is not included, please leave a tip. If it is, 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!!

Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, January 2nd.
Virtual Event!!

Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, January 2nd.

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!!
Event Schedule Change!!

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 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. 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.

Monthly Gathering

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 February 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!

Gifted Youth Meetup @ Monthly Gathering 8:40 PM. Happy New Year! This is the first meetup of 2025 focused on gifted youth-related matters, taking place during our regular Monthly Gathering at the Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center located at 3705 Pheasant Dr. in Rolling Meadows. There is no specific agenda for this meeting. It will serve as a welcoming space for both parents and young members to openly share their thoughts and concerns. I am also eager to learn more about what you hope to see from Mensa’s Gifted Youth Program. This initial meeting will be informal and open to anyone interested in the topic, so feel free to stop by. However, if you already know you plan to attend, it would be helpful if you could RSVP to Ilhwa L. via email for planning purposes. I look forward to meeting you there!

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 this Zoom link about 15 to 30 minutes before the session starts to both register and join.
Virtual Event!!

Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, January 2nd.

Gifted Youth Lunch in Downtown Noon. Happy New Year! This is the first lunch meetup in downtown Chicago focused on gifted youth-related matters for members living or working in the city. We will meet at Catalog in the Willis Tower located at 233 S Wacker Dr. in Chicago. As the new program coördinator, I hope to hear from parents and youth members about what they expect from Mensa’s Gifted Youth Program, but we can also discuss any other relevant topics. RSVP to Ilhwa L. via email by 4 PM on Monday, January 20th.

If you would like to attend but are unable to make it to downtown, please let me know. I will plan to explore other options, such as holding a Zoom session or scheduling sessions during the Monthly Gatherings.

Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, January 2nd.
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.

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. 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 Dinner 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. Join her at Next Mex located at 319 Front St. in Lemont. It will be 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 (first come, first served. For less than 15 people, the maximum subsidy will be $20. 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. RSVP by Tuesday, January 21st to Dorin R. so we can get a headcount. Let us know if you have any special needs for the meeting. 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! RSVP by Monday, November 30th to Dorin R. with the number of attendees so we can get a headcount.

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.

Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, January 2nd.
Virtual Event!!

Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, January 2nd.