1/Tues­day

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

  • Mensa Foundation Colloquium 2025 “Human Intelligence in the Age of AI: A New Perspective” in Chicago, Illinois at 1 PM. See the Mensa Foundation 2025 Colloquium website for details about this event held the day before the AG starts.

2/Wednes­day

  • Annual Gathering (AG) All Fired Up in Chicago, Illinois in the downtown Hilton Chicago at south Michigan Avenue. See the AML 2025 AG website for details about the AG held Wednesday, July 2nd through Sunday, July 6th. Enjoy the Gala Dinner with guest speaker Ken Jennings on “AI: Are Humans in Jeopardy?” Download the app to view the program, see the hotel maps, and sign-up to volunteer!

3/Thurs­day

  • Fitzgerald’s 4-Day American Music Fest Society 4 PM. Come hangout and enjoy some music, drinks, food on any, or all, of the 4 days. Featuring Lee Fields, JD McPherson, Samantha Fish, The Wallflowers, and many, many more. Fitzgerald’s is located at 6615 Roosevelt Rd. in Berwyn. Buy tickets on their website. RSVP on Meetup to let Brian and other Ms know you’re attending.

4/Fri­day

  • Annual Business Meeting 9 AM in downtown Chicago in the Hilton Chicago at 720 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago. More details on the AML website. You do not have to be registered for the Annual Gathering to attend.

  • Animae Midwest held today through Sunday, July 6th at the Donald E. Stephens (DES) Convention Center at 5555 N. River Rd. in Rosemont and at the Hyatt O’Hare. See the special guests and performers. For more information, visit their website.
    Public Event!!

  • fourth

    Inde­pend­ence Day

5/Satur­day

RSVP for South Suburbs held on Saturday, July 12th no later than Saturday, July 5th.

7/Mon­day

8/Tues­day

9/Wednes­day

  • Dinner Out West: Mongolian BBQ 6:30 PM. We’re going back to Jiang’s Mongolian Grill, located at 1740 S. Randall Rd. in Algonquin. You can create your own bowl or order off the menu. 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 Monday, July 7th.

October 30 – November 2, 2025

Only 112 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. Register Now! (Rates increase after Monday, July 14th.) Book your room by October 9th to take advantage of our group discount.
Learn More

10/Thurs­day

  • 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!!

11/Fri­day

  • Poetry Dis­cus­sion 7 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Please send a poem or two to Joe D. by Monday, July 7th. 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!!

  • International Jacques Ellul Society 3-Day Conference today through Saturday. Ellul (January 6, 1912 - May 19, 1994) was a French philosopher, sociologist, and lay theologian who wrote on a variety of subjects, one of which was technology. His book Technology and CultureTechnology will be the focus of the conference this year, to be held at Roosevelt University (registration information can be found at https://ellul.org/chicago-conference-2024/.

    Robert Theobald, The Nation, wrote: “The Technological Society is one of the most important books of the second half of the twentieth century. In it, Jacques Ellul convincingly demonstrates that technology, which we continue to conceptualize as the servant of man, will overthrow everything that prevents the internal logic of its development, including humanity itself—unless we take the necessary steps to move human society out of the environment that 'technique' is creating to meet is own needs.” See the article in the June ChiMe.

    If you plan to attend, email Peter K. know, and we can look for each other there, and if you would like, Peter will provide your name to other Mensa attendees so that we will all know who is attending.

12/Satur­day

RSVP for Ethnic Dining no later than 1 PM. RSVP via Meetup preferred.

  • Downtown Musicians Meetup Cancelled. For more details contact Brian G. directly. He will host this event every other Saturday.
    Cancelled!!

  • Rockford-Area Pool Party 2 PM. Bring your own drinks and munchies to pass around to Ted K.’s. We’ll order out for pizza or something. Guests and family (children and grandchildren) welcome! To RSVP and for Ted’s address, for more information, or to get on our email list, contact Dave L., our Rockford-Area Coordinator. Do not RSVP via Meetup. Rain date is Sunday, July 13th at 2 PM.
    Schedule Change!!

  • Trivia Night in the South Suburbs 6 PM. Join us for another Trivia night at Ambi Bar and Grill, located at 8116 Archer Ave. in Willow Springs. We look forward to seeing you in Willow Springs for an evening of wit, wisdom, and fellowship! This is a GOBS-subsidized event. GOBS will cover half of your meal cost (including tax and tip, rounded up to the nearest dollar) up to a maximum of $15 per person (CAM member and one guest). Cash or Zelle will be accepted for the remaining amount. The subsidy increases to $20 if fewer than 16 people register. Limit is 20 people (first come, first served). RSVP by Saturday, July 5th to Dorin R. with the number of attendees so we can get a headcount.

13/Sun­day

  • Ethnic Dining: Polish 1 PM. Polish all-you-can-eat buffet at Red Apple Buffet, lo­cated at 6474 N Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago; likely limited vegan choices (maybe with contamination). This will be a GOBS-subsidized prix fixe meal for $25, payable upon arrival; limited to 17 people. Each Chicago Mensa member may bring one guest. More details on Meetup. RSVP by 1 PM, Saturday, July 12th 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 usually recurs on the 2nd Sunday of the month.

14/Mon­day

  • bastille

    Bastille Day

  • WeeM 49: Hip to Be 72 Rate Increase Alert! Join the fun at WeeM at the Chicago North Shore Westin in Wheeling starting Thursday, October 30th through Sunday, November 2nd. Today is the last day you can preregister for WeeM and qualify for a great discount before the next rate increase. Preregistering means you won’t have to fill out any forms at registration, you’ll get a pre-printed badge, and you can pay via credit card . And best of all, it’ll be much quicker to get your registration packet when you arrive. Also, if you’re paying by check, it must be received no later than today or you will need to remit a check for the increased rate.

15/Tues­day

RSVP for Northern Exposure no later than 10 AM. RSVP via Meetup preferred.

Northern Exposure

  • Northern Ex­po­sure Dinner 6:45 PM. Ice floes in your birdbath? Then you should have dinner with us. Join us at Ristorante Bottaio, in Libertyville for some scrumptious Italian fare. The address is 946 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Libertyville. This restaurant is in a stand-alone building on a busy stretch of Milwaukee Ave. and has little or no street parking nearby. There is free valet parking, although tips are appreciated. Please RSVP on Meetup or via Janice’s email, jesser@chicago.us.mensa.org , so she can reserve a big enough table. Recurs on the third Tuesday of the month.

16/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, July 19th and through Saturday, August 23rd 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 September. September events need to be submitted by the 1st of August to the activities editor to be included in the September ChiMe. An article must be featured in the September ChiMe for GOBS-subsidized October events with an RSVP deadline in September (same 1st of August deadline but article emailed to the editor; see editorial deadline).

17/Thurs­day

  • 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!!

19/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 coor­di­na­tor. 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 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.

  • Rainbow SIG Social 2 PM. Jim C. and Dale W. host a social at their new home on the northside of Chicago. Valet parking is available in the basement for a fee. Bring your favorite beverage to share. To join in, email or text the Rainbow SIG Coordinator Jim C..

  • Add CAM July Monthly Gathering @Rolling Meadows Community Center

    Monthly Gath­ering
    The location of our July 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. Every month, after the business meeting, we offer exciting, engaging workshops just for the kids while you enjoy the main meeting. 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.

    Test:
    5 PM.
    Business Meeting:
    5 PM.
    Youth Program:
    6 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 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: TBA

20/Sun­day

  • SFRM: Spy School 4:30 PM. Have you ever wondered what “Spy School” was like during the age of the Cold War? Find out from someone who was there.

    Don Grayson has a BS in Physics and obtained an MS in engineering at Purdue in 1972. He had 30-year career as a civilian engineer for the U.S. Navy in engineering management at the Naval Avionics Center Indianapolis. His assignments included U.S. NATO rep to Sweden, classified courier, project manager and technical analysis to various military radar and weapon guidance systems. Don is a sailboat hobbyist.

    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!!

  • Inquiring Minds: Neurodiversity Around the World: Respect, Responsibility and Resilience 2 PM. What if autism is the key to bridging the communication gap between dynamic societies and individuals? Felicia M. L. Davis, a Mensan with a master’s in organizational management, utilizes her autism to unlock the world of communication creating bridges to communicate fluidly.

    In this talk, Felicia will encourage discussion and questions about Autism Spectrum Disorder and will discuss attitudes towards ASD and resources available to people with ASD in various countries.

    See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Events website. All attendees must preregister.
    Virtual Event!!

21/Mon­day

  • Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: Bach’s Invention: The Divine Trickery of J .S. Bach 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.

    Behind the sublime precision and expressive power of Bach’s music lies a mischievous spirit. From puzzle canons (where the performer must solve a riddle to reach the score), melodies that run upside-down and backwards against themselves, hidden symbols, endless loops, to the embedding of numbers and names into the music, this lecture explores Bach’s ingenious trickery. Unravelling this thread enhances an appreciation—and sense of humanity and playfulness—to his transcendent music.

    Our Speaker: Professor Milton Mermikides is a composer, guitarist, technologist, academic and educator in a wide range of musical styles. He has collaborated with artists and scientists as diverse as Evelyn Glennie, Tim Minchin, Pat Martino, Peter Zinovieff, John Williams and Brian Eno. Son of a CERN nuclear physicist, he was raised with an enthusiasm for both the arts and sciences, an eclecticism which has been maintained throughout his teaching, research and creative career. Mermikides is a Professor of Music at the University of Surrey, Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music and Deputy Director of the International Guitar Research Centre. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics (BSc), Berklee College of Music (BMus) and the University of Surrey (PhD).

    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, July 21st).
    Virtual Event!!

22/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. 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.

  • 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.

  • Best Night for Meteor Shower Viewing . Both the Southern Delta Aquariid shower will be hitting its peaks with as many as 20 meteors per hour. After midnight the moonlight is less likely to be an issue.

23/Wednes­day

  • MWW: Nonfiction Book Discussion 4:30 PM CDT. Please join us in discussing Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (revised and updated), by Robert D. Putnam. 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? Future books will be: The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan (August 27) and The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource, by Chris Hayes (September 24).

    See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Events website.
    Virtual Event!!

24/Thurs­day

  • pythagorean

    Pythagorean Theorem Day
    a2 + b2 = c2

26/Satur­day

  • Downtown Musicians Meetup 11 AM. We are a group of hobbyist/amateur musicians who enjoy playing music together. We have also done a few open mics around Chicagoland. Open to all acoustic instruments and voices. All experience levels welcome. Join us at the Harold Washington Library Center Music Practice Room - Chamber Room, located at 400 S. State St. in Chicago (south loop). The Chamber Room contains a baby grand piano, music stands, and chairs. The purpose of the Chamber Room is to be a rehearsal area for small acoustic or vocal music ensembles of 3 to 10 people. Located on the 8th floor of the library. No amplifiers or drums are allowed. Feel free to bring a song to share or join in on ones we have been learning. For more details and to RSVP , visit Meetup. or contact Brian G. directly. He will host this event every other Saturday.

27/Sun­day

  • Theodore Talk: Free Speech Opportunist: Elon Musk’s Degradation of the Town Square 4:30 PM. Social media is often considered to be a democratic space. The platforms make it easy for nearly anyone to say nearly anything to seemingly everyone, and many people hail the results as the purest form of free speech. Elon Musk latched onto that notion as one of the reasons he decided to buy Twitter and promote it as the world’s town square. But as the platform faced criticism from users and advertisers, Musk’s attempt to enshrine it as a marketplace of ideas has been challenged by the marketplace of commerce. One of his reactions: restrict speech.

    Professor Stephen Wolgast, Knight Chair in Audience and Community Engagement for News and professor of the practice of journalism at the University of Kansas, will demonstrate how the man who calls himself a free-speech absolutist places a higher value on the dollar than others’ ideas, and show how the notion that is a town square fails on a number of counts.

    To register for this Theodore Talk, visit the American Mensa Events website or, on or after Friday, July 25th, 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!!

  • Theodore Talk: A Horological Discourse: Mechanism, Risk and Wonder 2:30 PM. With ingenuity and design came reflection on our place in the universe, the tilt of the earth’s axis, precision and predictability, and the limits of our cognitive capacities. We engineered mechanisms to navigate our oceans and map the cosmos, explore metaphysical realms by animating the dead and rendering forms from the golden mean. We generated machines of wonder that could play music, make magic and conjure bird song. We made devices for detonating the first manifestation of manmade existential risk, destroying living organisms by the millions.

    Through examining the connections between this diverse set of objects, we will trace the story of craft and the science of horology, demonstrating its pivotal role in design through the ages and why their preservation is vital to our future.

    Brittany Nicole Cox, a horological conservator based in Seattle Washington, has a Masters in the Conservation of Clocks and Related Dynamic Objects from West Dean College, UK. She founded Memoria Technical in 2015 where she teaches, makes original work, and operates her conservation studio. Her work has been shown at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and was featured in National Geographic and two feature-length documentaries. She has written for Vanity Fair and is working on a manuscript to be published by Penguin Press. 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!!

31/Thurs­day


* * * * *

1 August/Fri­day

  • 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? 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 September 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
July 2025

July
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6 7 8

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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 July 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 July calendar

All August Events
Top Join Contact Members
Only