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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Add CAM June Monthly Gathering @Rolling Meadows Community Center
Monthly Gathering
The location of our June 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.
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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: The Adaptable Brain: Flexing the Mental Muscles IQ Can’t Train
Perhaps you already think fast and solve complex problems, but today’s world also demands emotional insight and the ability to adapt when things don’t go as planned. In this dynamic session, organizational scientist Erin Ramirez explores two essential but often overlooked intelligences: Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Adaptability Quotient (AQ).
Show all…Together, we’ll look at how your thoughts shape your emotions and actions, and how increasing your mental flexibility can help you respond more effectively to change. You’ll leave with practical tools to shift perspective, manage emotions, and stay sharp, even when things are uncertain.
Erin Ramirez is the founder of Real Change Studio and an organizational scientist specializing in industrial-organizational psychology. She partners with leaders in science, technology, and engineering to strengthen their adaptability, navigate change effectively, and solve complex, human-centered problems.
Her work spans Fortune 500 companies, global engineering firms, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses. Most recently, she served as Head of Enterprise Change Readiness at a Fortune 500 tech and engineering firm, where she led large-scale transformation efforts at the intersection of people, systems, and strategy.
With deep respect for the analytical and technical brilliance of those she serves, Erin brings a unique blend of evidence-based frameworks and practical insight. As a speaker, coach, and advisor, she equips high-performing leaders with the tools and mindsets to lead with clarity, resilience, and meaningful impact.
Show less
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SEMM: The Black Legion: Colluding with Fascism 7 PM. The Black Legion was a domestic terrorist militia active in the late 1920s into the late 1930s. Founded in Bellaire, Ohio, in 1924, it spread across multiple states, including Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, throughout the Great Depression. It was explicitly political, and despite overwhelming evidence that Black Legion members violated federal laws, Federal law enforcement failed to launch a proper examination of their activities. During the investigation of one particularly gruesome Black Legion execution, a member broke their code of silence and publicly revealed details of many of their heinous crimes. The backlash in the wake of these revelations helped eradicate the organization; however, their legacy stretches into the 21st century. Despite the sensational news coverage at the time and the atrocities of their crimes, the Black Legion remains a relatively obscure historical flashpoint, which may be due to the fact that prominent industrialists and elected officials were implicated in their crimes.
As political violence escalates here at home and abroad, it is imperative that we understand what helped defeat the Black Legion as well as why the extent of their activities was downplayed by Federal investigators at the time they were active.
Christy McGillivray will lead us in a discussion of some of this country’s least-known and most sinister history. Christy McGillivray is the Legislative and Political Director of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club. She began her career as an environmental advocate after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in 2004. Her areas of expertise include solid waste policy, Great Lakes water quality problems, including PFAS and other toxics, agricultural policy, and the intersection of public health and environmental policies at the state legislative level. She has an MSc in Environmental Education from the University of Edinburgh and has worked as an adjunct professor at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, and Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan. Her past roles include Campaign Director for Clean Water Action, STEM education coordinator for the Farmington Hills Nature Center, and organizer for the American Federation of Teachers in Michigan. In politics, she’s worked continuously to get environmental champions elected and to keep them acting to benefit the environment once they are in office. Before taking her position with the Sierra Club, Christy was teaching chemistry and physics at Eastpointe High School.
See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Events website. All attendees must preregister by visiting the SEMM Monthly Gathering page and choosing "June 21, 2025 5:30 pm" from the dropdown. Due to rising Zoom costs, SEMM asks for a $5 donation, if you can afford it.
Virtual Event!!
October 30 – November 2, 2025
Only 131 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.22/Sunday
RSVP for Dinner Out West held on Tuesday, June 24th no later than Sunday, June 22nd. RSVP via Meetup preferred.
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Theodore Talk: How Corn Changed Itself and Then Changed Everything Else: The Role Agriculture Played in the Early Days of Chicago 2:30 PM. About 10,000 years ago, a weedy grass growing in Mexico possessed of a strange trait, known as a“jumping gene”, transformed itself into a larger and more useful grass—
the cereal grass that we would come to know as maize and then corn. Nurtured by Native Americans, this grain would transform the Americas even before First Contact. After First Contact, it spanned the globe, but it also drove westward expansion in North America, building cities and inspiring innovators and entrepreneurs. Thanks to corn, the Midwest was settled faster than any other region in history, and Chicago became immensely influential. From the Chicago Stock Yards to the Chicago Board of Trade, the city changed the way the world did business. However, vampires, whiskey, Henry Ford, time zones, Fritos, and the Chicago Bears are also part of this remarkable story. As Margaret Visser noted in Much Depends on Dinner, “Without corn, North America—
and most particularly modern, technological North America— is inconceivable.” Cynthia Clampitt, author of The Midwest Maize: How Corn Shaped the U.S. Heartland, will present what may prove to be the corniest Theodore Talk ever! To register, visit the American Mensa Event or tap/click on this Zoom link at least an hour before the session starts. 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!!
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. 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.
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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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Dinner Out West: Italian in St. Charles 6:30 PM. Join us for Italian food at Salerno’s On the Fox, 320 N 2nd St. in St. Charles. 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, June 22nd.
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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.
25/Wednesday
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MWW: Nonfiction Book Discussion 4:30 PM CDT. Please join us in discussing Advocate, by Eddie Ahn. 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: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (revised and updated), by Robert D. Putnam (July 23), 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!!
26/Thursday
28/Saturday
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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.
29/Sunday
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54th Chicago Annual Pride Parade ~10 AM. The CAM contingent is sponsored by the Rainbow SIG. The Rainbow SIG will be marching and riding on their float again this year in the Chicago Annual Pride parade. Although it started out as gays marching down Broadway to display their pride after decades of discrimination, it has evolved into a million people, gay, straight and everything in between supporting equal rights for everyone and celebrating the diversity that was once frowned upon. The interaction with the crowd is exhilarating. And spreading the idea that Mensans are everywhere and come in all shapes, sizes, sexual preferences, and gender identities sends an important message. Participants who sign up will be notified of the exact time and location (along W. Sheridan or N. Broadway, near the intersection of N. Broadway and W. Sheridan Rd. in Chicago) once that information is known, about a week before. After completing the 2 mile route, it’s about a ½ mile walk southwest to enjoy an optional, private, late luncheon (see below). For all details, visit the Parade Info webpage or see the articles in the April ChiMe, May ChiMe, or June ChiMe.
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Rainbow SIG Late Luncheon no earlier than 2:30 PM (immediately following the Parade)—
a more precise time will be announced one week before the parade. It will be held at Basil Leaf Café located at 2465 N. Clark St., Chicago. Visit the Parade Info webpage for more details.
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1 July/Tuesday
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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? 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 Deadline. Last day for editorial submissions to the August 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 Online Registration! Register for the AG, held Wednesday, July 2nd through Sunday, July 6th in Chicago, Illinois, in the Hilton Chicago on south Michigan Avenue.
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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 both in Chicago, Illinois and virtually the day before the AG starts.
Activities Bulletin
June 2025
Already a CAM Discord member?
Simply open up the Discord app, look for the
CAM 
icon on the very left, and tap/click on it. You’ll often find fellow gamers online
even when no official CAM event is taking place.
New?
A few days before the event, check out the Introductory Guide to Discord as well as our CAM Discord FAQ for instructions about downloading the Discord app on the device you’ll be using, and registering yourself. Read the doc and/or peruse the various questions and answers to familiarize yourself with our customized version.
About three days prior to the event, the Invitation Link, needed only by new CAM Discord users, will be available as part of the event host’s contact info as a button. Tap/click on the button, then tap/click on the Invitation Link, and it will open the Discord app you installed. You must acknowledge the displayed Code of Conduct to see all the rooms (aka channels). Do this by tapping/clicking on the emoji symbol at the bottom that best describes Your membership category. Once you’ve done that, you’re in and won’t need an Invitation Link again.
When you join a Discord event you won’t automatically see all the participants like in Zoom when the host lets you in or you join a meeting in progress. Instead you’ll scroll down and find the channel specified as part of the event info. You get to see the list of names indicating who is in the channel before you tap/click on it to join. And if there is someone presenting, you’ll need to tap/click on the presenter’s feed or double-click the Live button next to the presenter’s name to enlarge the feed.
It may feel weird at first but the learning curve is pretty short and chances are you’ll like it better than Zoom and choose to use it to video call a fellow Mensa member/group who is part of the CAM Discord community and definitely to play online games while chatting with everyone participating.
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 June 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 June calendar