1/Mon­day

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

4/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!!

  • 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!!

7/Sun­day

  • Ethnic Dining 1 PM. Join us for a GOBS-subsidized lunch at a venue TBA. Save the date. For Ethnic Dining notifications, updates, and all the details, join the Mensa Connect Ethnic Dining Group, but do not respond using Mensa Connect. This event usually recurs on the 2nd Sunday of the month.

9/Tues­day

11/Thurs­day

12/Fri­day

  • Rock­ford-Area Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for dinner at a venue TBA. 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.

  • Poetry Dis­cus­sion 7 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Please send a poem or two to Joe D. by Monday, June 8th. 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!!

14/Sun­day

  • Happy Father's Day

  • SFRM: The Evolution of Audacity: From Bach to Gershwin 4:30 PM. This lecture proposes an engaging exploration of the groundbreaking experiments in music composition from the Baroque period to the early 20th century. It aims to celebrate the centenary of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue by tracing the lineage of musical innovation that led to its creation. Through a lively narrative and live keyboard accompaniment, this presentation will offer a fresh perspective on the history of classical music, illustrating how yesterday’s audacious experiments have become today’s classical masterpieces.

    Maria Miller blends her career in actuarial consulting with a deep passion for music. A lifelong piano player, she also ventures into the realm of theremins, crafting them herself. Her artistic pursuits don’t end there; she sings, composes, and arranges music. Maria’s creativity flows into theater, design, and art, showcasing her as a multifaceted talent and an engaging speaker across disciplines.

    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!!

  • flag

    Flag Day

15/Mon­day

  • Virtual Monthly Business Meeting 7 PM. Our five board members and any other interested members discuss various topics and issues. Members are welcome to attend and voice their opinions, but only the Board of Directors can vote. The Zoom login info can be found on our Contacts webpage.

  • Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: TBA 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.

    In 2017, the Solar System was visited by an object named “Oumuamua,” which came from another star. The unusual properties of this first interstellar visitor led some to suggest it may be an alien spacecraft—but the truth is that its oddness is already teaching us lessons about how solar systems form. This lecture also considers the prospects of discovering more unusual objects in the Solar System, and what we might do about asteroids that threaten the Earth.

    Professor Chris Lintott is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, and a Research Fellow at New College. His research ranges from understanding how galaxies form and evolve, to using machine learning to find the most unusual things in the Universe, to predicting the properties of visiting interstellar asteroids. He is Principal Investigator of the Zooniverse citizen science platform, which provides opportunities for more than two million online volunteers to contribute to scientific research, and which was the topic of his first book, The Crowd and the Cosmos.

    For the full write-up and the Zoom information, visit the American Mensa event. One does not have to register for the event—simply use the Zoom link at the appropriate date and time.
    Virtual Event!!

16/Tues­day

Northern Exposure

  • Northern Ex­po­sure Dinner 6:45 PM. Twenty-four hours of daylight? Then you should have dinner with us. Join us for dinner at a venue TBD in Lake County. Recurs on the third Tuesday of the month.

17/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, June 20th through the Wednesday before the July Business Meeting and, optionally, 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 August. August events need to be submitted by the 1st of July to the activities editor to be included in the August ChiMe. An article must be featured in the August ChiMe for GOBS-subsidized September events with an RSVP deadline in August (same 1st of July deadline but article emailed to the editor; see editorial deadline).

18/Thurs­day

19/Fri­day

  • juneteenth

    State & Federal Holiday

20/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.

  • Monthly Gath­ering
    (Date & Location Tentative)
    The location of our June Month­ly Gath­ering may be on a date TBD at 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).

    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.

    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

    MG Date/Location is Tentative!!

  • Virtual Monthly ExComm Business Meeting 5 PM. Our ExComm and any other interested members discuss various topics and issues as well as GOBS requests. Members are welcome to attend and voice their opinions, but only the five members of the Executive Committee can vote. The Zoom login info can be found on our Contacts webpage.
    Virtual Event!!

  • 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!!

21/Sun­day

  • Summer Solstice

  • 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, on or after Saturday, June 20th, 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!!

23/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.

25/Thurs­day

28/Sun­day

  • 55th 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. Save the date! For the latest information, visit the Parade & Luncheon Info webpage. 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, we'll walk to a nearby restaurant to enjoy an optional, late luncheon. For all details, visit the Parade & Luncheon Info webpage or see the ar­ticle in the ChiMe (when it becomes available). Only people who RSVP can participate.

30/Tues­day


* * * * *

1 July/Wednes­day

  • 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.

  • 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.

Activities Bulletin
June 2026 (Tentative)

June
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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 current 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 current calendar

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