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

Online Reg­istration. Join us on Saturday, May 23rd for a fun time at the Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserves in Oak Brook. There'll be a wide variety of activities, both indoors and outdoors, for any Chicago Mensan, their friends, and the entire family. There's a $5 discount for advanced registration. Check out the event for details and to register.

New Zealand Sunday Seminars: AI Sovereignty: Could/should New Zealand have its own LLM? 7 PM (Sunday Noon NZT). Details TBA. The list of the upcoming seminars and any details can be viewed on their website.
Virtual Event!!

Toronto Mensa INQUIRING MINDS : Operation Fish, 1940: How to Finance a War While Under Threat of Invasion 1 PM. Operation Fish, a daring top-secret mission during World War II, was the largest movement of physical wealth in history. It was also perhaps the single greatest economic gamble of all time, and a tremendous success—a testament to the resourcefulness and co-operation of the allied powers and their central banks during the war. In May and early June of 1940, Hitler's armies swept over western Europe forcing the desperate evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk. In Britain, newly appointed prime minister Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet were confronted with the prospect of imminent invasion. If the unthinkable happened and the Germans invaded, how could the war continue? What measures would best safeguard Britain and the Empire for a long-term war? One idea was to transport Britain's $200 billion in gold reserves and securities to Canada for safe keeping. Thus, was born ‘Operation Fish’. Dr. Paul Doerr's presentation will outline the origins and execution of this successful transfer of wealth and the importance of Operation Fish in the history of the war.

Paul Doerr grew up in Ontario and earned his PhD from the University of Waterloo. At Acadia University, he teaches courses on the World Wars, military and diplomatic history and Europe in the twentieth century. In his tutorial classes, he likes to have students recreate diplomatic conferences and crises so they can understand the thought processes of the historical figures involved. His research interests include British foreign policy, appeasement and war termination. He is the author of British Foreign Policy, 1919–1939.

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

WeeM Rate Increase Alert! Join the fun at WeeM at the Chicago North Shore Westin in Wheeling starting Thursday, October 29th through Sunday, November 1st. Monday, May 4th is the last day you can preregister for WeeM plus qualify for the early bird WeeM discount. 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.

AML Leadership Workshop: Level Up! Seeing What I Couldn't See: How Great Leaders Recognize and Unlock Potential 7 PM. The best leaders don't just develop people—they see potential before people see it in themselves. In this talk, Carlos Kidman will share his journey from being a phone salesman to becoming a globally recognized engineering leader, and how the people who believed in him shaped how he now develops others. You'll learn the specific signals that reveal hidden potential, the difference between encouragement and real advocacy, and concrete ways to create opportunities that transform career both inside your organization and in your broader community. Through stories from building QA at the Point and developing talent at companies like Adobe and beyond, you'll discover how one person recognizing potential creates a multiplier effect that extends far beyond your direct reports.

Carlos is a globally recognized Quality and AI Engineering Leader. He is currently a Quality Engineering Architect at Salt.ai, but was formerly an Engineering Manager at Adobe. He is an instructor at Test Automation University with courses around architecture, design, containerization, and ML/AI. He is the founder of QA at the Point, which is the Testing and Quality Community in Utah, and does consulting, workshops, and speaking events all over the world.

For more details, visit the AML Event which includes the Zoom link for this event.
Virtual Event!!

GOBS Request Deadline Noon. Today is the last day to submit a request for GOBS funds to be approved at this Tuesday’s virtual Business Meeting for any planned, eligible event, activity, or class taking place after Tuesday, May 19th through Saturday, June 20th 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 July. July events need to be submitted by the 1st of June to the activities editor to be included in the July ChiMe. An article must be featured in the July ChiMe for GOBS-subsidized August events with an RSVP deadline in July (same 1st of June deadline but article emailed to the editor; see editorial deadline).

Central Indiana Mensa OMG! held today at 4 PM through Sunday, May 17th, at the Versailles State Park at 1387 U.S. 50 East in Versailles, Indiana. An outdoor excursion to a group of cabins in the woods. Reasonably described as “camping-lite,” the Outdoor Mensa Gathering (or OMG!) is a trip to the great outdoors of Indiana, with a campfire, hiking, board games, card games, guided discussions, and other activities. You get food, lodging, scenery, and more. For additional details and registration rates, get the event info from AML or visit the Mensa of Indiana website.

Animae Central (ACen) held today through Sunday, May 17th at the Donald E. Stephens (DES) Convention Center at 5555 N. River Rd. in Rosemont (accessible via CTA Blue Line). See the special guests and performers. For more information, visit their website.
Public Event!!

Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: The Later Years: Organisation, Independence and Peace of Mind 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.

How should we get organized for our later years? With just a little preparation while we are fit and healthy, we can express our wishes for more difficult times. There are simple and positive options to be followed. Not just a will and lasting power of attorney, but simple steps to being independent longer, staying at home longer and enjoying life longer. A little thought now, and hopefully with discussion with family members, will provide reassurance and peace of mind for all.

His Honour Sir Peter Thornton KC was a practicing barrister in criminal and human rights law, a QC (now KC), founder member and head of Doughty Street Chambers in London, a Senior Circuit Judge at the Old Bailey (the Central Criminal Court), and judge in the High Court and Court of Appeal (Criminal Division).  Sir Peter was the first Chief Coroner of England and Wales.  He is now a Visiting Professor at King's College London (where he teaches a course, Death Investigation: Coroners and Inquests), a member of the Independent Expert Panel of the House of Commons, and an international trainer of coroners and judges with the Civil Service College, the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association and the Slynn Foundation.  His latest book is The Later Years: The Simple Guide to Organising the Rest of Your Life (Bedford Square Publishers, 2025). He also conducts workshops on life and lifestyle in the later years.

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, May 18th).
Virtual Event!!

MWW : Nonfiction Book Discussion 4:30 PM CST. Please join us in discussing Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Peter Attia. 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? The next book will be Fixing Fairness: 4 Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash into Progress for All by Lily Zheng (June 17). See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Event Calendar.
Virtual Event!!

Online Reg­istration Deadline. Join us on Saturday, May 23rd for a fun time at the Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserves in Oak Brook. There'll be a wide variety of activities, both indoors and outdoors, for any Chicago Mensan, their friends, and the entire family. There's a $5 discount for advanced registration. Today is the last day you can qualify for a discount.

Theodore Talk: National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame 2:30 PM. Join Bethany Dodson, Director of Research & Education at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, for an engaging discussion on the history and culture of cowgirls. The Cowgirl is where history meets horsepower, and fearless women take center stage. Located in the heart of Fort Worth's Cultural District, it's the only museum in the world that celebrates the grit, grace, and guts of the women who shaped the American West—and those breaking boundaries today. Through permanent and temporary exhibits, interactives, and powerful storytelling, the Museum highlights artists, ranchers, rodeo champions, activists, and trailblazers from all walks of life. It's not just about looking back—it's about inspiring the next generation of unstoppable women.

Dodson will lead a virtual tour of the galleries and interactives, share some of their 261 Honorees' incredible stories, and discuss their expansion, opening in the fall of 2026, that will add 16,000 more square feet to their existing 33,000 square feet of interpretive spaces.

See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Event. Provided you register for the live talk, you will receive a link to a recording of the event. Closed captioning enabled.
Virtual Event!!

ChiMe Activ­ity Bulletin Dead­line. Last day for these submissions to the July 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 and Ad­vertising Dead­lines. Last day for editorial submissions to the July 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.