1/Satur­day

• June ChiMe Activ­ity Bulletin Dead­line. Last day for these submissions to the June 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.

• June ChiMe Editorial and Ad­vertising Dead­lines. Last day for editorial submissions to the June 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.

• 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!!

4/Tues­day

5/Wednes­day

• 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!!

6/Thurs­day

• Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. Join a video chat with our kin from across the big pond in London at 2 PM BT. 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

• Zoom Lunch 1 PM. Perhaps Mensa's longest running event anywhere, Chicago’s Downtown Lunch is now on Zoom and open to Mensa members everywhere. It's held every week, alternating between Tuesday and Thursday. Join us for conversation, laughs, and whimsical solutions to the world's problems past and present. 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. We’d love to have you join us!
  Virtual Event!!

9/Sun­day

11/Tues­day

12/Wednes­day

13/Thurs­day

14/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. This event usually recurs on the second Friday of the month.

Poetry SIG

• Poetry Dis­cus­sion 7 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Please send a poem or two to Joe D. by Monday, May 10th. 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. This event is usually held on the evening of the second Friday of the month.
  Virtual Event!!

15/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. 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.

• SEMM : The Lost Princess: Recovering the Heroines Of Historic Fairy Tales 5:30 PM CDT. People often associate fairy tales with Disney films, and with the male authors from whom Disney often drew inspiration—notably Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Andersen. In these portrayals, the princess is a passive, compliant figure. By contrast, our speaker this month, in her book The Lost Princess, Dr. Anne E. Duggan will show us that classic fairy tales such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Beauty and the Beast have a much richer, more complex history than Disney's saccharine depictions. Dr. Duggan recovers the voices of women writers, who penned popular tales about ogre-killing, pregnant, cross-dressing, dynamic heroines who saved the day. This new history will appeal to anyone who wants to know more about the lost, plucky heroines of historic fairy tales.

  Dr. Anne E. Duggan is a professor of French Studies and a member of the Academy of Scholars at Wayne State University. She is the author of three monographs, two of which have been translated into French and Chinese, and she has edited numerous volumes on fairy-tale cultures. Professor Duggan served as associate and co-editor of the journal Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies, for 25 years, and she currently edits the Donald Haase Series in Fairy-Tale Studies at Wayne State University. She is currently working on a book about politically committed animated tales.

  See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Event. If you happen to be in Detroit, you are invited to attend their MG and join them at their dinner afterwards. All Zoom attendees must preregister by visiting the SEMM Monthly Gathering page and choosing "May 16, 2026 5:30 pm" from the dropdown. Due to rising Zoom costs, SEMM asks for a $5 donation, if you can afford it.
  Virtual Event!!

• SFRM : Why the Scopes Trial (1925) is Still Relevant 4:30 PM. Trial of the Century: Tennessee vs. John T. Scopes. The first major sally against the teaching of evolution in the US, and, mostly because of the fictional play and movie Inherit the Wind, Scopes is wrongly perceived as a victory for evolution over the forces of obscurantism. The full story is much more complex and interesting, involving science, religion, law, education, politics, celebrities, modern communications, and the politicization of science.

  Dr. Eugenie C. Scott is an expert on the creationism and evolution controversy and science denialism. The former director of the National Center for Science Education, she is the recipient of numerous awards from scientists and educators, and has been awarded ten honorary degrees. Asteroid 249540 Eugeniescott was named for her but she assures us it is not aimed at Earth.

  For more details, visit the SFRM Zoom RSVPs FB Group or the SFRM List of Presentations.
  Virtual 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 17th).
  Virtual Event!!

18/Tues­day

• 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!!

20/Thurs­day

• 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!!

• Mensa Cares: Land & Waterways 2 PM. This month, naturalist and educator Karen Jensen will lead us as we walk along the Des Plaines River in the Lake County Forest Preserve. We will be participants in an open data citizen science project. The Marine Debris Tracker app helps to answer the question of what the different types and amounts of debris are in order that we may prevent such debris from happening.

  Karen will instruct us in what and how we will do what we will do, but this will involve walking on the forest preserve trails. Wear comfortable shoes, clothing and your citizen scientist hat (the winner of the best hat gets big kudos from Karen!). Also, bring a well charged phone, water and snacks to carry along with you. You will download the Marine Debris Tracker App and Karen will assign us our group (Chicago Area Mensa) by which we will track what we find. Some participants may want to only record what is found and some may want to pick up debris—that is up to you (bring gloves, we will provide the debris bags).

  The location is Edward L. Ryerson Welcome Center, 21950 Riverwoods Rd. in Riverwoods. The entrance is on Riverwoods Road between Half Day Road (Route 22) and Deerfield Road, just west of Interstate 94. Signs to the Welcome Center will be easy to see and follow. For more details, see the May ChiMe (when it becomes available). If you have any questions or you wish to RSVP , email our Community Services Coordinator Jean D. .

25/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. RSVP to Ken L. via email. Your reservation is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email.

• Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, May 6th.

27/Thurs­day

31/Mon­day

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1 June/Tues­day