Monthly Gather­ing

Our Chicago Area Monthly Gatherings are open to the public. Anyone interested in finding out more about Mensa is welcome to attend. The April Monthly Gathering will be held at Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center located at 3705 Pheasant Dr. in Rolling Meadows. The gatherings are held each month, except for months when we offer special CAM events (see schedule) and every No­vem­ber. Check this site to ensure you’re heading to the correct venue. Members can also check Chicago Mensa Meetup or the latest issue of ChiMe. The website will supersede information in ChiMe should there be a discrepancy.

Typical Monthly Gathering

Mensa Test
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5:00 PM

Mensa Admissions Test (for anyone who wishes to become a member) — Pre­reg­ister to reserve a space for this session or for a different test lo­ca­tion/date. Walk-ins are welcome but you cannot be late; it’s best to contact the test coördinator in case the session is cancelled. To see if any of your past tests (ACT, SAT, LSAT…) qualify for membership, see which tests qualify. Or arrange for an approved private test.
If there is a spike in Covid cases, the in-person MG may become virtual & testing may be cancelled!!

5:00 PM

Business Meeting — Our five elected ExComm members and any other interested members discuss various topics and issues. Members are welcome to attend and voice their opinions, but only the Executive Committee can vote.

6:00 PM

Games Room opens for any early-arrivers and game enthusiasts. At recent gatherings, members have played their favorite games such as Chess, Scrabble, Set, and Boggle, as well as current hit games. Our game collection is pretty extensive, so if you have a favorite, there’s a fair chance we’ll have it on hand. Here’s the list of our entire collection (minus a couple of oldies for which the Geek has no entry) over on Board Game Geek, although not all games are conveyed to every Monthly Gathering (there are just too many). Contact our Game Warden to ensure a specific one is available.

6:30 PM

In-Person Voting begins (April).

April
Topic

Speaker Presentation for April

To Be Well—Nurturing Our Mental Health and Wellness

presented by Dr. Kelli F. Johnson

We all want to have good mental health, but do you or someone you care about ever feel down or anxious? Are there strategies an individual can use to combat those feelings or is professional help needed?

As our speaker, psychologist Kelli Johnson writes, “While not always at diagnosable levels, most of us, at some point in our lives, experience levels of stress, sadness, and/or overwhelm that significantly influence the sense of joy, fulfillment, and wellness that we experience in our day-to-day lives.”

The focus of her presentation will be identifying signs and symptoms that alert us to pay attention. It will outline how to recognize when “a little out of sorts” is becoming more than “a little.” She will also provide strategies for nurturing positive mental health in ways that preserve our overall wellness and functioning in sustainable ways.

Kelli F. Johnson, Ph.D., serves as Dean of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences at National Louis University. She has been a licensed psychologist in Psychotherapy and Counseling since 2016 and maintains a small private clinical practice in Chicago.

Dr. Johnson earned a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami. She completed her internship and post-doctoral residency at the University Counseling Center at Florida State University and remained there on the counseling staff until 2008.

She has been the Training Director of the predoctoral internship program at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Director of Clinical Training for the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Schaumburg, and Department Chair for the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier University of Louisiana.

Beyond clinical and academic activity, Dr. Johnson has held multiple roles in the professional community. Her interests include multicultural competence in clinical practice, intersectionality, social responsiveness in psychology, and professional identity development. In addition to her commitment to mentorship, Dr. Johnson’s current focus is on advocating for equitable access to a healthy educational experience for students from historically marginalized populations.

7:30 PM

Speaker Presentation — The gathering usually begins with announcements from our Local Secretary (LocSec), followed by a guest who speaks on an interesting topic for about an hour.

8:00 PM

Electronic & In-Person Voting ends (April).

8:30 PM until midnight

Refreshments, Socializing, and Games — After the speaker presentation, our hospitality volunteers provide an assortment of party food and beverages, and people browse and mingle. Conversation and games continue into the night.

The majority of the people start arriving around 7 PM. Usually, about 60-100 people attend the Monthly Gathering. If you prefer a smaller group, try one of our many restaurant gatherings hosted at various lo­ca­tions throughout the metropolitan area. Check out the latest monthly calendar of events for dates, or, for more information, contact the Membership Chair.

Babysitting is no longer available unless we get some volunteers willing to do so or to arrange it. If interested, contact our LocSec . In the meantime, we encourage parents and kids to hang out together in a sepa­rate room where the children can play together under their parents’ supervision. Also please contact our Gifted Youth Coördinators , who may be restarting the Gifted Youth MG activity held in conjunction with the regular MG.

CAM 2024 Election

The candidates’ statements are available on our website as well as in the April issue of ChiMe. The Election Notice can be found in Appendix B.

If you’re not attending April’s Monthly Gathering on Saturday, April 27th, please cast your vote electronically using this fool-proof online ballot at or before 8 PM on Saturday, April 27th. If you prefer a paper ballot, mail it so it is received by Friday, April 26th or give it to a trusted messenger who can drop it into the ballot box at the Monthly Gathering. Forgot
Password?

To cast an electronic ballot, click on this link. Fill out your American Mensa membership number (required) which is listed as part of your profile on the American Mensa website. Cast your vote for officers. Candidates will appear in random order. Use “Other” if you want to vote for a write-in for Local Secretary, Business Manager, and/or Treasurer. If you wish to vote for a write-in candidate for Gen Rep please vote for write-in (1 or 2) and fill in the name below. The form will not allow you to vote for more than the allowed number of Candidates. You do not need to vote for every office to submit your ballot.

Since it may be too late to mail in a paper ballot, you may give it to a trusted person who will attend the MG and can drop it into the ballot box. Print out the ballot or, if you get a paper version of ChiMe, use the one in the April issue. Follow the instructions to the right of the ballot exactly to avoid having your ballot disqualified.

In the case multiple ballots are received from a member, only the most recently received ballot will count. For mailed ballots, the postmark will be used as the date of submittal. The results will be announced sometime after in-person voting closes at the April Monthly Gathering. The results will be available on the website a few days later and in the June issue of ChiMe. Our Officers webpage will reflect the new ExComm members as of May 1st, the first day of their term. If you have questions, please contact Deb Johnston, our Election Procedures Committee Chair.

Fees

‡April is free to Chicago Area Mensa members!
* Children under the age of 8 are free provided they under the supervision of an adult attending the gathering.

Venue Info for

Rolling Mead­ows Comm Ctr Salt Creek Park Westin North Shore Hotel

The Saturday, April 27th Monthly Gathering will be held at the Rolling Meadows Community Center at 3705 Pheasant Drive in Rolling Meadows. The Community Center is lo­cated just east of IL-53, just north of the Algonquin exit, and south of the IL-53 Euclid exit.

April is also when Chicago Area Mensa members can vote for the Executive Committee. You can vote in-person at the Monthly Gathering. For other voting options and all the details, visit our Election webpage.

We will have games and hospitality in their spacious auditorium (straight back when you enter) with overflow space in the lobby. The speaker event will be in the Card Room (when you enter, to the right via the hallway, past the restrooms). There will be a Parents-Kids Play Room available.

Rolling Meadows Community Center

Parking is plentiful and free behind the building. The NW lot is closest to Entrance K, located near the inner corner of building.

Please note that we have this venue only until midnight — plan accordingly.

Via the Kirchoff Road exit (from IL-53 heading north)

• Heading north on IL-53 north through the Northwest Suburbs, look for the Kirchoff Road exit.
• Exit right (east) onto Kirchoff Road.
• Continue east on Kirchoff Road for ~1 mile to Meadow Drive.
• Turn south (right) onto Meadow Drive.
• Continue south on Meadow Drive for two blocks to Martin Lane.
• Turn west (right) onto Martin Lane.
• Continue west on Martin Lane as it curves south into Pheasant Drive.
• Continue south on Pheasant Drive to the Community Center which is on the west (right) side of Pheasant Drive.
• Pull into the first (northern-most) driveway (white dotted line on detail map) and head for the rear lot.
• Park near Entrance K (see photo above; northwest inner corner slightly taller with an array of 4×3 windows just to the right).

Via the Euclid Avenue exit (from IL-53 heading south)

• Exit at the Euclid Ave East exit.
• Continue east on Euclid Avenue a short distance to Rohlwing Road.
• Turn south (right) onto Rohlwing Road and continue south for a ½ mile to Kirchoff Road.
• Turn east (left) onto Kirchoff Road and continue east for 0.7 miles to Meadow Drive.
• Turn south (right) onto Meadow Drive and continue south for a ½ mile to Grouse Lane.
• Turn west (right) onto Grouse Lane and continue for 0.2 miles to Pheasant Drive.
• Turn north (right) onto Pheasant Drive and continue northwest for 295 ft. to the Community Center which is on the west side (left) of Pheasant Drive.
• Pull into the last (northern-most) driveway (white dotted line on detail map) and head for the rear lot.
• Park near Entrance K (see photo above; northwest inner corner slightly taller with an array of 4×3 windows just to the right).

Train & Taxi// Uber

Attention, city-dwelling Chicago Area Ms! Until further notice, you can request taxi service or get reimbursed for the use of a ride sharing service like or Uber for our suburban Monthly Gatherings, between the closest Metra station and the meeting site with prior approval from GenRep Michael  by Wednesday, April 24th. The best location and time is the Arlington Park station at 6:30 PM (Union Pacific–Northwest line — it leaves Ogilvie Station at 5:40 PM). You should then plan to leave the Park District building by 10 PM to return you to the Arlington Park station for the 10:29 PM train, which is the final train of the evening. Use of any of these services must be requested in advance by emailing GenRep Michael  by Wednesday, April 24th.
Note: CAM will cover the cost of the taxi, , or Uber but you are responsible for your own train ticket.
Double check the Metra Train schedule which may have changed.

On Saturday, June 15th, instead of the usual Monthly Gathering, join us at the Annual Picnic starting at 11 AM held at Salt Creek Park located at 574 W. Second St. in Elmhurst (just west of Kingery Hwy. (IL-83), south of North Ave. (IL-64), east of N. York St., and north of St. Charles Rd.).

Find out more details and sign up in advance on our Picnic Info webpage, so our Picnic Chairs know how much food to have on hand, although they will bring extra for any last minute attendees. The grills will shut down at 2 PM, so if you want hot food, show up before then.

Salt Creek Park Facilities

Parking is plentiful and free. The lot nearest the pavilion is at the west end of the park along the east side of Kingery Hwy. (IL-83).

If coming from the south on northbound IL-83, turn right (E) onto W. Second St. and turn right (S) again into the parking lot.

If on east- or westbound W. North Ave. (IL-64), turn south onto West Ave. at the stop light (Bethel Assembly of God Church is on the SW corner) (located east of of Kingery Hwy. (IL-83)). Continue south to W. Second St. on your right. Turn right (W) onto Second St. Drive past most of the park until you see the gravel entrance to the parking lot to your left (S), just before Kingery Hwy. (IL-83).

If on east- or westbound St. Charles Rd., turn north onto S. West Ave. at the stoplight by the Kohl’s on the NW corner. Continue north on West Ave. to W. Second St. on your left (W). Turn left onto Second St. Drive past most of the park until you see the gravel entrance to the parking lot to your left (S), just before Kingery Hwy. (IL-83).

There is no Monthly Gathering in October nor in November. Instead, CAM hosts HalloweeM, the largest Regional Gathering (RG) in the country. It's a wonderful, fun, and informative event that runs Thursday, October 31st through Sunday, November 3rd. Expect games, dances, programs, costume parades, and excursions. Our great RG will be held at the Westin-Chicago North Shore Hotel at 601 North Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling. The hotel is lo­cated on the east side of Milwaukee and the main entrance is at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Wolf Road (just south of Lake-Cook and north of Dundee Road).

The rooms facing east enjoy a great view of the Forest Preserves. The hotel is lo­cated just west of the Des Plaines River and is steps away from the Des Plaines River Trail leading into the Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve. There’s also a pool and workout equipment.

There’s plenty of free parking both on the north and the south side of the hotel. The south lot is closer to the meeting rooms.

The hotel offers a shuttle service from the nearby METRA stations . Please call them well in advance to arrange a pickup given staff shortages have increased wait times. Otherwise use one of the ridesharing services like or Uber .

Schedule

2024

April 27th
Monthly Gathering

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Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center

3705 Pheasant Drive
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

May 18th
Monthly Gathering

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Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center

3705 Pheasant Drive
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

June 15th
Annual Picnic

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Salt Creek Park

574 W. Second St.
Elmhurst, IL 60126

CAM Annual Picnic @ Salt Creek Park

July 27th
Monthly Gathering

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Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center

3705 Pheasant Drive
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

August 24th
Monthly Gathering

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Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center

3705 Pheasant Drive
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

September 28th
Monthly Gathering

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Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center

3705 Pheasant Drive
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

October 31st–November 3rd
HalloweeM

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Westin North Shore Hotel

601 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Wheeling, IL 60090

November

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No Gathering
 

December 7th
Monthly Gathering

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Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center

3705 Pheasant Drive
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008