Our next
Monthly Gathering
is on
June 24th.
The June gathering
will be held
at
Benedictine University
in the Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business
near 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532
The locations
of the MGs vary.
Monthly Gathering
Our next
Monthly Gathering
is on
June 24th.
The June gathering
will be held
at
Benedictine University
in the Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business
near 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532
The locations
of the MGs vary.
Our Chicago Area Monthly Gatherings are open to the public. So anyone interested in finding out more about Mensa is welcome to attend. The June Monthly Gathering will be held at the Benedictine University in the Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business located near 5700 College Rd. in Lisle. The gatherings are held each month, except for July and November. Check this site to ensure you’re heading to the correct venue. Members can also check the latest issue of ChiMe or Chicago Mensa Meetup. The website will supersede information in ChiMe should there be a discrepancy.
The June Monthly Business Meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 13th at 7 PM. The Zoom login info can be found on our Contacts webpage.
Typical Monthly Gathering
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. 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 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.
This month’s BM will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 13th at 7 PM!!
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.
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.
8:30 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, call 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.
Fees
| Admission Fees * |
Ages | |
|---|---|---|
| 18-∞ | 8-17 | |
| Members | $10.00 ‡ | $5.00 ‡ |
| Guests | $12.00 | $7.00 |
| Check-in starts at 7 PM. CAM is now accepting major credit cards at the MGs. |
||
* Children under the age of 8 are free provided they under the supervision of an adult attending the gathering.
Venue Info for
The June Monthly Gathering will be held on Benedictine University’s Campus in the Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business (building 8 on the campus map below) located just SW of the entrance at 5700 College Rd. in Lisle. The building is near the southern end of the campus. Note that the campus is only accessible from College Rd. which runs along the eastern edge of the campus.
View of parking garage & Goodwin Hall from SE
The business meeting, games, and hospitality will be on the fourth floor in room 411 - aka Sorenson Hall of Leaders. Testing and the parent-child play will be in room 212. The speaker will be in room 321. Note: The rooms tend to be a bit chilly, so you may want to consider bringing a sweater/sweatshirt.
Please note that we have this venue only until midnight — plan accordingly.
North is along right edge
Benedictine University is located at the southwest corner of Maple Ave. and College Rd. The interactive Campus Map shows the northern edge (Maple Ave.) of campus at a diagonal along the bottom and College Road (eastern edge) along the top. Click/tap on the world icon in the upper left of the map to change the orientation of the map so north is on top and the campus roads are more visible. The simplest route to Goodwin Hall is via the main entrance on the west side of College Road.
North is along right edge
The closest permit-free parking to Goodwin Hall is the parking garage (see photo of buildings above), which is only accessible via the campus roads (see campus map above). After turning west from College Rd. onto the main entrance, turn south (left) when the main entrance road ends. Stay on that road as it curves in a semi-circle southwest and then northwest until you see the garage entrance on your right. From the garage, walk a short distance north to Goodwin Hall. Parking is free.
If coming east or west via I-88 (north of the campus):
- Exit onto onto Interstate 355 Tollway S toward Joliet.
- Continue on I-355 S for ~3.3 miles to the Maple Ave. exit.
- Turn west (right) onto Maple Ave.
- Head west on Maple Ave. for ~2.4 miles to College Rd.
(Note: At the stop light, it's College to the south and Yackley to the north). - Turn south (left) onto College Rd. (the campus is on the SW corner of Maple Ave. and College Rd. but the simplest route to Goodwin Hall is from College Rd.).
If coming east or west via I-55 (south of the campus):
- Take the Interstate 355 Tollway N/Interstate 355 Tollway S toward Northwest Suburbs/Southwest Suburbs exit.
- Stay right to merge onto I-355 N.
- Head north on I-355 N to the Maple Ave. exit.
- Turn west (left) onto Maple Ave.
- Head west on Maple Ave. for ~2.4 miles to College Rd.
(Note: At the stop light, it's College to the south and Yackley to the north). - Turn south (left) onto College Rd. (the campus is on the SW corner of Maple Ave. and College Rd. but the simplest route to Goodwin Hall is from College Rd.).
From College Rd.:
- Turn west (right) from College Rd. onto the campus at the main entrance (see campus map above.
- From the main entrance road, turn south (left) onto another campus road when the main entrance road ends.
- Stay on that campus road heading south and follow it as it eventually curves southwest and then northwest until you see the garage entrance on your right.
- Enter the permit-free parking garage, which is closest to Goodwin Hall (the first building north of the parking garage). Parking is free.
- Walk a short distance north to Goodwin Hall.
The August Monthly Gathering may be held in the North Park University’s Johnson Center, located east of 5141 N. Christiana Ave. in Chicago (no address on building). The University’s campus (interactive map shows Foster (north end of campus) along bottom) is situated south of Foster, east of Kimball, west of Kedzie, and north of Argyle with some large parking lots along the east side of Kedzie. The main campus is only about 2 blocks square. Date & location is tentative!
Our main room will be the Bistro near Einstein Bagels, on the 1st Floor. The Mensa Test and the Presentation will both take place on the second floor in Rooms 209 and 211, respectively (above the Bistro area). The rooms tend to be a bit chilly, so bring a sweater or sweatshirt.
Johnson Center (view from southeast with fisheye lens)
Entrance to the right of the center glass facade
The entrance to the Johnson Center is just to the right of the glass facade you see in the center of the photo. The fisheye lens used by the photographer makes the building appear to have curved walls, but they are actually straight. Once you enter the building, walk straight ahead and then the Bistro is to your right and stairs, elevators, and the restrooms are to your left. Upstairs, Rooms 209 and 211 are to your left when you exit the elevator or the stairwell.
Nearby Parking & Paths to Johnson Center
The Johnson Center, building 17 on the campus map, is located south of Foster, east of N. Christiana, north of Carmen, west of Spaulding, and accessible only via footpaths. The northside of the building runs along an alley with no public entrances. Christiana Ave. ends at the northwest corner of the Johnson Center. The west side of the building, which is east of the Christiana footpath, also has no public access. The building is located on the northwest side of the Chicago River, North Branch, which flows diagonally through the campus.
The best side street parking on the northwest side of the river is along W. Carmen to the east of Kimball (brown horizontal line on the detailed map); these spots are perpendicular to the street so no parallel parking required. There is unmetered street parking along Kimball. There is no car access from any of the side streets located on the part of the campus situated south or east of the river, although there is access via a pedestrian bridge (noted on the detailed map) near Carmen and Spaulding. It’s a short walk to the Johnson Center via the pedestrian bridge and footpaths (see red line on detailed map).
Student designated parking lots (white & red colored on the signs) are enforced from 7 AM–3 PM, Monday–Friday, so campus security will not ticket any of us who are parked in those lots, but always check the signs.
Please note that we have this venue only until midnight — plan accordingly.
Northwest Side of River
Disability Parking
There should be disability parking spots in each of the NPU parking lots, including the one just north of the Johnson Center, the one on the southeast corner of W. Foster and N. Kedzie, and the lots southeast of the river (see printable map).
There are 5 disability parking spots located west of the Johnson Center as highlighted on the detailed map above.
- Use N. Kimball Ave. and turn east onto W. Carmen.
- Head east past the grade school, on your left, and turn north (left) into the alley.
- Drive north and the disability parking spots will be on your right.
- There’s a footpath by the disability parking spots that leads to the Johnson Center by heading east (see map following white line from the disability parking spots that ends at the red line).
- Just after the southern edge of the Johnson Center, turn left.
Closest Non-Disability Parking
The closest parking is along W. Carmen Ave. accessible only from N. Kimball. On the detailed map above, it would be along the brown horizontal line. Some spots are designated NPU personnel only but only Monday-Friday. After parking on Carmen, walk east along Carmen (brown horizontal line on map above) toward the dead end and turn north (left) on the footpath, walk between the two brick pillars and continue straight ahead to the Johnson Center (see photo above).
There is unmetered street parking along N. Kimball. After parking, head southeast toward the N. Christiana footpath. Continue south along the west side of the Johnson Center to just past the SW corner. Turn east (left) until just past the SE corner of the building. Turn north (left) and walk to the entrance.
There is a large Faculty/Staff lot on the east side of N. Kimball north of Carmen and south of the gas station at the NE corner of W. Kimball and W. Foster. as well as spots along the alley running parallel to Kimball, just east of Kimball and west of the campus. We have been assured we will not be towed if we park there, despite the signs indicating otherwise. If on Carmen, turn north into the alley and the parking lot will be on your left, past the buildings. Turn left at when the alley dead-ends and the entrances to the lot are on your left. Walk back to the way you came until you see the disability parking spots and turn left (E) following the white arrow on the detailed map above. Just after the southern edge of the Johnson Center, turn left (N) (red line).
There is a student lot behind (north of) the Johnson Center (see the campus map near buildings 23-26) one can access from the alley (one-way west) after turning onto N. Spaulding from W. Foster and then turning right (west) into the one-way alley; the lot is on your right. If you park in that lot, it’s best to walk east from the lot to the NE corner of the Johnson Center and then turn south (right) until you see the stairs on your right. To avoid the stairs, walk a bit further south until you see the footpath that enables you to go right (W) and then right (N) again to the entrance.
All parking on W. Foster Ave. is metered, which you should avoid unless you have an account set up on the ParkChicago app which enables you to pay and add time remotely with your smart phone; most of the meters have a 2-hour maximum time limit. There is no street parking along one-way northbound N. Christiana Ave., which serves as an exit from the one-way westbound alley behind the Johnson Center (see previous paragraph about the student lot accessible via this alley). Also there is no street parking on one-way southbound N. Spaulding when one enters from Foster.
The Visitor & Commuter lot on the SE corner of W. Foster and N. Kedzie Aves. (see the campus map) is another option (~2 block walk). After parking, head northwest and cross Kedzie at the light. Walk west one block along Foster to N. Spaulding. Turn south (left) on Spaulding. Continue straight pass the point where the street ends near the NE corner of the Johnson Center (on your right) and continue south on the footpath. Just past the SE corner of the building, you’ll see stairs on your right which lead to the entrance. To avoid the stairs, walk a bit further south until you see the footpath that enables you to go right (W) and then right (N) again to the entrance.
Southeast Side of River
Pedestrian Bridge to Johnson Center
The only access from the southeast side of river to the northwest side, where the Johnson Center is located, is via a pedestrian bridge (see photo) located near Carmen and Spaulding (see detailed map above). The footpath to the Johnson Center is just a few steps beyond the circular raised bed and a short stroll to the right.
Street Parking
There is street parking in the neighborhood. The closest to the pedestrian bridge (see photo) is near Carmen and Spaulding. From Kedzie, turn west (right if southbound; left if northbound) onto W. Carmen Ave. Check for spots along Carmen (preferably at the west end, past Sawyer, closest to Spaulding), Spaulding (one way southbound) (preferably just after you turn from Carmen), and Argyle (one way westbound) (south of Carmen) (preferably close to Spaulding).
Check any parking signs you see; there is permit-only parking in the area as well as metered parking, which you should avoid unless you have an account set up on the ParkChicago app which enables you to pay and add time remotely with your smart phone; most of the meters have a 2-hour maximum time limit. Parking tickets are expensive so make sure you park legally.
Wherever you end up parking, head to the southeast bank of the river. If on Carmen, walk west toward Spaulding until you see the pedestrian bridge on your right. If on Argyle, head to the west side of Spaulding. If on Spaulding, walk north on the west side toward Carmen until you see the pedestrian bridge on your left. It’s a short walk from there. Cross the river via the pedestrian bridge (see red line on the map above). Continue straight (NW) away from the river until it dead-ends. There will be two brick pillars on your right. Walk north between them, continue walking between the Brandel Library (left/west) and Theology Center (right/east), and you’ll see the Johnson Center (see building photo above) straight ahead.
Student Parking Lots (from closest to furthest)
In addition to side street parking, free parking is available in the listed student lots (dark gray areas on the interactive campus map where the bottom of the map is north). There should be disability parking in all the lots.
- Student Parking Lot - SE diagonal corner of W. Carmen and
N. Spaulding (lot closest to pedestrian bridge (see photo));
near building 30 on the
printable map).
- Turn west on W. Carmen from N. Kedzie.
- After Sawyer, look for the entrance on your left.
- After parking, it’s a short walk west across W. Carmen/N. Spaulding to the path that runs along the river toward the pedestrian bridge.
- Cross the river via the pedestrian bridge (see red line on the map above). Continue straight (NW) away from the river until it dead-ends. There will be two brick pillars on your right. Walk north between them, continue walking between the Brandel Library (left/west) and Theology Center (right/east), and you’ll see the Johnson Center (see building photo above) straight ahead.
- Anderson Hall Parking Lot, 5000 N. Spaulding - NW corner of Argyle
and Spaulding (entrance on Spaulding, just north of Argyle), which is less than a 2¾ block walk.
- Fom Kedzie, turn west onto W. Carmen Ave.
- Carmen will angle SW and then turn into N. Spaulding.
- Look for the entrance to the parking lot on your right.
- After parking, walk northeast from the lot along the footpath closest to the river that runs between buildings 16 and 3 on the printable map or the sidewalk that runs parallel to Spaulding.
- Stay to your left untl you see the pedestrian bridge (see photo) on your left.
- Cross the river via the pedestrian bridge (see red line on the map above). Continue straight (NW) away from the river until it dead-ends. There will be two brick pillars on your right. Walk north between them, continue walking between the Brandel Library (left/west) and Theology Center (right/east), and you’ll see the Johnson Center (see building photo above) straight ahead.
- Carmen & Kedzie Parking Lot, 5115 N. Kedzie - NE corner of Kedzie & Carmen
(entrance on the north side of Carmen) is less than a three block walk.
- After parking, walk south along N. Kedzie back to W. Carmen.
- Cross Kedzie at Carmen.
- Walk west along Carmen to the path that runs south along the east bank of the Chicago river.
- Follow the path as it curves south.
- Stay right at the fork until you see the pedestrian bridge (see photo above) on your right.
- Cross the river via the pedestrian bridge (see red line on the map above). Continue straight (NW) away from the river until it dead-ends. There will be two brick pillars on your right. Walk north between them, continue walking between the Brandel Library (left/west) and Theology Center (right/east), and you’ll see the Johnson Center (see building photo above) straight ahead.
- Argyle & Kedzie Parking Lot, 5025 N. Kedzie - east side of Kedzie
between Carmen and Argyle (entrance on Kedzie) which is about a three block walk.
- After parking, walk south along N. Kedzie to W. Argyle (stop light).
- Head west by crossing Kedzie at Argyle.
- Continue walking west on the northside of Argyle to Spaulding.
- Cross to the west side of Spaulding and head north (right) past the long building and stay left.
- Continue left walking along the river until you see the pedestrian bridge (see photo above) on your left.
- Cross the river via the pedestrian bridge (see red line on the map above). Continue straight (NW) away from the river until it dead-ends. There will be two brick pillars on your right. Walk north between them, continue walking between the Brandel Library (left/west) and Theology Center (right/east), and you’ll see the Johnson Center (see building photo above) straight ahead.
The CTA Brown Line Kimball station, at Lawrence and Kimball, is slightly more than a ½ mile SSW of Johnson Center. Walk north on Kimball, just past the massive Frederick Von Steuben High School, to W. Carmen (brown on map above). Turn right (east) onto Carmen, walking until just past the back of the Brandel Library (on your left) to where Carmen ends. You’ll see the Johnson Center (see photo above) to your left (north). Turn left (north) (red on map above) onto the footpath, walk north between the two brick pillars, and continue north past the Brandel Library (left/west) and the Theological Center (right/east) to the Johnson Center.
There are also several bus lines that service the area. The CTA Bus Tracker makes it easy to find out when the buses arrive and depart on your smart phone.
General directions to the campus can be found on the NPU website as well as here. The Johnson Center is located on the northwest side of the river (just south of Foster & east of Kimball) and is not actually located on a street; it is Building 17 on the printable map, just east of Christiana (which actually ends at the northwest corner of Johnson Center). The river prevents automobile access from any of the side streets that run through the campus south of or east of the river (see the campus map); but if you chose to park along those streets or in the lots, there is a pedestrian bridge (see photo) near Carmen and Spaulding. So you’ll walk there to cross the river via the pedestrian bridge (see red line on the map above). Continue straight (NW) away from the river until it dead-ends. There will be two brick pillars on your right. Walk north between them, continue walking between the Brandel Library (left/west) and Theology Center (right/east), and you’ll see the Johnson Center (see building photo above) straight ahead.
- Take the Lawrence Ave. exit.
- Head north on Cicero Ave. to W. Foster Ave.
- Turn east (right) onto Foster and continue straight toward the campus.
- Head east on Foster for slightly less than 2 miles to N. Kimball Ave. (stop light/3400 W.) and park on the NW side of the river (closest); see "Northwest Side of River" below.
- Or continue east to N. Kedzie Ave. (stop light; 3200 W.).
- Turn south (right) onto Kedzie Ave.
- Turn east (left) to enter the Visitor & Commuter parking lot on the SE corner of Foster and Kedzie Aves. (~2 block walk); see Parking Options for walking directions.
- Or continue south, over the river, to W. Carmen (all way stop) to park on the southeast side of the river; see "SE of River" tab of the Parking Options for directions.
Northwest Side of River
- Turn south (right) onto N. Kimball Ave. (3400 W.).
- Either park along Kimball (tap/click on "Parking Options" above and see the "NW of River" tab for walking instructions) or continue south to W. Carmen Ave. on your left (east).
- Turn east (left) onto Carmen Ave.
- For Disability parking, parking along W. Carmen, or parking in the faculty lot, tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions as well.
- If there are no spots available (highly unlikely), head back to Kimball.
- Turn north (right) onto Kimball. Check for parking spots on Kimball; if you find a spot, tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions.
- If none, continue north to alley just south of the gas station and turn right (E). Turn right (S) into the Faculty/Staff lot and park. Tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions.
- If no spots (highly unlikely), continue north to Foster (stop light).
- Turn east (right) onto W. Foster. There are only metered spots on Foster, which you should avoid unless you have an account set up on the ParkChicago app which enables you to pay and add time remotely with your smart phone; most of the meters have a 2-hour maximum time limit. There is no parking on the side streets before N. Kedzie although there is a student lot behind the Johnson Center if you turn right (S) onto N. Spaulding and then right into the one-way alley; the lot is on your right (tap/click on "Parking Options" (above) and view the "NW of River" tab for walking instructions from this lot to the entrance of the Johnson Center). If no spots, return north via Christiana to W. Foster Ave. and turn east (right) onto Foster.
- Continue east to N. Kedzie (stop light; 3200 W.) and turn south (right).
- Park in the Visitor & Commuter lot on your left (~2 block walk; tap/click on "Parking Options" above for walking directions) or continue south on Kedzie to park on the SE side of the river.
Southeast Side of River
Tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the options in the "SE of River" tab which includes walking instructions as well.- Take the Cicero Ave. exit to Foster.
- Head east on Foster for slightly less than 2 miles to N. Kimball Ave. (stop light/3400 W.) and park on the NW side of the river (closest); see "Northwest Side of River" below.
- Or continue east to N. Kedzie Ave. (stop light; 3200 W.).
- Turn south (right) onto Kedzie Ave.
- Turn east (left) to enter the Visitor & Commuter parking lot on the SE corner of Foster and Kedzie Aves. (~2 block walk); see Parking Options for walking directions.
- Or continue south, over the river, to W. Carmen (all way stop) to park on the southeast side of the river; see "SE of River" tab of the Parking Options for directions.
Northwest Side of River
- Turn south (right) onto N. Kimball Ave. (3400 W.).
- Either park along Kimball (tap/click on "Parking Options" above and see the "NW of River" tab for walking instructions) or continue south to W. Carmen Ave. on your left (east).
- Turn east (left) onto Carmen Ave.
- For Disability parking, parking along W. Carmen, or parking in the faculty lot, tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions as well.
- If there are no spots available (highly unlikely), head back to Kimball.
- Turn north (right) onto Kimball. Check for parking spots on Kimball; if you find a spot, tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions.
- If none, continue north to alley just south of the gas station and turn right (E). Turn right (S) into the Faculty/Staff lot and park. Tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions.
- If no spots (highly unlikely), continue north to Foster (stop light).
- Turn east (right) onto W. Foster. There are only metered spots on Foster, which you should avoid unless you have an account set up on the ParkChicago app which enables you to pay and add time remotely with your smart phone; most of the meters have a 2-hour maximum time limit. There is no parking on the side streets before N. Kedzie although there is a student lot behind the Johnson Center if you turn right (S) onto N. Spaulding and then right into the one-way alley; the lot is on your right (tap/click on "Parking Options" (above) and view the "NW of River" tab for walking instructions from this lot to the entrance of the Johnson Center). If no spots, return north via Christiana to W. Foster Ave. and turn east (right) onto Foster.
- Continue east to N. Kedzie (stop light; 3200 W.) and turn south (right).
- Park in the Visitor & Commuter lot on your left (~2 block walk; tap/click on "Parking Options" above for walking directions) or continue south on Kedzie to park on the SE side of the river.
Southeast Side of River
Tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the options in the "SE of River" tab which includes walking instructions as well.- Take the Kedzie Ave. exit.
- Head north ~2¼ miles to W. Argyle (stop light) to park on the NW side of the river; see "Northwest Side of River" below.
- Or park on the SE side of river.
- Or continue north toward W. Foster, past W. Carmen, over the river, and turn east (right) to enter the Visitor & Commuter lot on the SE corner of Kedzie and Foster Aves. (~2 block walk). Tap/click on Parking Options for walking directions.
Northwest Side of River
- Turn west (left) onto W. Argyle.
- Continue west on Argyle for 2 blocks to N. Kimball Ave.
- Turn north (right) onto Kimball Ave.
- Continue north past the massive Frederick Van Steuben High School to W. Carmen Ave. on your right (east).
- For Disability parking, parking along W. Carmen, or parking in the faculty lot, tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions as well.
- If there are no spots available (highly unlikely), head back to Kimball.
- Turn north (right) onto Kimball. Check for parking spots on Kimball; if you find a spot, tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions.
- If none, continue north to alley just south of the gas station and turn right (E). Turn right (S) into the Faculty/Staff lot and park. Tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the instructions in the "NW of River" tab, which includes walking instructions.
- If no spots (highly unlikely), continue north to Foster (stop light).
- Turn east (right) onto W. Foster. There are only metered spots on Foster, which you should avoid unless you have an account set up on the ParkChicago app which enables you to pay and add time remotely with your smart phone; most of the meters have a 2-hour maximum time limit. There is no parking on the side streets before N. Kedzie although there is a student lot behind the Johnson Center if you turn right (S) onto N. Spaulding and then right into the one-way alley; the lot is on your right (tap/click on "Parking Options" (above) and view the "NW of River" tab for walking instructions from this lot to the entrance of the Johnson Center). If no spots, return north via Christiana to W. Foster Ave. and turn east (right) onto Foster.
- Continue east to N. Kedzie (stop light; 3200 W.) and turn south (right).
- Park in the Visitor & Commuter lot on your left (~2 block walk; tap/click on "Parking Options" above for walking directions) or continue south on Kedzie to park on the SE side of the river.
Southeast Side of River
Tap/click on "Parking Options" above and view the options in the "SE of River" tab which includes walking instructions as well.The Saturday, September 30th 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.
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.
Please note that we have this venue only until midnight — plan accordingly.
- 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).
- 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).
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
Damian three days prior to the MG.
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 e‑mailing
Damian three days prior to the MG.
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 due to the
Coronavirus impact.
On Saturday, July 22nd, instead of the usual Monthly Gathering, join us at the Summer 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 26th through Sunday, October 29th. 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. For detailed directions, visit our HalloweeM directions webpage.
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 .
Monthly Gathering Schedule
2023
Monthly Business Meeting
CAM Summer Picnic @ Salt Creek Park
Monthly Business Meeting
HalloweeM
HalloweeM
Monthly Business Meeting
Mensa Testing
The test is administered at 5 PM at every Monthly Gathering where walk-ins are welcome, but you cannot be late.
Get more information about taking a
proctored test to join Mensa
including preregistering to guarantee a spot or to view different dates and locations. You must preregister at certain sites and to take advantage of some special offers from
American Mensa but we recommended you do so regardless.
Or check out if any of the tests you’ve taken in the past (ACT, SAT, LSAT…) can be used as prior evidence to
qualify to join.
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!!
