1/Saturday
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ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Advertising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the December ChiMe. Interested in organizing and hosting a virtual or in-person event? Find out how by checking out our guide to hosting events.
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ChiMe Editorial Deadline. Last day for editorial submissions to the December ChiMe. Please submit original articles, insights, puzzles, brain teasers, or short poems. Your fellow Chicago Area Mensa members would love to hear from you.
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HalloweeM 49: Hip to Be 72 Continues! all day. The program offers something for everyone and there are always games and tournaments. Check out the PAAG (when it becomes available) for the starting times of today’s events. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to be stimulated by everything WeeM has to offer. Evening events include Pretentious Drinking, the Epicurean Experience, dancing and more. And please consider donating an hour or two of your time especially in hospitality—
it’s the volunteers that make this RG so great. Can’t decide where to go for dinner— there are a lot of dining options near the hotel.
2/Sunday
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Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 AM. Remember to set your clocks back and sleep a bit longer.
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HalloweeM 49: Hip to Be 72 Continues until 3 PM. Join us for the program, games, awards and more. By participating in the fun, sometimes silly, tournament “Amazing Race: WeeM Style” scheduled in the morning, perhaps you can be the star. Attend the CAM Business Meeting. Find out which of the volunteers won monetary awards (it could be you!). And please consider donating an hour or two of your time to help pack up—
we really need your help and it’s the volunteers that make this RG so great. For those interested in visiting some local sites— check out Things to Do Nearby.
Our next
Monthly Gathering
occurs on
September 27th.
at the
Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
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CAM ExComm Business Meeting 10 AM at the Westin North Shore located at 601 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling. You do not have to be registered for WeeM to attendend.
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Mensa Testing 2 PM at the Westin North Shore located at 601 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling. If you are or someone you know is interested in joining Mensa, see our Testing Information for contact details and additional dates/locations. Latecomers will not be admitted.
6/Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. Join a video chat with our kin from across the big pond in London at 2 PM BST. 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!!
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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/Friday
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Windycon 51: Rise of the Machines 3 PM through Sunday. Windycon is Chicagoland’s oldest science fiction convention. It will be held in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Oak Brook. For all the details, visit their website.
Public Event!!
8/Saturday
Abraham (Avi) Loeb, PhD
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SFRM: Hunting for Aliens: The Search for Artifacts Near Earth 4:30 PM. Over the past decade, the first four interstellar objects were discovered. They include the interstellar meteor, IM1, detected on January 8, 2014, `Oumuamua detected on October 19, 2017, Borisov detected on August 29, 2019, and 3I/ATLAS discovered on July 1, 2025. Among these, the first two appeared anomalous relative to known solar-system rocks, whereas the third appeared to be a familiar comet. IM1 exhibited the highest material strength among all meteorites in the CNEOS catalog of NASA, while Oumuamua exhibited a flat shape and non-gravitational acceleration with no detectable cometary evaporation. In June 2023 we recovered 850 spherules from the Pacific Ocean site of IM1. A tenth of these submillimeter meteoritic spherules displayed a unique chemical composition, different from familiar solar system materials.
Currently, new Galileo Project Observatories are monitoring millions of objects near Earth in infrared, optical, radio, and audio and analyzing their nature with machine-learning software. Are any of them Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena? Forthcoming data from the Rubin Observatory in Chile will offer additional clues on interstellar objects. Is space trash from extraterrestrial technological civilizations lurking among the natural interstellar rocks.
Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University and a bestselling author (in lists of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, L'Express and more). He received a PhD in Physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel at age 24 (1980-1986), led the first international project supported by the Strategic Defense Initiative (1983-1988), and was subsequently a long-term member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton (1988-1993).
For more details, visit the SFRM Zoom RSVPs FB Group or the M-Wisely's Cafe. To register, visit San Francisco Regional Mensa (SFRM)’s registration signup for this event.
Virtual Event!!
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Chicago Toy and Game Fair (ChiTAG) 10 AM through 5 PM. It will be held Rosemont Convention Center in Rosemont, using the People of Play (POP) platform. In addition to the ability to preview the many new toys and games exhibited, they feature a Young Inventor Challenge. For all the details, visit their website. You may be able to get a discount on tickets via Groupon or LivingSocial.
Virtual Public Event!!
9/Sunday
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Ethnic Dining: Filipino 1 PM. Join us at Chicken Ati-Atihan located at 7649 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Niles. More details to come. Save the date—
the RSVP window will open at 1 PM, Sunday, October 19th. 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.
11/Tuesday
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, November 6th.
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Veteran’s Day
(Federal Holiday)
13/Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, November 6th.
14/Friday
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Rockford-Area Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for dinner at Gerry’s Pizza located at 7403 Argus Dr. in Rockford (NW corner of E. State St. and Bell School Rd.). 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.
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Poetry Discussion 7 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Please send a poem or two to Joe D. by Monday, November 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. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup. This event is usually held on the evening of the second Friday of the month.
Virtual Event!!
15/Saturday
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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.
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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.
16/Sunday
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SFRM: Silent Service: A Brief History of Submarines in the U.S. Navy 4:30 PM. As the U.S. Navy Submarine Force celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2025, this presentation will provide a brief history of submarines in the Navy and their contributions to the nation. Ms. Robyn Weimer, a 24-year veteran of the Submarine Force, served on four nuclear-powered submarines, with tours as Navigator/Operations Officer, Chief Engineer, and Executive Officer.
She will first provide an overview of the history of U.S. submarines, from the purchase of the Holland on April 11, 1900, to the newest Virginia-class fast attack and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines currently under construction. A discussion of submarine construction and operation will follow, including a review of submarine missions and how they are built to accomplish them. Along the way, Ms. Weimer will touch on what it's like to live on a submarine, with some Submarine Force trivia, such as how it got the nickname “Silent Service.”
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!!
17/Monday
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Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: Changes in the Concept of Autism 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.
Our understanding of autism has changed over the last forty years. Historically, autism was diagnosed based on narrow criteria. ‘Autisms’ are now more often discussed as neurodivergence rather than a single ‘disorder’ to be treated. While still defined by social and communication difficulties, rigid interests and repetitive behaviours, the autism spectrum is far wider, and the historical under-diagnosis of women and girls is being addressed. This lecture explores how our understanding of autism has changed, and directions for future research.
Dr. Francesca Happé is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London. Her research focuses on autism. She has explored social cognition and ‘mentalising’ difficulties. She is also actively engaged in studies of abilities and assets in autism, and their relation to detail-focused cognitive style. Some of her recent work focuses on mental health on the autism spectrum, and under-researched groups including women and the elderly.
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, November 17th).
Virtual Event!!
18/Tuesday
RSVP for Northern Exposure no later than 10 AM. RSVP via Meetup preferred.
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Northern Exposure Dinner 6:45 PM. Edmonton Elks fan from way back? Then you should have dinner with us. Join us for dinner at a venue TBD in Lake County. Please RSVP on Meetup or via Janice’s email, jesser@chicago.us.mensa.org , so she can reserve a big enough table. Recurs on the third Tuesday of the month.
20/Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, November 6th.
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, November 6th.
23/Sunday
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Fibonacci Day honors Leonardo Bonacci.
Today’s date represents first 4 numbers in the sequence (1 1 2 3 5 8…).
25/Tuesday
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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. 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.
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Thursday, November 6th.
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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.
27/Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, November 6th.
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Thanksgiving Day
* * * * *
1 December/Monday
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ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Advertising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the January 2026 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.
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ChiMe Editorial Deadline. Last day for editorial submissions to the January 2026 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
November 2025 (Tentative)
Already a CAM Discord member?
Simply open up the Discord app, look for the
CAM 
icon on the very left, and tap/click on it. You’ll often find fellow gamers online
even when no official CAM event is taking place.
New?
A few days before the event, check out the Introductory Guide to Discord as well as our CAM Discord FAQ for instructions about downloading the Discord app on the device you’ll be using, and registering yourself. Read the doc and/or peruse the various questions and answers to familiarize yourself with our customized version.
About three days prior to the event, the Invitation Link, needed only by new CAM Discord users, will be available as part of the event host’s contact info as a button. Tap/click on the button, then tap/click on the Invitation Link, and it will open the Discord app you installed. You must acknowledge the displayed Code of Conduct to see all the rooms (aka channels). Do this by tapping/clicking on the emoji symbol at the bottom that best describes Your membership category. Once you’ve done that, you’re in and won’t need an Invitation Link again.
When you join a Discord event you won’t automatically see all the participants like in Zoom when the host lets you in or you join a meeting in progress. Instead you’ll scroll down and find the channel specified as part of the event info. You get to see the list of names indicating who is in the channel before you tap/click on it to join. And if there is someone presenting, you’ll need to tap/click on the presenter’s feed or double-click the Live button next to the presenter’s name to enlarge the feed.
It may feel weird at first but the learning curve is pretty short and chances are you’ll like it better than Zoom and choose to use it to video call a fellow Mensa member/group who is part of the CAM Discord community and definitely to play online games while chatting with everyone participating.
RSVPs -
Always contact the
CAM event host
as specified in the event details—
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
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