The organizers of the events listed on this calendar have expressed willingness for members elsewhere in the world to join in. Please don’t give them a bigger crowd than they can handle, and do be careful about time zones. The displayed time zone is GMT! If you add them to your own calendar, the time zone should convert to your specified time zone.
To have your virtual event added to this calendar, contact Matt C., the CAM International Calendar contact.
There may be other virtual events, as well as in-person events, which may be of interest to CAM members, hosted by various local groups listed on the American Mensa Calendar of Events.
1/ Sunday
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ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Advertising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the October 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 October ChiMe. Please submit original articles, insights, puzzles, brain teasers, or short poems. Your fellow Chicago Area Mensa members would love to hear from you.
October 31 – November 3, 2024
Only 107 more days! Join us for a fun, long weekend with hundreds of Mensans, their families, and friends at the Westin in Wheeling including lots of programs and games as well as most meals. Register Now! (Rates increase after Wednesday, July 17th.) Book your room by October 17th.2/ Monday
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Happy Holiday
3/ Tuesday
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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!!
5/ 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 BDT. I [Carey] participated previously, along with a few other CAM members, and had a very nice chat with some of our “siblings” in the London area. 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!!
8/ Sunday
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Futures & Fantasies 2 PM. We will discuss a novel TBA. The discussion will take place in Conference Room G on the 3rd floor of the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. in Oak Park. Water, soda and light snacks are acceptable. Parking is available under the building. To RSVP , or for more information about this event and/or SIG, contact Steve M., the SIG coördinator. The number of in-person attendees is limited, so you must RSVP. You may also RSVP on Meetup. F&F usually meets on the second Sunday of most odd-numbered months.
11/ Wednesday
RSVP for Northern Exposure no later than 10 AM. RSVP via Meetup preferred.
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Northern Exposure Dinner 6:45 PM. Snowblower already in use? 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.
12/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, September 5th.
Virtual Event!!
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Tuesday, September 3rd.
13/ Friday
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Rockford-Area Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for dinner at the India House, located at 6430 E. Riverside Blvd. in Rockford (on the SW corner of the Cherryvale Mall grounds). To RSVP , for more information, or to get on our email list, contact Dave L., our Rockford-Area Coördinator. RSVP required in case of cancellation, time, or venue change. Do not RSVP via Meetup. This event is usually recurs on the second Friday of the month.
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Poetry Discussion 7:30 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Please send a poem or two to Joe D. by Friday, September 13th. 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!!
16/ Monday
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Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: Health after Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunamis 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.
Major geophysical events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes can occur with little or no warning and have catastrophic effects. This lecture will consider the health impacts of these natural disasters and how best to minimize them. Trauma often dominates the first days after the initial event but predicting the medium-term effects such as infectious diseases can head off predictable secondary health disasters over the medium and long term.
Professor Christopher Whitty, KCB FRCP FRS, was a Gresham Professor of Physic at Gresham College from 2018 to 2022, and Visiting Professor of Public Health from 2015-2018, and again since 2022. He is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England and the UK Government’s Chief Medical Adviser. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences. He was the Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and head of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). He was interim Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Science and Engineering Profession and was previously Chief Scientific Adviser at the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Before becoming CMO, he was Professor of Public and International Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. In these roles, he has advised on the health effects of emergencies in several countries. Professor Whitty has worked as a clinician and in public health and clinical research in the UK, Africa, and Asia, mainly in infectious diseases. He undertook his postgraduate training in epidemiology, economics, and medical law.
For the full write-up and to join, visit the American Mensa event. One does not have to register for the event — simply click on the Zoom link at the appropriate date and time.
Virtual Event!!
17/ Tuesday
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Tuesday, September 3rd.
19/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, September 5th.
Virtual Event!!
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International
Talk Like a Pirate Day
21/ 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, but the location changes and can’t always be determined in time to make the ChiMe schedule. If you’re curious about the location at this month’s meeting place, email Jim Z. the event coördinator. 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 Coördinator, 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 on the 3rd Saturday of the month, about midday.
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Octoberfest begins
22/ Sunday
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Theodore Talk: No Way Out: Xi’s Determination to Re-take Taiwan and America’s Predicament 2:30 PM. Several years ago, a retiring US Indo-PACOM commander boldly stated that he believed China was increasingly inclined to invade Taiwan, notably in 2027 or earlier. Those kinds of statements, with that kind of specificity, are rare in Washington circles, so it gained a lot of attention. There has also been much talk about a couple of concepts that always seem to surround discussions about Taiwan and the larger Sino-America competition.
1. The two sides are destined for conflict, as captured in the term “Thucydides Trap,” advanced by Graham Allison. As the logic goes, this so-called “Thucydides Trap” will inevitably ensnare the two powers and global war will ensue, just as was the case with Athens and Sparta long ago. Of course, Allison himself insists that while the historical record is full of instances where similar situations arose and ended in conflict, there is nothing necessarily “inevitable” about war between Beijing and Washington.
2. “Peak China” which asserts China’s economic and military power is, or will soon be, at its apogee. That being the case, the argument is that China, seeing the writing on the wall, will be compelled to act before the correlation of forces begins to swing against it. But, as former Secretary of Defense and Director of the CIA, Robert Gates, argues, neither theory is particularly convincing. First, there was nothing inevitable about WWI (the analogy most often invoked when referring to the current clash between the Chinese and Americans). Second, the Chinese military is, according to many in the know, far from ready for a major conflict. Thus, a direct Chinese attack on Taiwan, if it happens at all, is some years in the future, outside the 2027 timeframe. Unless Xi miscalculates — again.
Dr. John H. Modinger served in the U.S.A.F. for 25.5 years, flying the KC-135 Stratotanker (aerial refueler) and C-130 Hercules (intra-theater airlift) for the 1st half of his career. The 2nd half was largely spent in academia, more the result of a convenient and beneficial accident than by any design. His last active-duty assignment was as a Permanent Professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is currently an Associate Professor at the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College, where he has served for the past eight years.
See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Events website. Even if you can’t attend the live Talk, as long as you register you will receive a link to a recording of the event. Closed captioning enabled.
Virtual Event!!
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Northward — Autumnal in our hemisphere — Equinox
24/ 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. Dining might be indoors or outdoors, depending on conditions. 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.
25/ Wednesday
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GOBS Request Deadline Noon. Today is the last day to submit a request for GOBS funds to be approved at this Saturday’s Business Meeting for any planned, eligible event, activity, or class taking place after Saturday, September 28th and through Sunday, November 3rd or 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 November. November events need to be submitted by the 1st of October to the activities editor to be included in the November ChiMe. An article must be featured in the November ChiMe for GOBS-subsidized December events with an RSVP deadline in November (same 1st of October deadline but article emailed to the editor; see editorial deadline).
26/ Thursday
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Conversation with London Mensans 8 AM. See Thursday, September 5th.
Virtual Event!!
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Zoom Lunch 1 PM. See Tuesday, September 3rd.
28/ Saturday
Our next
Monthly Gathering
occurs on
July 27th.
at the
Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
CAM September Monthly Gathering @Rolling Meadows Community Center
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Monthly Gathering
The location of our September Monthly Gathering is the Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Dr. in Rolling Meadows.Games and hospitality are in the spacious auditorium, with overflow space in the lobby. The speaker event is in the Card Room. A Parents-Kids Play Room is available after the Mensa Test. Park in the NW lot behind the building and use Entrance K (near inner corner). Please note that we have this venue only until midnight, so plan accordingly. This gathering is open to the general public. So if you’re interested in learning more about Chicago Mensa, come join us. There is an admissions fee to help cover costs (major credit cards accepted). Members, RSVP via Meetup to let your friends know you’re going to be there.
Test:5 PM.Business Meeting:5 PM.Game room opens:6 PM.Program:7:30 PM.Refreshments:8:30 PM - Midnight.The CAM Executive Committee has allocated GOBS funds to be used for the reimbursement of either or Uber ridesharing services from/to the Arlington Park METRA station. Details are on our Monthly Gathering page.
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Volunteer
Get involved! Hone your leadership, organizational, or web skills. We’re looking for volunteers to fill some of the open positions listed both near the back of ChiMe or on the List of Officers. Try your hand as the Gifted Youth Coördinator, a co-Program Officer, a website designer, or a MG Hospitality Volunteer. You can view the job descriptions and the required qualifications for all the open positions and ones you may be interested in. Or consider supervising the children at the MG for some extra cash.
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Express Yourself
Write an article, submit a photo, or create a puzzle for ChiMe; see our Submission Guidelines for contact information and deadlines. Host your own event or your own virtual event using Discord!Program Topic: TBA
If there is a spike in Covid cases, the in-person MG may become virtual & testing would be cancelled!!
Members, see the full write-up in our September ChiMe (when it becomes available).
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1 October/ Tuesday
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ChiMe Activity Bulletin and Advertising Deadlines. Last day for these submissions to the November 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 November 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
September 2024 (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 — email , phone , text , or Meetup .
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 September 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 September calendar.