1/Mon­day

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • labor

    Happy Holiday

October 30 – November 2, 2025

Only 82 more days! Join us for a fun, long weekend with hundreds of Mensans, their families, and friends at the Westin in Wheeling including a multi-track program plus games as well as beverages, snacks, and most meals. Register for a discount by October 17th. Book your room by October 9th to take advantage of our group discount.
Learn More

2/Tues­day

  • 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!!

  • Odd Adventures: Morton Arboretum 9:30/10:30 AM. This month’s excursion will be at the Morton Arboretum, lo­cated at 4100 IL-53 in Lisle. We will take a one hour tram ride, have a (bring/buy your own) picnic lunch, and then you’ll be free to wander the Arboretum. The non-subsidized cost is $24/person for the entrance fee and the one hour tram ride. We have a GOBS subsidy for up to 30 people for ½ the cost; all Mensa members will be subsidized as well as up to one guest/Mensan. For Arboretum/Botanic Garden members, the amount is $4.50. RSVPs will be via Meetup (preferred) or via email to Beth W. prior to Thursday, September 4th. Your slot is not reserved until you’ve paid $12/$4.50 to Beth W. via PayPal or similar method. Tickets must be presented by non-members of the Arboretum/Botanic Garden at the entrance to the Arboretum parking lot, so attendees must pick up their tickets from Beth at the Hidden Lake Forest Preserve in Downers Grove, just 1.1 miles north of the Arboretum. Enter the Forest Preserve from IL-53 (east side of the road), and then turn right. Beth will be there only from 9:30 - 10:15 AM. At 10:15 AM, Beth will leave the forest preserve and go to the Arboretum, so you’ll need to get your ticket from her before 10:15 AM. Arboretum/Botanic Garden members can meet by the tram at 10:30 AM. Our tram ride is at 11 AM. For more information, contact Beth. I hope you can come adventuring with us!

4/Thurs­day

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

6/Satur­day

RSVP for Dinner Out West held on Monday, September 8th no later than Saturday, September 6th. RSVP via Meetup preferred.

8/Mon­day

  • NNW Dinner: Mexican 6 PM. Dinner will be at Hacienda El Sombrero lo­cated at 1100 S. Elmhurst Rd. in Mount Prospect (in a strip mall on the west side of Elmhurst Rd. (IL RT 83), just south of Golf Rd.). Dining might be indoors or outdoors, depending on conditions. This is a GOBS-subsidized event where ½ the total cost (including tax plus a 20% tip, rounded up to the nearest dollar) of a CAM member’s, and up to one guest’s, dinner will be covered for a maximum of fifteen people—for a maximum subsidy of $20/person; cash (no coins) or PayPal only for your portion. RSVP (and get more details) on Meetup, but if not on Meetup, email Ken L. at least 24 hours in advance. If you RSVP by email, your reservation is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email.

  • Dinner Out West: Burmese 6:30 PM. We're taking Lynn's recommendation that we go to Pa Lian Burmese Restaurant, located at 254 E. Geneva Rd. in Wheaton, BYOB. This is a GOBS-subsidized event. GOBS will cover ½ of your meal cost, including tax and tip (rounded up to the nearest dollar), up to a maximum subsidy of $15, for each CAM member and their guest. Cash, Zelle, or PayPal for your portion. Limit 20 people. Reservations are required so Beth knows how big of a table to reserve. RSVP via Meetup (strongly preferred) or directly to Beth W. no later than Saturday, September 6th.

11/Thurs­day

12/Fri­day

  • Rock­ford-Area Dinner 6:30 PM. Join Dave and other Rockford-Area Mensans for dinner at The Great Wall lo­cated at 4228 E. State St. in Rockford (just west of Alpine on the north side of State St.). 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.

  • Poetry Dis­cus­sion 7 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Please send a poem or two to Joe D. by Monday, September 8th. 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!!

14/Sun­day

  • Ethnic Dining Cancelled. 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.
    Event on hiatus this month!!

  • Inquiring Minds: Notable Women Scientists Who Fled Nazi Germany and Overcame Further Obstacles 1 PM. When the Nazis forced Jewish people and women out of public service and university jobs, eminent physicists Hedwig Kohn, Lise Meitner, Hertha Sponer and Hildegard Stücklen all lost their positions. They were forced to flee the country, but sexism meant finding a job abroad was virtually impossible. What would it take for them to make it out alive.

    Author Olivia Campbell will recount the stories of four women scientists who were forced to flee Nazi Germany to stay alive, and then had to fight sexism in order to continue to thrive and make remarkable contributions to science. Campbell is the New York Times bestselling author of Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine and Sisters in Science: How Four Women Physicists Escaped Nazi Germany and Made Scientific History. She is a regular contributor at National Geographic. Her work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Guardian, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, and History.com, among others.

    See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Events website. All attendees must preregister.
    Virtual Event!!

15/Mon­day

  • Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: Democracy and International Criminal Justice in the Fragile World of the Rule of Law 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM Irish Time; a discussion then follows the lecture.

    This lecture will examine the pros and cons of democracy in today's world, focusing on the importance of domestic and international rule of law to maintain democratic ideals, which are fragile in times of conflict. There will be examples given, highlighting the current War in Ukraine and the political situation in the United States, the influence of other players, and the legacy of the Cold War. Lastly, there will be an observation on the ways that the principal judicial organs operate, their challenges, and a prediction of their future. Suggestions will be provided as to how things might be contained by means of persuasive soft power.

    Our speaker Sir Howard Andrew Clive Morrison was a Judge of the International Criminal Court based in The Hague, Netherlands from 2012 to 2021 and is currently the UK Independent Advisor to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, President of the Court of Appeal of the British Indian Ocean Territories and trains counter-terrorism judges and prosecutors in Iraq. He has lectured in international criminal and humanitarian law at some 25 universities worldwide.

    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, September 15th).
    Virtual Event!!

16/Tues­day

RSVP for Northern Exposure no later than 10 AM. RSVP via Meetup preferred.

Northern Exposure

  • 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. Recurs on the third Tuesday of the month.

18/Thurs­day

19/Fri­day

  • pirate

    International
    Talk Like a Pirate Day

20/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. You may also RSVP via Meetup. 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.

  • South Suburbs Dinner 6 PM. Join us at Palace Istanbul Kebab House for a flavorful journey through Turkish cuisine! Located at 7350 W. 87th St. in Bridgeview. Whether you're a fan of grilled kebabs, fresh hummus, or just curious about Turkish flavors, this is an ideal chance to explore something new—while enjoying the company of your fellow Mensans. We look forward to sharing this memorable evening with you!. This is a GOBS-subsidized event. GOBS will cover half of your meal cost (including tax and tip, rounded up to the nearest dollar) up to a maximum of $15 per person (CAM member and one guest). Cash or Zelle will be accepted for the remaining amount. The subsidy increases to $20 if fewer than 16 people register. Limit is 20 people (first come, first served). RSVP by Friday, September 12th to Dorin R. with the number of attendees so we can get a headcount.

  • octfest

    Octoberfest begins

21/Sun­day


Eugenie C. Scott, PhD

  • 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. To register, visit San Francisco Regional Mensa (SFRM)’s registration signup for this event.
    Virtual Event!!

22/Mon­day

  • 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, provided you register, you will receive a link to a recording of the event. Closed captioning enabled.
    Virtual Event!!

  • equinox

    Northward — Autumnal in our hemisphere — Equinox

  • rosh

    Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown.

23/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. 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.

  • 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.

24/Wednes­day

  • 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 27th and through Sunday, November 2nd 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).

  • MWW: Nonfiction Book Discussion 4:30 PM CDT. Please join us in discussing The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource, by Chris Hayes. 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.

    See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Events website.
    Virtual Event!!

25/Thurs­day

27/Satur­day

Our next Monthly Gathering occurs on August 23rd.
at the
Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center
3705 Pheasant Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008


Add CAM September Monthly Gathering @Rolling Meadows Community Center

  • 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. Every month, after the business meeting, we offer exciting, engaging workshops just for the kids while you enjoy the main meeting. The speaker event is in the Card Room. 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 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.
    Youth Program:
    6 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.
    * * * * *
    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 a co-Program Officer, a website designer, web content creator, 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.
    * * * * *
    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

28/Sun­day

  • Theodore Talk: Antisemitism: Evolution and Escalation 4:30 PM. Antisemitism has a long history, well beyond the 20th century. Dr. Shelly Cline, Historian and Director of Education at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, will examine the evolution of antisemitism from religiously motivated antipathy in early modern times to the economic and pseudo-scientific antisemitism of the 19th and 20th centuries, and finally to the politically driven antisemitism of today. This talk will also provide the tools to identify antisemitic tropes and dog whistles that pervade our social media landscape.

    To register for this Theodore Talk, visit the American Mensa Events website or, on or after Friday, September 26th, tap/click on the Zoom link that will be available here on our website. See a list of all the Theodore talks on the American Mensa Events website. Even if you can’t attend the live talk, provided you register, you will receive a link to a recording of the event. Closed captioning enabled.
    Virtual Event!!

30/Tues­day


* * * * *

1 October/Wednes­day

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Weekend Weekend of Learning: Leadership Development Workshops Via Zoom .
    11 AM - Communications Smorgasbord
    Noon - What to Know About Mensa
    1 PM - Thinking Hats
    2 PM - Want To Be on the AMC?
    3 PM - History of Mensa
    4 PM - Staff Ask Me Anything
    5 PM - Mensa Foundation!
    The Zoom link can be found under LDW Zoom. Details available on the American Mensa website.
    Virtual Event!!

Activities Bulletin
September 2025

September
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21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30        

RSVPs - Always contact the CAM event host as specified in the event details—email , phone , text , or Meetup.

About
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

About
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

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