1/Tues­day

  • October ChiMe Activ­ity Bulletin Dead­line. Last day for these submissions to the October 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.

  • October ChiMe Editorial and Ad­vertising Dead­lines. Last day for editorial submissions to the October 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.

3/Thurs­day

Dinner Out West

  • Dinner Out West: Amy's Kebab 6:30 PM. Join us for Mediterranean food at Amy's Kebab, located at 520 S. Bartlett Rd. in Streamwood. GOBS will cover ½ of your meal cost, including tax and tip (rounded up to the nearest dollar), up to a maximum subsidy of $20, for each CAM member and their guest. Cash, Zelle, or PayPal for your portion. Limit 15 people. Reservations are required so Beth knows how big of a table to reserve. RSVP via Meetup (strongly preferred) or directly to Beth W. by Tuesday, September 1st.

5/Satur­day

  • Chicago Jazz Festival 3:45 PM. Come sit with your fellow Mensans for the Saturday evening program of the Chicago Jazz Festival at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park:
    4 PM: Recognized as a master of the cuatro (Puerto Rican guitar), Prodigio Claudio fuses traditional latin rhythms with contemporary jazz.
    5:05 PM: Mexican born vibraphonist, marimbist, improviser and composer Patricia Brennan is widely regarded as one of the instrument’s newer virtuosos. The septet group features trumpet, saxophones, bass and percussion.
    6:25 PM: Vocalist Paul Marinaro, dubbed as having “one of the most beautiful vocal instruments in the business today” by Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune, has emerged as one of today’s most compelling interpreters of song.
    7:45 PM: M.E.B. (formerly Miles Electric Band) is a progressive All-Star ensemble featuring Miles Davis alumni. M.E.B. revises the framework for modern jazz improvisation. Join the Rainbow SIG at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601) for this can't-miss end to Chicago’s summer festival season! Look for us in row EE in section 206 (back half of the bowl seating, far right/east section closest to restrooms).

    Admission to the concert is free! Seats, however, fill up fast, so arrive early—otherwise lawn seats are your only option! You are allowed to bring your own food and drink (including alcohol) to this event. However, there are also concessions within Millennium Park (expect to pay $8 for a Chicago hotdog). No need to RSVP, but please email us with any questions at rainbow@chicago.us.mensa.org .

    A security perimeter and bag check will be in place for this event. Here's the complete list of prohibited items & map. The best entrance we have found is the one located on Randolph Street between the Chase Promenade and the Harris Theater. If you are walking east and you are in front of the Harris Theater, you've walked a bit too far.

7/Mon­day

  • labor

    Happy Holiday

9/Wednes­day

  • GOBS Request Deadline Noon. Today is the last day to submit a request for GOBS funds to be approved at this Tuesday’s virtual Business Meeting for any planned, eligible event, activity, or class taking place after Tuesday, September 15th through Sunday, November 1st and, optionally, later; to be eligible, events involving CAM members must be published in the issue of ChiMe corresponding to the month in which they occur.

10/Thurs­day

  • Poetry Dis­cus­sion 7 PM. Our poetry group is using Zoom for meetings. Interested persons who are not currently members of the poetry group can contact Joe D. , and he will email the poems to be discussed or you can view them by tapping/clicking here. Do NOT RSVP via Meetup. This event is usually held on the evening of the second Friday of the month.
    Verify Event is Being Held Today!!
    Virtual Event!!

11/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 Rescheduled. This event is usually held on the evening of the second Friday of the month.
    Event Rescheduled for Thursday, the 10th!!

  • rosh

    Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown.

  • 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 Event. All attendees must preregister.
    Virtual Event!!

14/Mon­day

  • Mensa Techies: Own Your Stack with Local, Air-Gapped AI 7 PM. This session will explore the architectural evolution of local, air-gapped AI networks and demonstrate how to deploy secure edge compute in highly regulated environments. I [Billie Lee] will walk through real-world topologies from isolated offline nodes to decentralized mesh networks, outlining how to translate complex AI infrastructure into practical and scalable solutions. Ultimately, it is a technical blueprint for building the tactical edge and enforcing complete data privacy without relying on commercial cloud APIs.

    This is an advanced technical session. It is ideal for those with working knowledge of AI infrastructure, networking, or systems administration. New to AI? No worries, we'll host an “AI 101 for Smarties” session in the fall.

    Register to get the Zoom link by visiting the American Mensa event.

  • 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 this Zoom link about 15 to 30 minutes before the session starts to both register and join.
    Virtual Event!!

15/Tues­day

Our next Bi-Monthly Gathering occurs on December 5th.
at the
Rolling Mead­ows Com­mu­ni­ty Center
3705 Pheasant Dr., Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

* * * * * *
The next ExComm Business Meeting is being held at 10 AM on Sunday, November 1st in Wheeling.

  • Monthly ExComm Virtual Business Meeting 6 PM. Held via Zoom. Our ExComm and any other interested members discuss various topics and issues as well as GOBS requests. All members are welcome to attend, but only the five elected members of the Executive Committee can vote. Curious? Visit the Standing Orders for more information. The Zoom login info can be found on our Contacts webpage. The business meetings usually recur on the third Tuesday of the month.
    Virtual Event!!

16/Wednes­day

  • MWW: Nonfiction Book Discussion 4:30 PM CDT. Join us for a lively chat on Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History by Andrew Ross Sorkin. We'll compare notes on what resonated, what raised eyebrows, and how we each tackled the read—because a good book gets even better when you talk it through. 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.

    Can't make it this month? The next books will be The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers by Daniel L. Schacter (October 21), Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures, by Merlin Sheldrake (November 18), and Tasting History: Explore the Past Through 4,000 Years of Recipes by Max Miller & Ann Volkwein (December 16). See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Event.
    Virtual Event!!

  • Odd Outing to Tour a Viking Ship Reg­istration Deadline. Join us on Saturday, September 19th for a fun time in Geneva touring the Chicago 1893 World's Fair Viking Ship! Any Chicago Mensan, one guest, and dependent kids are invited. You must register in advance to attend. Today is the last day you can register.

17/Thurs­day

19/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.


1898 Viking Ship

  • Odd Month Outing: Tour the Viking Ship! 1 PM. Step aboard a full‑scale Viking ship and explore the craft, science, and history behind its voyage . This guided tour invites curious minds to look closely at navigation, design, and the people who first crossed oceans in vessels like this. Join CAM for a tour of one Fox Valley's hidden treasures—the 1893 Viking Ship in Good Templar Park, 528 East Side Dr. in Geneva. Built in Norway as an exact replica of the famous Gokstad Viking ship, it sailed across the Atlantic to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. We'll enjoy a docent-led tour and learn the remarkable story of this historic vessel. There is an 8-minute documentary available on their website. More details are available in the August ChiMe. If you have any questions, contact Susan W.. Tickets are available through Wednesday, September 16th via Zeffy. Adults $7, Children 13-17 $4, Children 12 and under are free.

  • SEMM: The Balance of Power and Constitutional Intent in the U.S. Government 6 PM. Explore the origins of the U.S. Constitution, the Enlightenment ideals that shaped it, and how its interpretation has influenced the evolving—and often debated—balance of power among the three branches of government.

    See the full write-up and find contact info on the American Mensa Event. All attendees must preregister by visiting the SEMM Monthly Gathering page and choosing "September 19, 2026 5:30 pm" from the dropdown. Due to rising Zoom costs, SEMM asks for a $5 donation via PayPal , if you can afford it. Details on how to donate are on the SEMM website.
    Virtual Event!!

  • octfest

    Octoberfest begins

  • pirate

    International
    Talk Like a Pirate Day

20/Sun­day


Ton Bil

  • SFRM: Overthinking and High IQ Workshop CANCELLED. Our thinking may seem ruled by our intellect, but the emotional drivers are at least as influential. And then there are these brain centers and brain functions that we seem not to be able to ‘govern’. Overthinking is often an expression of a certain anticipated anxiety. We can change our thinking habits only when that anxiety subsides. In this online workshop we will start to learn how to calm our minds. (This is applicable to many areas of life.) Surprisingly, this can (permanently) increase our clarity and decisiveness. Less thinking, but clearer. This takes practice, and Ton Bil will introduce you to that too.

    For more details, visit the SFRM List of Presentations, where you can register. Or register now.
    Virtual Event!!

21/Mon­day

  • Irish Mensa Lecture and Discussion: Cicero In and On Political Crises 1 PM. Irish Mensa meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM IT; a discussion then follows the lecture. Watch this month's Gresham College lecture, Cicero In and On Political Crises, then join fellow Mensans for a discussion exploring the politics, philosophy, and enduring legacy of ancient Rome.

    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 this Zoom link about 15 to 30 minutes before the session starts to both register and join.
    Virtual Event!!

22/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.

  • 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

23/Wednes­day

  • Sir Ernest Shackleton and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration 1:30 PM at the Des Plaines History Center, located at 781 Pearson St. in Des Plaines. CAM member Ken L. will discuss Ernest Shackleton's life and his four expeditions to the Antarctic. What makes Ken's lectures different from others is that he includes various tidbits about some of the other members of his expeditions. Some of these members are well known (Frank Wild and Frank Worsely) and some are not (William Bakewell). Ken has been to Antarctica four times and visited museums and other exhibitions about this subject in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. The cost is $10 for anyone who is not a member of the museum, free to museum members. Registration required. Use Meetup only to let other CAM members know you're attending.
    Public Event!!

24/Thurs­day

26/Satur­day

  • Mensa Foundation Speaker Series: The Polymath Advantage 2 PM. Do your interests refuse to stay in one lane? Join Dr. Angela C. Meyers for the Mensa Foundation Speaker Series event "The Polymath Advantage," exploring how to turn your wide-ranging interests into a strength, communicate your value, and build a life and career that make room for your range—without burning yourself out. Register. Open to Mensans and the public.


Golden Ticket

October 29 – November 1, 2026

Only 34 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. And of course there will be chocolate! Register for a discount by October 16th. Book your room by October 8th to take advantage of our group discount.

Learn More

27/Sun­day

  • Theodore Talk: How to Communicate with Someone Who Disagrees with You 2:30 PM. Disagreement doesn't have to mean deadlock. In this engaging talk, Mensan Jenny Grant Rankin, PhD, reveals what's really happening in the brain when people resist ideas—and how to communicate in ways that lower defenses and open minds. Blending research, storytelling, and practical strategies, she shows how to persuade even the most skeptical audiences and create more productive, respectful conversations.

    For the full write-up or to register for this Theodore Talk, visit the American Mensa Event or tap/click on this Zoom link at least an hour before the session starts. See a list of all the Theodore talks on the American Mensa Event Calendar. 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!!

29/Tues­day

  • Zoom Lunch 1 PM. Perhaps Mensa's longest running event anywhere, Chicago’s Downtown Lunch is now on Zoom and open to Mensa members everywhere. It's held every week, alternating between Tuesday and Thursday. Join us for conversation, laughs, and whimsical solutions to the world's problems past and present. 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!!


* * * * *

1 October/Thurs­day

  • November ChiMe Activ­ity Bulletin Dead­line. 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.

  • November ChiMe Editorial and Ad­vertising Dead­lines. 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.

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

  • 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 Event.
    Virtual Event!!

  • British Mensa: A New Time of Alliance: What Indigenous Knowledge Can Teach Us About the Future of Humanity and the Future of Our Planet 1:30 PM. What happens when Indigenous knowledge meets the institutions shaping the modern world? Join Benjamin De Loenen and Joshua Bloom as they share insights from their January journey to Davos alongside Chief Biraci Nixiwaka Brasil Yawanawá, exploring their vision for a “New Time of Alliance” and what modern society might gain by embracing knowledge beyond technological and intellectual progress.

    For the full write-up, including registration instructions and how to become a guest on the British Mensa website, visit the American Mensa event. The talk is free for members to attend. The Zoom link will be sent to all registrants the week commencing 28 September.
    Virtual Event!!

Activities Bulletin
September 2026

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 September calendar. Note: CAM will discontinue the use of Meetup after November 2026.

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 September calendar. Note: CAM will discontinue the use of Meetup after November 2026.

More October Events
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