BuddyPress.org

No I’m the admin. So that is not the problem. Maybe I dont understand WP permalinks or BuddyPress permalinks.
1. In WP to make a menu link, you create a page
2. In my experience WP autopopulates the permalink
3. When you preview the site in a new window/tab the menu link is there and it works. end of story.

How do I do the same with a forum in a BuddyPress group, so that users don’t have to drill down into the site? I get complaints from users they cant find the forum I’m trying to setup. So I assume the most straightforward solution is to make a WP menu link directly to the group forum (understanding they wont see it or get to it if they are not already a member of the BuddyPress group).
Any thoughts appreciated!