Red Hat Society

For other uses, see Red Hat (disambiguation).
The Red Hat Society, Inc.

Current logo for the Red Hat Society.
Motto "Red Hatters Matter"
Formation 1998
Type Social organization
Headquarters Fullerton, California
Membership
70,000+
Chief Executive Officer
Debra Granich
Website redhatsociety.com

The Red Hat Society (RHS) is an international social organization originally founded in 1998 in the United States for women age 50 and beyond, but now open to women of all ages. Today, there are over 20,000 chapters in the United States and over 30 other countries.[1]

History

The Royal Court of Queens Processional at a recent conference.

In the fall of 1997, Sue Ellen Cooper, an artist from Fullerton, California, purchased an old red fedora for $7.50 from a thrift shop during a trip to Tucson, Arizona. When a good friend was nearing a 55th birthday, Cooper cast about for an idea for an original gift. Inspired by a well-known Jenny Joseph poem, Warning, which begins “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple, with a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me. ” Cooper wanted to encourage her friend to grow older in a playful manner. She gave her friend a red hat of her own suggesting that she keep it as a reminder to grow older playfully and on her terms.[2]

The symbolism behind the red hat had an impact on women Cooper encountered. Those women responded by wearing their own red hats and entering a new women’s movement that embraced a renewed outlook on life filled with fun and friendship, fulfilling lifelong dreams.

Cooper repeated the gift on request several times, and eventually several of the women bought purple outfits and held a tea party on April 25, 1998. The Red Hat Society was born.[3]

After spreading by word of mouth, the Society first received national publicity in the year 2000 through the magazine Romantic Homes[3] and a feature in The Orange County Register.[4]

Cooper then established a "Hatquarters" to field the hundreds of e-mail requests for help starting chapters. She now serves as "Exalted Queen Mother", and has written two best-selling books about the Society, "The Red Hat Society: Friendship and Fun After Fifty" published in April 2004 and "The Red Hat Society's Laugh Lines: Stories of Inspiration and Hattitude" published in April 2005.[4]

The Red Hat Society membership increased through word of mouth, growing from two chapters in 1999 to over 70,000 members.

Red Hatter of the year

In 2011, the RHS started a process of nominating a members to be the "Red Hatter of the Year". Nominees are made up of inspiring women who deserve recognition for the impact they have made in the lives of others.

The Red Hatter of the year is the highest national recognition given to a member who shows impact, dedication, and involvement to her community and fellow members. Past winners have been:[5]

Organization

The Red Hat Society is an international society of women that connects, supports and encourages women in their pursuit of fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment and fitness while supporting members in the quest to get the most out of life.

The Red Hat Society booth at the AARP convention in Miami in 2015.

The Red Hat Society’s primary purpose is social interaction and bonding among women.[6] In the early part of their lives, most women give their all to family, career, and community. And they enjoy it. But, along the way, sometimes their existing bonds of friendship gradually diminish. Membership in the Red Hat Society can be used for reconnecting old friends, making new friends and rediscovering the joy of getting together with other women for the express purpose of having fun.

The society promotes periods of "recess" from the cares and duties of everyday life in which members gather for no other purpose than to play.

The benefits of being a part of The Red Hat Society include interpersonal connections and emotional support systems built among Sisters (other members) both online and offline. Members of the society support one another in every life stage from all corners of the globe. RHS members are reshaping the way women are viewed in today's culture by promoting, not only fun and friendship, but freedom from stereotypes and fulfillment of goals and dreams. The RHS sees physical fitness as the foundation on which they base healthy, rewarding lives.

A founder or leader of a local chapter is usually referred to as a "Queen".[7] Members 50 and over are called "Red Hatters" and wear red hats and purple attire to all functions. A woman under age 50 may also become a member, but she wears a pink hat and lavender attire to the Society's events until reaching her 50th birthday. She is referred to as a “Pink Hatter.” During her birthday month (or the Society's birthday month of April), a member might wear her colors in reverse, i.e., a purple or lavender hat and red or pink attire.[6]

Joining

Women who wish to join the society can do so by going to the Red Hat Society website to sign up as a Queen or Member. The individual can then search for chapters based on location or geography and then connect with local chapters by using tools on the society website. Any woman may join the Red Hat Society as a Queen of an individual chapter or as a supporting member of a local chapter. There are supporting members who do not belong to any local chapter, but have the ability to includes access to the RHS website, online communities, special communications, and discounts.[6]

Activities

Both Red and Pink Hatters often wear very elaborately decorated hats and attention-getting fashion accessories, such as a feather boa, at the group's get-togethers.[8][9]

The Red Hat Society is dedicated to encouragement of a positive life outlook through the sisterhood of a local chapter.[9] Members gather in large and small local chapters to have fun and support one another, though some Hatters chose to remain individual members and participate in activities as their schedule allows.

The Society's events vary depending on the chapter, but one of the most common activities among Red Hatters include hosting tea parties, playing games, going to movies or theater events, traveling on excursions and to larger RHS conventions.[9]

Publications

The organization has published several books:

Worldwide membership

The Red Hat Society has spread to other countries in the world. As of 2011, besides the thousands of chapters in the U.S., there were local chapters of the Society in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Ecuador, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guam, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Mexico, Namibia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Wales.[10]

In popular culture

External links

References

  1. http://www.redhatsociety.com press release August 3, 2010. Online journal "Red Hatter Matters" Winter 2012, p.11.
  2. Cooper, Sue Ellen (2008). The Red Hat Society?: Fun and Friendship After Fifty. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0446548748. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  3. 1 2 Mary Jane Solomon (October 22, 2004). "Crimson Tide". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  4. 1 2 Korky Vann (July 16, 2007). "Red Hat Society: Hats off to a celebration of friendship". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  5. "Hatter of the Year". Red Hat Society. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
  6. 1 2 3 Nass, Shannon M. (2015-06-06). "Red Hat Society goal: Change attitudes on aging women". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  7. Young, BJ (2015-06-24). "Red Hat Society Queens of the Crowned Jewels chapter holds annual meeting". CapeGazette.com (Deleware: VillageSoup). Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  8. Gray, Jessica (2014-05-17). "Why I Wear What I Wear: Carol Thompson". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  9. 1 2 3 Blum, Julie (2015-06-21). "Red Hatters celebrate fun, friendship at state convention". Columbus Telegram. Retrieved 2015-06-21.
  10. http://www.redhatsociety.com "Chapter Contact Search"
  11. Hats! – About
  12. Hats! The Musical Samuel French, Inc. ISBN 978-0-573-69672-5
  13. Delaney, Tim. Simpsonology: There's a Little Bit of Springfield in All of Us. Prometheus Books. ISBN 978-1615921348. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
  14. Masters, Linda (2015-04-25). "Wake Up! It's Saturday". The Baxter Bulletin. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
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