What is the Red Hat Society?

What is the Red Hat Society & How did it begin?

After a group of friends received a red hat and a poem written by Jenny Joseph titled "Warning" depicting a woman of middle age wearing a red hat and purple dress, they in turn adopted such attire, publicly meeting to celebrate in fun the change of life. The Red Hat Society began to evolve in 1998, by Sue Ellen Cooper of Fullerton, California. She is the woman who enterprised the society from its beginnings and is referred to as "the exalted queen mother".

Initially Ms. Cooper began meeting for tea parties in their regalia of red hats and purple outfits. The idea caught on and others wanted to be apart of this phenomenon of fun and color celebrating life after the age of fifty.

While embracing the change of life with zeal and enthusiasm, "Red Hatters" share together life's happenings not only in small groups at public restaurants, in larger group at places of entertainment and conventions known as "Funventions."

Since its beginnings, The Red Hat society has grown into a large conglomeration of many smaller groups established locally by any who are of the age of 50 and older. As their own entity, each group has a chosen queen mother who leads and guides. Other than age, the only requirement is that a member must dress in the society attire of the red hat and purple dress and/or outfit. There is an exception for those who are younger, that they wear a pink hat and a lavender dress. Members are known as the "Red (or Pink) Hatters."

The Red Hat Society celebrated its tenth anniversary in January of this year at Las Vegas, Nevada. It has peaked to nearly 40,000 chapter's nation wide and has made a statement globally allowing a positive approach to middle age for women, as opposed to older traditional views.

The impact of this Society is an outpouring of networking women, retail sales, credit card benefits, travel, literature and much more.

How to start your own group: If you do not find a chapter near you listed on the Red Hat Society website, consider starting your own society. The options are endless, begin by reviewing the Red Hat Society website and then follow through with these few suggestions to start.

1. You must be 50 years old or older.
2. Register your chapter on the Red Hat website, list yourself as Queen Mother or have your group elect someone.
3. Invite others to be members of your group.
4. Plan outings and events for your group.
5. Dress up in either the 50 or older regalia (Red hat and purple dress) or if a member is under 50, (Pink hat and Lavender dress).
6. Create your own chapter website online using guidelines offered by the Red Hat Society official website.
7. Be aware and honor the Red Hat society's legal guidelines for operating your group under the society's name.
8. Finally, it is all about having fun and lots of it!

After starting and registering, your own group the Red Hat Society sends out a starter kit for the Queen mother of your group and its members. Look online for these details.

Membership Fees:

There are membership fees due to the Red Hat Society just like any society membership. These fees are used for most general business expenses, such as office rental, staff salaries, office equipment etc.

More about the Red Hat Society:

The Red Hatters have published several books including one cookbook and commissioned their own musical.

Titles by Sue Ellen Cooper are "The Red Hat Society, Fun and Friendship after Fifty", "Laugh Lines: Tales of Inspiration and Hattitude"

Novels by other Authors: "Acting their Age", "Queens of Woodlawn Avenue", "Domestic Goddess"

Cookbook: "Eat Dessert First"

Red Hat Motto- "a 'dis-organization' with the aim of social interaction, and to encourage fun, silliness, creativity, and friendship in middle age and beyond."

Source: The Red Hat Society, www.RedHatSociety.com