Red Hat Society

Members in red hats.

The Red Hat Society ( RHS ) is an organization originally founded in 1998 for women 50 and over in the United States, but is now open to women of all ages. As of August 2010, there were over 40,000 local chapters in the United States and 31 other countries. Headquarters is Fullerton, California .

history

The founder of the association is the artist Sue Ellen Cooper, who lives in Fullerton in Orange County / California . In 1997, Cooper gave a friend a red bowler hat from an antique shop for her 55th birthday , along with a copy of Jenny Joseph's 1961 poem Warning (partially translated):

When I'm an old woman I'll wear purple

with a red hat that doesn't go with it and doesn't suit me,

[...]

When I'm tired, I'll just sit on the sidewalk

and eat samples in shops and press the alarm buttons

and drag my stick along public railings

and make up for the sobriety of my youth.

[...]

But now we gotta have clothes that keep us dry

and pay the rent and not be allowed to curse in the street

and must be a good role model to the children.

We invite friends to dinner and read the newspaper.

But maybe I should practice a little now?

So that the people who know me

don't be too shocked and surprised

when I'm suddenly old

and start wearing purple!

A local club when visiting a restaurant

When asked, Cooper repeated this gift several times, and eventually some of the women bought purple outfits and met in a cafe on April 25, 1998. Cooper never intended to start an international movement. After spreading through word of mouth, the association became public knowledge in the USA in 2000 through the magazine Romantic Homes and an article in the local newspaper Orange County Register . Cooper then set up a single point of contact called Hatquarters , which handled hundreds of email inquiries about starting local clubs. Meanwhile, Cooper is the Most High Queen Mother ( Exalted Queen Mother ascended) and has two bestsellers written about the club.

organization

A founder or leader of a local association is usually referred to as a queen ("Queen"). Members over 50 are called Red Hatters ("red hats"). They wear red hats and purple clothes to all gatherings. Younger women can also become members, but until their 50th birthday they wear a pink hat and lavender-colored clothing to the meetings. They are called Pink Hatters . In his birthday month (or in April when the club was founded), a member can swap colors, for example wearing a purple or lavender-colored hat and red or pink clothes. There are two ways to become a member of the association:

as queen (usually as the leader of a local club, but a queen does not have to lead a local club)
as a registered member ( Supporting Member ).

activities

The basic purpose of the Red Hat Society is to create social bonds between women to encourage joy, friendship, freedom, fulfillment, and fitness (mental and physical). The aim of the members is to accompany each other through life together.

Red and Pink Hatters often wear elaborately decorated hats and unusual accessories to their meetings, e.g. B. a feather boa. Activities vary depending on the local club, but one of the most popular is getting together for coffee or a tea party in a cafe or at a member's. Other activities include handicrafts, games, going to the theater or the cinema, making music (often with kazoos ), excursions, and much more.

Often several local chapters hold regional meetings and headquarters organize several official RHS events each year.

April 25th is always the official RHS day.

distribution

The Red Hat Society is now distributed in 30 different countries. In 2011, in addition to thousands of local clubs in the United States, there were local clubs in Argentina, Australia, Ecuador, Guam, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, South Africa, Taiwan and Trinidad / Tobago. Almost all countries in Europe are also represented: Belgium (2), Germany (5), England (88), Finland (1), France (1), Greece (1), Ireland (1), Italy (2), Luxembourg (1), Netherlands (110), Norway (1), Austria (2), Scotland (3), Sweden (13) and Wales (3).