What a delightful group of ladies! I was having lunch at the Prairie Inn today when I noticed all the spunky women with colorful red hats and purple outfits. I thought to myself, "I would love to be a part of that group!" So, I took out my handy camera, went over to introduce myself and was immediately thrilled and impressed with the fact that they didn't run away from my camera, and didn't mind taking a minute to pose for me. They were all very gracious, and I found out lots of fascinating facts about them and the Red Hat Society.
Information That I Found Online...
One of the premier women's social organizations in the world, the Red Hat Society® based in Fullerton, CA, began with the gift of a red hat and has grown into a universal symbol for women around the globe as they victoriously celebrate turning 50 and entering into the next phase of their lives. The social message behind the first red hat has resonated with millions of women around the globe regardless of race, creed, occupation, age or socio-economic status. Today, it is commonplace to see Red Hat Society® members out frolicking and embracing life to the fullest in their now famous symbol, the "red hat."
How It Started
In the fall of 1997, on a trip to Tucson, AZ, Sue Ellen Cooper impulsively paid $7.50 for an old red fedora in a thrift shop. When a good friend was nearing a "fifty-ish" birthday, Sue Ellen cast about for an idea for an original gift. Inspired by a well-known 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. " She 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 - on her terms.
The symbolism behind the red hat had a profound impact on women Sue Ellen encountered. Those women responded by donning their own red hats and entering a new women's movement embracing a renewed outlook on life filled with fun and friendship, fulfilling lifelong dreams.
The Red Hat Society® was born. More....
NOTE: The ladies that I met today at the Prairie Inn were from Harvey, Fessenden, Bowdon and New Rockford, but no one from Carrington. Does this mean that there is not a Red Hat Society in our town? I would be interested to know, so if anyone has that information, please comment below.
By the way, if you haven't read Jenny Joseph's poem , which was the catalyst for creating the Red Hat Society, take a look:
| Warning |
| When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells And run my stick along the public railings And make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall go out in my slippers in the rain And pick flowers in other people's gardens And learn to spit. You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat And eat three pounds of sausages at a go Or only bread and pickle for a week And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes. But now we must have clothes that keep us dry And pay our rent and not swear in the street And set a good example for the children. We must have friends to dinner and read the papers. But maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple. Jenny Joseph |
