The Scarleteers, as with the Red Hat Society in general, do not believe in a bunch of rules. In fact the RHS is known as a (dis)organization that does not have "meetings" but have "gatherings" or "get-togethers" instead. Most of us have worked our entire lives with rules and regulations. Now we have reached a time in our lives when we want to throw the rule book out the window and have some fun. But we do have a few suggestions and guidelines.

DO: HAVE FUN

We do not want our times together to be filled with stress and anxiety. When we are asked, "What does your group do?", I simply answer, "We have FUN". The Red Hat Society was founded an the basis that growing older is not something to be dreaded but it is a time to look forward to with anticipation and joy. Now we are free to kick-up our heels and enjoy ourselves.

DO: WEAR YOUR COLORS

When we gather together we want everyone to come dressed for the occasion and that means to ALWAYS wear your colors.

What are the colors you may ask. A true Red Hatter, wears a red hat and a purple ensemble to all events if she is 50 or older. We also encourage our Pink Hatters, those ladies under the age of 50, to wear a pink hat and a lavender outfit. The distinction is only made so that those under 50 will anticipate with excitement their "coming of age" when "THE BIRTHDAY" rolls around.

We know you can't always find true "purple" or "lavender", different shades are acceptable, so are different colored pants or skirts, or purple or lavender prints or patterns. The poem, "Warning" says that when we grow old we shall wear purple with a red hat. It doesn't say we will wear ALL purple.

DON'T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR HAT

When we go out we should always wear a hat or headpiece. This is what distinguishes us from everyone else around us. You would feel very uncomfortable to be with a group of Red Hatters and come without the very symbol of our (dis)organization. I have a variety of hats and headpieces to choose from depending on the activity. Some occasions call for a more formal hat and other times I simply wear red and purple feathers or bows. Be creative and remember...HAVE FUN.

There is an exception to wearing a purple outfit with a red hat and that is during your birthday month. During the month of your birth you may choose to reverse the colors and wear a purple hat or headpiece with a red outfit. We want our ladies to feel special for their birthday and reversing the colors helps to make that happen. Remember... if you are under 50 you should wear a lavender hat or headpiece with a pink outfit.

If you invite a guest to come with us, please ask them if they could wear the colors and a hat also. We want them to feel part of our group and experience the fun of being a true Red Hatter, even if just for the day. Who knows, perhaps they will want to become a member!

DO, DO DO!: ALWAYS RSVP WHEN REQUESTED

RSVP means to PLEASE REPLY...it doesn't mean reply only if you are going to attend. It means to reply regarless! How else will be know if you received your invitation if we don't hear from you? If you cannot attend you don't have to feel obligated to give an explanation as to why, simply to respond with, "I'm sorry, I can't make it" is all that is needed. If there is a deadline given, please respond accordingly. There are times when reservations have to be made or items purchased and an accurate account of those attending is necessary. You should not wait until the day of the event or even the day before to call the hostess with your reply. We try to give plenty of notice for upcoming events and your RSVP is not so much a "rule" as just good manners.

May I suggest that when you receive your invitation either by newsletter, card, by checking the Calendar of Events on this website you go to your calendar and write it in with the RSVP date immediately. Respond as quickly as you can. You don't want your hostess to feel that you are waiting to see if you get a better offer before you commit to a Red Hat event. We always understand that unforseen things come up and schedules sometimes have to be changed but if you are going to be part of a group, then commit to it and be part of the fun.

Some events are required to be pre-paid. If this is the case, please make your payment well in advance so that the monetary transactions can be completed. There are times when as a group the Hostess may need to collect from several people but then only submit a single payment for the event.

When we receive an invitation from another Red Hat chapter they are depending on receiving our information in a timely fashion as some of these events are quite involved and arrangements must be made way in advance.

REMEMBER WE ARE LADIES AND GOOD MANNERS NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE & ALWAYS ARRIVE ON TIME!