One day I told myself I needed a bit more excitement in my life...more friends. By chance I heard of the Red Hat Society. It sounded like fun and I wanted to get in on it. After finding the website, did a search for a chapter to join in my city. There were not many listed at that time and, alas, all were full. That's when I decided to start my own chapter in July 2005. Besides, it would fulfill a childhood dream of being royalty. Yes, as a girl I played dress up and ran around with a tin foil crown on my head!

Well, things went slow and life got in the way until March 2006. That's when a friend that I hadn't seen in years called me. I told her about the Red Hat Society. She told a friend and I neighbors. And on and on and we're off and running.

Our first get together was a blast because it was at the Red Hat Society birthday bash in April. What a great way to start! Our chapter was invited to go at the Cattleman's Steakhouse. Over 200 red hatters were in attendance. We met ladies from all over the area and out of state. They gave us ideas for chapter outtings and shared their red hat experiences. It was amazing and so much fun.

As of October 2011, our chapter now has 16 feisty ladies. It's a pleasure to know all of them and wonderful to be part of a great sisterhood of friendship...the Red Hat Society.

Our mascot "Lady La Boop". She sings 'I Wanna Be Loved By You'.

The ABC's of Red Hatting

AFFIRMING: Red Hatters affirm each other. We recognize that we have all traveled many diverse roads, but for some reason or other have been brought together in the same place and time.

BELIEVING: Red Hatters believe in the worth of others and ourselves. Like Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, we must believe in order to maintain our youthful existence.

CARING: When life knocks one red Hatter down, the others flock to support her. Red Hatters are there to celebrate the joys of life and to offer comfort in its difficulties.

DARING: If you want to be a Red Hatter, an ornery, daredevil streak is a requirement. Parading around in public in purple outfits and red hats is not for the meek.

EXPERIENCED: We have a wealth of experience as daughters, mothers, spouses, students, teachers, doctors, nurses, homemakers, laborers, business people, secretaries, and of course, friends. The advantage of our collective years of experience is that no matter what happens, at least one of us has done it before and knows what it’s like.

FUN: If you want to have fun, join a red Hat group. If you are a stick in the mud, don’t bother attending a meeting. You’ll be miserable the whole time.

GIVING: Red Hatters give. We give love, we give support, we give joy, we give energy.

HAT: Of course, there is the hat, which can be anything worn on the head – visors, ball caps, cowboy hats, tiaras, any type of chapeau that declares your affiliation with the Red Hatters.

IMPERFECT: Desperate housewives need not apply. Red Hatters understand dust, piles of laundry, unshaved legs, cookie crumbs from grandchildren’s visits, empty ice cream cartons, no makeup, McDonald’s sacks on the floor of the car, and occasional curse word . . .

JOYFUL: Red Hatters celebrate. We are joyous because today we woke up and are alive; we are joyful that the sun rose, the car started, the dog pottied outside, and the trash man came. The older we become, the more we find to be joyful about.

KINDRED: There is a connection, a kindred spirit, among Red Hatters. Maybe it’s because we are truly survivors – forget reality shows. We have reality lives.

LOVING: Red Hatters share a heart connection, a love that can’t be explained. We are experts at loving, having given love all our lives - - to our families, friends, neighbors, homes, and sometimes even our jobs. When Red Hatters get together, you can feel the love.

MATURE: Hallelujah! Doctors say that mature women usually don’t get appendicitis.

NAUGHTY: Most of us enjoy being a wee bit naughty sometimes, and as Red Hatters we have an excuse. We are past the age of being told to behave, but not past the age of caring about our sexuality. What a fun place to be! “I am woman; hear me roar.”

OPEN: No secrets, here, girls. It may seem a little like gossip, but most of the time it’s just plain caring. We want to hear about what each other is going through so we can be there for them.

PLAYFUL: We have spent our lives making sure our families had some fun, our children played, our spouses got down time, and our work was done. Now it’s our turn to play. Play cards, play games, go to plays, play dress-up. You have to be playful to get the full benefits of being a Red Hatter.

QUIRKY: We get to be a little quirkier now. People excuse our quirks, because we are “mature” women.

RUGGED: We also have to be rugged. We have weathered many storms throughout our mature lives, and there are more to come. We have lost parents, children, spouses, friends. We have lost homes, jobs, and sometimes our health. We have survived, we’re still strong, and when we can’t be, we have our Red Hat sisters to support us.

SHARING: We share. We share stories, jokes, emails, clothes, jewelry, hats, pictures, vacations, friendships.

TOLERANT: We are so diverse, that if we weren’t tolerant, we would not exist. We are tolerant because we know that diversity among individuals enhances the whole group.

UNDERSTANDING: There is a bond among red Hatters that transcends speech. A look, a touch, a note or email can communicate volumes.

VITAL: To thrive at our age, a gal has to have life in her veins. To be a Red Hatter, you have to have an appreciation for the goodness in life. Despite all the annoying problems that come with “maturity,” it sure beats the alternative.

WRINKLED: Enough said. No one is allowed to be a Red Hatter unless she has one wrinkle. And your shirt doesn’t count.

X-RAYED: We’ve all experienced the cardboard holders to bite down on, the cold slab, the immodest lab garments, the scary compressing plates, and the sci-fi noises that accompany an X-ray.

YOUTHFUL: Wrinkled, yet young at heart is all that is needed here. No reason to give up on youth just because your body insists that you do so.

ZANY: You have to be just a little bit zany if you’re going to do the things you wish you had done when you were younger, when you could have done them better, looked better, and just plain felt better. At least now you’re getting around to doing those zany things.

Celebrate life after 50!