How the Red Hat Society Started
The history of the Red Hat Society began in the sunny city of Tucson, Arizona. A wonderful woman, by the name of Sue Ellen, started it all when she meandered along a thrift shop while shopping. She decided on buying a bright red fedora hat.
That bright red fedora has been the symbol of the Red Hat Society. She happened upon a poem “Warning”, written by the author Jenny Joseph. In the poem, a woman explains how she would like life to be when she is older.
“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.” At the end of the poem it explains that the woman presently needs to continue to be a good example to those around her, but maybe she could show a little bit of that impishness through so people wouldn’t be too shocked of her actions when she’s older.
Sue Ellen instantly fell in love with the poem and the idea behind it. She was determined to share the poem with others, and so presented the poem with a vintage red hat to her friend Linda Murphy as a birthday gift. She had hopes Linda would hang the hat by the framed poem in her home as a fun decoration.
What she didn’t realize was that the gift would soon be on to many others. Linda enjoyed the hat and poem so much that she gave the same gift to a friend, and that friend gave the hat and poem to another, and then another. Ms. Joseph’s poem was an instant success.
These ladies that were presented the poems and red hats decided to get together and enjoy each others company. They decided to get together for tea in the regalia of the poem: purple dresses with hats that didn’t go. This is when the first “Red Hat Society” tea occurred.
The tea was a hit and each member of the Red Hat Society continued to invite new members to join in on the fun. More red hats were bought, and the numbers began to grow. By the time the group had grown to 18 people they decided to start new sibling groups.
The Red Hat Society began with a simple, yet important idea. Life is meant to be celebrated. Because, as the poem says, you don’t want people who know you to be too shocked when you are suddenly old and start to wear purple.
By: JJ Storms
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Filed under Society by on Jun 28th, 2010. 