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 now become the symbol of the Red Hat Society. A few years after buying the hat she happened upon a poem “Warning”, written by the author Jenny Joseph. In the poem, a woman explains how she would like to act 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 she explains that she knows she presently needs to continue to be a good example to those around her. However, she also believes she ought to practice living the way she would like to now a little, so people won’t be too shocked when she suddenly is an older woman and she wears purple.
She instantly loved the poem and the message behind it. Her friend, Linda, was having a birthday and Sue presented the poem with a red vintage hat in hopes that she would enjoy the poem as well. Sue figured it would be a good decoration to have the framed poem and the hat hanging up by each other on a lonely wall in the home.
Sue didn’t realize what a hit the poem would be to Linda, and eventually others. Linda loved the gift so much that she presented it to other friends, and they presented it to others. Ms. Joseph’s poem was an instant success among many of Sue and Linda’s friends.
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 red hats that didn’t go. This is when the first “Red Hat Society” tea occurred.
That was when the first official Red Hat Society tea began. Each member of the Red Hat Society continued to invite new members, and the number of members and red hats began to grow. Now there are many sibling groups celebrating across the Nation.
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.
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