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Medicine Hat is bursting at the seams with
red hatters.
There are already three local chapters of
the Red Hat Society, a women’s social club that celebrates
life after 50. And Elaine Pfeifer, who serves as the queen of Red
Hats in the Hat, says there has been so much interest that another
chapter may soon be needed.
Amanda Stephenson
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Medicine Hat is bursting at the seams with
red hatters.
There are already three local chapters of
the Red Hat Society, a women’s social club that celebrates
life after 50. And Elaine Pfeifer, who serves as the queen of Red
Hats in the Hat, says there has been so much interest that another
chapter may soon be needed.
“It’s because it’s so
much fun,” Pfeifer says. “We’ve really become so
close - it’s more of a friendship group than anything
else.”
The Red Hat Society is an international
organization (or disorganization, as members refer to it) that
began ten years ago when a California woman named Sue Ellen Cooper
read the poem Warning, by Jenny Joseph. The poem talks about
getting older and having the courage to wear what you want - even
if it’s a purple dress and red hat. Cooper started presenting
her middle-aged friends with red hats and framed copies of the
poem, and before long, the idea took off. There are now 400,000
members of the Red Hat Society worldwide.
In Medicine Hat, there are more than 100
members in three different chapters - Red Hats in the Hat, Desert
Roses, and Memory Lapsers. Members have monthly meetings and
organize fun events like teas, spa days, and bus tours. They also
do some volunteer work, although that is not really what the
society is about - their first priority is fun and friendship.
“We sort of have a
sistership,” Pfeifer explains, saying the Red Hat Society is
a great opportunity to meet new people, especially if you’re
new to the community.
Of course, it’s also a great
opportunity to dress flamboyantly. Red Hat members attend all their
meetings in purple dresses and red hats. (Younger women can still
join the group, but are required to wear lavender or lilac until
their 50th birthday.)
“I never wore hats before - in fact,
I hated purple,” Pfeifer says with a laugh. “Now many
of us go into stores and immediately start scanning for
purple.”
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Red
Hat Society, Medicine Hat members will be having lunch at the
Chinook Centre on April 25. Anyone interested in joining the group,
or starting their own chapter, can contact Pfeifer. It only takes
three or four people to start a chapter.
“All you need to do is get a few
friends, go out for coffee in your red hats, and before long,
you’ll have more women asking to join you,” Pfeifer
says. |
