Red Hat Society to debut in RFL during Fire Days
By Linda Bell
Red Feather Lakes Correspondent
Inspired by the 1961 poem by English writer Jenny Joseph, Red Hat Society
chapters are sprouting up all over the United States and abroad for woman
over 50. The poem begins: "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with
a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me..."
A local group, the Red Feather Foxies, had its inaugural "tea" on June
29, organized by "Queen" Doris Miller. Already, Miller said, there over
50 members.
"I got to be queen merely because I was the one to organize and register
the chapter on the Red Hat Society web site," Miller said.
The group makes a public appearance during the upcoming Labor Day Fire
Days parade starting at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 4 in Red Feather Lakes. "We
will be the women with the most outlandish colors and outfits in the convertibles,"
Miller said.
The mission of the Red Hat Society is to bring women together for fun and
social interaction that celebrates their age and enjoyment of life. The
Foxies plan to get together every other month or more often, Miller said,
for lunches or teas, and possibly to do some charitable services within
the community.
"Our chapter will shrink during the winter months," she said, "because
a lot of the population of the Red Feather Lakes area is seasonal. But
many of our summer members are members of Red Hat Societies in other states
during the winter."
The Red Hat Society started in Fullerton, Calif., where Miller lived for
21 years before moving to Colorado in 1998. She started hearing about it
from friends, she said, and then saw a prominent display about the society
on a trip back to Fullerton earlier this year. There are now over 30,000
chapters, she said.
Although the society is not nonprofit, groups are run very tongue in cheek
with a sense of fun, Miller said. The society calls itself a "disorganization"
with "dooze" and has an annual convention in different areas of the country.
Those wanting more information may call Miller at 493-5611.
"We really do make a point to wear red hats and purple outfits whenever
or wherever we meet," Miller said.
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