The Red Hats are coming!

Noreen Hyslop photo - Some of the members of the Dexter Red Hat Society. From left: Linda Scott, "sweat bee" Kyra Taylor, Edna Sanders and "queen bee" Mary Ann Taylor [Click to enlarge]

Arm in arm they marched, right down the middle of Stoddard Street in downtown Dexter, a group of fifty plus ladies. The "fifty plus," however, does not indicate the numbers present, but rather the age requirement for inclusion in this exclusive group of local ladies.

They are Dexter's Red Jasmine Chapter of the National "Red Hat Society," a group of women over the age of 50 who have formed a local chapter for the sole purpose of having fun! The Society is a legitimate part of an international group whose chapters are multiplying on a daily basis. The Dexter group joins the ranks of women across the world, most recently in Iceland and Egypt. The age pre-requisite of fifty is not strongly enforced. Should a woman under fifty wish to be included in the Red Hat Society, they are accepted, but only with the understanding that they don a pink hat, until such time arrives that they reach the "age of maturity" with which comes the privilege of red hat-wearing. Society members refer to this process of maturing as "reduation." When asked if there was a remarkable difference between the "redhatters"and the "pinkhatters," Sweat Bee Kyra Taylor reported, "The pinkhatters pale by comparison!" The Society has no president, vice president, treasurer, or other such conventional officers. This elite group is led by those whose titles include "Queen Bee," "Vice Queen," "Sweat Bee," "Stinger," "Hummer," and "Shutter Bee." Each chapter, as they organize, chooses their own method of government and appropriate titles. A newsletter is sent to Dexter members as the Sweat Bee finds time in her busy schedule to author one. The local newsletter is appropriately titled "Here's the Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz." The Society, as a whole, is a fairly new concept, having begun in 1999 after a California woman by the name of Sue Ellen Cooper presented a friend who was turning fifty-five, with a red hat and a copy of the Jenny Joseph poem, "Warning," now a familiar verse to many "over fifty's." The poem is all about the art of growing old gracefully and the right to wear big red hats and dress in purple when one's heart so desires. The gift became the envy of other friends, and as each reached the fifty year milestone, they were included in this original "Red Hat Society." When one day the original group decided to don their red hats and have lunch in a public restaurant, word quickly spread of the "Red Hat Society," and the rest is history. The Society has experienced phenomenal growth, adding an estimated 500 chapters every week.

Just as most organizations have a "Mission Statement," so does the Society. It defines itself within a simple statement of purpose: "The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and fun. We believe silliness is the comedy of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together. Underneath the frivolity, we share a bond of affection forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next." There are no rules or chapter by-laws in this Society of fun-filled ladies. When asked, "What do you do?" the resounding answer is, "Nothing!" Their theory is that they have been so dutiful and "busy" for so long that they deserve a break! And so break they do, sometimes meeting at a new restaurant in town, sometimes sandwiching into SUV's, venturing into vans or cramming into cars and traveling to an antique mall, or as time allows, going on a two or three day Branson excursion. They are open to any member's suggestions involving a potential outing. Where there is adventure, you will likely find the Dexter Red Jasmine Chapter of the Red Hat Society. They are a fun-loving, feisty group of Dexter's finest, as they demonstrated on their recent parade downtown, prior to a luncheon at the lake.

Dues are not to be a deterrent for membership. For an annual payment of a whopping seventy-five cents, a lady may experience all the benefits that the local chapter has to offer, and that promises to be many. The only requirement is that members own and wear a red hat and perhaps wear purple occasionally. Red Hat Society items are flooding the market. Nearly every department store and boutique around the country carries at least some of the "Red Hat" items, from the hats themselves, to red feather boas, gloves and jewelry.

Dexter's Red Jasmine Society, which formed less than a year ago, already boasts forty eight members and is expanding almost daily, according to member Betty McClintock, who states that by their own admission, the group is a "disorganized organization, based on the concept that growing old can be fun!" Local ladies wishing to become a part of this fun and frivolous folly may contact the "Queen Bee" of the local society, Mary Ann Taylor, at 624-7381.