What is this thing and how did it get started? The Red Hat Society is often referred to fondly as a "disorganization," though over the years a degree of order has been impart a degree of order to the operations. It was inadvertently begun by Sue Ellen Cooper of Fullerton, California when she and a few friends took inspiration from a popular poem entitled "Warning" by Jenny Joseph, which begins "When I am an old woman..." Since the poem mentions wearing a red hat and purple attire, she and her friends formed a group that met on a regular basis for tea in their red hats and purple dresses—in public, of course.

When Sue Ellen and her friends were featured in Romantic Homes magazine in July 2000, they began fielding inquiries from other women who wanted to start their own chapters. For a more detailed account of the origins of the Red Hat Society, please read the page entitled, "How It All Started".

How do I join the Gallery Gals of Laurel Hill? Ring the Queen Mother, Estelle Rogers at 850.652.4595.

I don't live near Laurel Hill, how do I find a chapter in my area? To search for a chapter in your area, please go to the Chapter Search on this web site. Select a state or country from one of the scroll-down lists and click the "search" button. You will then be presented with an alphabetical listing of cities in that region that currently have chapters. Sometimes, there is more than one page of city listings, so if you don't see your city right away, you may want to click the "More Chapters" link at the bottom of the page. Once you locate the city you are looking for, click on that city and wait a moment. You will be given a list of chapters in that city, their chapter names, their contact information and whether or not they are open to new members. If a chapter is open to new members, please contact that chapter directly. If it is not, you may want to start your own chapter.

Are there any rules? There are no official rules, although we have some rather strong suggestions, the first of which is regarding red hat attire. Of course, to be a Red Hatter, one should wear a red hat and a clashing purple ensemble at all meetings to keep up the spirit and purpose of the (dis)organization. Women under 50 stick to the pink hat and lavender attire until THE BIRTHDAY. This adds an element of fun to aging, which we think is invaluable to women in our society who have learned to dread aging and avoid it at all costs. We believe that aging should be something anticipated with excitement, not something to dread.

Are there any responsibilities? The main responsibility is to have fun! We see this group as an opportunity for those who have shouldered various responsibilities at home and in the community their whole lives, to say goodbye to burdensome responsibilities. This is a place to have fun and enjoy ourselves. Of course, someone needs to plan the events or they would never happen, but oftentimes members take turns at these things so that they do not become "jobs" for anyone.

The refrain of the popular Red Hat Society theme song by Mike Harline puts it rather bluntly: "All my life, I've done for you. Now it's my turn to do for me."

Who is the Queen Mother? Estelle Rogers is the Queen Mother (founding member) of the Gallery Gals of Laurel Hill.

As mentioned on the "Starting Your Own Chapter" page of the organizational website, members of the Red Hat Society often give themselves titles. "Queen Mother" is the title Sue Ellen Cooper gave herself, tongue in cheek, when she and her friends started the first group. Other titles were: "Vice-Mother," the Queen Mother's right-hand woman and the mother of vices, so to speak; "Anti-parliamentarian" for the one who enforces the rule that there are no rules; "Barristress" for the lawyer in the group; "Mistress of Anxiety" who worries about other members' problems for them so they don't have to; and on it goes.

As the group began to grow, others called themselves Queen Mothers, or Queens, of their chapters. So Sue Ellen gave herself a promotion to "Exalted Queen Mother" (EQM). We whole-heartedly believe in self-promotion, so to speak, so titles may continue to get grander as time goes on. One woman elected herself president—of herself .

The sillier and grander the title, the better it is.

Where can I find a red or pink hat or official Red Hat Society merchandise? If you are interested in finding a hat, we have many to choose from, from simple to quite fancy, in the Imperium. "Imperium" is a silly mix of the words "Imperial" and "Emporium." Since we see our members as royalty, our members' shopping hub must also have a royal name.

In the Imperium, we also have a variety of other ornamentation for hats or clothing. You will find copies of the poem "Warning" on sale there as well—on T-shirts, bookmarks, magnets, greeting cards, etc. We also offer merchandise bearing our logo, including the ever-popular "Red Hat Society" cloisonné lapel pin. We are always adding new stuff, so check it out when you get a chance.

Where can I find a copy of the poem "Warning" by Jenny Joseph? We are not permitted to publish the poem in its entirety on this web site. You may read the opening lines on the "Warning" page of this web site. Copies of the full poem may be purchased in the "Imperium."

I'm new to the Internet and need to learn more about how it works. The "Internet Info" page on this site explains some basic things about the Internet, which we hope you will find helpful.

Who is that little character on the home page wiggling her foot? That is Ruby RedHat™. She is the embodiment of the Red Hat Society spirit. She is fun, playful, intelligent and sassy!