Women’s group boasts seven chapters and 167 members
They laugh. They sing. They enjoy each other’s company. They attend the theater, tour local museums, and throw rollicking tea parties. They celebrate all that life can offer. And naturally, they wear red hats.
They’re the Brooksby Belles, Brooksby Village’s chapter of the world-renowned Red Hat Society. Dedicated to fun and fellowship, the group celebrates the free-spirited nature of its members and embraces newfound freedoms for women over age 50.
“We’ve paid our dues, we’ve had our families, so this is to have a little fun for ourselves,” says Kay McManus, the Brooksby chapter’s ‘Vice Queen Mother.’ “It’s a great group of women, and a great way to get to know them.”
Painting the Village Red
In the past year, the Brooksby Belles visited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, caught a magic show in Beverly, attended the Amesbury Playhouse Dinner Theater, and cruised the Essex River. They also hosted two gatherings on-campus: a second annual Valentine’s Day Tea and a holiday/first anniversary celebration in December.
The Brooksby group has boomed to 167 members at last count. While the national Red Hat Society headquarters doesn’t officially track enrollment numbers, Brooksby ‘Queen Mother’ Lillian Shapiro speculates that Brooksby’s Red Hat membership is among the largest in the United States. “There are very few chapters in the country that are as big as we are,” she says.
The group is so large that earlier this year the Brooksby Belles reorganized into smaller units to facilitate trips and plan events. The community now hosts seven distinct chapters, one for each building on campus. With the opening of Cortland Terrace, an eighth chapter should join the ranks later this year.
“Right now we’re doing a wait list,” Lillian says. “It’s too much to handle!”