Fun tops the priority lists of Red Hat Society members
By Kelly A. Shue
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
Dressed to the nines in bright red hats and fancy purple fashions, members of both the Greenspring and Riderwood Red Hat Societies recently came together for an afternoon of good food, captivating conversation, and an old-fashioned good time.
Sisters in fun
Greenspring and Riderwood chapters of the Red Hat Society join thousands of other chapters across the country to—plain and simply— have fun. According to the group’s website, http://www.redhatsociety.com, “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 and obligations for a little while.”
To that end, members of the Riderwood and Greenspring chapters routinely schedule afternoon luncheons and teas. “We’re simply a group of women who like to get dressed up and have a good time,” says Riderwood’s Kitty Shoap, who began the community’s chapter along with Dorothy Howze.
Joan Matteson, who began the group at Greenspring, agrees. She says, “Everyone is welcome to our get-togethers. All you need is a red hat, a purple outfit, and the desire to have fun.”
Founding wishes
And that’s exactly the attitude founder and “Queen Mother” Sue Ellen Cooper hopes the group fosters. “The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor, and elan,” she says.
“We believe silliness is the comedic relief of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join redgloved 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.”