Monday's Internet Edition, May 12, 2008.
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The Red Hat Society is a group of women over 50 who’ve thrown all rules out the window in their quest to do nothing except join together to have fun and offer companionship. The nationally recognized society has branches in cities across the country. While many other groups join together to achieve a specific agenda, the ladies of the Red Hat Society stick to a strict agenda of laughter, good humor and fun.
The Royal Ladies of the Red Hat Society was the first branch to be chartered in Thomasville on Oct. 15, 2002, with 25 members. All members wear red hats and purple outfits to all meeting — a tradition which is revered on the their birthday. They have their own chapter song, which is sung at every meeting. The group has filled the past four years with formal tea parties, fashion shows, a boat cruise on Lake Norman, visits to local dinner theaters and readings to children at the primary school. The Queen Mother of the Royal Ladies is Jeanette Wilkie of Thomasville.
Since the group’s inception, they’ve had two members die, Lena Batten and Ethel Hill. Hill was the oldest member and was a few weeks away from her 91 birthday when she died. She remained active in all the group’s activities until her death.
The Classy Lassies of the Triad was formed in June of 2005, and is headed by Midge Pugh, a.k.a. “Queen Mum.” The group gathers together one a month and takes turns planning their next excursion. The only requirements of members are to “admit to being over 50 years old, wear purple clothing and always (except on your birthday) have ‘red on the head,’ meaning a red hat.”
Of being a member of the Red Hat Society, Pugh said, “We’ve been told that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood. So that’s exactly what we’re doing. We love to dress up in our ‘special outfits and go out and play.’”
Like all chapters of the society, the Classy Lassies each have their own “royal” titles, including “Lady Alexandrite of Pearl,” Baroness Scarlet O’Harris,” and “Lady Cheezi of Straws,” to name a few. Each name attempts to reflect some aspect of the member or their personality.
For more information on the Red Hat Society, visit the website at www.redhatsociety.com.