The Northwest Voice

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Happy Birthday to a group that is not preschoolers, but is made up of Lil Rascals.  This group is not known as the Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, but as the Sisterhood of the Red Hats!

            On a Saturday afternoon a group of amazing women, who four years ago met, celebrated the beginning of friendships that bring joy to each, regardless of their circumstances.  It was a time of visiting, playing games, sharing stories, subtle chuckles, and raucous laughter.  The group is comprised of women from varied backgrounds, educational experiences, marital statuses and occupations.      

The Red Hat Society is a social organization founded in 1998 for women over 50. As of October 2006 there were already 1.5 million registered members in over forty thousand chapters in the United States and thirty other countries.  The women of our local chapter enjoy feelings of belonging, the love they have for each other, and the gratitude they have for the awesome friendships they have made.  They laugh together, cry together, and celebrate all known (and some unknown) holidays. They are a remarkable family.  And they do have FUN.                                                 

            There are 44 chapters of Red Hatters in Bakersfield.  Each chapter is led by a “Queen Mum” aka “Leader of the Pack.”  The members within each chapter have various names they have adopted, i.e., Dutchess MacKiwi, Marquessa of Mischief, Mary the Boom Boom Rapper, Divine Diva of Disorder, and Empress of Enthusiasm.  The name is meant to be indicative of the lady’s sense of humor and also hint at her personality.

The groups have activities that fit the lifestyles of their venerable members: cruises, gambling excursions, dress-up dinners, and shopping field trips, just to name a few.        

There are only two requirements to belong to the Red Hats. A lady must be fifty years or older, and she must enjoy wearing purple and red, which don’t match.

            Karen Smith is Queen Mum, Madame Sweetie, of the chapter to which I am privileged to belong.  Karen believes that our lives are filled with all the joys, heartaches, disappointments, tragedy, beauty, and love that anyone has ever experienced.  Amongst these Red Hatters, she claims, you could find any story worthy of a Hollywood film. 

“All of the ‘Lil Rascals are living their lives to the fullest, NOW.  We are all on the downhill side of this thing called life, and we want to make every moment count. We have had four deaths in our chapter in the past two years.  When these events took place, these ladies rallied and became a source of strength that Samson would have envied.  They are incredible and have enriched each others lives beyond measure,” said Smith.

            Some of us were raised as single children, no siblings.  Each of us in our chapter now has thirty sisters ready to assist and support each other in whatever life throws our way.