Starting a Red Hat Society Chapter

The spirit of the Red Hat Society forbids rules, per se. You don't have to limit your chapter to any particular size; you don't have to meet on any particular day or do any proscribed activities. In short, you can come up with your own royal titles, your own fun traditions and your own way of doing things within your chapter.

There are, however, some common-sense guidelines that we must insist upon:

• You must be a woman of 50 or over (or you may be a Pink Hatter under 50), and you must attend functions in full regalia, (red hat, purple outfit for women 50 and over, or pink hat and lavender outfit for women under 50).
• And, although we try not to concentrate on it too much, we do have some legalese you need to agree to in order to become a member. (Probably no more than any other group out there and unfortunately necessary.)

Steps to Getting Started

• Register your Chapter and establish a username/password for yourself as chapter queen, in order to make full use of the Red Hat Society website. (Queens are automatically Supporting Members with their chapter registration / annual renewal fees). Register your chapter now »
• Dress up! Buy a red / pink hat for yourself and/or for someone else. Ladies are strongly encouraged to follow the age/color guidelines, and to not wear purple/red until they have reached THE BIRTHDAY.
• Reach out. Invite other women into your chapter.
  • List your chapter as open to new members on the Red Hat Society website and meet new women from all walks of life right in your immediate neighborhood.
  • Use this web site to meet and get to know other Red Hatters around the world. There is a special bulletin board (The Queen Mother Board) and chat room (Red Hat Chat) accessible to all chapter Queens and Supporting Members for this very purpose.
• HAVE FUN! (Did we need to say it?) Plan fun events and go out with your chapter in your ensembles (also known as "full regalia"). And watch the magic that ensues!
• Create your chapter roster online and use the features of this website to send emails to your members. If you don't want to do it yourself, have your members sign themselves up online, by phone or by mail, using the Chapter ID# that is on your chapter charter certificate.

Some Helpful Resources

Registration Materials
Your registration materials will contain all kinds of information to help you get started, including:

• One Official Red Hat Society collectible Chapter Charter, signed by the Exalted Queen Mother, Sue Ellen Cooper, and the Esteemed Vice Mother, Linda Murphy.
• One Supporting Member full color plastic membership card (included in the chapter cost) printed with your name and individual ID number and a year's Supporting Member benefits for the Chapter Queen.
• One year's chapter website listing on the searchable Red Hat Society Official Chapter list at www.redhatsociety.com. New potential members and other chapters can find your chapter here.
• One Queen's Information Kit. This kit is a comprehensive collection of fun fabulous suggestions to help you off to a royal start. Everything in one handy place that you may take with you everywhere to use over and over again all year. It provides a clear and concise overview of who we are.
  The kit contains:
  • A Membership Guide
  • How it all began
  • How to get started
  • How to stay connected
  • Ways to play
  • Membership explained for your new members
  • Overview of Benefits
  • Our Traditions
  • Other great stuff
• Manage your chapter online at your leisure (you know, in the middle of the night in your PJs. You can renew your chapter, order chapter materials, member pins, update your chapter information, add your members to your online chapter roster, print your roster or send an email to all your chapterettes with just a click of a mouse.

Queen's Collectible Pin Starter Kit
Cost: $45.99
Total retail value of the package is $87.00. As a Queen of the RHS, you get it for only $45.99, a savings of 47%! Pin collecting is famously popular in the Red Hat Society and around the world. Here's your chance to get started with a set of nine (9) hard to find collectible RHS pins. The set includes a beautiful red sash on which is just one way to wear them. The star of the collection is the large rhinestone Queen Pin with Crown which anchors your sash. The RHS Initial pin is elegant enough to wear every day. Shake it up and wear some on your hat or vest too! The majority of these pins will not be produced again. Get them NOW while they are still available! This is just the beginning. Please click the image to see a larger image and full list of the package contents. All products and colors are subject to change with availability. For a limited time shipping is FREE! Order now!

Member's Collectible Pin Starter Kit
Cost: $36.99
Total retail value of the package is $62.00. As a Member of the RHS, you get it for only $36.99, a savings of 40%! Pin collecting is famously popular in the Red Hat Society and around the world. Here's your chance to get started with a set of seven (7) hard to find collectible RHS pins. The set includes a beautiful red sash on which is just one way to wear them. The RHS Initial pin is elegant enough to wear every day. Shake it up and wear some on your hat or vest too! The majority of these pins will not be produced again. Get them NOW while they are still available! This is just the beginning. Please click the image to see a larger image and full list of the package contents. All products and colors are subject to change with availability. For a limited time shipping is FREE! Order now!

RHS Logo Sampler Package
Cost: $39.99
Total retail value of this package is $55.00. As a Member of the RHS, you get it for only $39.99, a savings of 27%! For the first time, we've gathered the best of our RHS Logo merchandise, just for you! Have you seen the new mini Logo (Book) Clip Light? Or the handy foldable Logo Hairbrush? Can't get much cuter than this! From the collectible embellished RHS 10 Year Ball Cap to the earth-friendly Logo ECO Bag to a variety of ever fun Kazoos, you'll have lots of fun things to keep and some to share. Please click the image to see a larger image and full list of the package contents. There are 13 individual Logo items included in the package. All products and colors (purple or red) are subject to change with availability. For a limited time shipping is FREE! Order now!

Pinkies Package - For our Pink Hat Ladies-in-Waiting
Cost: $39.99
LESS THAN A DOZON LEFT IN STOCK! ACT NOW PINKIES! Chandelle Boa Velvet Fringe Burnout Shawl Tattoo Pink Hat Car Magnet New Pink Hat Name Badge Kazoo Total value of the package is $69.00. As a RHS Member, you get it for only for $39.99, REDUCED from $44, that's a savings of over 58%!!! This special package has been selected just for you! Every Lady-in-Waiting needs a bodacious boa in pink so naturally we’ve include it but the core item of this package is a luscious square velvet burnout shawl with long silky fringe. When you are not wearing it or tying it around your hips for a casual look, toss it over a table or drape it on the back of a favorite chair and let it be a feast for the eyes as well. You won't want to hide this piece away in a drawer. With all this pink and lavender, you are sure to shine at your very next event! Please click the image to see a larger image and full description of the package contents. All products and colors are subject to change with availability. For a limited time shipping is FREE! Order now!