By Heather Killen

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Purple feathers were flying in Middleton as the Valley’s youngest chapter of the Red Hatters celebrated its four-month anniversary.

Member Carol Morse of Middleton hosted a celebratory tea party on May 28 for the Miss B Havens, with about 16 members in attendance.

The Miss B Havens, Red Hat Society Chapter 75,703, was instigated by Sandi Cooper and became officially disorganized within the international movement on January 24.

The Red Hat Society started in California by Sue Ellen Cooper and Linda Murphy in 1998, as a club for women over 50.

Known by their signature red hats and purple outfits, Hatter chapters can be seen in towns all over Canada, often scouting for bargains, or sampling sweets at tearooms.

Sandi Cooper said she joined the Red Hatters when she moved to Florida. She then joined a local chapter when she moved to the Valley.

“I was looking for ways to meet people and saw a chapter listed in a notice of community events,” she said. “It’s the best way to meet people in a new town.”

The Hatter movement is all about women 50+, celebrating fun and friendship. Bernice Kennedy added that even though the get-togethers are planned for fun, the friendships she has forged with the other members are built for the hard times, too.

“This group has been very supportive through my surgeries,” Kennedy said. “I can vouch we’re about good times and bad times.”

Under-50’s can join, but younger chicks dress it down with pink hats and lavender suits until they can earn their feathers with the big 5-0.

While Cooper has been a card-carrying member of the red and purple boa-bunch since 2003, she hadn’t planned to start her own chapter until she came to the Valley.

“I went out for a walk and came back with an epiphany,” said Cooper.

Cooper’s epiphany started out with 12 members who agreed not to hold regular meetings, take minutes, or raise money. They further agreed to toss the no-rule Red Hat Society handbook’s suggestion to nominate officers.

Red Hat chapters usually have a founding queen, vice-queen, and a treasurer (or keeper of the purple purse). Members also adopt other titles such as duchess and lady.

Instead the Miss B Havens opted to elect each chapter member a queen, with equal input on all decisions. Cooper said her bunch doesn’t stand on ceremony and simply gets together monthly for fun and friendship.

“It’s a unique chapter,” said Cooper. “It’s all or nothing, we vote on everything. No other chapter has all queens.”

It was also decided the Miss B Havens would not exceed 20 queens. The chapter quickly met its queen-quota and has begun a ladies-in-waiting-list for the Miss B Havens.

Bernice Kennedy said she was surprised at how quickly the new chapter reached its limit.

“We started out with 12 and set the maximum number at 20, thinking that we’d never see that happen,” she said. “Now we have a waiting list.”

For more information on Red Hat chapters, visit www.redhatsociety.com