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To
our chapter... we are registered chapter #2551 of The Red Hat Society We're so glad you stopped by to visit us. It is such fun sharing
with other chapters and making new red hat friends. We hope you will drop us a line and let us meet you and learn all about your chapter and what you like to do on your events. the Vancouver Belles Chapter was founded September, 2001 by Gretchen-Queen Lady "G". We are proud to be the first registered chapter in Vancouver, WA., starting with 5 charter members from SW WA & surrounding Portland, OR areas. As our numbers and friendships have grown and flourished over the past nine years .... we know we will be forever "Sisters". We meet each month (at least once), on the second Saturday of the month. Some of our past events are: plays, dinners, luncheons, cruises, pajama parties, 50's parties, plays, Hawaiian luau's, tours, train trips, events in members homes and of course, "High Tea".
The
Vancouver Belles are blessed to have a special "Sister Chapter" THE VICTORIAN LADIES..... We frequently join each other in chapter events. We are all Red Hat who enjoy being together. We love the same things..... All things Victorian, Southern Belles, roses, china T-cups and of course, Tea Parties. Their Royal Court: Queen Pat, Vice Queen Ann and Duchess Kathy ![]() 10 years of fun hatters. From
Portland, OR USA recently hosted the 6th annual Pacific Northwes FunVention. The tradition was started by Queen
Gretchen Moats-Gross from Vancouver, WA(in 2003) The Vancouver Belles. The hatters
in attendance remembered that 2008 was the 10th birthday of the Red Hat Society and had a great idea. Why not make a 10th
Red Hat Society Birthday picture for attendees of the FunVention.. Just look at all these red hatters! ![]() ![]() Wonder how the Red Hat Society began???
"The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and elan. We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved 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." - Sue Ellen Cooper, Queen Mother While visiting a friend in Tucson several years ago, Sue Ellen impulsively bought a bright red fedora at a thrift shop, for no other reason than that it was cheap and, she thought, quite dashing. A year or two later she read the poem "Warning" by Jenny Joseph, which depicts an older woman in purple clothing with a red hat. Sue Ellen felt an immediate kinship with Ms. Joseph. She decided that her birthday gift to her dear friend, Linda Murphy, would be a vintage red hat and a copy of the poem. She has always enjoyed whimsical decorating ideas, so she thought the hat would look nice hanging on a hook next to the framed poem. Linda got so much enjoyment out of the hat and the poem that Sue Ellen gave the same gift to another friend, then another, then another. One day it occurred to these friends that they were becoming a sort of "Red Hat Society" and that perhaps they should go out to tea... in full regalia. They decided they would find purple dresses which didn't go with their red hats to complete the poem's image. The tea was a smashing success. Soon, each of them thought of another woman or two she wanted to include, and they bought more red hats. Their group swelled to 18, and they began to encourage other interested people to start their own chapters (18 women don't fit well around a tea table). One of their members passed along the idea to a friend of hers in Florida, and their first "sibling" group was born. Sue Ellen's fondest hope is that these societies will proliferate far and wide. We have now held three successful Red Hat Society conventions entire hotels filled with women of a certain age wearing red hats and purple outfits! Could world domination be far behind?
TAMARA MCCONNELL - AVON REPRESENTATIVE GRETCHEN - LADY DRESS - FEATURED IN RECOLLECTIONS VICTORIAN LADY ARTICLE Article Red Hat Society website
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