[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6251]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LADIES OF THE RED HAT SOCIETY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2006

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a very 
remarkable group of women. As I'm sure many of us here can attest, the 
aging process can be a daunting experience. This special group has 
refused to accept that life after a certain age means confinement to a 
rocking chair. Now, it is hard for me personally to imagine that 
someone who is merely 50--the minimum age for membership--could 
approach this spry age with reservation; however, these women tell me 
that this birthday can be somewhat traumatic.
  As the story goes, several years ago Sue Ellen Cooper of Fullerton, 
California read the poem, ``Warning'' by British poet Jenny Joseph. The 
poem begins,

     ``When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
     With a red hat that doesn't go . . .''

  So inspired was Ms. Cooper by this poem, that she decided to pass 
along a copy of it to a friend, accompanied by a vintage red fedora. 
Her friend loved the gift, and did the same for a friend of hers. On 
April 25, 1998, under the direction of Exalted Queen Mother Sue Ellen, 
The Red Hat Society first convened in a tearoom of ladies wearing 
purple dresses and--of course--red hats.
  Although it took some convincing, these ladies had to explain to me 
that red and purple do not actually match. Nevertheless, this fashion 
faux pas stuck and is quite a sight to see indeed.
  These wonderful women refer to themselves as a ``dis-organization'' 
determined to take on aging with a sense of humor, camaraderie and a 
fun-loving spirit. They organize social events, hold conferences and 
communicate with ``hat-quarters'' via their own webpage. This inclusive 
group even allows women of lesser maturity to join their ranks. To 
differentiate these ``ladies in waiting'' from full-fledged members, 
this sub-sect is confined to wearing lavender dresses with pink hats, 
reserving the truly outrageous garb for those who have hit ``the big 
one.'' My wife Deborah tells me that lavender and pink do not go very 
well together either, but they are generally preferable to red and 
purple.
  Sue Ellen Cooper realized that behind every woman, no matter how 
responsible and upstanding of a citizen she was in her youth, is a 
crazy old spirit waiting to get out and cause some trouble. Ms. Cooper 
and her friends found a way to connect these women, and since that day 
in 1998, they have seen nothing but success. Any woman who is of a 
certain age and willing to go out in public dressed in particular flare 
can start her own chapter of Red Hats. California, Florida, and 
Michigan lead the nation in Red Hat chapters, with the 15th 
Congressional District alone boasting 91. There are thousands more 
active chapters across the United States, and even some international 
chapters as far away as Egypt and Japan.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that all of my colleagues join me today in 
commemoration of the official first meeting of the Red Hat Society and 
honor these thousands of inspiring women who endeavor to remain young 
at heart and in soul.

                          ____________________