Welcome to the Poison Ivy Red Hats Website!

Poison Ivy Red Hats Chapter of the Red Hat Society

HOW WE CAME TO BE

Queen Elaine the First-To-Be first learned about the Red Hat Society in early 2005. She enthusiastically embraced the RHS philosophy that was predicated on the fact that women of a "certain age" still want to have fun. Society, on the other hand, too often told us otherwise. We were expected to go quietly into the second half of our life, rocking on our porches, literally or figuratively. Instead, many of us, especially us Boomer Babes, believe that growing older is only something our bodies do, our spirits are forever young.

So we decided to do something about that.

Queen Elaine the First-To-Be (hereinafter called QETFTB) looked around the greater Charlottesville area and at that time, was unable to locate a Chapter that was open to new members. She did make contact with Queen Dona of the Red Belles of Hooville who was kind enough to invite her to an Event as a guest so that she could experience an Event first hand. She learned a LOT from this Event and the members (OK, so she picked their brains!), and is forever grateful for the opportunity. She got fired up and decided that if there weren't any open Chapters, well, by gump, she'd start her own!

QETFTB was a member of the Crozet Library Monday Night Book Club, so at one of the meetings in the summer of 2005, she announced the formation of a new Chapter, and asked any members of the female persuasion who might be interested in forming a new Chapter of the Red Hat Society to chat with her after the meeting. She was gratified when 4 of the ladies took her up on the offer, and the rest was history! Those four "founding Chapterettes" were PatS, Martha, Nel, and JudyH, and are still very active Chapterettes of our little Chapter. Princess Daughter is also a founding Chaperette, even tho she has yet to attend an event! Thank you all, Chapterettes!

We held our inaugural meeting in September 2005, at QETFTB's home. Martha and PatS were unable to attend as they were on vacation, but were still granted "Founding Chapterette" status :) QETFTB was in "full regalia" and described her vision of what she wanted her new Chapter to be: a group of like minded women of any age, any color, any status, whether they are worker bees or retired or never-worker bees, anyone who is willing to thumb their noses at Society and just get out there and have fun together, sharing laughter, tears (not too many of those!), and maybe a glass of wine at times, and DEFINITELY dessert :)

The Poison Ivy Red Hat Chapter leaped into life that night and QETFTB officially became QETF!

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