a state of mind The limousine driver said it as well as anyone could. The members of Brockport's Granny Apple Society wanted to pay him before the trip to the Niagara Casino began. "You can pay me now or later," he offered. "We don't want you to forget," said the purple-clad, red feather-boaed woman in the back seat. There was just a moment's pause as the driver's eyes swept over the 11 vibrant red hats in his vehicle. "I don't think I'll be forgetting you anytime soon," he laughed. So it goes when the members of the Local Red Hat Societies are out and about. Their outfits, consisting always of purple clothing and red hats, always attract their share of attention. But what holds the eye are the smiles and energy of the Society's members, women age 50 or older who are living life based on a philosophy found in a poem called "Warning," by Jenny Joseph. "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple," the poem declares in part. "With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves/and satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter ... And shall make up for the sobriety of my youth." The first Red Hat Society was organized in California several years ago by a woman named Sue Ellen Cooper, now known to Red-Hatters across the country as the Exalted Queen Mother. According to the Society's web page, the first group began "as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and elan." At last official count, there are now 55,000 Red-Hatters across the United States and abroad, organized (or "disorganized," as the website states) into 2,000 chapters. There are several Red Hat Society chapters on the west side of New York state, both "official" and otherwise, said Shirley Tornow, the "Queen Mother" of the Granny Apple Society, a registered chapter which is based in Brockport. Tornow's daughter, Linda Glantz, who owns the Apple Country Quilt Shop and Café in Holley, entertained a different chapter of Red-Hatters in her shop one afternoon. She mentioned the group to her mother and offered to pay the $35 per year membership fee if Tornow started a chapter. Along with Linda's mother-in-law, Mary Anne Glantz, Tornow founded her chapter last summer, each bringing in a few friends. (Among members of the Granny Apple Society, Mary Anne is known by the title "Vice Mother.") "I've only lived here for a year and I was looking for a way to meet new friends," Tornow said about her decision to form a chapter. "It definitely worked!" Finding a cherry-red hat was a bit of a problem, until Tornow's husband spray painted an old straw topper and she wrapped it with a purple scarf and red beads. The group planned a few outings, including a lunch date at Crescent Beach, where they made quite an impression on the other diners. "Someone said we looked like a bed of flowers in the parking lot," Tornow remembered. "Quite a few people stopped by the table and wanted to know how they could join." Word spread and the phone started ringing, with calls coming from women in Brockport, Rochester, Hilton and Kendall. Already the group has 26 members and isn't currently accepting any others, but it's easy to create your own chapter by visiting www.redhatsociety.com. Look for the link to "Starting Your Own Chapter." For $35 per year, your chapter can be listed on the official website, you will receive a chapter charter and an invitation to the national Red Hat Society Conference, held last year in Chicago. In addition, the Exalted Queen Mother (EQM for short) sends out an e-mail message every Friday which Tornow said is sure to bring on a smile. The only "rule" of being a red-hatter is about attire - "one should wear a red hat and a clashing purple ensemble at all meetings to keep up the spirit ... ." Those under 50, like Tornow's daughter and granddaughter, can socialize with the group, but should wear pink hats and lavender clothing until they have celebrated the official birthday. The key idea there is "celebration," Tornow said. "These women are like another family to me. Together we are enjoying this time in our lives."
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