Membership Information

The Official Rules

There are 3 Official Rules

The RHS has always enjoyed using a play on words.  From calling ourselves a “disorganization” to sharing that we have “no rules”, it is always fun to place our emphasis on play.  The truth is, we would not be a thriving and global Sisterhood if we didn’t have a few rules we played by.  Hatquarters is proud to have always limited them to a select few giving our Queens and Members plenty of room for play.  These rules are:

1.  A woman wishing to play as RHS Queen or Member must pay annual Membership dues.  Simply put, she must “pay to play”.

2. Queens of the RHS are asked to ensure that the women who play within her Chapter(s) support the Society through individual Supporting Membership dues of $30 US annually.  Those dues are paid to the RHS’s Hatquarters located at 431 S. Acacia Ave., Fullerton, CA 92831 and such dues are used to keep the RHS alive and thriving.

3. When taking part in RHS  gatherings or events, Queens and Members utilize the Society’s signature colors or red and purple (for those over 50) and pink and lavender (for those 21 to 50).  Our regalia makes us unique and special, causes others to take notice of us and gives women you may come in contact with a reason to ask questions and potentially join us.  How a Queen or Member interprets the use of our colors is at her discretion and fun needs to be at the center of it.

Encountering Non-Supporting Women

This is taken from the Red Hat Society Handbook.

“If you run into women in Red Hat Regalia, looking just like a bona fide Chapter yet discover they are not card-carrying Members, keep in mind that they may be ignorant of the Membership requirement.  Gently explain the Membership concept and give them Hatquarters’ phone numbers:  (866)-FUN AT 50 or (714) 738-0001.  We sometimes run across “members” who know almost nothing about the RHS, including the necessity for the payment of dooz.  Explain that without paid Members there would be no RHS and ask them to take steps to join in the Sisterhood.  Above all, be friendly and gentle.

In other situations, you may encounter a group of women who call themselves Red or Pink Hatters, dress in regalia and know that they are not truly Members.  The most effective way you can support the Society is to not support their events.  The women hosting events in question should not call it a Red Hat Society event if they are not Supporting Members of the Society.  That is a right available only to official Members.  Don’t let these “faux” Hatters ruin your RHS Membership experience.

We simply ask you to gather the leader’s information and contact Hatquarters via memberservices@RedHatSociety.com.  We will confidentially and courteously contact these women and offer them the opportunity to join.”

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If you would like to see the Red Hat Society Handbook go to www.redhatsociety.com  Enter your name and password.  Click on Connect, My Account and then scroll down to My Membership box and click on Handbook.

Be Kind To Each Other

The RHS values integrity and respectful behaviour among its Members as well as between its Members and the general public.  The RHS does not condone nor will it tolerate any instance of harassment between Members in which intentional ill will is conveyed between Members.  If an instance of harassment is reported to the Red Hat Society, we will record the instance and will send an email to the offender telling her to stop harassing the victim.  If this behaviour continues, we will restrict access to the RHS website, QMB forums and may possibly revoke Membership for the year.  If this behaviour persists or we believe there is a serious threat to the victim, we will report all communications that we have saved as proof of the harassment to the authorities.