Dear Red Hatters,

I retain very few specifics from my years of formal education, neither high school nor college. (I figure I'm doing well if I can remember where I put my glasses.) But for some reason I remember this question posed by Aristotle: If you have a boat and, over time, you replace some of the parts – then a great many parts– at what point does the boat become a different boat, a new boat? After all, almost none of its original parts are there any more.

I was thinking about this in regard to my own chapter. Nearly 12 years ago we began with five women. Since then, our roster has changed drastically. Of the original five, one has passed away and one has moved on. We have added 21 new members since that first tea, most of them friends of friends. But three, including both the Esteemed Vice Mother and the Mistress of Anxiety, have moved away. Although we keep in close touch, we don't get to see them at our events any more. One or two others have resigned for personal reasons. The Queenship of our chapter has been passed, from me to Queen Sue II. But yet we still call ourselves The Fabulous Founders ("The Fabs" for short.) And we're still going strong.

Obviously, a chapter of the Red Hat Society, like nearly everything else in this world, is a work in progress. We certainly miss those who are no longer with us, but we are happy with well-established and developing friendships among those who remain active. Knowing that nothing remains static makes us appreciate what we have together even more than we might have otherwise. We can look forward, knowing that, whatever comes next, The Fabulous Founders will go on.

So don't let yourself become too sad or discouraged if and when you lose a member. This, by itself, cannot undercut what you have built together. For every member who leaves, invite a new person (or two) into your group. You know what they say about "new blood." It gets the juices going. So, whether you've been together for 10 years or two, you can bet that there's life and love in your chapter's future.

In friendship,
Sue Ellen and Debra, and all of us at Hatquarters

Ravishing in Red!
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Scarlet Sparkle!
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A Winter Tea
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They're All Stars!
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Quote of the Week!
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It's that time of year again! New and renewing Queens and Supporting Members will begin to receive, effective March 1, 2010, updated Membership materials.

For this year, we have included the following Queen or Supporting Member essentials:

• For the Queen - Your official RHS chapter charter –- this collectible charter gives you permission to play as a chapter, and has a great new look each year!
• A special keepsake from Hatquarters – we value your support of the Red Hat Society and extend our thanks with an exclusive gift. This gift is a beautiful newly designed Queen or Member pin. These special pins cannot be purchased anywhere. They are available only as a gift with Membership.
• The Getting Started page – a handy reference guide to getting started Red Hatting and an update on cool new RHS website features.
• A personalized Red Hat Society Membership card – This collectible newly designed card enables you to show your pride of Membership and access all of your benefits and services.
• New Handbooks – One for Queens and one for Supporting Members! These are comprehensive guides to the Red Hat Society.
• Registration cards – Exclusively for Queens - To help sign up your future chapterettes who prefer not to sign up online.
• Other surprises – just for fun!

We'd love to hear your thoughts regarding our new materials. If you have comments, please email them to memberservices@redhatsociety.com. Enjoy!

If you haven't read the latest issue of the Red Hatter Matters, check it out today!

To see previous issues or get a tutorial in reading the online magazine, click here!

Queens, check your email to make sure that you've received the latest Q2Q email! You don't want to miss out on this special Queens-only communication from Sue Ellen Cooper!

Do you remember last April Fool's Day? Hatquarters sent out an announcement that the RHS was changing its colors! We got a swift reaction from the membership, giving us the opportunity to send a second message: "April Fool!"

It was fun, but this year we're suggesting that it might be fun for Red and Pink Hatters to take a turn wearing each other's colors for a day. April 1 falls on a Thursday this year. You've got time to plan, if this sounds like fun to you. If your chapter happens to have a gathering on that day, you'll enjoy confusing everybody. Please send us your pictures and stories to stories@redhatsociety.com

There is still time to enter to win. This opportunity ends March 31, 2010! Two lucky winners will each win a FREE full registration including the extra day package (a $550 value) to the 2010 Brims by the Bay International Convention in San Diego, California!

NOTE: To be entered into the contest give the new member who is referred your MEMBER ID NUMBER (not your chapter number) to use at the time of her registration. Good Luck! For the full details, click here!

All Queens and Supporting Members who join or renew their Membership will receive a FREE 15-month Red Hat Society Pocket Calendar with their renewal materials! This one-of-a-kind calendar features original artwork by Sue Ellen Cooper, quotes from Red Hatters, and is the perfect size to slip into your purse. It's really cute and very handy to keep track of all things Red Hat. (While supplies last.)

For Exclusive RHS Packages, click here! Thank you for your support! To order, log in to the website, or call Hatquarters at 1-866-FUN-AT50 (1-866-386-2850, toll free within U.S.) or 714-738-0001.

Join us on Sunday, April 25th for RHS Day 2010, our 12th Birthday! We're celebrating at Knott's Berry Farm, inside the park at the Wilderness Dance Hall! EQM Sue Ellen Cooper and Lady Bug Debra Granich will be in attendance, and even Snoopy will be making an appearance! The price will be $45 per Hatter, which includes admission to the theme park with unlimited use of rides (Park Hours: 10AM-7PM) and a private, RHS exclusive luncheon celebration, entertainment, games, drawings for great prizes and camaraderie with your RHS sisters! The RHS Celebration is from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM, with lunch served from 12:00-2:00 PM. Click here to get more information about this fantastic event! There are only 200 available spots for this event, so sign up today!

On April 25, 1998, ten women dressed in royal purple and wearing red hats gathered for tea. The Red Hat Society was born on that lovely spring day, and ever since, April 25th has been the official Red Hat Society Day!

Chapters all over the world enjoying celebrating RHS Day with grand parties, exceptional outings, and just having as much fun as they possibly can. We'd love to know what all of our lovely Hatters have planned for their own local RHS Day celebrations! Tell us your plans by sending an email to Stories@redhatsociety.com!

This just in! New talent and new activities announced for the Brims by the Bay convention! You gotta be there!

Here is a glimpse of just one of the new activities planned for the Extra Day and Main Convention attendees! Picture yourself at a pool party featuring the Island Mirage Steel Drum band! Just imagine the warm San Diego sun shining down while you sip on a cool drink in the company of your Red Hat Sisters!

The 1-day packages are sold out, but there are still Main & Extra day packages available. As we announce new talent and activities these packages are sure to sell out too! So register today!

All attendees who register for the "Brims by the Bay" Convention between January 1 – March 31, 2010 will receive a FREE 10-inch Logo Beach Ball to sport at the event–while supplies last. It's the perfect way to show off your RHS spirit around the bay!

Don't let this fabulous opportunity bounce away! This is a limited time offer, so register for "Brims By the Bay"– our only event for 2010 –and get ready to play!

A message from Miss Kitty: "We are celebrating our 6th Anniversary serving the Red Hat communities with fun, exciting nostalgic articles, recipes, jokes, crafts, and Red Hat chapter stories. Our anniversary special is discounted subscriptions for members/vice queens from $16 a year to $10. Good only March, April, and May. Queens are only $8 a year always. Go to our website www.misskittysjournal.com to subscribe and view a sample issue."

International Women's Day has been observed since 1909, though it was celebrated on different days in different countries. Over the years, the International Women's Day has grown and become a truly international day of awareness of the contributions that women have made to the world, and the concerns of women today. This year's theme is Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress For All. Join us and women everywhere in this celebration. If you or your chapter does something special for International Women's Day, we'd love to hear about it! Send stories and photos to stories@redhatsociety.com

Cell phones today have features you may never use that get in the way of what you really need in a cell phone. In addition, cell phone companies treat you like a number. Their idea of customer service is to send you to a computerized voice system when you have a question. But Jitterbug, with worldwide leader Samsung, has created a cell phone that has bigger buttons and bigger numbers, so it's easy to use; in addition, Jitterbug offers live customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

A typical cell phone might offer an "App Store", where users struggle to download applications to a phone. Additional services, like checking the weather or the lottery results, are complicated and difficult to use. But Jitterbug has designed services that include great customer support –you'll find them easy to set up and even easier to use. These exclusive services are available in a Services Store (www.Jitterbug.com/ServicesStore). For example, Jitterbug's new MyWorld service provides access to things you want, like local weather, lottery results or sports scores – with the benefit of 24/7 customer support to help you. And best of all, it's all designed so you don't need to surf the web, download an application or pay additional data usage fees.

At Jitterbug, you are not just a number, and everything is designed or people who seek simplicity. Why not try Jitterbug for yourself? Through this exclusive offer, Hatters can buy a Jitterbug phone for only $99 – with a free leather case AND car charger - a $95 savings!

Visit www.jitterbugRHS.com or call 1-866-326-6212 now, and mention promo code "RedHat1" for this great offer!