Its good to be queen
Dottie Shott honored as Red Hat Societys April Queen Mother
By Jennifer Kneuss
April 24, 2012
451
Dottie Shott of New Philadelphia is a diva. A Red Hat Diva, to be exact, as that is the name of the local Red Hat Society (RHS) chapter that Schott founded. In fact, she has been honored with national acclamation as the national Red Hat Societys April Queen Mother, but it all began with a poem.
When Jenny Joseph penned her poem, Warning, in 1961 in Minchinhampton, England, she had no idea that it would eventually inspire women worldwide. It begins with the now-famous line, When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple, with a red hat which doesnt go and doesnt suit me It goes on to describe the joys of doing whatever one wishes to do, in playful abandon, and closes with But maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised. When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
Sue Ellen Cooper, a California woman, happened upon a red hat and a copy of the poem, and in 1998 was struck with the idea of meeting with a few friends, all wearing red hats, for friendship and good times.
The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and élan, quotes Cooper at www.redhatsociety.com. We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together. Underneath the frivolity, we share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next.
The Red Hat Society now has more than 20,000 chapters in all 50 states and in 25 foreign countries. Shott is Queen Mother of the New Philadelphia chapter.
I heard about the RHS, and it sounded like so much fun! So I put up a poster in Yongs Beauty Salon, where Ive worked for 35 years, to see if there were others who might be interested in forming a group. That was about nine years ago, said Shott, who looks and acts much younger than her age of 62. I had over 25 women show up, and it really took off! To be a Red Hat, a woman must be 50 years of age or older.
Now the group has 30-40 members, of which three are Pink Hatters, the name given to younger women who wish to join in the fun.
My mother, Marie Case, is a Red Hat with me, and my daughter, Jody Daugherty, is a Pink Hat, explained the Queen Mother. We have so much fun! We go on bus trips, and some of those are mystery trips that only I know the details of. We go exploring all over the place, out to eat, and truly enjoy each others company. Mostly, we have a lot of fun.
Shott was thrilled to be chosen by the national organization for the honor of April 2012 Queen Mother, since a great many Red Hatters were nominated for the honor. She has been a beautician for 45 years, and married for almost 35 years, and raised five children. Shott is also grandmother to 12. She receives constant requests for more information about joining her own Red Hat Divas group, and happily refers women to groups in their own areas.
We have created a legacy together a legacy of fun, friendship, freedom to express ourselves and a dedication to the fulfillment of our lifelong dreams, states the Red Hat Society website. No matter what a womans race, socio-economic status, or religion we are there to support each other. We value being a woman and understand the importance of promoting the next phase of our lives!
Dottie Shott couldnt agree more.
I joined for the fun of it, but there is so much more. I love being a Red Hat.
