There are so many events to attend! Although many attended the Birthday Lunch & Fashion Show at the Keg with host chapter Wild Prairie Roses others from our area spent 4 exciting day’s in Calgary celebrating the Red Hat Society Birthday Party at the Calgary Roundup Convention at the Westin Hotel.

With 404 Red Hatters from far and wide, the scope of Red Hatting was in evidence by the attendance of those from England, Hawaii, other United States and every Province of Canada and of course from all over Alberta!

Thurs. evening I was part of a panel of judges for the scrap booking contest.

We were 8 Queen’s from our Districts across Canada and I am so glad we only had to score questions about them from 1-10 and someone else had to tally the numbers! I simply knew too many of the girls that had worked so hard on their scrapbooks and had wondered how I would survive that!! Phew! It was fun though to have the time to sit and look through all those books which normally we only have time to browse. We saw a vast amount of talent that was very impressive!

Following this, a “meet & greet” was held in the Westin’s Grand Ballroom.

We each received a Bingo Paper in which we had to move about the room to greet new Red Hatters and have them write their names in all our squares. Our laughter and chatter was full of merriment to say the least as we moved about the room wanting to visit yet knowing we had to move along for more “names” There are no wilting violets among Red Hatters that just “wanna have fun”!! Snacks and drinks were provided followed by announcements, a bit of bingo play to see who could win with their card full of names and that turned out to be fun to hear our names being called instead of numbers or letters!! This was followed by musical entertainment and quite naturally the Red Hatters penchant for dancing for the simple joy of it!

Friday was filled with a Hotel Continental breakfast, tours and the Chinook Center Mall Crawl with host Chapter Prairie Angels of Arrowwood. We rode the carrousel, had lunch and shopped! Vendors were also set up on the conference level of the hotel for the weekend. We purchased all manner of Red Hat products from hats, clothes, every conceivable craft and fabulous bling! Shopping - it’s what we do!

The theme for dinner was “Red Hats & Purple Chaps” and I have never seen more elegant and flamboyant red and purple western duds!

More music and dancing of course! We are happy and enthusiastic Red Hatters!

Saturday, The Official Red Hat Day started out with a “Stampede Breakfast” at the Eau Claire Market and a parade with Kazoo Band in which several of us from our area participated. What a sight to behold 404 women in Red & Purple parading around the lake. It was an awesome sight!

More tours of Calgary or Classes in Line Dancing or Belly Dancing or Scrap booking, the choices were many for whatever would strike a Red Hatters fancy!

Saturday evening dinner theme of “Divas & Diamonds” expressed our love of playing dress up to the utmost advantage! It was definitely a Formal Red Hat Sparkle Extraordinaire! Following another incredibly delicious meal, professional entertainers, one on keyboard and two singers had us toe tapping and singing along…all we can say is “WOW” it was a night to remember!

The last day of this convention was a Pajama Breakfast of “Bloomers & Bling” which brings out the “foolishness” in us! The creativity of Red Hatters is amazing, funny, and crazy but it’s what we do! It’s fun!

I had been invited to give the Blessing for this meal and also to join the Co Host Chapters, Red Hat Lariat Lasses & Calgary & Area Red Hat Chapters at the head table to share breakfast with them. I was very much honored to do so and stepping up to the podium, totally forgot I was in my pajamas! After partaking of another delicious meal, we were enthralled with a wonderful comedian (in her pajamas of course!) that had us laughing until our sides hurt.

Others and myself were recipients of door prizes which certainly added to our fun but the best was getting to meet and form new friendships with Red Hatters that Matter! We may not see all of them again although we know many are going to be attending the same future events. However, email addresses were being exchanged with gusto and promises to keep in touch with each and every one of these phenomenal women.

We know we will remember this time together at the Calgary Roundup Convention with pleasure.

It’s the Red Hat Way! Fun, Friendship, Freedom & Fulfillment.

In Fun & Hilarity!
Queen Mum Sandy
Chief Mountain Red Hat So. Belles
Cardston, Alberta