Guest Guest_Vicky Report Share Posted October 4, 2005 I'm a new, heretofore inexperienced AD; just started last week! :-o We'd like to start a Red Hat Society chapter for our ladies, and will have a local chapter come in initially to help us get started. Anyone have any good ideas for activities for our group? We can have occasional teas for them, take them out occasionally to have dessert, etc., but, what else?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StacieO 0 Report Share Posted October 4, 2005 We also have a Red Hat group in our facility. They have a blast planning what they want to do each month (picnics on the deck, coffee parties, etc.). I have put one of my staff in charge, & she loves it, she's really taken ownership in it & besides, as one of my residents pointed out, I'm under 50! Anyway, they do things on their own & also invite other local Red Hat Groups in for special functions. Stacie O. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_Vicky Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 Thanks for the input--good ideas! Vicky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callie 0 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 At our first meeting we decorated the hats that the ladies would wear to all the meetings, I got cheap hats from Oriental Trading and spray painted them, then bought feathers, beads, sequins, tulle, ribbon and artificial flowers to decorate them. My residents had a blast! They enjoyed personalizing their own hat and believe me...the gaudier the better! I had a local photographer come and take professonal portraits of all the ladies in their hats...it was a great day and they loved it. Just a word of advice...make sure you have suffcient help when decorating the hats or you wil be run to death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StacieO 0 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Just to add to the hat decorating, we did the very same thing (hats from Oriental Trading & the whole bit). BUT, we invited another local Red Hat Group to assist w/ the decorating. It was basically one on one & worked out great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsbag 0 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 I think this sounds like a great idea. My little town has two chapters and we have had them in for tea, as guests, but never thought to start our own group. My question is would the less involved residents feel like you were favoring the more vibrant group? I have both condo residents and assisted living in the same building. I have to watch that I plan activities suited to both. What do you think?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StacieO 0 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 By less involved residents, do you mean residents that aren't able to participate or residents who CHOOSE not to participate? We invite anyone to join our group (we keep a couple of extra hats ready for new memebers). Our group only meets monthly, so it's like some are being favored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StacieO 0 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 Opps! Let's fix my last statement, it should end w/, "it's not like some are being favored." Sorry! It's Friday, I'm ready for the weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsbag 0 Report Share Posted October 8, 2005 Hi Stacio- Thanks for your response. I'm sure you have a core group that comes to everything...and the ones who don't and talk about those who get chosen to do things., despite being asked. Or maybe you don't :-? I have a hard time figuring out how to please the ones who wistfully remain in their rooms wishing they could have some fun, yet say no when I ask them. They have to wash their hair, nap, or wait for company{who doesn't seem to come that day} Thankfully I only have maybe 2 that are that way, but they weigh on my mind, and I keep turning the other cheek, so to speak. They would not wish to be a Red Hatter, but would wish they were. I guess that is what I was trying to get across. You know what I mean?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickyjo 0 Report Share Posted November 12, 2005 More on the Red Hat chapter--I'm having trouble finding INEXPENSIVE hats to decorate. I have about 7 or 8, but will need more. Know we can spraypaint them red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_JUAN Report Share Posted November 12, 2005 WE HAVE A RED HAT GROUP AT OUR FACILITY ALSO. WE HAVE INVITED OTHER GROUPS TO COME AND ENJOY SOME OF OUR ENTERTAINERS AND WE SERVE TEA AND COOKIES. WE DO GROUP PICTURES AND I KEEP AN ALBUM OF OUR GUESTS AND EVENTS. WE ALSO GO ON BUS OUTINGS FOR LUNCH, TO MALLS. WE HAVE MADE MOST OF OUR HATS AND THE RESIDENTS ENJOYED THIS ACTIVITY VERY MUCH. I PURCHASED STRAW HATS AND SPRAY PAINTED THEM RED. WE DECORATED THE HATS AND EACH ONE IS DIFFERENT. WE HAD A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER COME IN AND DO A LARGE GROUP PICTURE. EVERY MONTH WE HAVE A RED HAT SOCIAL SO, WE HAVE FUN,FUN,FUN. YOU CAN JOIN THE RED HAT SOCIETY BY GOING TO THE WEBSITE AND BECOMING CHARTERED. THEIR SITE IS REDHAT SOCIETY.COM HOPE THIS HELPS. JUAN MY E-MAIL IS ZACKYYODA@YAHOO.COM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wubby1963 0 Report Share Posted March 29, 2006 Hi I will be taking over after the acting AD retires which will be in a couple months. I was wondering if any of you have done any red hat parties? I would like to keep it on the monthly calendar for a couple of reasons number 1 mostly all ladies facility and number 2 they love to show off how the look in the red hats. My question is any ideas or actual parties you have done with this theme? Thanks Suzie W. Tripoli Nursing Home in Iowa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Hi Wubby - Try redhatsociety.com webpage, don't know if they have exactly what you are looking for but it's a good place to start. We had them at our ALF and it was a flop!! Haven't the slightest idea why. Good Luck!! Pat 8-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_billie Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 Hi Wubby, at my facility in texas we have a red hat society, it meets once a month it is a big hit, the residents really look foward to it. My social worker and our chaplain run it. They meet in their red hat attire and they have social gatherings they snack on cakes,cookies they talk about what they would like to do next month and so on, I dont sit in on it so i really dont know exactly what they talk about, but i know that they really love it. One time i being the activity director, took them to another facility so that they could talk to the residents there about the society. Our facility is registered for the Red Hat Society, we actually have a certificate to show for. Good Luck in starting yours. :-D :-D billie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sharri S. Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 Hi Wubby, I am an A.A. in Upper Michigan. I founded our Red Hat Society and it has been a big hit. Since we started in May of last year we have had a meeting to decorate our hats, we hosted a Pets on Parade, a pie outing, a Christmas Bazaar, a Winter Wonderland Party, a Tea Party, and this month we are having a Spring Fling Bazaar. We are planning for this year sponsoring a flower bed at our facility and planting only red and purple flowers, an outing with some community Red Hatters, we will be celebrating our 1st Birthday in September and planning a real big party. A possible Oktoberfest with entertainment, rootbeer and pizza, hosting a family/staff talent show. We are going to preform also, with our kazoos. Your possiblities are endless. Just have fun. We also gave all our ladies names. Examples: Lady Sew n Sew, Lady Foo Foo, Lady Razzle Dazzle, Lady Oh-la-la, etc. Hope this helps. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_Vicky Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 An update since I first asked for help with starting the Red Hat group! Ours is doing great--we meet the third Friday of every month. The first thing we do at every meeting is have a drawing to choose our "queen of the day." She gets to wear the purple boa and tiara, is served first, and draws names for our prizes. This is a mixed group of AL & nursing residents, and they all love it. We always serve nice refreshments: mini cheesecake squares, mini cream puffs, little decorated cupcakes, nice cookies, brownies, etc., & try to serve them on pretty trays with doilies, use pretty napkins, etc. We decorated hats at our first meeting, and then I did up some extras for new members. I have been blessed with great speakers each month, including an antique doll club, a program on shoes, & floral arrangement. I'm having some high school girls come in this month & model their prom dresses & visit with the ladies. Next month, some ladies are coming in with colored handbells, which they hand out to everyone & then direct songs by holding up colored cue cards. Hoping for a program on a teapot collection next. We've started a group in our Alzheimer's unit, now, too, which is more challenging. We keep it simple: last month, we just asked each lady questions, such as Where is your hometown, what did you do for hobbies, Where did you work. People love to talk about themselves, and I heard some of these ladies talk more than I ever have before. We're having this group run at the same time as our other group this month, and will have the prom dress models go over there, too. It has turned out to be one of our most popular activities! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.