Red Hatters encourage fun for women over 50

?We are the ?Ocqueoc Scarlet Ladies,? ? said queen mother Kathy Cochill, who goes by the name of ?Queen Diamond Lil.? ? Forget the racy name, this fun-loving group of more than a dozen ladies over the age of 50 comprise the two-month-old group of National ?Red Hat Ladies,? an organization begun in California by Sue Ellen Cooper. Cooper?s friends took her out to lunch when she turned 50 and made her wear a red hat. From then on it went from friend to friend and now there are between 8,000 to 10,000 members nationwide.

?We just get together and go out and have a good time,? Diamond Lil? said. ?If you?re less than 50 years of age, you can still participate, but must wear a pink hat instead.? Outfits also must be purple in color, plus or minus a boa or two with the self-decorated, individual red hat, the mark of distinction for each member. In northern Michigan there are groups in Petoskey, Charlevoix, Drummond Island, Mackinaw, Alpena, Rogers City, and now Ocqueoc. The group plans about two events per month after getting together to decide what events they?d like to participate in.

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