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Pay Membership
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Late Bloomer- Last Online: May 15 2009
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Pay Membership
In the past I, as queen, paid for our chapter to be an offical chapter of the RHS. Starting in Dec, as I understand, each person in a chapter will need to pay $20.00. This money would go to Hatquaters. Without paying you would not be considered a offical member of the RHS.
What do you think?
Red Hat Ladies on GB- Last Online: Nov 25 2009
Late Bloomer- Last Online: May 15 2009
- Last Online: Dec 31 1969
ImaC- Last Online: Aug 29 2010
- Last Online: Dec 31 1969
QUEEN TONI- Last Online: Nov 04 2009
QUEEN TONI- Last Online: Nov 04 2009
QUEEN TONI- Last Online: Nov 04 2009
Simply Deb- Last Online: Jan 25 2012
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I have not heard anything about having to pay. Surely they will not start charging. I will check with my local Queen and get back to you.
Red Hatters on GB
Ann
Red Hatters on GB
Ann
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Effective December 1, our simplified Membership Model will be:
Queen – $39 per year
Includes Queen’s own Supporting Membership card with all associated
benefits, registration of the chapter, chapter materials, access to online
chapter management tools, and Queen to Queens broadcast
Supporting Membership card – $20 (U.S.) per year per member
Possession of this card demonstrates each individual’s support for the
Red Hat Society and confers these benefits: Full access to the RHS
Website (including the Queen Mother Board, QMBII, Events Calendar,
and all other new and ongoing features), digital quarterly Red Hatter
Matters newsletter, Friday Broadcast, discounts on official RHS products,
and eligibility to attend all legitimate RHS events. This card will for now,
also include optional discounts from thousands of North American
businesses, such as theaters, restaurants, etc. (You may not elect to use
these discounts, but they will be available if you do - through April, 2010.)
This was sent out from Hatquaters. Need a card carrying member to be official
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I have recently attended two Queens Council meetings representing in total over 300 chapters in two countries and all chapters have unanimously voted that they will not pay the $20 per person fee. I have also heard that another large QC is in agreement. I am sure there are more - on both sides of the argument.
Most feel that they do not use the boards, or any of the other benefits and do not attend the conventions.
Seriously, I believe that at most 5-10% of the members use any of the benefits.
Chapters have been paying $39/year (more in other countries due to exchange rates so some pay up to $50/year) - for the privilege of saying they belong to the parent company and that is all they want. They just want to don their red hats and go play with their friends.
Unfortunately, in many minds, the RHS has lost focus of the concept of what it began as - a "Sisterhood of Friendship" and that is what many women want. The RHS took the initiative of the enthusiasm of these women to turn the RHS into a BIG BUSINESS and I don't believe that is what their members wanted or were looking for.
There is a very small group on the QMB that are comfortable enough/wealthy enough to attend most, if not all, the official RHS events and good for them that they are so fortunate.
The majority of the members are retired, elderly women on fixed or limited incomes and it is quite enough for them to cope with chapter outtings, purchasing the regalia and paying chapter dues. Many QM's pay the $39 themselves, knowing their members can't contribute.
I think this new $20/member has come at such rotten timing as the world slips into a recession and possible depression and funds are limited and people are losing their jobs and their homes.
It's unfortunate it wasn't started at the very beginning that each person must pay an annual fee. But, had that been the case I am sure they wouldn't have gorwn the way it has.
I've heard many comments such as: "why didn't they raise the $39 to $50 or lower the $20 to $5 or $10. Very few comments in support of the $20.
To the members the Red Hat Society is a social club, but to the RHS it is a FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS and they are in it to MAKE MONEY. (Otherwise they would have made it originally or changed later to a non-profit organization)
I truly believe in the "SISTERHOOD OF FRIENDSHIP" that the Red Hat Society began as and hope it will continue as I think it offers so very much to women over 50 and to women who suddenly find themselves alone later in life. I hope that it will survive this financial crises but who knows.... we've all been shocked by some of the big businesses that have folded and more every day.
Should we use some our life savings, which are quickly depleting, to bail out GM because we love to drive a GM automobile? There really is little difference. Both GM and the RHS are businesses that have not handled their finances very well due to mismanagement or poor planning.
Did we ask for or need?
Did we need a second QMB? They said we needed one that was secure but the new QMB2 quickly proved to offer NO security whatsoever and anything posted could be accessed and read by anyone on the internet. This board caused nothing but friction and strive amoung members and a lot of members walked away from both boards as a result.
Did we need a book club and book store? Were they trying to compete with Oprah and Amazon?
Did we need a RHS store when we could buy the same merchandise elsewhere for less?
I have copies of their press releases stating that they had over one million members in over 40,000 chapters. At $20 each that would give the RHS revenue ANNUALLY of over 22 million dollars... what on earth would they need that amount of money for? The reality was proven by some members who painstakingly counted every registered chapter and kept a running tally online. Thus proving the number of chapters was far less.... and closer to 24,000. Why did they "fudge" their figures? So they could get companies to advertise on their web site thus bringing them more revenue and sponsorships. One company alone is alledged to have paid over $100,000 for this.
Many have asked for financial records - something that businesses must make public, but all were denied. Perhaps had they shown us where the money was going and we saw a legitimate need for money we would have been happier to pay the $20 each?
Why would our parent lie to us?
Many of you will be angered by my comments and I know many of you agree with them because I hear from both sides regularly and many of you have more facts and newspaper articles etc. to substantiate what you say. There will always be those who prefer to stick their heads in the sand and just go off and play... and that's ok.... because from the comments at those Queens Council meetings and in the emails, that seems to be what the majority of you want.... to just return to the FUN aspect of red hatting and to not be bothered with a mega-business.
Can I afford it? Yes today I could but today, having lost over 1/3 of our retirement fund in the past three months, I am seriously watching my pennies and not spending if I don't have to. I pray tomorrow will be better but there is a good chance it will be much worse in the months to come.
Timing could not be worse for the RHS.
Most feel that they do not use the boards, or any of the other benefits and do not attend the conventions.
Seriously, I believe that at most 5-10% of the members use any of the benefits.
Chapters have been paying $39/year (more in other countries due to exchange rates so some pay up to $50/year) - for the privilege of saying they belong to the parent company and that is all they want. They just want to don their red hats and go play with their friends.
Unfortunately, in many minds, the RHS has lost focus of the concept of what it began as - a "Sisterhood of Friendship" and that is what many women want. The RHS took the initiative of the enthusiasm of these women to turn the RHS into a BIG BUSINESS and I don't believe that is what their members wanted or were looking for.
There is a very small group on the QMB that are comfortable enough/wealthy enough to attend most, if not all, the official RHS events and good for them that they are so fortunate.
The majority of the members are retired, elderly women on fixed or limited incomes and it is quite enough for them to cope with chapter outtings, purchasing the regalia and paying chapter dues. Many QM's pay the $39 themselves, knowing their members can't contribute.
I think this new $20/member has come at such rotten timing as the world slips into a recession and possible depression and funds are limited and people are losing their jobs and their homes.
It's unfortunate it wasn't started at the very beginning that each person must pay an annual fee. But, had that been the case I am sure they wouldn't have gorwn the way it has.
I've heard many comments such as: "why didn't they raise the $39 to $50 or lower the $20 to $5 or $10. Very few comments in support of the $20.
To the members the Red Hat Society is a social club, but to the RHS it is a FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS and they are in it to MAKE MONEY. (Otherwise they would have made it originally or changed later to a non-profit organization)
I truly believe in the "SISTERHOOD OF FRIENDSHIP" that the Red Hat Society began as and hope it will continue as I think it offers so very much to women over 50 and to women who suddenly find themselves alone later in life. I hope that it will survive this financial crises but who knows.... we've all been shocked by some of the big businesses that have folded and more every day.
Should we use some our life savings, which are quickly depleting, to bail out GM because we love to drive a GM automobile? There really is little difference. Both GM and the RHS are businesses that have not handled their finances very well due to mismanagement or poor planning.
Did we ask for or need?
Did we need a second QMB? They said we needed one that was secure but the new QMB2 quickly proved to offer NO security whatsoever and anything posted could be accessed and read by anyone on the internet. This board caused nothing but friction and strive amoung members and a lot of members walked away from both boards as a result.
Did we need a book club and book store? Were they trying to compete with Oprah and Amazon?
Did we need a RHS store when we could buy the same merchandise elsewhere for less?
I have copies of their press releases stating that they had over one million members in over 40,000 chapters. At $20 each that would give the RHS revenue ANNUALLY of over 22 million dollars... what on earth would they need that amount of money for? The reality was proven by some members who painstakingly counted every registered chapter and kept a running tally online. Thus proving the number of chapters was far less.... and closer to 24,000. Why did they "fudge" their figures? So they could get companies to advertise on their web site thus bringing them more revenue and sponsorships. One company alone is alledged to have paid over $100,000 for this.
Many have asked for financial records - something that businesses must make public, but all were denied. Perhaps had they shown us where the money was going and we saw a legitimate need for money we would have been happier to pay the $20 each?
Why would our parent lie to us?
Many of you will be angered by my comments and I know many of you agree with them because I hear from both sides regularly and many of you have more facts and newspaper articles etc. to substantiate what you say. There will always be those who prefer to stick their heads in the sand and just go off and play... and that's ok.... because from the comments at those Queens Council meetings and in the emails, that seems to be what the majority of you want.... to just return to the FUN aspect of red hatting and to not be bothered with a mega-business.
Can I afford it? Yes today I could but today, having lost over 1/3 of our retirement fund in the past three months, I am seriously watching my pennies and not spending if I don't have to. I pray tomorrow will be better but there is a good chance it will be much worse in the months to come.
Timing could not be worse for the RHS.
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My posts here are only my thoughts, opinions and things I've heard. I can't say how accurate these facts are. If anyone has questions, it's probably best to address those questions directly to Hatquarters. Their contact information is probably on the Red Hat website.
Go to www.redhatsociety.com and click on S.O.S., you'll see that Hatquarters has launched a campaign called S.O.S., Save Our Society. Save is crossed out and overwritten with Support. Our has a Y added to it to become Your. The campaign is called Save Your Society.
I think 4 updates have been emailed to Purple Perks members. The first S.O.S. email explained their current situation. Someone told me that Hatquarters asked queens to consider renewing their chapters now, which meant renew early for many chapters. I think Purple Perks members were encouraged to renew early. Thirdly, I think outright monetary donations were requested from members who could afford to send donations to the Red Hat Society. These donations aren't tax deductible as far as I know. This campaign seems to have held Hatquarters' head above water for now. It's all too complicated for this old gal.
I'm not too bright, but wouldn't the women who can afford to donate, make out better if somehow they could become something like shareholders instead? My opinion of course.
There must be some Purple Perks members on Growing Bolder. Maybe they will enlighten the rest of us?
Go to www.redhatsociety.com and click on S.O.S., you'll see that Hatquarters has launched a campaign called S.O.S., Save Our Society. Save is crossed out and overwritten with Support. Our has a Y added to it to become Your. The campaign is called Save Your Society.
I think 4 updates have been emailed to Purple Perks members. The first S.O.S. email explained their current situation. Someone told me that Hatquarters asked queens to consider renewing their chapters now, which meant renew early for many chapters. I think Purple Perks members were encouraged to renew early. Thirdly, I think outright monetary donations were requested from members who could afford to send donations to the Red Hat Society. These donations aren't tax deductible as far as I know. This campaign seems to have held Hatquarters' head above water for now. It's all too complicated for this old gal.
I'm not too bright, but wouldn't the women who can afford to donate, make out better if somehow they could become something like shareholders instead? My opinion of course.
There must be some Purple Perks members on Growing Bolder. Maybe they will enlighten the rest of us?
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Shareholders receive (in a good economy anyways) dividends and benefit from the profits of the business.
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WE HELD A LOCAL QUEENS MEETING IN MY AREA AR -OKLA IT WAS WELL REPRESENTED AND EVERYONE IS VERY UPSET WITH SUE ELLEN THE FEELING IS SHE HAS FORGOTTEN THIS WAS A FUN CLUB, NO RULES, AND HAS GOTTEN GREEDY SO WE ALL DECIDED TO DROP OUT OF THE SOCIETY AND JUST BE REDHAT CLUBS KEEP OUR CLUB NAMES AND KEEP ON DOING AS WE HAVE BEFORE OR AS I SAID MY CLUB CAN BECOME CRAWFORD COUNTY CUTIES LADIES CLUB
QUEEN TONI
QUEEN TONI
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LADIES THIS SITE HAS BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE ON THE REDHAT SOS
redhatfun@yahoogroups.com
MIGHT BE WORTH JOING JUST SIGN UP FOR DAILY DIGEST
redhatfun@yahoogroups.com
MIGHT BE WORTH JOING JUST SIGN UP FOR DAILY DIGEST
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WELL I AM A PURPLE PERK MEMBER ALL IT HAS GOTTEN M IS ACESS TO QMB ON HER SITE AND TO BE ABLE TO GO TO CONVENTIONS IF I CAN AFFORD THEM AND A DISCOUNT OF HER MERCHANDISE ALTHOUGH LSAST TIME I ORDERD I DID NOT GET IT
SO PURPLE PERK CARD TO ME IS USELESS
SO PURPLE PERK CARD TO ME IS USELESS
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I hope it's OK for me to post the group's link here.
If not, please let me know, and I'll have this message deleted.
>> Red Hat Fun
If not, please let me know, and I'll have this message deleted.
>> Red Hat Fun
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