Membership terms and conditions

About these terms

The policies contained in these terms and conditions have been implemented to protect our Members and the name, identity, goodwill, brand, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property and vital interests of RHS. Unauthorized use of RHS intellectual property, even with good intentions, is a violation of state and federal law. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions may result in legal action by RHS. These terms and conditions are subject to amendment or revision by RHS without prior notice.

What membership includes

Red Hat Society membership entitles members to:

• One full year Membership in the Red Hat Society.
• One personalized Membership card.
• Full access to the password-protected Red Hat Society website.
• Digital or email communications, including the monthly newsletter and the digital Red Hatter Matters magazine.
• All pertinent benefits and discounts.
• Access to view RHS events, receive event invitations, and RSVP to invitations.
• Participation in Red Hat Society sponsored events.
• The right to use the Red Hat Society Chapter Logo on member materials, following the guidelines given in the Red Hat Society Logo Usage Policy.
• Other privileges, which may be subject to change.

Membership dues

All Chapters and Members must ensure their Membership dues are renewed annually via mail, Internet or phone payment on or before their anniversary date, which is the day a Chapter or Member first joined RHS. Upon renewal, Members will receive the current year's Membership kit.

If a renewal fee is not received by the expiration date, the Chapter or Member will lose all rights and privileges pertaining to Membership. Membership dues are used by RHS to support operations.

Membership fees are used to support a full time office where all phone calls and emails are answered as quickly and efficiently as possible and members are assisted personally with questions and concerns whenever possible. Operational costs incurred include employee salaries, insurance, taxes, phone bills, internet bills, programming fees, computers, office supplies and furnishings. Your chapter will be sent a notice of expiration by email prior to chapter listing expiration. If a chapter renewal fee is not received by the chapter expiration date, the chapter will lose all of the privileges pertaining thereto. A grace period will be permitted so that chapters will have ample time to renew before a lapse of status occurs.

In an effort to ensure the continued Legacy of our Society, RHS expects all Members to keep their Membership dues current. If, for unforeseen circumstances, a Member does not pay on time and calls or mails in a payment at a later date, their Membership is retroactive to their original anniversary date and is good from one year from the anniversary date.

Membership fees are non-refundable.

What members must not do

Members of the Red Hat Society must not:

• Engage in negotiations with any third party on behalf of the Red Hat Society.
• Distribute any type of printed materials in the name of the Red Hat Society which has not been supplied or given previous approval by The Red Hat Society.
• Use the name of the Red Hat Society, the Red Hat Society logo, Ruby RedHat, or any other intellectual property belonging to the Red Hat Society in conjunction with any unethical, immoral or otherwise inappropriate agencies or affiliations.
• Use information from this web site (redhatsociety.com) or from any other source to form email “spam” lists or solicitation lists of any kind, or related to any activity or event.
• Use their Red Hat Society affiliation or the Red Hat Society name as a means to advertise the sale of commercial products or services.
• Use the Site and/or any other vehicle of communication provided on this web site to harass, misinform, mislead or confuse others.
• Violate the Event Policies of the Red Hat Society as stated on this web site.
• Present their chapter as part of an independent organization. A chapter must always present itself as a chapter of the Red Hat Society. If the chapter has a chapter web site, the chapter name indicating its affiliation with the Red Hat Society and a link to redhatsociety.com must be prominently displayed on the first page, without any “scrolling” necessary.
• Use their Red Hat Society affiliation to solicit membership in an organization or to infringe upon which appears to be in direct competition with, or to be an infringement upon the intellectual property of, the Red Hat Society.

The Red Hat Society reserves all rights to terminate a Member's status based on a failure to comply with any or all of the above terms and conditions and/or for improprieties which give the appearance of a failure to comply with any or all of the above terms and conditions. Membership fees will be forfeited by the offending Member or Members in the case of discontinued Chapter or Membership service.

In the event that an individual chooses to discontinue membership in The Red Hat Society, she should not use Red Hat Society intellectual property, including but not limited to its logo, in any way. Furthermore, such individuals should not use Red Hat Society trade dress colors, red and purple, pink and lavender, or combinations thereof, in any way which would confuse the general public to believe that they continue to be associated with or represent the Red Hat Society or its members.

Website terms and conditions

The following conditions apply to all Red Hat Society sites and domains, including but not limited to redhatsociety.com, redhatsocietymarketplace.com and shopredhatsociety.com.

• These sites and domains or social media platforms must not be used to sell or promote any commercial product or service, or by any merchant or web site offering commercial goods and/or services without prior written permission from The Red Hat Society, Inc.
• These sites and domains or social media platforms must not be used to disseminate any information in the name of the Red Hat Society which has not been supplied or given previous approval by The Red Hat Society.
• The property of RHS includes, but is not limited to, the name of the Red Hat Society, the Red Hat Society logo, Ruby RedHat, and any other intellectual property belonging to the Red Hat Society, including the contents of all Red Hat Society sites and domains listed above. It is the property of The Red Hat Society, and must not be used on any other web site without prior written permission from The Red Hat Society, nor must it be used in conjunction with any unethical, immoral or obscene materials, communications or web site content.
• Use of information from any Site, social media platform or Domain to form email “spam” lists or solicitation lists of any kind, or related to any activity or event, is strictly prohibited.
• Use of any of the written content of any Site, social media platform or Domain on any other web site or printed material without prior written permission from The Red Hat Society is prohibited.
• Use of these sites and domains and/or any other vehicle of communication provided on any Red Hat Society site or domain to harass, deliberately misinform, or deliberately mislead or confuse others is strictly prohibited.
• Use of “The Queen Member Board,” “Red Hat Chat” and/or any other vehicle of communication provided on Sites, social media platforms and Domains to harass or deliberately misinform, mislead or confuse others is prohibited.

Failure to comply with the above terms and conditions may result in legal action by the Red Hat Society. These terms and conditions are subject to amendment without prior notice. Membership fees are non-refundable.

Logo and trademark usage

The Red Hat Society name is a registered trademark of The Red Hat Society. Our logo, the hat and sash, the sash alone, and Ruby RedHat and other names and marks are also copyrighted by and/or trademarks of The Red Hat Society protected under law.

Membership in the Red Hat Society does not give a person the right to use the name, logo, Ruby RedHat, or any other copyright or trademark other than as expressly authorized by RHS. However, membership does give an individual special privileges with respect to the use of the Red Hat Society chapter logo and trademark, as delineated below. Any person or group that uses the Red Hat Society name, logo, chapter logo, or Ruby RedHat graphic for profit without prior written authorization by The Red Hat Society will be subject to prosecution under law.

Commercial use of our intellectual property without prior written authorization from RHS will subject the infringer to prosecution under the law. Such authorization may be obtained in appropriate circumstances by contacting HATquarters.

Chapter logo

The Red Hat Society Chapter Logo may be used by members of Red Hat Society chapters on Red Hat Society chapter web sites, name tags, chapter rosters, chapter newsletters, chapter event fliers, and the like without special permission, provided that it is not used to market or endorse goods or services of any kind, used to defame the Red Hat Society in any way, or used in connection with objectionable material, as determined by The Red Hat Society. We do however specify that any chapter member using the chapter logo must include the name of her chapter above, beside or below the Red Hat Society Chapter Logo to avoid confusion.

For example: “The Good Golly, Miss Molly” Chapter of the Red Hat Society.

The Chapter Logo graphic is available to Chapter Queens and Supporting Members. To request a copy, or to secure the rights to produce items bearing the Chapter Logo for your chapter's own use where those items are not available in the Red Hat Society store, email HATquarters at info@redhatsociety.com.

Any use of Red Hat Society copyrights or trademarks beyond those specified above requires prior written approval from The Red Hat Society. Such permission is not regularly given but may be obtained in exceptional and appropriate circumstances by contacting HATquarters.

Chapter website policies

The following policies are part of the Membership Terms and Conditions for those who wish to create Red Hat Society chapter web sites. Please review the Membership Terms and Conditions in conjunction with the content here.

• Chapter web sites must not represent the chapter as part of an independent organization.
• It must be clear from looking at the web site that it represents a chapter of the Red Hat Society and that it is not the Red Hat Society web site. The chapter name indicating such affiliation and a link to redhatsociety.com must be present on the home page of the chapter web site. This avoids confusion for those who are attempting to find the main Red Hat Society web site.
• A chapter should not use the poem “Warning” by Jenny Joseph on its web site, or violate copyright or trademark law in any way.
• A chapter web site may not be used to misrepresent or malign the Red Hat Society or any of its members or other chapters, and must not libel or defame anyone.
• Chapter web sites must not be used for the purpose of selling goods or services. A chapter must not use the Red Hat Society name, logo, or any other copyright or trademark of the Red Hat Society on a web site that sells goods or services which are not offered or licensed by The Red Hat Society, Inc.
• There should be no direct link from a chapter page to other websites offering goods or services aimed at Members which would confuse the public to believe that such unauthorized products or services are in any way sanctioned by or affiliated with RHS.
• Chapter websites must not violate copyright or trademark laws, including but not limited to use of the Society's official logo.
• Chapters are welcome to use the Red Hat Society Chapter Logo graphic on their chapter web sites.

Chapter event policies

RHS publishes an Event Calendar to help Chapters publicize their events. This is a communication tool only, designed to support our Members, and does not constitute RHS sponsorship or endorsement of the posted events. Official RHS events are planned by HATquarters and promoted on the RHS website.

RHS Chapters may:

• Plan local events which involve other chapters or interested individuals.
• Use their specific chapter names to advertise and promote such gatherings.
• Notify HATquarters of the event if it is large enough that it may conflict with a Red Hat Society event already in the planning stages.

To ensure we are always promoting fun and friendship, chapter events must not involve anything which may be considered questionable in nature while using their RHS affiliation to publicize such events.

Event liability and responsibility of organizers

Official Red Hat Society events are planned, hosted, and sponsored exclusively by Red Hat Society, LLC (“RHS”). Any event that is not planned and hosted directly by RHS, including without limitation events organized by individual chapters, by members, by groups of chapters, or by any third party, is NOT an RHS-sponsored event, regardless of whether it is listed on the RHS Event Calendar or publicized using the Red Hat Society name or chapter logo.

Listing an event on the RHS Event Calendar is a courtesy communication tool only and does not constitute sponsorship, endorsement, supervision, or hosting by RHS.

Sole responsibility and liability

The person, persons, or chapter organizing any event that is not directly hosted by RHS is solely responsible for that event and assumes all liability arising from or related to it. This includes, without limitation, all liability for personal injury, death, property damage, financial loss, contractual obligations, permits, insurance, and any acts or omissions of the organizer, attendees, vendors, or venues. RHS has no responsibility, control, or liability whatsoever for any such event.

No liability of RHS

RHS, including its officers, directors, employees, and agents, shall not be liable for any claim, demand, loss, damage, cost, or expense of any kind arising out of or in connection with any event not directly hosted by RHS.

Indemnification

Any chapter, member, or other person who organizes, hosts, or promotes an event that is not directly hosted by RHS agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless RHS and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of or relating to that event.

Assumption of risk by attendees

Any individual who attends an event that is not directly hosted by RHS does so at her or his own risk and agrees that RHS bears no responsibility or liability for that event.

Advertising and publicity requirement

All advertising, promotion, and publicity for any chapter event or any event not directly hosted by RHS must clearly identify the host as a “chapter of the Red Hat Society,” not as “the Red Hat Society” itself. If the Red Hat Society name or chapter logo is used, it must appear in direct conjunction with the hosting chapter's name so that it is unmistakably clear that the event is hosted by that chapter and not by RHS.

Example: “The Good Golly, Miss Molly” Chapter of the Red Hat Society presents…

If a chapter's name already contains the words “Red Hat Society,” the publicity must still make clear that the host is a chapter of the Red Hat Society, and not RHS itself.

Example: “The Red Hat Society Honeys,” a Chapter of the Red Hat Society, presents…

Event policy

HATquarters plans to schedule national and smaller regional gatherings. In the interest of fairness we will try to spread these around the US and Canada in different places, to make it easier for everyone to eventually attend one of our big events without having to travel too far.

Because of the number of Red Hatters, we realize that we will not be able to take our show on the road to everyone as quickly as we would like. In order to spread friendship and enjoyment of each other, we encourage Red Hatters to get together groups of chapters from time to time.

Although The Red Hat Society has no rules, it has become apparent that we do need to set forward a clear policy for an event publicized in our name or to our members as “Red Hat” events. This is the only way to ensure that we remain unified and recognizable as part of one group, while avoiding exploitation of our members. The following are guidelines for any gathering associated with The Red Hat Society:

• The hosting chapter or chapters need to notify HATquarters regarding the date and nature of the event, as well as the methods of publicity to be used. We will make every attempt to avoid scheduling one of our national events too close in date or location to the one you are planning.
• Any publicity must state clearly that the host is a specific CHAPTER of The Red Hat Society, not The Red Hat Society itself. If the RHS logo is used, it must be used very clearly in conjunction with the name of the CHAPTER hosting the event, so that it is abundantly clear that RHS itself is not the host.
• If other area chapters are to be invited, an announcement should be placed on the RHS Event Calendar on The Red Hat Society website.
• If the event is to be held under The Red Hat Society name, we request that only official chapters be allowed to attend.
• Any negotiations with outside parties including hotels, travel agencies and the like, as well as any financial guarantees required, must be done in the organizers' own names, not in the name of The Red Hat Society.
• RHS is a social club, and membership is not to be seen as an opportunity for business networking. Our premise does not allow for the promotion of each other's businesses or other commercial enterprises for the profit of any individual or business. Any profit derived from an event put on by an individual chapter of the Red Hat Society must be accounted for by those putting it on to the chapter she belongs to, and used for the benefit of the chapter as a whole.
• A space needs to be made available for the HATquarters travel team to promote future Red Hat Society sponsored events.
• If you would like a representative from HATquarters to attend in person or virtually, please contact info@redhatsociety.com.

HATquarters sincerely appreciates your adherence to these guidelines. We are so happy to have you and your friends join us in our march to take over the world.

No tolerance zone

• Mean girls action is grounds for immediate removal.
• Social media outlet behavior will be closely monitored for those who engage in negative, rude or disrespectful attacks on another RHS Member, HATquarters, or RHS programs.
• Public display of any of the above is grounds for removal without notice.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if it has the power to hurt another member or RHS HATquarters and staff, that opinion is best kept to oneself.

Termination of membership

Failure to comply with the above terms and conditions may result in appropriate action, including but not limited to discontinuance of any or all RHS rights, privileges and services. RHS reserves all rights to terminate Membership or Chapter status based on a failure to comply with any of these terms and conditions, and/or for behavior which RHS determines is inconsistent with any of these terms and conditions.

If Membership or Chapter status is terminated, the Member or Chapter may no longer use any intellectual property belonging to RHS, and may not use its trade dress colors of red and purple and pink and lavender, in combinations or in any way which would confuse the public regarding association with or representation of RHS or its Members.

Chapter and/or Queen and Membership fees will be forfeited in the case of discontinued Chapter or Membership status.

These terms and conditions are subject to amendment without prior notice.