Another take on GLO sororities?

[sageofages]

I posted this on the "Red Hat Society" thread, but since it was so old, I don't think anyone was taking a look at it...and I thought it was worthy of hashing around for a bit.


My mom is very active in the Red Hat Society and she loves it. I have encouraged her as I have seen it as a great sorority.

So today she calls me to ask questions about why she can't find Red Hat stickers etc anywhere and asked "are they licensing this". I did some quick online research and sure enough, they do. I can understand this as there is a need to protect Image, Brand etc.

A little more RESEARCH and now I am being bothered by what I am finding. RHS is NOT a non-for-profit organization. It was founded by two friends and it is a HUGE privately held corporation with one helluva marketing plan. They do NOT reveal their revenues and there is "national membership fees". There is no membership governance...and the worst part to me "the founder is the Queen Bee Mother". ::shiver::

Editted to add: I forgot to mention....they pay NO royalties to Jennifer Joseph the author of the poem that their "society is founded upon and Jennifer Joseph will not let them publish the poem in anyway. She detests the RHS and regrets her poem now.

I am not going to tell my mom about this because I think it would just frost her behind to no end to realize this.

I recently became acquainted with the "Blue Thong Society" for younger, hip women (who thing RHS is old fogey) until I realized VERY QUICKLY (before learning RHS is for-profit) that it was to the benefit of the three founders.

How do you all feel about such organizations? They start out fulfilling a altruistic need for comradery and socializing, but end up making their "founders" quite wealthy all in the guise of "social fun" without really mentioning the "private" for-profit part of it.

[nittanyalum]

I guess I'm not that upset by it, mainly because I never thought it was a nonprofit group. My understanding that it was just a social club, I knew it had been founded by some friends and had grown. I don't agree with the part of their not paying some kind of royalty (or respect) to the woman who wrote the poem that they obviously got their inspiration from, but otherwise, it's kind of a great entrepreneurial story.

[DSTCHAOS]

I think these societies are poorly arranged on the part of the members and excellently arranged on the part of the founders and higher ups if they want to make a profit. What are the profits being used for?

If I want to wear red hats, I'll hang around my fedora wearing Sorors. I love fedoras and look forward to my Delta Dear days when I can be old-school-cool with other red hat wearing Delta Dears. But after all the hat wearing, socializing, and networking Delta is still a nonprofit sisterhood where we are giving back to the community.

Please say the "Blue Thong Society" is a joke.

[sageofages]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Please say the "Blue Thong Society" is a joke.

Saddly, it is not.

www.bluethongsociety.com


They use "flip flops" for their thongs outward symbol but at meetings it is a bit of a hoot to see old ladies winging their blue thong underwear around over their heads....

enough for me.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by sageofages

Saddly, it is not.

www.bluethongsociety.org


They use "flip flops" for their thongs outward symbol but at meetings it is a bit of a hoot to see old ladies winging their blue thong underwear around over their heads....

enough for me.

Lesbianpersonals.com?

[sageofages]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

I think these societies are poorly arranged on the part of the members and excellently arranged on the part of the founders and higher ups if they want to make a profit. What are the profits being used for?

Near as I can tell, all the profits are used to make the founder RICH (as revenues are "not disclosed"). The money comes through the national membership fee of $35, various "national gatherings" to meet the "Mother Queen Bee" (or some variation of that), licensing of the merchandise (and from what I see they are extremely aggressive about protecting their trademark, dressmark and image) and credit card kickback, etc etc etc.

I was floored to learn that the poem's author get nada, zippo, bupkiss out of this after all it is a celebration of her poem. They actually say "the publication of the poem is prohibited on all official RHS materials". WTF?

I know my mom enjoys her group, so I guess it is worth the "membership fee" but geez....the crass commercialism of it all with no philanthropic attitude just puts me off.

[jitterbug13]

Here's a better link for the Blue Thong Society...

http://www.bluethongsociety.com/

[DSTCHAOS]

I hate the name "blue thong" but they are automatically cooler than Red Hat because:

1) they do charity events!!! WOOHOO.
2) their official drink is the blue (thong) martini which they drink at every event. Blue Curacao is great.
3) they fight frump and that's always a great endeavor!


They look like a bunch of cool ladies.

[SWTXBelle]

The fact that they refuse to pay the royalties for the poem really chaps me. As far as making money off everything else,as long as they are upfront about it I guess no harm, no foul. And I'm glad your mom enjoys her meetings, sage, but I do wish the whole thing weren't so overtly geared to making money for the "Queen Bee" . Personally, I am the Boss Queen of the Misplaced Texas Chili Queens Chapter of the Sweet Potato Queens. Who wouldn't want to be a Queen? And it doesn't cost a dime. I love, love the books and Jill Conner Brown and hope someday to make it to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Jackson, Mississippi! (www.sweetpotatoqueens.com) eta - they do sell stuff, but are QUITE upfront about why - and I'm happy to contribute to Jill's plastic surgery fund. And during their parade festivities they do fundraisers for the local children's hospital. So it's all good.

Be particular!

[33girl]

I never thought of RHS as a nonprofit thing - to me it's the same as a country club, and those definitely aren't nonprofit.

As far as the poem is concerned, it reminds me of "And You Learn" by Veronica Shoffstall - that's been reproduced so many places and I doubt she's getting jack squat from it (especially since it gets attributed to other authors half the time). When you see someone using your work, nip it in the bud before it gets out of control.

[sageofages]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I never thought of RHS as a nonprofit thing - to me it's the same as a country club, and those definitely aren't nonprofit.

Actually most country clubs are 501(c)7 organizations - recreational club organizations, so they are not for profit, even if they are high end.

I wrote to the founders of the Blue Thong Society and received this response from their corporate attorney:

“In response to your questions regarding the corporate status of Blue Thong Society, Inc., here is the information that should help you. Blue Thong Society, Inc. is a privately owned corporation that is operated on a “for profit” basis. It is not a 501(c) charitable organization. The Board of Directors are elected by the shareholders who are the owners of the company. I hope this answers your questions.”


Short translation....we are in the business to make our founders very wealthy women.

So I quit.

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by sageofages

So I quit.

good choice.