A Community Reading Program Sponsored by the
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN
FREMONT, CA
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Tale of the Top Hat
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| Here is the debut of our top hats at Fremont’s 50th Anniversary Parade in 2006. Marching members are, left to right, Sylvia Brosamer, Mary Lynn Pelican, Genevieve Angelides and Jill Bennett. |
It all started five years ago when Genevieve Angelides got up in the middle of the night before members marched in the Fremont’s 50th anniversary parade (1956-2006) and said, in an aha moment: “We need top hats to distinguish ourselves from the crowd.”
Mary Lynn Pelican got to work the next day and embellished the hats with AAUW markings. The women marched proudly wearing the high hats, were a standout in the parade and drew many favorable comments.
Mary Lynn has taken the initiative to personalize them and change the messages on them to fit the occasion. For example, she has tailored them to all three books of the One Book, One Community reading program so that the public knows us by our high hats.
Since that time, our hats have become a kind of trademark for our branch.
Mary Lynn recounted how intrigued people are by the hats. “In my mentoring travels through high schools we’ve recruited student AAUW members by intriguing them with our hats and we have also recruited others who just think that the hats represent a very spirited and delightful organization,” said Mary Lynn.
Absolutely right Mary Lynn.
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