Hattitude on parade

Words Tricia Welsh

If you bumped into Carol ‘Caz’ Berry in the supermarket, you’d think she was just a typical resident of the Sunshine Coast.

But meet her on the first Saturday morning of each month and she could be any number of characters.

Perhaps Wendy de Worry – a hypochondriac who continually talks about her ailments and pending doom of hospitalisation and disability; Olga Overit – who lives in the past and hates changes, struggling with relationships because of her negative attitude to life; or positive-thinking Bettina Whoppahouser who actually builds relationships, or Yvette Springfield who doesn’t let ageing get in the way of making the best of her situation, welcomes new ideas and concepts others are quick to dismiss.

As the founder of a unique Outreach Ministry for women, attached to the Uniting Church in Buderim, this innovative lay pastor uses theatre to help women improve their well-being. There are some 10 characters she draws on to ‘act out’ different attitudes we, as people, display to others.

From a ‘dress-up’ treasure trove of about 12 wigs, a fabulous collection of hats, colourful shoes, handbags and mad accessories, each month Caz transforms into Ruby de Boze who thinks she’s a fashion icon, to show how easy it is to take on these attitudes – both positive and negative, in what she terms “Hattitude on Parade.”

Ruby’s Room Ministry for Women was established in May 2013 by a small group of Christian women led by Caz. She explains: “We all shared a common passion to encourage women and to produce a ministry which would provide our monthly meetings with an atmosphere of unity and fun with complimentary morning tea, singing, dancing and comedy. We also share the gospel of Jesus Christ which brings hope to the hopeless and courage to the feeble in an atmosphere of unity, fun, love, kindness and empathy.”

With a team of 12 helpers, the ministry now attracts more than 100 regular attendees aged from 45 to 90 each month from as far away as Brisbane – “for its fun and fellowship.” Born and raised in Parramatta, NSW, Caz recalls suffering from low self-esteem as a child, entertaining her primary school classes with comical mime performances to mask the fact that she stuttered. As a teenager and into her early 20s, she played character roles in the Musical Comedy Parramatta Musical Society where she loved singing, dancing and acting – setting the groundwork for her current role with the ministry.

Following marriage and a successful career in the insurance industry in Sydney and Cairns, Caz came to live on the Sunshine Coast, in 1993.

So why does she do this work? “I want to encourage women to live a full life, in spite of ageing, to step out and do what they would love to do. Even if they think they can’t do it, do it anyway! In my younger years, my low self-esteem caused me to make poor choices involving relationships, career and motherhood. I made up my mind that ageing wasn’t going to hold me back! Sharing my Christian faith with the gifts God has given me has enhanced my life with a real purpose to encourage and inspire others.”

Ruby’s Room Ministry for Women is held on the first Saturday of each month from 9.30am-12noon at Connections on King, Buderim.

“I want to encourage women to live a full life, in spite of ageing, to step out and do what they would love to do. Even if they think they can’t do it, do it anyway! ”