Hash House Harriers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also known as H.H.H. or H3

The Hash House Harriers today is an international group of running/drinking clubs. The template for a hash run is for one or more hashers to lay out a running trail, which may include false trails, short cuts and trail breaks to keep the pack together regardless of fitness levels to follow the trail to a cache of beer and has been frequently described as 'a drinking club with a running problem'..

The organization of the Hash House Harriers is completely decentralized, with chapters (also commonly called kennels). It has more than 1700 groups, with at least one Hash in virtually every major city in the world meeting on a weekly or regular basis.

[edit] History

Hashing began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1938, when a small group of British colonial officials and expatriates, Cecil Lee, Frederick "Horse" Thomson, Ronald "Torch" Bennett, and a British accountant of Catalan descent Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert(A.S Gispert), a casual group who would meet after work on Monday evenings to run, following a paper trail, through the environs of Kuala Lumpur to get rid of the excesses of the previous weekend. There was another member of the group, John Woodrow, who is rarely credited as one of the founders as he left Malaysia after the war to return home to his family in Scotland.

After running for some months they were approached by the Registrar of Societies, who advised them that, as they were a "group" they would require a Constitution (the aims of which are reproduced below) and a name. A.S. Gispert (known as "G") suggested the name. Hash House Harriers. As bachelors, they were billeted in the Selangor Club Annex, known locally as the Hash House, because of its monotonous food. Their runs were patterned after the traditional British paper chase. A hare was given a head start to blaze a trail, marking his devious way with shreds of paper, all the while pursued by a shouting pack of "harriers." Only the hare knew where he was going...the harriers followed his clues to stay on trail. Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and solving the clues, reaching the end was its own reward...for there thirsty harriers would find a tub of iced beer (and, in those earlier, more forgiving days, ginger beer and cigarettes)

Hashing died out during World War II after the Japanese invasion of Malaysia, but started again shortly after the war, when the original protagonists, minus "G" who had been killed in the Japanese invasion of Singapore, re-assembled in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from a "one off" chapter, formed in the Italian Riviera, (now the Royal Milan and Bordighera Hash), hashing didn't take off until 1962, when Ian Cumming founded the 2nd kennel in Singapore. From then on, the phenomenon started to grow, spreading through the Far East, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as Europe and North America. Hashing experienced a large growth in popularity during the mid-1970s.

By the end of the 20th century, there were thousands of Hash House Harrier clubs in all parts of the world, with newsletters, directories, and even regional and world hashing conventions. This boom is owed largely to the power of the Internet to provide timely and accurate information on kennels and their events and points of contact. As of 2003, there are two organized HHH groups in Antarctica.^[1]

[edit] How it is done

Hashing hasn't strayed far from its Kuala Lumpur roots. A typical hash kennel (local chapter or group) today is a loosely-organized group of 20-100 men and women (aka Harriers and Harriettes) who meet weekly or bi-weekly to follow a trail laid by a hare (the person(s) leading the trail who leaves the appropriate marks on the ground, trees etc. for the pack to follow). Not all groups are co-ed, though, and some chapters in major metropolitan areas have well more than 100 hashers at an event. While strips of paper have previously been used to mark trail, especially in tropical areas, it has generally been replaced with flour or chalk with toilet paper often being used in off-road areas that would make the other marks difficult to see. After the anthrax scares in 2001, a few groups throughout the world, most notably in the Washington DC or New York City area, had to change the way they marked trail by using colored caulk or other materials. Many hash kennels recommend that the hare call the local police dispatcher before the run as a courtesy to inform them of the run and use of bio-degradable flour to mark trail in order to avoid unnecessary problems. Generally any mark used to identify trail is called a 'hash mark'.

Trails may be "Live" where the hare gets the head start (often 5-10 minutes) from the pack, or "dead" where it may laid entirely (or in part) in advance of the start. Live trails - while closer to the original Hare and Hounds tradition mentioned in Tom Brown's 'Schooldays', are more common in the USA, while the rest of the world tends towards "dead" or pre-laid trails. The choice of Live or Dead trails is a subject of much controversy on the various hash-related discussion groups.

There may be one or more "beer stops" or "beer checks" along the way with the hare either pre-caching a cooler of beer, or having the trail go to a prearranged meeting spot with the beer truck which is generally a personal vehicle that someone is using to transport a keg or cooler of drinks, snacks, and beer along with the hash's gear. With a "live" trail, the general intent of the pack is to attempt to catch the 'hare' before they finish the trail and get to the end. In efforts to do this, some pack members might 'range', or go off trail if they can guess where the hare may go, in attempts to head off the hare. Generally such a form of athleticism is frowned on by some of the more socially minded kennels.

A trail marking of the Brisbane Hash House Harriers. This marking is a few days old, and thus, slightly harder to see than when the actual hash occurred.

To make the run interesting, the hare can set the trail through literally any kind of terrain with only the imagination being the limitation. The trails can go through residential areas, forests, or swamps with anything off-road generally called 'shiggy'. Such shiggy might be classified in levels with the first being a path through a park or dirt road while the last might have the pack going through a quarter mile of chest deep, shoe-sucking swamp. The pack never knows where a trail will go or where it may lead and are often advised to bring a change of clothes and shoes to be used after the trail is complete. A trail may be an 'A to A' where the start and ending location are in the same place or an 'A to B' where the start and end are at different spots. Hashers may run through streets, back alleyways, or shopping malls, ford streams, climb fences, explore storm drains, run through huge jungles and scale cliffs. And although some (but perhaps very few) of today's health-conscious hashers may shun a cold beer in favor of water or a diet soda, a trail's end is still a party.

Often the hare will employ several tricks in attempts to slow the pack and to keep runners and walkers together. The hare may mark an intersection generally called a 'check' that signifies that the trail continues within a 360 degree area from that point. Several false trails may lead from that check and it is up to the front runners to 'solve' the trail by going out and determining what might actually be the correct path, or 'true trail'. Once the true way has been determined then that runner may mark the check to indicate the proper direction so that anyone to come up it later (such as the walker, other runners, or anyone arriving late) will not have to figure it out all over again. The pack will generally carry whistles, horns, or other audible means of communicating in order to assist each other on trail and keep from getting lost. A member of the pack calling out 'Are you?' means to know if another individual is searching for the true trail, typically near a check (or intersection), or is on the correct path. Someone will typically call out either 'Checking!' to indicate that they are looking for the trail or 'On-On', or blow their whistle or horn three times, to signify that they are on the true trail and that the pack should follow them.

A false trail may be marked one of several ways including a 'bad trail' mark, possibly consisting of three parallel lines or other indication, a mark of 'YBF' (short for 'You've been Fooled' or 'You've been F**ked'), or a mark of 'CB #' (Count back with some number). The first two marks indicate that the runner must return to the most recent check point and then attempt to find the trail again. The 'count back' would mean that the runner must count back the indicated number of hash marks and then use that point to look for the next hash mark that might be hidden behind a tree, light pole, car tire, etc. An arrow on the ground with three parallel lines through it is known as a 'true trail arrow' and signifies to the pack that they are on the real trail and are not following a false or bad trail. Other signs used might include a 'BN' that means there is a beer stop nearby, 'BS' signifying that the runner is now at the beer stop and should either look for the stashed beverages nearby or wait for the beer truck to arrive (depending on the instructions given by the hare before the start of trail), or 'HH' that is a 'hash halt' command that tells the runners that they must wait until at least the first of the walkers show up so that the hare might have a bit more time to get ahead. Every Hash has its own set of marks and even names for these marks may vary widely, so Hashers visiting another pack should check the local signs before the run.

At trail's end hashers gather to drink beer and observe so-called religious ceremonies, the 'Circle', which consists of drinking more beer; this time ritualistically. Circles may be led by the hash Grandmaster, the group's Religious Adviser, or by a committee of mismanagement. Traditions and the degree of rowdiness vary from hash to hash, but in general the Circle consists of awarding "Down-Downs" for misdemeanors real, imagined, or blatantly made up, and the recipients will most likely have been dobbed in by their fellow hashers. Generally all the activities will include some level of singing of what are best described as drinking songs as would be heard in an old pub, rugby match, fraternity party, or other such social gathering. At the conclusion of the 'Circle', the hashers may head to an 'On-After' or 'On-On-On' which may be at a nearby restaurant or pub for grub and libations with which to wash it down. This is the social part of the hash, and the party may last from one hour to several hours, as they tell stories, have fun, and enjoy everyone's company.

Generally no reservations are required to join a group with typically all that is need would be to find out the time and location of the start; either be emailing a current member, viewing the group website or calling the information phone line if available, and just show up. Most groups conduct a 'caulk talk' where introductions are made and the system of hash marks is explained to new hashers and visiting hashers who may be used to a different system of marking. The exception to this would be special events, such as camp out, pub crawls, etc., that require significant pre-planning of food and beverages, however even then walk-ins are general welcome.

[edit] Traditions and naming convention

There are said to be no rules in hashing, however several traditions have developed with a violation of such severely frowned upon and likely to invoke a punishment by way of a 'down-down'. A 'down-down' is one of the oldest traditions and is a means of punishing or rewarding pretty much anything. Upon being called to do a 'down-down' the accused must come to the middle of the circle and drink everything that they have in their vessel (generally a cup, mug, or other drinking device). They must do this without pause until either they have either consumed the whole quantity of drink (typically beer, but can be of any drink they may have with them) or they must pour the remaining contents over their head. Typically there are no new shoes allowed on the hash trail whereas being caught in a pair of new shoes may require that one drinks from the offending shoe as penance. Other traditions include a prohibition of pointing with fingers, requiring the use of elbows or other appendages to indicate direction, or the use of real names (aka nerd names) at any point around other hashers.

One aspect of hashing that makes the activity stand out (besides the running and general drinking of beer) is the use of names as assigned by the group. Though traditions may vary greatly by each group, with there being some groups that do not do this, someone may be given a name after a specified number of hashes attended (e.g. 5), after they hare their first trail, or after they do something the pack deems noteworthy. At one's first hash, they will generally be known as 'Virgin [name]' or 'New Boot [name]' and will then be called 'Just [name]' until duly named by the group. Before a naming, the group may collect information concerning the individual or ask them a series of questions that can range from occupation, most embarrassing moment, personal preferences, stories, or experiences. Others will then be allowed to share their own stories or knowledge concerning that individual in hopes of finding some aspect that seems to be memorable or noticeably sticks out regarding that person. Many suggestions may be offered with the final name being chosen by vote or general group consensus with more often than not some humorous or debaucherous concoction being used.

The traditional symbol of the hash is the outline of the foot, with often the words 'On-On' written upon it.

[edit] Terms

[edit] Special events

Sometimes a kennel will conduct a special event in place of a normal hash, that can consist of anything from a house party, camp out, or pub crawl. One of the most famous events is known as the 'Red Dress Run' and is held by most local chapters once a year. This tradition began in San Diego when a virgin (new) hasher showed up for a run wearing only a red dress (having been ill informed of what to expect). When she next returned, other hashers decided to wear a red dress as a joke; with it soon becoming an annual event and eventually spreading around the world. During this event, which can be either a normal hash run or a simple day-long pub crawl, everyone (yes, guys too) is to wear something red and dress-like, not specifically just a red dress. The idea is to just get crazy and have fun with ideas ranging from red body latex paint, to red duct tape, red sarongs, or a normal lovely summer dress with all extremes being pretty well accepted. Hashers can usually be found digging through the racks at the local thrift stores a short time before the event. This is typically the largest event of the year for any kennel (local hash group) with previous attendance numbers can be up to 2,000 (as seen in San Diego for a couple of years) to 500-600 in places such as Washington DC or New Orleans every year. Other variations of a theme can be see as kennels might also host a green dress run (often held around St. Patrick's day), formal dress run, lingerie hash, or even a clown hash where everyone wears the appropriate themed outfit for the run or pub crawl.

There are also bicycle hashes or BASHes, that have been formed, based on same principles as the running hashs, but often without the ceremonial aspects. In many area countries there may Children Hashes for those under 16, generally with soft drinks replacing beer and many adult themes being toned down considerably.

[edit] Goals

The goals of hashing, from a 1950 club registration card for the Hash House Harriers in Kuala Lumpur are:

• To promote physical fitness among our members
• To get rid of weekend hangovers
• To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer
• To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel

[edit] Worldwide International Hash

There are several international events, where hashers from different groups get together to run and drink beer together, but the most famous is the biennial Interhash, where hashers from around the world gather. The 2006 Interhash— Chiang Mai, offered runs in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and South West China. The next Interhash will be in Perth, Australia [1] in 2008

• 1978 Hong Kong
• 1980 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 1982 Jakarta, Indonesia
• 1984 Sydney, Australia
• 1986 Pattaya, Thailand
• 1988 Bali, Indonesia
• 1990 Manila, Philippines
• 1992 Phuket, Thailand
• 1994 Rotorua, New Zealand
• 1996 Limassol, Cyprus
• 1998 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 2000 Tasmania, Australia
• 2002 Goa, India
• 2004 Cardiff, Wales
• 2006 Chiang Mai, Thailand
• 2008 Perth, Australia -- scheduled 21 - 23 March, 2008 (http://www.interhash2008.com)

Many countries also hold semi-annual national or continental events, such as the 2007 Inter-Americas H3, in Puerto Vallarta http://iah2007.org/, hosted by Mexico City http://www.mchhh.com/; Aussie Nash Hash 2007, Fat Cat Nash Hash hosted by the combined Canberra clubs; Africa Hash 2007, Madness in Maputo hosted by the Maputo and Matola clubs; Eurohash — Held somewhere, nominally European; and the United Kingdom Nash Hash, always held on the August Bank Holiday and next hosted by Milton Keynes H3.

[edit] External links

[edit] Further reading, resources

• Asia-Pacific Harrier Magazine
• World Hash Links
• The World HHH Home Page
• Half-Mind Catalog

[edit] Global HHH directories

• Prof's World HHH Map
• Go to the Hash
• Hash Roster World Directory
• Half-Mind Catalog
• Hasher.net World HHH Map

[edit] Regional and national HHH directories

• Africa
• Australia
• Brunei
• Canada
• Caribbean
• Central America
• Europe & UK
• Indochina
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Korea
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Middle East
• Nepal
• New Zealand
• Pacific Islands
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Singapore
• South America
• South Asia
• Thailand & Myanmar
• USA