The Hague Hash House Harriers
Your Very Own Drinking Club With a Running Problem
Each week we have a run. 7-10 km for runners and 5-6 km for walkers (and everything in between). There is generally a beer-stop or a drink stop (with a bit of luck more than one).
At the end of the trail there is more beer and there are snacks. Don't worry, there is non-alcoholic stuff as well. Our religious advisour evaluates the happenings in the circle.
- Anyone who did something wrong is rewarded - He or she "dows" some beer while the rest of us sing a silly song.
- Anyone who did something right is severely punished - He or she "downs" some beer while the rest of us sing a silly song.
A few examples of our particularities:
- Those who race, we call racists.
- Those who drink wine, we call whiners
- Hashing is a verb
- “Act normal, that's crazy enough”, is a fallacy
There are many many many other and age-old traditions are created on the spot
Many of us are expats who set aside their brains once a week for just a few hours and behave in a way that is generally not accepted in civilian life. And indeed, running is not compulsory, nor is drinking beer. Children and dogs are welcome.
Remember the following two things at any and all times.
You are never too old to have a happy childhood
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Never let the truth get in the way of a good story
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A History of Hashing
Hashing originated in December 1938 in Selayang Quarry, Selangor, then in the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia), when a group of British colonial officers and expatriates began meeting on Monday evenings to run, in a fashion patterned after the traditional British paper chase or "hare and hounds", to rid themselves of the excesses of the previous weekend.
The original members included Albert Stephen (A.S.) Ignatius "G" Gispert, Cecil Lee, Frederick "Horse" Thomson, Ronald "Torch" Bennett, Eric Galvin, H.M. Doig, and John Woodrow.[2] A. S. Gispert suggested the name "Hash House Harriers" after the Selangor Club Annex, where several of the original hashers lived and dined, known as the "Hash House".
Hashing died out during World War II shortly after the Invasion of Malaya, but was restarted in 1946 after the war by several of the original group, minus A. S. Gispert, who was killed on 11 February 1942 in the Japanese invasion of Singapore, an event commemorated by many chapters by an annual Gispert Memorial Run.
After World War II, in an attempt to reorganize in the city of Kuala Lumpur, they were informed by the Registrar of Societies that as a "group," they would require a constitution. Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and finding the trail, harriers reaching the end of the trail would partake of beer, ginger beer and cigarettes.
The objectives of the Hash House Harriers as recorded on the club registration card dated 1950:
- 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
In 1962, Ian Cumming founded the second chapter in Singapore. The idea spread through the Far East and the South Pacific, Europe, and North America, expanding rapidly during the mid-1970s. Cumming was widely credited with bringing hashing to the United States; he lived outside of New York City, where he continued to hash until his death on August 21, 2015.
At present, there are almost two thousand chapters in all parts of the world, with members distributing newsletters, directories, and magazines and organizing regional and world hashing events. As of 2003, there are even two organized chapters operating in Antarctica.
by WebFucker
Even More About Us
by NeptunusA Drinkers' Guide to Running the World
on CNNon PodiumRunner.comLinks to anything that has to do with hashingby The Hash Heritage Foundation