Hash Ceremonies and traditions:
After the run the Hash Beer should
organized water/soft drinks and of course beer for
the thirsty, tired hordes. The few minutes before
the RA calls for the ‘Circle’ should be
used to recover your breath, change your T-Shirt and
mingle a little bit with the others.
Once the RA shouts ‘Form a
Circle!’, gather around the Hash Alter, which
is generally a table or something to hold the beer
and glasses. It is considered disrespectful to talk
amongst each other during the Circle. Doing so is
call a “private party’ and can lead to
excessive consumption of the amber nectar. You may
also never sit down doing a circle or you may get
the opportunity to sit on a block of ice.
The RA will then call for the Circle’s
opinion of the Run and call in the Hares to take their
just deserts. It is tradition that the Hares provide
a song and if they can or cannot they are awarded
a Down-Down.
What is a Down-Down? Well it can
be considered as either a punishment for some infringement
or as a reward for an achievement. A Down-Down is
either a mug of beer or if the Hasher is a non drinker
(year right), a glass of water, which has to be drunk
in one go. To help you get geared up for your Down-Down,
the circle will start singing the drinking song and
when it comes to the ‘…drinking down down
down down…’ part, you should start drinking.
You should not stop until you have drunk all the contents
and turned the mug upside down on your head. It is
considered a waste of good beer to throw the contents
over your shoulder. Doing so can result on stint on
the block of ice.
The RA will conduct further proceedings
and call upon the On-Sec to enlighten the Circle with
information about returnees, leavers, guests and anniversaries.
On occasion, a new member will be christened with
a new Hash Name. When addressing someone on the Hash,
you may only use his given Hash name and no other,
unless he is a committee member such the GM, RA or
On-Sec
Thinking, pointing and wanking are
not allowed during the circle and are punishable offences.
You may also never wear a hat while taking a Down-Down
or when in the middle of the Circle. Not wearing a
Hash T-Shirt is also a heinous crime. If you make
the mistake of wearing new shoes, you may get the
rare treat of drinking out of them. You can however
nominate someone else to drink out of the other shoe...
Always try to contribute to the Circle
and not be a low profile. Jokes, songs or witty comments
keep the circle going and add to the fun that is the
Hash.
After the ‘Obnoxious Nationality’
is called and the RA closes the Circle, Hash Food
is normally served by the Hares.
Making a Charge:
You may bring forward a charge against
a fellow Hasher during the Circle. A charge can be
anything from being a competitive bastard to wearing
new shoes. Anything goes. The charged Hasher is given
the opportunity to make a counter charge or another
hasher may make a counter charge on his behalf.
‘True Stories’ about
Hashers are most welcome. The stranger the better…
The golden rule on the Hash is, ‘what
happens on a Monday, dies on a Monday.’
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