There are, unbeknownst to most Harriettes, a few uninformed who have absolutely no clue as to what to do when hashing or haring. If you fall in to this deeply undesirable category then you should study this section until you know it in your sleep.
The Objective of a Hash:
The Hash, contrary to popular belief is not a race, although it can provide an occasional stretch for the more athletic Harrier. It is mainly an opportunity for a mixed crowd of sweaty humans to exercise a little, relax mentally, see the beautiful countryside of Sri Lanka and enjoy Hash Fellowship. The Hash motto is ‘We run for fun and drink for our health.’
A typical trail lasts usually around one hour and can be an undulating circle marked with shredded paper, winding it’s way through paddies, villages, roads, rubber estates, coconut plantations and even streams. The average length of a run can vary from 8 to 12 kilometers, depending on terrain. This means that the front-runners will finish within an hour and the rest of the pack will come about ten to fifteen minutes after. The slow runners should be able to reach the site within 120 minutes.
Haring:
A Hare is the one who sets the run. An experienced Hare will lay the run alone, while others may join with another or maybe even two Hares. The Hares are responsible for determining the run site, providing directions, getting shredded paper (Hash Paper) and setting the trail. They are also responsible for hash Food and the final beer and soft drinks count at the end of the evening. Another duty of the Hares is to sing a song when called upon by the RA.
Experienced Hares should help newcomers to lay a run until they get comfortable with the layout and countryside.
The Run Site:
Usually the start and end of a trail. It can be a parking lot, unused field or quarry or other such location large enough to park 30 or so vehicles and form a circle after the run. Avoid locations too near populated areas or religious sites. It absolutely be a place where Hashers can be as noisy as they want without disturbing others or be disturbed by others. Normally the run site is about 30-45 minutes drive from the city. The Hares must provide run directions to the site the previous week.
Hash Directions:
The directions usually start with zeroing your trip meter at one of the widely known landmarks (eg. Castle Street Railway Crossing). Directions should be given in Km and Miles (for those stuck in the past). Make sure of the actual meter readings and give clear instructions so that even the other Hash Idiots can get there. Do not say “Turn left after dead dog on right side of the road”
Example:
Km Miles Description
0.0 0.0 Castle Street Railway Crossing
3.4 2.0 Right at parliament Roundabout
5.2 3.2 Right at white bridge
5.9 3.7 Right at T-junction
6.2 3.8 Turn right on gravel road and park
Directions have to be brought to the circle one week before the run and distributed amongst the Hashers. Directions should also be emailed to all the Hashers so that anyone who missed the previous week’s run still get directions. In any case run direction will be on the hash website for those who need to check it. Failure to send out directions in a timely manner will have dire consequences.
The Trail:
The path marked with Hash Paper is known as the Trail. Starting from the run site, the trail winds it’s way across all kinds of terrain including rice paddies, rubber plantations, dirt tracks, etc for around 8-12 kilometers and ends back at the start site. The trail should be set to include false trails, shortcuts, checks and loops to keep the pack together and make it generally more interesting. The Front Runners should be back at the site in about an hour with the rest following in after about 10-15 minutes. Any longer and you risk getting iced. It’s recommended that the trail be set earlier in the afternoon unless you are doing a live hare. If the trail is set too early, it might disappear due to rain, wind, traffic, herds of buffalo or kids screwing around.
The outgoing trail should not be too near the incoming trail as otherwise the Hashers might get more confused than they already are. As a rule, try to avoid laying the trail through peoples homes unless they have no objections. Same goes for places of worship such as temples. Avoid going through newly planted fields or freshly constructed dams of paddy fields or thou shalt run the risk of being run through by irate farmers.
Laying Hash Paper:
Hash Paper is typically finely shredded paper or ordinary flour and is available from the Trail Master. Be sure to get your supply well in advance. Paper should be laid every 5-6 meters or as necessary to mark the trail clearly. Care should be taken to place the paper correctly so it will not be blown or washed away before the run. Be mindful of kids playing around the area as they tend to try and pick up paper to play with. Placing the paper in rough ground or in grass should avoid this problem to an extent. Do not lay paper in a pile but spread it around a bit.
Setting Checks:
A check is marked by a circle of paper, indicating that the trail picks up in any direction. It is used to provide a breather for the Hashers and lets the slow runners catch up. The trail should pick up within 100 meters from the check. On open ground such as paddies, the trail may pick up a bit further, around 150 meters. Make sure that you do not lay it too far off or the Hashers will have a tough time finding it. Ideally the slow runners should arrive at the check just as the front-runners find the true trail. There can be 4-6 checks on a run, depending on the length.
False Trails:
A false trail is marked by a bar across the path. A bar should never be crossed, even if you believe the trail picks up ahead. The true trail should start again roughly 50-100 meters behind the bar. In case you lay a false trail from a checkpoint, it should begin within 50-80 meters from the checkpoint and not any further. The true trail should start within 100 meters of the check, in a different direction. The length of a false trail could be between 100-120 meters, again, depending on terrain.
Loops:
A loop is where the trail circles back near itself. Remember that the trail should never cross itself as otherwise it might lead to confusion. Typically the loop back should come no nearer than 100 meters of the start of the loop. The front-runners will follow paper all the way along the loop (of course they needn’t know that it is in fact a loop…) and the short cutters can simply cut across and catch up.
Doing a Recce (reconnaissance):
Unless you know the area like the back of your hand, it is extremely difficult to lay a proper run without first doing a Recce. Allow at least half a day for a normal Recce. Remember that a Recce is not supposed to be on the day of the run, rather, a few days before it. Do not trust Recces done a week earlier as ongoing construction and other ‘Acts of God’ can greatly change the layout of the trail. Look for locations where you can set good loops, false trails and short cuts. Be mindful about marking or even avoiding laying paper near barbed wire, unmarked wells or open manholes.
Hash Calls:
The general idea is to have the whole pack finish the trail. In order to let others know that you are on paper or at a check, there are accepted ‘Hash Calls’ that you must use.
“On-On” - you are running on paper
“Looking” - you are at a bar and are looking for paper, or you don’t know where the hell you are.
“Checking” - you are at a check and are now checking around for paper
“Bar!” - self explanatory
“On Back” - used to tell the runners going in a wrong direction that they should turn around and come back
“Are you?” - used by the slower runners to find out if the front-runners are on paper. The front-runners should respond with the appropriate response.
“Fuck this!” - used to express general discontent…
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 (yeah 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 Wednesday, dies on a Wednesday.’