Hashing History

 

About Hash House Harriers

The Hash House Harriers (HHH or H3) is an international group of non-competitive running social clubs. An event organized by a club is known as a Hash or Run, or a Hash Run. A common verb for this activity is Hashing, with participants calling themselves Hashers. Male members are referred to as Harriers, which females are known as Hariettes.

The Hash is humorously known as    A drinking club with a running problem, with the preferred beverage of consumption being beer.

​History

Hashing originated in December 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, then in the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia). A group of British expatriates / businessmen began meeting on Friday evenings prior to the war (1938-1941), but switched to Monday evenings (starting in 1946) to run, in a fashion patterned after the traditional British paper chase or "Hare & Hounds".[1] 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. With hash names in parentheses, the original members included Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert ("G"), Cecil Lee, Frederick Thomson ("Horse"), Ronald Bennett ("Torch"), Eric Galvin, H.M. Doig, and John Woodrow.

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". The "Hash House" got its name for "its hodgepodge of edible servings being passed off for food". The term hash was used as an old British slang for "bad food".

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. A. S. Gispert 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, hashers were informed by the Registrar of Societies that since they were a "group", they would require a constitution. The objectives of the Hash House Harriers as recorded on the club registration card dated 1950 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

In 1962, Ian Cumming founded the second chapter in Singapore. Chapters are commonly called Kennels, following in tradition to similar Hound & Hare clubs. The idea spread through the Far East and the South Pacific, Europe, and North America, expanding rapidly during the mid-1970s.

At present, there are almost 1500 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.

Wonderland H3 WDLH# History and Tradition

The inaugural running of the WDLH3 is on Saturday, October 5th, 2024. The Wonderland H3 was founded by Kilted Big Wave whose mother hash was the Anchorage H3, in Anchorage, Alaska, while stationed at Fort Richardson. The WDLH3 was started for unique costume, kilt and dress themed event runs and trails and not just to get drunk. The WDLH3 normally meets on Saturdays at 1:30 whenever we have a scheduled special event in the Moore and Lee County areas of North Carolina and beyond. However, these times are ultimately up to the hare(s) as long as they have a good reason to change these times, or some other event that may be tied to the event.

We are a small group of hash house harriers (hashers) that enjoy the camaraderie in old school yet unique and adventurous hash ways. We are less debaucherous than some kennels, we enjoy a good hash and a few tasty beverages of the adult variety and even water! Don't confuse us with a fitness club; but we do believe the purpose behind Hash House Harriers is more about good times and friends!

Attendees should "normally" expect trails that are relatively easy with light to moderate shiggy, unless otherwise advertised for a particular trail.