Hashing
Hashing is short for Hash House Harriers. The “sport” is a social version of Hare and Hounds, where you join a pack of hounds (runners) to chase down the trail set by the hare or hares (other runners), then gather together for a little social activity known as the On In or Down Down. In most groups, all are welcome, young and old, fast or slow.
The only prerequisite to hashing is a sense of humor!
The Hash House Harriers- founded in 1938 in what is now Malaysia, by a chartered British accountant by the name of Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert. Having a fondness for the “paper chase”, Gispert gathered together several expatriates to form a group in Kuala Lumpur that would later become a world-wide legacy. The fraternity received its name from the Selangor Club Chambers, which due to its lackluster food was commonly referred to as the ‘Hash House’.
The philosophy of the original Hash House Harriers from the 1938 charter:
- To promote physical fitness among our members
- To get rid of week-end 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
There are currently nearly 1600 hashes worldwide. Hash groups can be found in almost every major city in the world. Metro Atlanta is home to several Hash House Harriers. The Atlanta Hash, the first hash established in the state of Georgia was founded in 1982. Several Georgia chapters have been birthed since then. To read more about hashing, be sure to visit the following websites:
The Atlanta Hash House Harriers and Harriettes
