Hash House Harriers History
Early Origins
The origins of the Hash House Harriers can be traced back to the old English schoolboy running game known as "Hares and Hounds". In this game, some players, called "Hounds", chase others, called "Hares", who leave a trail of paper scraps as they run across various terrains such as fields, hedges, streams, bogs, and hills. One of the earliest recorded events of this type was the "Crick Run" at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, which first took place in 1837.
As an adult sport, Hare and Hounds began in the autumn of 1867 when a group of London oarsmen sought a way to stay fit during the winter. This game, also known as "Paper Chasing" or "The Paper Chase", gained popularity after the Thames Hare and Hounds introduced it on Wimbledon Common in 1868. Early groups often used names like "Hare and Hounds" or simply "Harriers". Read more here.
The Birth of the Hash Harriers
The Hash House Harriers, as we know them today, were founded in Malaya (now Malaysia) by Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert, an English chartered accountant. In 1937, Gispert, who was known as "G" to his friends, became interested in the Paper Chase while participating with the Springgit Harriers in Malacca. After being transferred to Kuala Lumpur, he and a group of fellow expatriate businessmen established their own Harrier group. The first Run took place in December 1938, and the founding members included Cecil H. Lee, Frederick "Horse" Thomson, Eric Galvin, H.M. Doig, and Ronald "Torch" Bennet.
The Group’s name was influenced by local authorities’ requirements for legal registration. Instead of opting for a straightforward name like "Kuala Lumpur Harriers", "G" chose to name the group after the Selangor Club, where many of the local Harriers lived and dined. The Club’s dining room was humorously referred to as the "Hash House" due to its unremarkable food. Read more here.
The Original Selangor Club about 1938
see http://www.thehashhouse.org/
Hashing in Kuala Lumpur was paused during the Japanese occupation in World War II but resumed after the war. The concept began to spread internationally, with former members establishing a Hash near Milan, Italy, in 1947. However, it was not until 1962 that the next Group was formed in Singapore by Ian Cumming, who played a significant role in expanding Hashing beyond Kuala Lumpur. By 1973, there were around 35 hashes in 14 countries.
Hashing continued to grow rapidly, and by the early 1980s, the number of Hashes had risen to the hundreds. By 2002, there were approximately 1,900 active Hashes in over 180 countries, including about 200 in the UK, and 390 in the USA - but we are all different in some ways.
Hash House Harriers Mission
The Constitution of the Hash House Harriers is recorded on a Club Registration Card dated 1950 and states the mission statements of the Hash House Harriers 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
Though different Hashes have different priorities, the underlying theme is "You've got to exercise first, before the Beer!" - so, we still follow those principles, today!