A little bird told me......
Do you know that our very own Royal Selangor Club has the honour of being the Mother Hash? For this was were the first chapter of the HHH story began in way back in 1938, where the mother of all HHH runs was first held in the last week of December in 1938 ! RSC(ROYAL SELANGOR CLUB)was also called the Hash House.
How did it all started?
The origin of hashing is shrouded in fact and fiction. Legend has it that a group of Englishmen and Australians were hanging around the Selangor Club on a Monday night nursing a hangover from the weekend's debauchery when they suddenly had a bright idea.... perhaps they would feel better if they had a run to work out the alcohol from their bodies. They had their run and they felt better, and thereby they also started an institution- the Hash House Harriers!
So what exactly does these Harriers do?
A typical HHH run starts with the "hare" marking a trail with pieces of paper. The route is often tricky with detours leading to dead-ends. The whole run is really very enjoyable, but the climax comes at the end of this whole workout, when delicious food is served buffet style and thirst is quenced with beers chilled to perfection. After World War II, the HHH regroup and the weekly fun-runs started again and became increasinly popular. Expats who worked and hashed in KL started chapters of the HHH when they returned to their home countries. Now there are about 2000 HHH chapters in 160 countries. In Malaysia alone, there are 137 Hash Chapters.
PLANTERS' CLUB
RSG- was also known as the "Planters" Club". as most of its early members owned or managed coffee plantations. The white planters, being isolated in remote estates and left out of the social circuit would make it a point to go to the Selangor Club to catch up on things. Most would be in KL at least once a month for appointments with their bankers to withdraw salaries for their workers. Apart from coffee planters, it was also a watering hole for civil servants and lawyers.
In the 19th century, the Selangor Club was where the action was. Everybody who was anybody was a member. This was the place where white planters and colonial administrators quenched their thirst with several rounds of stengahs (whisky and soda).
SPOTTED DOG
There are a few theories to its origin.
One has it that police Chief H C Syers's wife had 2 dalmatians, which were often spotted sprinting behind her carriage while she went to and from the club, so the locals called it the spotted dog.
Another has it that the first emblem of the club was a clumsy rendition of a spotted leopard, which many mistook as a spotted dog. Look at the stature of a spotted dog, still found inside the RSC. !
"BE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN PEOPLE.. IF YOU TRY, YOU CAN LIKE EVERYBODY, AND EVERYBODY WILL LIKE YOU ! "
ref:Insider's Kuala Lumpur by Lam Seng Fatt
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SPORT BORN IN MALAYSIA- HASH HOUSE HARRIETTES
HHH- How is it played? Here it goes...for each run, the "hare" will set a paper trail, making it as difficult as possible by incorporating false leads and tricky natural obstacles.
The other "hounds" will try to catch up with him! All these are done at least several hours ahead.
A horn sounds and a dozen runners takes off like a shot. As they folow the paper trail, they will call "ON , ON" to encourage the second wave of hashers, the walkers, to keep on the right path.
Runs vary in length from 6-7 km, and those who are really fit can complete the run in about 45 min depending on the length. These "runners" are the ones who forage ahead, solve the puzzles and false trails for the ones behind.
The 2nd group, the "walkers", walking at a brisk pace will complete their hashes in about 1-1 1/2 hours.
The 3rd grouo, called the "plodders", will probably take about 2hours or more to end at the finishing line.
When all the group members are back, the Harriettes will adjourne to a chosen restaurnt for the "ON-ON" or post-run meal.
Hashing clubs in Asia are found in Brunei, Cambodia, China, HongKong, Japan,Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. Virtually every major city has a hash club.
Malaysia itself has a hash club in every state, Sabah 29 clubs, Johor 23 clubs, Penang 13, FT- 13 hash kennels
For further info on HHH, visit www,thehashhouse,org/directories/malaysiahash regions/federal.html.
Ref: NST - APR 2008 Writer: David Bowdie
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