Another drinking club with a running problem
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by Jane Tuna
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 09, 2009 00:00
FETHİYE -The Fethiye Hash House Harriers put humor at the center of their running activities as the group, mostly comprised of British expatriates, comes together every other Sunday to explore the area and enjoy themselves. All you need to join to the HH3 group is sense of humor, a reasonable level of fitness and interest in meeting new people
All you need to join the Fethiye Hash House Harriers Ğ who refer to themselves as "another drinking club with a running problem" Ğ is a scatological sense of humor, a reasonable level of fitness, a predilection for beer and an aversion to wearing pink (about which, more later). An interest in meeting new people helps too.
Started in 1938 by Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert in what is now Malaysia, the international Hash House Harriers tradition began as a paper chase around Kuala Lumpur and soon caught on among British expatriates. There are now more than 1,800 HHH groups worldwide. The name comes from the abysmal food served at Kuala Lumpur’s Selangor Club in the colonial days; its erstwhile members referred to it as the "Hash House."
Newcomers welcome
Newcomers are welcome in the Fethiye group, known as HH3, which was founded in 2005 by Alan "Wicked Willy" Prior, the group's Grand Master. It meets every other Sunday and draws up to 75 participants, who always come together for a meal at the end. Most are British, although there are a couple of Turkish members in the Fethiye group. Though some of the fitter members run, the vast majority Ğ many of them retirees Ğ walks and talks leisurely, enjoying the countryside and each other’s company on routes that are now laid out with flour, rather than paper, to reduce litter.
Says member Frank Donovan, "The walks are a great way to see parts of Fethiye and the surrounding countryside that we would not get to see if it wasn’t for HH3."
"Some of the more active run, lapping those who choose to stroll," says member Malcolm "Pound Stretcher" Dean. "As a result, there is something for everyone." Having worked as an ambulance technician in the United Kingdom, Dean provides any needed first aid as the "Hash Quack" and also fills the role of Song Master.
"Really, it is just a good excuse to get out and meet old and new friends," Dean adds. "It’s also an excuse for a laugh and a sing-song and a meal after the walk."
The uninitiated must look on in amazement as the HH3 group forms a large circle wherever they happen to be at the end of the walk and raises their voices in song and their hands in salutation, invariably clutching a drink. New members are introduced, birthdays celebrated with funny hats and members who have worn any pink item of clothing are castigated.
Any member who breaks the group’s rules is punished by having a toilet seat hung around his or her neck for the duration of the walk. There is also a "throne" (a ceramic toilet) for the renegade member to sit on, where they are often subjected to an impromptu egg-and-beer shampoo. All this is carried out in a light-hearted way Ğ and accompanied by a song.
Group events
Still, this is tame stuff, says Hash Master Clive "Corky" Ward: "All the groups are different the world over. In Fethiye, we like to be family-oriented and are not as bawdy as some of the others."
There are HHH groups all over Turkey and in May, there will be an international meeting in Fethiye as a prelude to the main EuroHash 2009 in Antalya. The HH3 group also organizes other activities, including boat trips, meals, shopping outings and charitable donations. They encourage their members to wear group T-shirts or fleeces, which helps them to identify each other and encourages the bond of friendship between them. To learn more about HH3 and other groups, visit www.fethiyehashhouseharriers.com.
Started in 1938 by Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert in what is now Malaysia, the international Hash House Harriers tradition began as a paper chase around Kuala Lumpur and soon caught on among British expatriates. There are now more than 1,800 HHH groups worldwide. The name comes from the abysmal food served at Kuala Lumpur’s Selangor Club in the colonial days; its erstwhile members referred to it as the "Hash House."
Newcomers welcome
Newcomers are welcome in the Fethiye group, known as HH3, which was founded in 2005 by Alan "Wicked Willy" Prior, the group's Grand Master. It meets every other Sunday and draws up to 75 participants, who always come together for a meal at the end. Most are British, although there are a couple of Turkish members in the Fethiye group. Though some of the fitter members run, the vast majority Ğ many of them retirees Ğ walks and talks leisurely, enjoying the countryside and each other’s company on routes that are now laid out with flour, rather than paper, to reduce litter.
Says member Frank Donovan, "The walks are a great way to see parts of Fethiye and the surrounding countryside that we would not get to see if it wasn’t for HH3."
"Some of the more active run, lapping those who choose to stroll," says member Malcolm "Pound Stretcher" Dean. "As a result, there is something for everyone." Having worked as an ambulance technician in the United Kingdom, Dean provides any needed first aid as the "Hash Quack" and also fills the role of Song Master.
"Really, it is just a good excuse to get out and meet old and new friends," Dean adds. "It’s also an excuse for a laugh and a sing-song and a meal after the walk."
The uninitiated must look on in amazement as the HH3 group forms a large circle wherever they happen to be at the end of the walk and raises their voices in song and their hands in salutation, invariably clutching a drink. New members are introduced, birthdays celebrated with funny hats and members who have worn any pink item of clothing are castigated.
Any member who breaks the group’s rules is punished by having a toilet seat hung around his or her neck for the duration of the walk. There is also a "throne" (a ceramic toilet) for the renegade member to sit on, where they are often subjected to an impromptu egg-and-beer shampoo. All this is carried out in a light-hearted way Ğ and accompanied by a song.
Group events
Still, this is tame stuff, says Hash Master Clive "Corky" Ward: "All the groups are different the world over. In Fethiye, we like to be family-oriented and are not as bawdy as some of the others."
There are HHH groups all over Turkey and in May, there will be an international meeting in Fethiye as a prelude to the main EuroHash 2009 in Antalya. The HH3 group also organizes other activities, including boat trips, meals, shopping outings and charitable donations. They encourage their members to wear group T-shirts or fleeces, which helps them to identify each other and encourages the bond of friendship between them. To learn more about HH3 and other groups, visit www.fethiyehashhouseharriers.com.