Hash Laws:
Um... we're the Hash. We don't have laws. Well, we had one, but we lost it. If you know where it is, please do return it.
While we don't have any Hash Laws, we do have Traditions. Keep reading below to learn more.
Chalk Talk
Tradition: Before embarking on trail it is important for hashers to know what they are looking for to know where trail is taking them – with this in mind “Chalk Talk” is called before the pack leaves on trail and it is the hare’s duty to familiarize the pack with the marks that they will encounter (on a live trail usually a member of the mismanagement will handle chalk talk). Usually trail is laid in either flour, shredded paper, or in chalk.
Since marks change from hash to hash, however, it is important that all visitors pay special attention at chalk talk, as well as any virgins (since they obviously have no idea what they’re looking for). Any non-standard marks that are used should especially pointed out to the pack, as using them could result in the entire pack getting lost and missing the beer stop.
Shortcutting
Tradition: Since hashing is partially a path-finding exercise, some hasher take great delight in running trail exactly as it has been laid while others do not. It should be noted, however that “Shortcutting is not only allowed, but encouraged.” This is not to say that shortcutting won’t result in being accused for a down-down, but since the reward for finishing first is the same as the punishment for finishing last there really is no point to shortcutting just to get to the beer stop before everybody else. Then again, if the hare is stupid and makes an easily shortcut-able trail they should likewise be punished with extra down-downs.
Circle
Tradition: Upon the conclusion of trail (either by returning to the starting point or by reaching their destination), hashers are generally given a few minutes break in order to pour themselves a beer, use the restroom, or anything else that they might need to finish before “Circle” is called by the attending RA. The RA (short for “Religious Advisor”) then commences with the calling of accusations, a calling out of hashers for either ridicule or for praise. When a hasher has been accused, they then come into the middle of the circle, taking their place upon the ice seat, and before the entire hash, the accusation is stated, and a song is sung. Upon conclusion of the song, the hasher must then finish their beer. If a hasher does not want to finish their beer (for whatever reason), they are permitted to pour the remainder of their beer on their head. It should be noted that there is no defense for accusations, and anyone who is called out for a down-down must come into the circle unless the RA states otherwise.
The RA is usually the one in charge of calling out other hashers for accusations, but after an indeterminate amount of time, the RA may open the circle and allow other hashers to accuse each other. Accusations are chosen via the “Pint of Lager” method, where anyone who has something to say places their beverage over their head and are selected by the RA.
Circle started as a way for the pack to get back at the hares for a particularly shitty trail (or to congratulate them for a particularly memorable one,) over time accusations have become more and more plentiful and varied. Depending on who is RAing, Circle can vary from being only a handful of accusations and lasting a few minutes or including many accusations and lasting for hours.
Ice Seat
In Shekou, the accused are required to sit bare-assed (optional) on a block of ice (or bag of ice) while they are being accused and through the completion of the down-down song. If the hasher has done something truly despicable (or truly disrespectful), they can be forced to sit on the block of ice through a nice long song or for more than one accusation. In these instances it is in your best interest to just grin and bear it and hope that your butt goes numb quickly.
The Sleeve
Tradition: A particularly fun method of shaming a fellow hasher involves requiring them to wear “The Sleeve” during their down-down. “The Sleeve” is actually a piece of piping that slips over a hashers hand and down over their arm, thus preventing them from bending their elbow and forcing them to pour the beer into their mouth from arm’s length. This can be particularly messy, as it usually results in that accused pouring their entire beer onto their face, so it is encouraged to fill the accused beer all the way to the brim. Several hashers who think they are particularly cute have suggested that you should just switch your beer to your other hand and drink it that way, I’m eagerly anticipating the day when somebody is dumb enough to try this tactic.
New Shoes
Tradition: Wearing nice, new shiny shoes is strictly forbidden at the hash because some of us are poor and don’t want to see your brand new $500 pair of Salomon's. Anyone caught wearing new shoes at the hash must pay the penalty of having to drink an entire beer from out of their shoes (donations from fellow hashers are usually taken so that the shoe is nice and full), so unless you’re particularly fond of beer that tastes like feet, I suggest wearing good, old, worn out shoes.
Headgear in the Circle
Tradition: As a way to show respect for the hash, all hashers are required to remove their headgear (anything worn on one’s cranium) while consuming their beer during a down-down so that upon finishing their beer they might pour whatever is left in their cup over their head and not onto their hat. If one does not remove their headgear, the rest of the circle will then point this fact out to the accused and they are required to do another down-down for their crimes. An RA may exempt a hasher from this punishment if the RA determines that what they are wearing qualifies as hash gear.
When One Drinks
Tradition: Often members of the hash will shout out some variation of “When one _________ drinks, all _________ drink” in an attempt to punish more than one person for a specific accusation. Most frequently this is used when one hare has been accused of something, but it sometimes extends to members of the same hash family (members who share common name elements), GMs, and even RAs. It is left up to the RA to determine whether or not others should be punished for the crimes of a single hashers, so merely shouting for more than one person to be punished will not always work – further, it is not outside of the realm of possibilities for the RA to bring in hashers who repeatedly abuse this tradition.
Pointing
Tradition: Pointing is extremely impolite and should not be done at a hash. If a hasher must specify an individual or direction, the elbow is used instead of the finger – failure to follow this tradition can result in many down-downs being sent your way (besides, you really don’t want to know where some hashers stick their fingers when you’re not watching).
Faster Funnier!
Tradition: Not so much a song or a chant, but a general way to show displeasure at the length of time that it is taking a fellow hasher to do something. This is particularly apt if Socradeez Nuts is making an accusation because he takes twenty minutes to accuse anyone of anything and that’s why I generally take a nap whenever he starts talking in circle.
Why Are We Waiting?
Tradition: Sung following “Drink it down, down, down” if a hasher is taking an excessive amount of time to finish their beer. Be warned, some hashers will drink their beer especially slowly to see just how many times they can get the circle to repeat these lines.