In the past 15 years or so since I got involved with the Hash House Harriers we have seen a gradual decline in the interest and participation in events around the globe. This has been a bit depressing in Chiang Mai and the rest of Thailand because we see our members getting older and not being replaces with "new blood." When I speak to other kennels around the world it seems to be the case there as well with one exception: The Hashes in the United States seem to be thriving and this is a good thing.
Not only that, but they manage to do their weekly events involving running but also do special events that are entitled "Hashers not Trashers" where they go to a particular area, dress silly, and then clean up garbage from anywhere that has it. This time they did it in multiple locations in Florida and the turnout seemed wonderful.
The idea is simple here: You make a date, invite some grownups, encourage them to dress like loons, then everyone grabs a bag or a bucket and follows a trail to pick up trash. Then they drink beer and make fun of one other. I guarantee that you will make some friends that you will keep for a very long time if you attend one of these events.
I'm delighted to see such a large group turn up for this, even if it is on the other side of the planet for me.
here's why these events work in my mind. People always want to maintain that sort of childish glee and when you go to a Hash event this sort of behavior is not at all frowned upon. You get to do fancy dress in a costume and not only are you not made fun of, you are complimented (even though we all know we looks ridiculous.) Then you hang out and talk with like-minded people and make jokes and you know that everyone there is of a similar attitude and can not only take a joke, but they can throw it right back. It's just great fun
it's an added benefit that at these events we are also doing something wonderful for the communities or areas that we do them in.
If you are lucky there will also be some unbelievably stunningly beautiful people there, like these two!
For a few hours you can drop all your adult inhibitions and act silly without worry about being judged. You can end up being judged at these things but it will normally be because you DON'T act silly, not because you do.
In the end of this particular event they managed to clean up over a dozen large trash bags worth of litter, which is a bit disappointing to me honestly since we are talking about Florida here. IF that is something that floats their collective boats they would have an absolute field day here in Thailand where it seems as though the ground in nature is the destination for most of the country's garbage.
Hashers not Trashers, just like the overall Hash House Harriers, has no central leadership. These events are organized without permission because there is no one to obtain permission from. It's pretty amazing that they happen at all to be honest with you but when they do, they are pretty fantastic things to be a part of. You get to have fun, you get to make new friends, make connections, and you get the added bonus of getting tipsy off the beer and also contributing to the betterment of a community. Honestly, what more could you be looking for?
While the Hash House Harriers is a global organization and they have their own ways of doing things, we here in Chiang Mai are doing 3 runs per week that do include trash pickup if you want it to. You can check our schedule (come join in!) at our official website