Port Nicholson Geriatrix Hash House Harriers or Geri’s as we are commonly known was formed in October 1985, when some of the more “senior” members of the Wellington Ladies HHH decided they could no longer keep up with the pace & length of the Ladies runs. The Ladies HHH is a mixed group, which itself was a spin-off from Wellington Mens HHH, which was the second group started in New Zealand in 1976. The original Geriatrix wanted shorter trails run at a slower pace, but ironically that has changed over later years.
These days Geri’s is the largest of the 4 groups running in Wellington & we generally have the longest trails. Today we get 30-40 people along to our weekly run. Ages vary from 40’s to 70’s & are split approximately 50/50 between men & woman. With this variance of ages & abilities there is usually both a runners trail (of about 6-8ks) & a walkers trail (of about 3-5ks) set, meeting at a common point for refreshment, before returning to the start. Usually we run from pubs or people’s homes, but especially in the summer we enjoy getting out into the parks & bush surrounding Wellington.
As with other groups around the world we get together afterwards for a meal, some drinks & socialising.
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It at started......
In September 1985 a few hashers from the Wellington Ladies HHH agreed that the time had come to organise the Capital's fourth Hash.
This motley bunch.....
Met on 24 Sept in "No Names" Bar to discuss the What, Why, When, Who and Wherefore of the new Hash.
"Elections" were held.....
Tuesday night was chosen Run 1 set for Oct 8 at the "Bellevue" and PNGHHH was born with only a few pains.
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The first meeting in forming Geri's was held on Tuesday 24th September 1985.
AGENDA
1. Apologies
2. Support for an alternative Hash House.
3. Name.
4. Sponsorship.
5. Inaugural "run".
(i) Date,
(ii) Format.
6. General Business.
The first meeting was attended by an elite group of seven.
PENGUIN (Bryan Mockridge)
TRICKLE (Duncan McDonald)
D B (Deb Burns)
YETI (Brein Barlev)
AUNT DOLLY (Lyn Arthur)
BRUNEI (Brian Strahan)
MAULER (Steve Thorstensen)
Several apologies were tended, including some from those who couldn't come.
The agenda, a masterpiece of secretarial administration, was rapidly disposed of.
Only the name, hotly disputed, caused the sullen mob of the No Names bar any real entertainment. A close vote saw the supporters of Geriatrix win the day ahead of the Veteran lobby.
In the absence of any minutes, the above is the only written record of that first meeting, thank God.
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HASH TRASH No. 1
PORT NICHOLSON GERIATRIX HASH HOUSE HARRIERS
is a new hash house harry especially established to attract those joggers/runners/harriers who may broadly be categorized as ancient, antique, antiquated, antiquarian, archaic, centenarian, classic, decrepit, fossil, seasoned, senile, venerable, veteran and/or vintage and are desperately trying to maintain a broad balance between fatness and fitness.
We don't promise no hills - just small ones.
We don't promise short trails - just short steps.
We don't promise slow runs - just slow thinkers.
(P.S. - We don't allow bicycles).
Our emphasis will be decidedly suburban rather than central city - we hope to hold half our hashes in the Hutt. Additionally we have chosen Tuesday as Hash night with the intention of being complementary to the existing Wellington Hashes:
- WGTN MEN'S HHH - Mondays (Marathon runners and marathon drinkers)
- WGTN LADIES HHH - Wednesdays (a mixed mob of mixed manners)
- CAPITAL HHH - Mondays (central city slickers)
INAUGURAL RUN:
1. Election of Geriatrix Master, Grand Mother & Grand Father.
Nominations can be made on the night.
Basic qualification is about 100 runs with all and any hashes.
2. Dinner after Hash at around $6.
3. Patches may be available (with luck) for about $5.
HASH HOUSE HARRIERS, for the ignorant, have variously been described as "social joggers" or hopelessly lost harriers. There is no formal membership, you just turn up.
Usually starting from a home, pub or eating house, the hares set a flour trail for about 5km, with a few tricks in it.
The hounds attempt to follow this for about an hour (half the time spent arguing about where the trail goes and half actually running/jogging/walking) before giving up and shortcutting "home" where they put back on any weight lost and replace any fluid evaporation. Sometimes they overcompensate.
New hashers always welcome.
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PORT NICHOLSON GERIATRIX HHH
INAUGURAL RUN WUN - Bellvue Pub, Lower Hutt (BRUNEI & PENGUIN) 8th Oct 1985
Over 25 intrepid hashers assembled to celebrate the birth of Port Nicholson's youngest and oldest HHH. A little indecision occured early on, because there was no trail opposite the pub, because an ever helpful YETI had put the dribble dropper in his car for next week, just before PENGWYNN could lay the missing stretch of trail. The good news was that everyone shortcut somewhere on the run, except for an overenthusiastic 10-year-old. To move onto more important matters, after some well-deserved drinks and some terrible speeches, the grub was gratifyingly great.
DISHTINGUISHED VISHITORS: CHIPS, GM of our Mother Hash, Wellington Ladies.
HANDLE, of Capital.
After a three-way tie in the elections for GMs, TRICKLE was elected on the casting vote of the returning officer. DB and Mouse became Grandparents.
Chips GM WLH3
Handle On Sec CAPITOL
'Arold WH3
Right On Home - WLH3
Tollcall Horn WLH3
STD Hash Flash WLH3
Brunei HARE (twice)
Penguin HARE
Mauler H Hystery
Bean B4
D2 WLH3
40C
Down there
DB
Trickle
Mouse
Diane
Mike
Nicholas Green Age 10 ON ON
Nash Hash
Deepthroat
Sharkey
Yeti
Burger
Bomber
Aunt Dolly
Knob HORN CAPITAL
STICK: To MOUSE (as Grandfather to begin)
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Ballad of Port Nicholson Geriatrix Hash House Harriers
The Ballad is to be delivered slowly and rhythmically (like a PNG run).
A long time ago, in Wellington, Where streets were steep, and trails were wrong,
Hash blokes and babes were young and strong, And they ran fast, and they ran long.
At the back of the pack were a few who were not, At their leisurely pace, they had time to plot.
There was Trickle, who was slow, and his cousin DB, Behind them, the best false-trail-finder, Yeti.
Always lost Penquin and his old mate Bruneau; They never knew the right way to go.
At each pissstop, they thought as they sat, That we need a hash for the old and the fat;
We're too far behind these fit young bucks, If the beer's all gone, getting on home sucks.
After a drink, they were able to think - A trail on the flat is the missing link,
With lots of checks, and no hills or dales, Plenty of pissstops, and too few false trails.
So they founded a hash from the rear of the pack, Where checks were common and the pace was slack.
GMs Trickle and DB, with Penquinn as Hash Hack. Since then, Gerry Hatricks have never looked back.
The moral of this tail is perfectly plain - The arse-end of the hash is the seat of the brain.
On On
Pen Quinn
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