LVHHH (vlv!) Hare Guidelines

HARE GUIDELINES for the Las Vegas Hash House Harriers:

BREAKING NEWS: As voted upon by the pack [Feb. 2003], no hasher, DFL's included, should be out on trail longer than 2-hours!

Keep it Simple! When planning your trail, figure out the true trail first and then decide where to put checks (intersections) and other beer stops.

Keep it Interesting! Most hounds do not want to run long, straight trails. Set numerous checks, check backs, and other diversions on your trail.

Keep it Interesting (Part 2)! You don't have to stick to the roads. There are plenty of fields, desert trails, washes, parking garages, and industrial areas… just make sure you have adequate chariots (and sober drivers) at the On-In to get everyone back to the start.

Keep it Interesting (Part 3)! If you liked last week's trail, don't copy it this week! Wait a few weeks, and then try to incorporate the cool parts into an entirely new trail.

Keep the Pack Together! Checks, beer stops, and check backs all force the front-running bastards to slow down, allowing the slower hounds to catch up. Being part of the pack is much more fun than running alone!

Do Not Run Trail Back Across Itself! Crossing trail can lead to the hounds either getting lost or missing whole stretches of your trail because they turned the wrong way. Crossing trail tends to confuse and anger all the hounds and can ruin an otherwise great trail.

Don't Hide Your Trail Markings!There is nothing worse than wandering around in the dark (or alone) because trail has disappeared. The goal is to find the true trail and the On-Home, not spend ten minutes searching for the next pile of flour. This, too, will make the hounds very angry.

Use Plenty of Trail Markings! When you think you've laid enough flour, lay twice as much! Generally every 20-30 feet works. As a rule, you shouldn't run past more than two telephone poles without leaving a mark.

We Are a Drinking Club With a Running Problem! The pack expects to have beer stops on trail. If the only thing we wanted was to get some exercise, we could find more effective ways to get it! But that doesn't mean that every run needs to be a pub crawl. One beer stop is plenty for most trails.

Don't Screw the Pack! If your trail requires something special from the pack, let us know ahead of time! If there is a theme, a need for flashlights, a water hazard, or other special requirements; or if it is going to be a pub crawl, let us know a few days ahead of time so we can come prepared.

Save the Workout For the Gym! If you fancy yourself an average-to-good runner, you are probably a better runner than most of us! A quick jaunt for you can easily turn into a death march for the pack. Try to keep your trail down to a few miles, and designed so that even a walker can finish in around an hour or so. Generally, your trail is well set when the DFL enjoyed it as much as everyone else. If you feel you need more exercise, then go to the gym or try jogging to the hash instead of driving your car.

Don't forget to Update the Hash Hotline 3-days prior to your trail! The Hash Hotline (390-HASH) is the lifeline for disbursing trail information to both locals and visitors. The pack gets antsy, and begins to bug the mismanagement, if the Hotline is not updated on time. If you do not know how to update the Hash Hotline, contact a mismanagement member.

Be Ready For Hares-Away on Time! You may have to wait a few minutes for the hounds to get organized, but the pack should never have to wait on the hares! Make sure you bring flour, chalk and everything else you'll need on trail. Don't forget, hares should bring enough chalk to hand out to hounds who want it!

Have a B-Van Driver Before the Day of the Hash! That means that you should have you act together before the day of the hash. Also, be sure that your driver has actually been to the On-In. Hasty directions given to you driver minutes before Hares-Away more often than naught lead to B-Van-less On-In, and delay the start of your trail.

Don't forget the MAP! Don't forget to draw a map to the end for late-cummers, or anyone who was not clever enough to follow your trail. It will help save you from having to "sweep trail" later.

Remember Hashers Only Have Half a Mind! If a hound has to use more than that to decipher a trail mark or to solve a check, then he WILL get it wrong. When you think you have a really clever idea you want to use, try explaining it to a five-year-old first and see if he can figure it out.