The cost of this week’s hash is $20! Hooray!

Well, why not? No one seems to question why it costs $5 a run at most US hashes, or why “local” and “regional” Interhash prices are always topping out around $100 or more. So let’s just up the price of the weekly hash and see if we can make some REAL money out of this thing!

Why is it that hashes in the US are so obsessed with money? I can’t speak for European hashes since I haven’t hashed there (yet) and I was too busy having a good time with the Agana HHH to notice (or remember) much discussion about Hash Cash in Southeast Asia & Micronesia. Perhaps it is a problem everywhere, but I’ll just stick to what I know.

Five bucks is a nice round number. It also comes in a single bill, reducing the need to carry all kinds of change. It also can cover the cost of several cans of beer per hasher, with enough left over to split a bag of chips and maybe contribute toward the cost of a bag of flour for the trail. But wait! Don’t many hashes make the cost of flour the responsibility of the hares? And aren’t there many hashes where food is not provided by the hash cash, or wankers aren’t reimbursed for the munchies they did bring? And what about beer sponsors? I’ve been to many hashes where the beer is provided at little or no cost to the pack because some generous beer distributor, brewery, bar, restaurant; etc is kind enough to sponsor the hash’s activities. And yet, these kennels still charge $5. 

How about Interhash registration costs? Many local and regional interhashes start taking registrations at around $69 and gradually increase the cost to $100+ as the event draws near…ostensibly to try and “force” people to register early so orders for food, t-shirts, beer, etc can be more accurate. And this seems fair, because (as any veteran hasher can tell you) the “Price is more than worth the cost of **** Interhash” and “Where else can you get a weekend full of beer, food, entertainment, and souvenirs for that price?” Besides “If you don’t like the price, you don’t have to go.” Heck, I’ve used these phrases myself! But I’ve also been on planning committees for a couple hash events, and know that a decent weekend event with food, beer, souvenirs, lodging, and entertainment CAN be done for under $50 a person…certainly less than $100. And I also know that most (but not all) hash weekends, interhashes, etc. generally end up making a profit for the host hash…sometimes on the order of thousands of dollars. Yet the price of annual events rarely seems to go down.

So where does all the money go? From what I’ve seen, it usually goes into a bank account or a big envelope in someone’s house. It then magically transforms itself into a pirate’s treasure which must be jealously guarded. Over time, the pile of money grows, and it becomes even harder to convince the guardians of the Hash Cash to part with any of it. Oh sure, some of it may be used as “seed money” for future interhash-type events or as front-money for haberdashery items. But these expenditures are actually investments which end up making more money for the hash.

When was the last time you hashed for less than $5? Did you still get your money’s worth? My guess would be that you did. In fact, I’m gonna go way out on a limb and say you’d have just as much fun at $3 hash (or even a free hash) as you would one that cost $5. Money has a way of bringing conflict and creating discord in any social group, including the hash. Everyone has a great idea on how to spend the money, but no one wants to risk digging into the hash’s savings. “We might need it later!”

If your hash is trying to save money for a future interhash-type event, by all means collect money in a bank account (cash box, envelope, paper bag, etc.). When you find that you have $1000 saved, you probably have enough “seed-money” to get things going until registrations start rolling in. Most of your bills (except possibly site reservations) won’t come due until the week of the event or right after, by which time you’ve gotten all your registration money anyway. Keep your registration price down by making it an Invi-hash event. Instead of “penalizing” hashers for registering late, charge a lower cost and have a registration cut-off date. Use previous events’ attendance as a guide to help you plan accordingly rather than resorting to spiraling registration costs for later entries. Most of all, don’t charge double or triple the actual cost per hasher just because you can…it is far easier to exceed everyone’s expectations when the price is low than to meet their expectations when the price is high. 

Once you have your “seed-money,” why not consider reducing the cost of your weekly hash? Charge just enough to cover the basic costs of flour and refreshments. Better still, throw a BYOB hash once in a while and don’t charge anything! If you want to make a t-shirt or obtain some other haberdashery, get your quote from the supplier and charge the interested hashers up-front. Otherwise, be prepared to front the money for your idea yourself and get reimbursed as the items are sold 

At many hashes in the US, if you hang around long enough you’ll start to hear the discussions about Hash Cash. Seldom do these discussions add enjoyment to the hash. Even lottery winners and millionaires will tell you that money adds stress to life…the more you have the more stress there is. Let’s stop thinking about how much money our hashes can or should make. If you want to sell goods or services to the hash, so be it…we all like our haberdashery and have to get it somewhere! But let’s stop thinking of the weekly hash (or campout weekend, or interhash) as a way to make money for our groups. The Goals of the Hash only mention a little exercise, some beer, and making people feel better about themselves…nothing more. The guys in Kuala Lumpur were businessmen looking to relax and blow off steam after long days in the office. I’m sure they didn’t start the Hash in order manage budgets, track expenditures, and maximize profit in their spare time. 

On-On!
Guamarhea Balls
GoHash.com Webmaster