Direct from Graceland to Queensland, Elvis in his first gig on his 2017 tour chose West Burleigh’s Silver Thai restaurant last Monday evening as the venue.

(This was the already prepared upbeat intro for the run report prior to the passing of Moonbeams).

However as the news came through concerning Moonbeams, the celebration of his life became the main attraction of the evening. This hasher who regularly told us for several years every birthday would be his last was a true warrior. Every now and again he would get knocked down for awhile with health issues but before long he would be back on his morning bike ride with his mates and sitting around on Monday night’s enjoying a glass of red or two without complaining about the challenges he faced. I am sure when they examine his body parts , they will find he had one hell of a good engine and conclude that they don’t make them like that anymore.

As Elvis had promised a drink stop in his pre-run spiel, the pack under dreary skies headed off through the industrial estate before some slipping and sliding up a mountain where Sir Two Dogs rolled over an embankment before righting himself again. The drink stop was  a welcome site especially when it was located without having to pass Elvis’ angry neighbours’ property (they have previously objected to hashers encroaching on their property in that patch of the Burleigh backwoods). Even better was this drink stop was found to be manned by a friendly neighbour with lots of cold beer.  This neighbour told us we were about a quarter of the way through the run and when Elvis asked him for a torch so he could find the trail he had set, we knew it was going to be a long hard slog through lots of shiggy and up and down the hills of West Burleigh. Every now and then you could see the lights of the northern GC high rises, but in reality it was just a case of follow the hare and hope he knows where he is going. Finally, when we got out of the bush near the Miraki rehab centre, it was on home to icy cold beers.

RA Shat got a circle organised and first out was Moonshine, son of Moonbeams. He spoke how his father had loved his hash mates as family.

Visitor Bren Gun advised he was doing the annual audit of our hash for head office in KL. He found we had passed the audit in most categories except the length of the run which he found was a bit too long. Fannie Charmer had to agree with his assessment as he opened his first beer after the run at 7:55 pm. Elvis as hare accepted his down down for a great long run well marked on waterproof chalk. Bent Banana was the first hasher back (by car) after hitching a ride home upon finding himself lost on the wrong side of West Burleigh. Caustic Crusader was the first hasher home by foot.

Miscarriage commenced a series of charges. First up was the early dining charge on Sir Prince Valiant (SPV) for getting in early for a discount meal. SPV returned serve for Miscarriage getting into a blue with a bikie on St Patrick’s Day while having a few with Phil. Caustic Crusader got Truckie in for a GC Bulletin article about a truckie and a road incident. Ferret had another back fire charge on him for claiming the Elvis hadn’t paid hash cash although he was the hare. Bren Gun for some slight of hand trick of getting Weekly’s car keys into the pocket of his jacket was next up. KB went looking for a leftover Fat Yak Pale ale from the previous week in the eskys but as he couldn’t find any got Bent Banana out for his private premium beer collection storage off-site. Fanny Charmer joined him for wearing his Asic hash thongs in the circle.

Current POW, Carefree, advised that he was holding over the award, and instead as he had prepared a poem about Moonbeams at 3 am that morning, he would read that instead as a tribute.  In a hash first. Moonbeams posthumously closed the circle via some Sir Rabbit audio technology. SPV announced that Moonbeams had left a generous donation to the hash. SPV and the Princess were thanked for all their efforts in assisting Moonbeams during the latter stages of his life.

On that note, the pack moved inside to the restaurant for multiple courses of rapidly served Thai fare and more beers/wine.

RPR 41 will be remembered as the evening we farewelled another great member of the GC Hash.

                                                                           Vale Paul (Moonbeams) Mooney 1939-2017

                                                                                                    RIP

Yours in hashing

CIRCUMFERENCE