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> 9-3-05: How I became an Honorable Polar Bear
Ute_Kaden
post Sep 6 2005, 10:36 PM
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Neptune Rules- How I became an Honorable Polar Bear
9-3-05


Now, it is about time to tell you about my decision to become an "Honorable Polar Bear and a Golden Dragon."

Crossing the polar circle by ship for the first time is a special event like crossing the equator. Traditional Neptune ceremonies are held on ships to celebrate those events. Our Initiation ceremony in honor of King Neptune for crossing the polar circle calls for "Blue Noses" are becoming "Honorable Polar Bears" (see vocabulary). Crossing the International Date Line by ship requires a "Golden Dragon" ceremony. We combined both.

Doing those ceremonies is a long standing tradition on ships and they can become quite vicious. "There are those rumors about crawling through rotten food, cutting off the hair…" On Healy participation was strictly voluntary. We are a military vessel which means some rules apply- a good thing in this case…

It took guts but I signed up for it and with me about 40 other blue noses (I can only imagine all your questions if I would have not…)

The ship is abuzz with the rumors and secrecy of the arduous Blue Nose Initiation Rites. Initiation was a 3 day event. Haircut insurance, old cloths, eyebrow insurance and mustache insurance could be bought. Scary thoughts and rumors….No hair in Tromsoe?

Day one- Sport & Fitness

All Blue Noses were called to the Helicopter deck for sport exercises. After the exhausting workout and lots of fun with our super fit "Coasties" we got cooled down with fire hoses. The water froze in the air and it was freezing cold.

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Cleaning with the fire hose so the ship does not get dirty!
photo by Bjorn Eriksson


Day two- Auction and we got sold as slaves to the crew

Wog tradition- One get sold as slave to the crew.Walter, Beth, Dalton, Ruben and I ended up as kitchen slaves (wog's). We stapled card board, cleaned the dry food room and cleaned and cleaned …The other blue noses had similar and also silly jobs like serving coffee to everybody who called, wearing special cloths, clearing out hard to reach places. I believe all the corners of the ship got a good clean up. The highlight of day two was the "No Talent Show" in the evening. Each group had to come up with a little show.

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Cinnamon wog is cleaning the dry food room

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Lots of cardboard has to go to the front of the ship - our wogs do it

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Non-Talent show participants Dayton, Ute, Walter (Jazz dancer) and Beth
photo by Bjorn Eriksson


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Non Talent show and two girls in on Mustang suit are dancing

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Ruben, the Swedish teacher and Karina from Norway as wogs

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Walter, Asa and Beth are "Blue noses"

It turned out that our Walter from Argentina who processes seismic data is a professional dancer! He saved the day. Walter put on a fantastic show by dancing jazz. Thank you Walter! The other groups were brilliant as well and we had mega fun. Of course, a Mrs. Healy was selected (photo) out of very talented, male only, participants.

In the end 20 creamy pies got auctioned off. One pie went for $200.00! The buyer names a person and has the right to throw the cake in the persons face. Lots of excitement and creamy faces here.

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Even CDR Jackson had to participate. He did it with a smile.

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He won the Mrs. Healy show
photo by Bjorn Eriksson


Day 3- that was the day with the real nasty things!

Here the short version. We blue noses got thrown out of our warm bunks, 5:30 am, for “Sport exercises” on the Helo deck (15 F- for getting real blue noses) and an uneatable breakfast on the messdeck. Two coasties eat it anyway  –huuuuuuu. "Warning- what you don’t eat now you will see later…"

Blind folded we had to follow a guide to the outside. In 17 F and with icy wind, the traditional dip in a makeshift pool on the deck was followed by other indignities like crawling through old, stinky food, kissing Neptune’s feet…Just look at the photos. Running, stinky, wet nd in freezing temperatures, from the back of the ship to the front enduring this stuff was not exactly pleasant.

However, in summary, it was a lot of fun and nobody got hurt, though, some people lost hair. Would we do it again? Well, hmmm…, one time is enough and we are “Honorable Polar Bears” and "Golden Dragons" now. We can proof it with our beautiful certificates!  I'm now an Honorable Polar Bear, by the rites of the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep and by decree of King Neptune. I am glad that I participated.

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Marching in position on the Helo deck for Sport activities

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Everybody had to go in the cold sea water pool
photo by Bjorn Eriksson


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Huuu, cold sea water and one has to dive under
photo by Bjorn Eriksson


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Back from Sport on the Helo deck - wet and cold

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Captain Dan Oliver (left) had lots of fun watching

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Dennis Darby is the Chief of the science spectators

Vocabulary (from various sailors on the Healy):

Wog: Short for pollywog. Someone who has not yet crossed The International Date Line on a ship and has not been initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep by King Neptune and his royal scribe, Davey Jones.

Blue Nose: Someone who has not crossed the Arctic Circle on a ship and has not been initiated.

Honorable Polar Bear: Someone who has crossed the Arctic Circle on a ship and has been initiated.

Penguin: Someone who has crossed the Antarctic Circle on a ship and has been initiated.

Shellback: Someone who has crossed the Equator on a ship and has been initiated.

Golden Dragon: Someone who has crossed the International Date Line on a ship and has been initiated.

Golden Shellback: Someone who has crossed simultaneously the International Date Line and the Equator on a ship and has been initiated.

Best Regards,
Ute
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Janet_Warburton
post Sep 8 2005, 08:53 PM
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Congratulations and Welcome to the Polar Bear Club! I too am an Honorable Polar Bear - although I was initiated on a different ship and it wasn't quite as crazy of an event as yours! Looks like great fun and something you will remember always. Hang your certificate with pride...you definitely earned it!!
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