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Current military traditions

murrdawg

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Hi all!

I'm in the process of creating a pool of trivia questions for our unit (primarily civilian) to educate them on some of the military traditions. I have a few off the top of my head (Christmas dinner with the youngest rank wearing the highest rank tunic, skylarks, ringing of the bell in the mess, using the wrong rank for someone after promotion, etc.)

Would appreciate any other military traditions/customs that are still used today to further educate our unit. I know there was something about sailing over the equator, naval beards, something about flying up North, and there's many more so would appreciate any input!
 
Hi all!

I'm in the process of creating a pool of trivia questions for our unit (primarily civilian) to educate them on some of the military traditions. I have a few off the top of my head (Christmas dinner with the youngest rank wearing the highest rank tunic, skylarks, ringing of the bell in the mess, using the wrong rank for someone after promotion, etc.)

Would appreciate any other military traditions/customs that are still used today to further educate our unit. I know there was something about sailing over the equator, naval beards, something about flying up North, and there's many more so would appreciate any input!

You might find this of interest...

Top tip: don't try to ride the regimental mascot, especially after you've been heavily day drinking ;)

 
Hi all!

I'm in the process of creating a pool of trivia questions for our unit (primarily civilian) to educate them on some of the military traditions. I have a few off the top of my head (Christmas dinner with the youngest rank wearing the highest rank tunic, skylarks, ringing of the bell in the mess, using the wrong rank for someone after promotion, etc.)

Oh My God Wow GIF by reactionseditor


There is no such thing as a Christmas Dinner anymore. Don't even say those words!!!

It is a Junior Ranks Appreciation Dinner. Can't mention holiday. Christmas. anything at all close to the actual tradition of the former Men's, then Soldiers, Christmas Dinner.

Would appreciate any other military traditions/customs that are still used today to further educate our unit. I know there was something about sailing over the equator, naval beards, something about flying up North, and there's many more so would appreciate any input!

Flying up north...done that, not aware of any tradition.

RCAF; Morning Prayers - this is a morning brief that happens at flying sqn's. It used to be a daily thing to kick the day off...has transitioned to weekly or every few days, depending on where you are.

Sticky Floor - Sqn and Wing informal Christmas gathering, all ranks will partake. Usually involves food and beverages, maybe some games. Wing Comd & WCWO group will usually make their rounds to each unit/Sqn and some Sqn members will visit other Sqns. Good fun. It usually happens the same week as the At Home.

The At Home is a tradition that dates back some time and is held between the Officers Mess, and the WOs and Sgts Mess. Each year, one Mess will "host" the At Home. Hosting Mess will form a receiving line and greet the "hosted" Mess members as the come thru, wishing all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I think it's common for dress to be No 3 (DEU with ribbons). There is socializing, food and beverages.

I'd say its common for the Jnr Ranks Dinner to be the 2nd last week of work before Christmas & New Years Leave, with the At Home happening early to mid week the last week before Leave, and Sticky Floor commonly being the 2nd last day of work before Leave.

Bird Bath - in my fleet (Long Range Patrol), we have a bird bath; a big automated rinse rack to spray the plane down after a flight low over water (salt, etc). When someone is releasing or posted out of the fleet and not expected to ever return, they get strapped into a chair, that is strapped onto a trailer, that gets attached to a mule and driven into the bird bath and around in circles until the water runs out.

It's a decent amount of water... Log into Facebook


Here's a few links...


 
CO and youngest Private trading ranks at the Christmas Dinner.

Various places you aren't supposed to sit or touch in the mess that result in buying a round.

Moose milk.

Zulu Warrior (not really a thing anymore).

The Oi! In Blackbear.
 
In the field, Lowest rank eats first and senior ranks last.

When you are in command of something, you are responsible for your crews action, even if your not there.

You can't sit on a artillery gun, as they are the "Colours" of the regiment

Artillery celebrates St Barbara day.
 
Hi all!

I'm in the process of creating a pool of trivia questions for our unit (primarily civilian) to educate them on some of the military traditions. I have a few off the top of my head (Christmas dinner with the youngest rank wearing the highest rank tunic, skylarks, ringing of the bell in the mess, using the wrong rank for someone after promotion, etc.)

Would appreciate any other military traditions/customs that are still used today to further educate our unit. I know there was something about sailing over the equator, naval beards, something about flying up North, and there's many more so would appreciate any input!

A word of caution about what you include as "tradition". One would hope that most of the questionable practices of yore, that while amusing to some and held up as rituals in "bonding", were nothing more than hazing. Even some of the more benign rituals (that didn't include physical exertions, excessive alcohol, embarrassment, hijinks, . . .) can be misconstrued in this age of social media and accountability. I imagine there may be at least one GOFO or senior officer whose career hit a sudden halt because of actions when he was younger that he considered to be "traditional".

One of the best comments that I've heard about "tradition" was in the film "Tunes Of Glory". (wait for it . . .)


Oh, and by the way, I may have (most likely) participated in some of those questionable practices back when I was a young soldier. There was this particularly wild "Zulu Warrior" at Rainbow Junction . . . oh well, that's a story for another time and place.
 
A word of caution about what you include as "tradition". One would hope that most of the questionable practices of yore, that while amusing to some and held up as rituals in "bonding", were nothing more than hazing. Even some of the more benign rituals (that didn't include physical exertions, excessive alcohol, embarrassment, hijinks, . . .) can be misconstrued in this age of social media and accountability. I imagine there may be at least one GOFO or senior officer whose career hit a sudden halt because of actions when he was younger that he considered to be "traditional".

One of the best comments that I've heard about "tradition" was in the film "Tunes Of Glory". (wait for it . . .)


Oh, and by the way, I may have (most likely) participated in some of those questionable practices back when I was a young soldier. There was this particularly wild "Zulu Warrior" at Rainbow Junction . . . oh well, that's a story for another time and place.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is too lose with his band Padawans. See after watching this we know why Anakin turns to the dark side.
 
There was an old ploy in the Canadian Army of the 1960s. Basically, much of the field army spent much of the June-July period deployed in the field on Summer concentrations, in regional training areas such as Wainwright, Petawawa and Gagetown. After several weeks in the boondocks, troops were quite eager to get home and back to their families. Naturally, the presence of children who were also understandably glad to have Dad home, could interfere with the reunion between Mom and Dad. So, the legendary green jelly bean trick apparently became the solution. In this ploy, Dad would buy a large bag of green jelly beans on the way home. On arrival he would then scatter them on the lawn and invite the kids to gather the treats. In the meantime, Mom and Dad would, well, you get the idea.

I am not sure anyone ever did this, but it made a great story!
 
So of course I don't mean hazing rituals or traditions, just some of the other military traditions that are out there. Some examples:

Christmas mess dinner and the swapping of tunics of the youngest member and the senior ranking officer
Ringing of the bell in the mess
Challenge of the coin
Sailing over the equator
Sticky floor

Those are just a few off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more that are still out there today that aren't "career ending" type traditions or "frowned upon" traditions.
 
There’s a whole book published on the subject, and uploaded to the Government of Canada website.

On the negative side, it was published in 1980, so it is a little dated.

On the plus side, it’s a fascinating peak into the CAF of over 40 years ago. Some of those traditions have faded during my memory — I remember when New Years Levees were a very big deal, but not in recent years. But some of those old traditions are still going strong, like buying rounds for one’s colleagues on promotion.

 
There’s a whole book published on the subject, and uploaded to the Government of Canada website.

On the negative side, it was published in 1980, so it is a little dated.

On the plus side, it’s a fascinating peak into the CAF of over 40 years ago. Some of those traditions have faded during my memory — I remember when New Years Levees were a very big deal, but not in recent years. But some of those old traditions are still going strong, like buying rounds for one’s colleagues on promotion.


Thanks for that, wasn't aware there was a book on it! But yes, 1980 is a tad dated, and with all of the cultural changes.... I'd rather give accurate information that is still relevant, as it's more interesting than dated stuff that is no longer practiced.
 
There’s a whole book published on the subject, and uploaded to the Government of Canada website.

On the negative side, it was published in 1980, so it is a little dated.

On the plus side, it’s a fascinating peak into the CAF of over 40 years ago. Some of those traditions have faded during my memory — I remember when New Years Levees were a very big deal, but not in recent years. But some of those old traditions are still going strong, like buying rounds for one’s colleagues on promotion.

Levees are still pretty common in some regiments.
 
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