| The ceremony that is performed upon the crossing of the Equator is completely voluntary. Nobody is forced to participate, and may quit at any time. In light of the attention that "hazing" has received lately I was reluctant to post these pictures. But I believe that voluntary participation in activities like these, where no physical harm is done (other than a sore butt) bring the crew closer together. All the McMorris sailors that I knew actually looked forward to the crossing. (Your mileage may vary.) |
 Pollywogs assembled on forecastle |
 Hosing down the Pollywogs |
 Crawling to fantail |
| The day starts off with the Pollywogs assembled on the forecastle dressed in the uniform of the day, tshirt and pants worn inside-out and backwards. After being hosed down with saltwater and receiving a few swats with cutoff fire hoses, they are herded aft. |
 Pollywog receiving a swat |
 Shellbacks charging after Pollywog |
 Overview of fantail |
| As the Pollywogs are escorted to the fantail, they are encouraged to tell the Shellbacks what they are. The ONLY acceptable answer is "I'm a slimy Pollywog." All other answers earn another swat. There are always Shellbacks ready to administer the necessary swats. |
 King Neptune |
 Royal Court |
 Kissing the Queen's foot |
| At the fantail the Pollywogs are presented to the Royal Court, consisting of King Neptune, the Queen, and Davy Jones. The Pollywog kisses the feet of the Queen out of respect. Then Davy reads the "charges" against the Pollywog and King Neptune pronounces the sentence. |
 Royal Baby |
 Kissing the Baby's Belly |
 Exiting Davy Jones' Locker |
| Next up is a visit to the Royal Baby. The baby is a large crew member dressed in a diaper with grease smeared on his belly. The Pollywog is instructed to kiss the baby's belly. When a timid peck of the belly is attempted the baby grabs the Pollywog's head and pulls him in for a hug. Then the Pollywog is given a raw oyster to hold in his mouth as he enters Davy Jones' Locker. He must present the oyster before exiting or return to retrieve it. |
 Royal Doctor |
 Dunking Tank |
 "What ARE you?" |
| Now comes a visit to the Royal Doctor who has a single "cure" for everything. It's a mix of Tabasco sauce, tobacco juice, and various "special" ingredients. The dunking tank (salt water of course) marks the end of the journey. Just answer one simple question, "What are you?" By now the Pollywogs are conditioned to answer that they are "slimy Pollywogs." But at this stage the only answer that prevents another dunking is "I'M A SHELLBACK!" |
 A shower at last! |
 New ShellBacks |
 See, they had fun! |
| Yes, believe it or not, the participants had FUN. To my knowledge, we only had one person refuse to join in. There were no repercussions. |