Crossing The Line Research Paper

Crossing the Line: A Day of Heritage
Imagine getting to shake the hand of a country's president after they have been welcomed into the Ancient Order of the Deep. Senior enlisted leaders should understand the heritage involved in Crossing the Line ceremonies because it has shaped today's ceremonies. This paper will cover the history of Crossing the Line ceremonies and illustrate how they have evolved.
History
The tradition of Crossing the Line is considered to be one of the oldest customs at sea, predating all of today's known navies. The original purpose for ceremonies associated with Crossing the Line was to test new crews to see if they could endure the hardships at sea (Wildenberg, 2014). These ceremonies were typically associated with the Equator or other notable
Sailors crossing the Equator at the International Date Line are known as Golden Shellbacks while Sailors crossing the Equator at the Greenwich Meridian are known as Emerald Shellbacks (Naval Historical Center, 2014). While these ceremonies have become more present in today's Navy it is not uncommon for a Senior Sailor to have served a dozen or more years and never have the opportunity to become a Shellback(King, 2011). A common theme has remained as these ceremonies have grown over time; they continue to represent a day of team building and camaraderie.
In summary, this paper covered the history of Crossing the Line ceremonies and illustrated how they have evolved. As senior enlisted leaders, it is imperative to understand the heritage behind Crossing the Line ceremonies because of how it has shaped today's ceremonies. The next time a ship crosses the line it will be the Sailors of tomorrow that make their mark on naval heritage and welcome their fellow Shellbacks into The Realm of the