Induction of the Gotu
The official end of a Regular Securer's training phase which is acknowledged in a special celebration.
Execution
Induction
The ceremony takes place in a mess hall of the respective district's headquarters. The Executive Chief gives the opening speech after which the ipiz leading the different sections step onto the stage. One by one, the latter read out the names of the new gotu who join them on said stage for all to see.Section-Specific Entertainment
Every section has their own way of celebrating the new gotu joining their ranks. Those of the combat section usually prepare some display of athletics or weapon prowess. Members of the traffic section introduce the Artificial Sapient of the Interceptor craft with which they are going to be partnered. The order section plays a debating game, arguing about some intentionally absurd topic and trying to win over the bigger part of the audience. The disaster section specializes in pyrotechnical effects.Festive Dinner
After the ceremony, the inductors and inductees return to their seats in order to eat with their families and friends. The kitchen staff prepares a special buffet for this celebration, using more luxurious ingredients and more elaborate recipes than on a regular day. Lively conversations fill the hall while people enjoy their meals and toast to the new gotu sitting among them. The stage is handed over to live performers who provide some music for easy listening.Components and tools
All securer personnel wear ceremonial versions of their uniforms on this occasion. For the gotu mu, this is the first time that they don uniforms with the blue color scheme instead of the orange that they wore as nuruta. This detail gave rise to the phrase "miz lu tum tamaru", literally "to earn one's blue", that is often used to talk about Securers completing their training.
Participants
Inductees
The most important participants are the trainees or nuruta who have finished their training. They are referred to as gotu mu which translates as "new soldiers". Their numbers vary because standards are high and rising to this rank strongly depends on the individual's performance. Usually, between 40 and 70 nuruta are deemed ready every summer.Senior Personnel
The ceremony is overseen by the district's Organizational Chief, its Executive Chief and their second-in-command. The leaders of the respective sections are the ones officially inducting the gotu mu. Also present are the trainers and several higher-ranking members of the respective sections.Friends and Relatives
The gotu mu are usually accompanied by their close family and friends, including fellow nuruta who have yet to reach this point in their career. On average, every gotu mu brings along 6-8 guests. Senior personnel also tend to bring along their partners or families, depending on the number of seats left.Observance
The ceremony takes place once a year on the last day of the month Pikanoma.
Comments
Author's Notes
Huh, I was not planning to write that today - it just kind of happened when I sat down to write about the mess hall. Either way, I guess that's one more item to scratch off my To-Do list.