Editing Initiation (section)

===Naval and military===
[[File:'crossing the Line Ceremony' on Board the Troop Transport Ss Empress of Australia, on An African Troop Convoy, August 1941 A5176.jpg|thumb|Equator crossing ceremony on ''[[RMS Empress of Australia (1919)|Empress of Australia]]'', August 1941 ]]
Some communities on board a military vessel and also of military soldiers tend to form a closed 'family' which absorbs in members, who are often formally accepted, generally after a form of trial or [[hazing]].

In addition, there can be similar [[Rite of passage|rites of passages]] associated with parts of naval and military life, which do not constitute true initiations as the participants are already and remain members of the same community. One such rite is associated with [[crossing the equator]] on board a naval ship, but it can even be taken by passengers on board a [[cruise liner]], who are not and do not become members of anything but the so-called "equator crossing club". Another form, "Kissing the Royal Belly" or "Royal Baby", calls for initiates to kneel before a senior member of the crew, who wears a mock diaper. This "Baby" usually has a huge stomach covered with greasy materials ranging from cooking oil to mustard, shaving cream, eggs, and oysters. Junior sailors must lick the Baby's navel area, while the "baby" grabs and shakes their head to better smear the goo onto their faces.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://nsrc.sfsu.edu/MagArticle.cfm?Article=750 |title= Sailor Men: Are Navy rituals, like Kissing the Royal Belly, homophobic or homoerotic? |access-date= 2009-09-01 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071117070601/http://nsrc.sfsu.edu/MagArticle.cfm?Article=750 |archive-date= 2007-11-17 |url-status= dead }}</ref>