Decorum and
Merit Credits
Not the second, but the very first
EthoPlasìn Precept of
grade one of the EthoPlasìn discipline requires PythaS to “Embody
always a figure of smile, joy, neatness, eleganc
e, inspiring harmony and thus
Kallos Beauty”. The second Precept reinforces this requirement in saying:
“Treat
always everyone with best civic behavior in all circumstances and actively study and promote Civic
Education, Meritocracy and Philoecosophical
Values”. For these reasons, a strict
EthoPlasìn Decorum is at the base of
the PythaS lifestyle and implemented with serene severity. As we will see later
on, Merit Credits apply mostly to students at the
EthoPlasìn
Academy, but they also apply
to the general behavior of all members.
As seen above, members must
wear proudly at all times a visible
PythagorArium Label,
or PythaL. At the ARIUM, wearing the special PythaC (ARIUM ID Card)
is necessary and sufficient PythaL by itself.
While at the ARIUM, members
must also wear the official
EthoPlasìn Blazer,
2-button, male or female type, except when moving or acting in sports or
exercising areas. The blazer is
EthoPlasìn
Deep Blue Sapphire
in color, lightly trimmed with ‘honey-gold’ color thread and filament cord.
It has the EthoPlasìn
Emblem sewn on the front pocket, like on all other allowed ARIUM uniform
apparels for sports and exercising areas. Blue
Sapphire, which
should be present in the personal aura of well trained members, is a color that
means “Positive energy, good vibration, wanting well to others, good
intentions etc.”. The same applies to the ‘honey-gold’ color trimming which
has the meaning of “Deep thinking, concentrating mentally, studying,
living and planning with discipline etc.”.
A PythaL symbol can be chosen from 5
different types but wearing at least one, in a visible way, is required at
all times, in and out of the ARIUM. It can be a necklace, a bracelet, a
ring, a clothing emblem or a lapel pin.
Regular commercial jeans are banned from
the campus. The special campus jeans (only the classic and natural
waist type of linen color, provided by the EthoPlasìn) and comfortable black sports shoes can be worn by male
PythaS
with the blazer during informal daytime life, including lessons and
lunch, but the Blazer is always necessary while in non-spor
ting or
exercising areas, with a freshly daily ironed white long sleeve shirt, and a
tie. The tie is chosen freely by the male PythaS.
For dinner, taking place in the
formal dining room of the representational floor, in the presence of the
Grand Master, the blazer and linen color classic-cut ply-trousers are
strictly requested, along with brown college shoes.
Female PythaS do the same except
that, for females, trousers are always excluded, and replaced with knee-covering
linen color skirts, or skirt-suits, and freshly daily ironed white long
sleeve blouses, except in sports or exercising areas.
Same rules apply to all PythaS at the EthoPlasìn
University,
be they students, living-in members or visiting male or female members.
Clothing elegance is also a
strict requirement, from the choice of a tie (men) or scarf (women) to the
proper combination of all other wearing apparels. Elegance is a criteria
part of the Merit Credit system implemented at the ARIUM. Men suits or
elegant informal clothing, and corresponding women less formal skirts, or
dresses, or skirt suits, or jackets can be worn at evening informal
occasions after diner in the socializing and relaxing areas. All formal
occasions require the regular the
Deep Blue Sapphire
blazer uniform and linen color trousers or skirts.
Male haircuts have to be
maximum top shoulder length. A very short beard
of between 1 and 2 centimeters is always required, perfectly trimmed on a
daily basis.
Female haircuts have to be at least
half back length, hopefully even longer, but most of the time groomed upwards
as required.
Neatness and cleanness, not to mention
graciousness or courteousness, are
strict requirements at all times.
The ARIUM offers a fully equipped service
of laundry and dry cleaning free of charge for all members. Ironing not done
at the time of dry cleaning is the responsibility of each member on a strict
daily basis for shirts, male trousers and female skirts, let alone blazers
and other apparels when required. Members must go through at least 2
compulsory showers a day, morning wakeup and night bedtime, let alone also
after each period of physical exercising and/or work with clients or animals.
Punctuality is also an
essential mark of members discipline in all places, in particular when meeting
people with whom they are taking PythaT initiatives.
The ARIUM includes a complete
wardrobe of spare clothing for guests, with appropriate clothes to be
borrowed when needed. New full uniform clothing is given free to members
expected to live-in for at least one year. The clothing can always be taken
on loan, free of charge, while at the ARIUM, in particular by passing
guests. The free spare wardrobe includes the compulsory male and female
blazers, linen color pants and skirts dark brown and black shoes of all sizes.
In addition to normal good
civic manners, the ARIUM gives training on more formal norms of etiquette
and protocol that will have to be practiced and applied when required, like
introducing people, placing and serving people at formal diners or meetings,
public speaking etc.
Diner for example, offered every evening for some of the members at the ARIUM (taking turns, 50 each evening), students and soldiers, including visitors during weekends, in the grand dining room of the representational floor, is always a serenely formal occasion, in the presence of the acting Grand Master, with proper dress, eating etiquette and protocol. Interns and all living-in students or non-student PythaS will proactively take turns in helping serving food according to best dining etiquette and protocol and they will be evaluated accordingly with corresponding Merit Credit units.
A centralized system of merit
credits has been developed. Each breach of discipline will make members loose
credits. Each course taken, each hour of exercising, or initiative, or
contribution to the Suggestions Registry, will make members earn credits.
The final attribution of these
credits, in case of conflict, is decided by the tutors of each PythaS.
Access to courses and
activities will also give credits automatically through the automated PythaC
(ID card), which also serves this purpose, along with its basic purpose of
being a digital key, opening doors and areas of the ARIUM, and being an ID,
controlling who
circulates in the premises and for what purpose. This is also made explicit
in other sections, related to University Students and the Arium System.
This regular PythaC ID includes a
visible digital picture of the owner and the full name of who wears it, but
it also includes an integrated hidden identifying data chip legible
automatically by a network of access doors and ARIUM check posts. For these
reasons, wearing a PythaC ID at all times is compulsory. The PythaC also includes a
small decorative piece of pure rock Crystal, which is the
EthoPlasìn daily symbol of the
mineral kingdom that will follow and accumulate the CoPHLE energy of the
owners in all their moods and moves at the ARIUM.
A wide variety of original
courses is offered, both live and on video, on a complete spectrum of
decorum and civic education subjects, like good food-mixing and cooking,
clothing elegance, proper eating habits and manners, introducing people,
public speaking and behaving, etc. Other courses refer to MeritoCracy,
EthoGloso, EthoPlay, and
Philoecosophical values and standards. All these courses can give credits to their
followers.
The Merit Credit System is computed automatically from a central computer server, and accounts are available for scrutiny. After the yearly graduation ceremony, all records are made available for scrutiny by all members at the ARIUM.
Those accumulating more credits
will have better chances of receiving more free benefits and more chances of
access to scholarships, fellowships and meritorious prizes, let alone grade
promotions. This includes Interns.
Mixed and Equal, but Different
– The
EthoPlasìn believes there
is a beautiful difference between a man and a woman, like between a male and
a female. This difference does not mean superiority or inferiority of any
ki
nd on either side. It does not prevent equality of fundamental rights on
both sides, but only a differentiation in skills and specializations, just
like Mother Nature has so pleasantly succeeded in doing, giving males and
females quite different and visible attributes and roles. That difference is
important in aspects of civic behavior, in discipline training, and for the
decorum as conceived and applied by the ARIUM. The ARIUM not only will never
try to hide that difference, but will rather encourage it, even promote and
reinforce it, let alone try to make it a most enjoyable one on both sides
of our mixed world. This has first implications in the way to dress. It has
more important and quite drastic implications for the role of members in the
“Combat Force” of the ARIUM, and thus the necessity to split males and
females between Hoplites (PythaH) and Amazones (PythaZ), in particular for the
EthoPlay training of this
special class of EthoPlasìn
soldiers, while all other soldier categories are mixed and with identical
training.
This conception of the “enjoyable
difference” is made known to ARIUM members in their Admission
Contract, and is an essential part of
EthoPlasìn membership and lifestyle. If this were not
acceptable to any of them, they have no alternative but to choose serenely
another university or discipline center for their studies and training,
and the ARIUM will be sorry to see them go. From this point of view the
ARIUM might be seen as somewhat not very ‘modern’ but, from its point of
view, it is a characteristic to be proud of, and that is being promoted
proudly, as the so-called “modernity” of current fashions is not at all
always what is best for our civic environments.
