Junior Seaguards

Organization

• The Monastic Republic equivalent of the Junior Foresters is the Junior Seaguards, κατώτερος ποντοοφύλακας, katōteros pontofúlakas (in Athonite κατώτερ ποντοοφύλακ). Because the nation is so small there is no need for both clans and circles. There is the national tribe and each deme has a clan. The clan names are of marine animals. The tribe is the seagrass tribe.
  • Ammouliani has the turtle clan. The Ammouliani turtle is the loggerhead, C. caretta. The name in Greek is καρέτα (καρέτ) karéta, so the clan is the καρετοπάτρια (καρετοπάτρι) karetopátria.
  • Prosforion has the seal clan. The Prosforion seal is the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus, is known in Greek as μεσογιακή φώκια, mesogiaké fōkia, so the clan is the φωκιπάτρια (φωκιπάτρι), fōkipátria.
  • Aktí has the dolphin clan. The Aktí dolphin is the very popular bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. Dolphin in Greek is δελφίνια, delfínia, so the clan is the δελφινιπάτρια (δελφινιπάτρι) delfinipátria.
• These four animals are found in the Mediterranean Sea around Greece. Note that all these animals are air-breathing marine animals, symbolizing the Seaguards’ own love for the sea, but need to breathe air.
• Each KP also takes a marine animal as his/her personal totem, which could also include birds that fish in the sea.

Guiding Seaguards

• The clans are under the supervision and guidance of members of the MR Coast Guard. These men and women are skilled in activities both on and under the water. The Coast Guard units in each of the demes actively support the KPs in their deme. Each gendarmerie station has a building or room(s) dedicated for the use of the KPs.

The Uniform

• The KP uniform is a modification of the gendarme uniform, that is, dark blue trousers, shorts or skirt, and a light blue short-sleeved shirt, open at the collar so that the necklace shows. The shorts and skirts are worn with light blue knee-high socks; the trousers with standard light blue socks.
• The necklace is not made of beads but of shells, or pieces of shells, and is made by the individual KP.
• Blue denim trousers or shorts with a blue cambric shirt are worn in the field.
• The KP has a coat-of-arms, a patch of which is worn on the left shoulder of the shirt.
  • It consists of a shield, the field of which is bleu-celeste, a fillet pall wavy azure.
  • In the top third is the clan animal, the other two thirds containing the animals of the other clans:
    • for the turtle clan, a sea turtle vert naiant,
    • for the dolphin clan, a dolphin argent naiant,
    • and for the seal clan, a seal proper couchant.

Funding

• The organization is funded by members’ activities. Items the Seaguards have made are sold at the various celebrations that take place throughout the year on the deme plazas. They also staff a booth from time to time in the market place. And contributions are solicited from local businesses.

Activities

• One of the major activities of the Seaguards is cleaning up the waters and the sea bottom of the MR’s protected waters. The Seaguards do the work as volunteers, but the expense of the logistics is covered by the government. Another major activity is the care of the beds of seagrass; new beds are planted around the peninsula and in the Xerxes Canal to stabilize the substrate. They are also called upon to help in the rescue of beached or wounded animals.
  • The Ammouliani clan cares for the waters surrounding the islands;
  • the Prosforion clan, the waters of the west coast,
  • and the Aktí clan, the waters of the east coast.

Cape Ramble

• Several times a year, when the weather is good and the Seaguards are off from school, the clans take a walk around Cape Akrotis from the Xerxes Canal to the border of the Holy Mountain (this is clockwise). This is known as the Cape Ramble. Each clan makes the ramble annually.
• While on the ramble, they study the ecosystems, clean up the beaches, and have fun camping. They are accompanied by their Coast Guard supervisors and others knowledgeable in the ecosystems and in various crafts.
• If there are any girls on the ramble, there must be at least one woman with them.
• The ramble is made in four days:
  • 1) from the Canal to the Aoun wheatfield,
  • 2) from the wheatfield to the lighthouse,
  • 3) from the lighthouse to halfway down the cape,
  • 4) and from that point to the border with the Holy Mountain.
• The KPs gather in Aktí on Monday. The ramble begins Tuesday morning. The KPs are picked up by boat on Saturday and returned to Aktí.