The House Boy is required to serve naked at home but is loaned clothing or covering to meet dress codes when traveling. Footwear is usually optional, depending on circumstances. The boy is permitted to wear a reliable timepiece since this will help keep him on task for duties and chores (See below, Rule #183).

As technology evolves, so must the Master’s Rules for the House Boy. New for 2017 is a rule allowing the boy to wear – or the Master to require – a Fitbit or similar motion-sensing device which will track and store the boy’s activity like steps traveled, calories burned and distance walked. The Master has the right to install the device on any extremity, though the boy’s wrist or ankle will usually be the most common and reliable placement. The boy is prohibited from tampering with the hardware or software of the device and from disabling or removing it without permission. The Master may assign installation or removal or maintenance of the device at any time to a responsible volunteer who shall be considered Temporary Master during the time that the device is being handled. The Master has the right to set and enforce goals for the boy as part of his personalized fitness schedule (See below, Rule #213).

During fair weather at home – and while vacationing in warm climates away – the Master may at times restrict the House Boy’s footwear options to flip flops or sandals instead of shoes or boots and prohibit the boy from wearing socks while flip flops or sandals are being worn, to ensure that the boy’s naked feet and toes are visible from above. The boy shall immediately remove any footwear on hearing the Master’s command to ‘Strip… Your Feet’.

This rule may be revised or updated at any time to take advantage of the emerging and evolving technology of wearable devices or to better utilize casual footwear like the Nike flip-flops shown. Violation of any part of this rule may be disciplined at Level One (bare hand spanking) or Level Two (spanking with an implement) at the Master’s discretion. Enhanced punishments will not be given except when the boy sits naked on his footwear and damages or dirties them (See below, Rule #342).