It is a punishable violation for any House Boy who obeys a rule or command to insufficiently complete it in a way that still requires an unnecessary overt action by the Master or anyone else. It is the responsibility of the House Boy to fully meet his obligations in a manner that the Master or others can passively determine that the boy is in compliance.

In the example photo, the Naked House Boy is enjoying an evening swim when a handshake is offered to him by a guest at the poolside. Instead of swimming to the edge of the pool as he should (See below, Interpretation #26), the boy chooses to be lazy and swim to the edge of the diving board and wait there to receive the handshake. The boy then is ordered by the Master to ‘Report’ (See below, Rule #211) and instead waits at the diving board with a ‘deer in the headlights’ look of ‘what did I do wrong, Sir’?

This clueless House Boy is subject to discipline under the Cumulative Violation Rule (See below, Rule #100) which says that the boy can be punished for each violation and for the improper act as a whole. In this case, the boy is subject to punishment for attempting to require a guest to leave the solid ground and navigate a diving board for the handshake, for failing to physically obey a command to Report To Master, and for the act as a whole by disrespecting both the Master and the guest in the same event sequence.

Since this boy’s violations occurred in the swimming pool, he could be disciplined at Level One (bare-hand) in the water at the poolside (See below, Rule #274) or at Level Two with an implement like a belt or paddle after exiting the pool at the Master’s discretion. The violations themselves are each Level Two, but the Master has authority to reduce discipline to accommodate poolside enforcement or out of compassion for clueless first-time offenders.

In circumstances where a guest is disrespected and options exist for the boy’s discipline, the Master will often ask the guest for his or her opinion on which punishment should be administered. The Master will consider offers by others to assist with the administration of the boy’s discipline unless there is a good reason not to.