The Naked House Boy is responsible for a variety of duties and chores. Some are scheduled daily or weekly, while others are ‘on demand’ when the Master requests the task to be carried out. “Weather Check” is an ‘on demand’ task that usually takes place at home in the morning hours, but can be tasked at any place or time depending on circumstances.

Weather Check is a multi-step yet quick process that the House Boy follows to find out and tell the Master what the outside weather *feels like* so that the Master can make decisions about outdoor activities and travel. These can include clothing choices, travel routes when driving, and activity planning. Responsibility for using good judgment and following protocol lies entirely with the boy since the Master is often preoccupied with other things and usually doesn’t supervise the boy while the Weather Check is being carried out.

The protocol calls for the boy to use each of his five senses in evaluating prevailing weather. First, the boy will use his sense of sight to look out a window or doorway to make sure it okay to exit and continue. (If there is a hurricane, for example, the boy would not continue to the next step, since he is never required to do anything unsafe or illegal (See ‘Paramount Rule’). Once it is determined to be okay to step outside, the boy will go out and check the weather using all five of his senses:

* Sight – The boy will continue to visually observe the weather both at ground level and skyward, and look for signs of clouds, inclement weather, objects blowing in the wind, and anything else that should be reported to the Master.

* Sound – The boy will listen for weather-related sounds like thunder or rushing water and also man-made noises like whirley-bird sprinklers. He will also listen for anything else that could impact clothing or travel decisions.

* Touch – The boy will close his eyes and feel the air against his skin. Is it wet, hot, dry, chilly, crisp, damp, muggy? Is it warm enough to make his testicles hang low, or cold enough that his nipples stand erect and his scrotum rides high and tight? The boy uses his sense of touch to help describe to the Master how the weather *feels* outside.

* Smell – The boy should take a couple of deep breaths, inhaling once through his nose and again with mouth open. Repeat if necessary. Does the air smell smoggy? Is there a salty ocean taste implying an onshore airflow?

* Taste – The sense of taste should not be forgotten. The boy should open his mouth sufficiently to determine if there is 'anything in the air’. A salty taste could mean that there is an onshore airflow, and a dry grit may mean light sandy content and a dryer day. Even the California smog has a subtle flavor, though not necessarily a pleasant one.

While the Weather Check may sound like a complicated process, it’s actually quite simple and takes less than a minute to complete. Experienced boys learn how to step through the five senses in half that time, and compile the information into a few short sentences when returning inside.

In the example photo, the Naked House Boy has been ordered to take a Weather Check on a winter morning following an overnight storm. The Master gives the order as he begins to shave, expecting a report by the time he finishes to get dressed for the day. The boy steps outside and uses his five senses to gather data, and then reports back to the Master, “There’s a couple of inches of snow on the ground Sir, but none is falling at his time. The air is crisp and chilly, but not enough that it bites my skin. There’s no wind, and the sun is even beginning to peek out of the clouds. The outdoor thermometer says 42 degrees and it seems to be warming up and clearing.” The Master looks over the boy and smiles, pleased at what he sees and hears.

Weather Checks are always carried out with the boy dressed or undressed as the command is given, though footwear and headgear are always optional. This means that the boy will usually be naked when carrying out this command at home. When traveling with the Master away from home, the boy may or may not be clothed when the command is given, and the Master does not give thought to things like dress codes or the boy’s nudity when asking for a Weather Check. A House Boy who completes a Weather Check naked away from home will never be punished, but a boy who gets dressed because nudity is not appropriate will likewise not be punished, as long as he gets naked again when returning inside. The boy would only be punished if he gets dressed when he could have remained naked and performed a proper Weather Check without violating the Paramount Rule. The important thing is that the Weather Check is carried out immediately, quickly, and accurately.