The service officers stand out as far as community interest is concerned. In the Army there are certain unwritten conventions and customs which all officers are expected to abide by. The social gatherings highlight the colour of services. The various get-togethers like dinners, dances and luncheons are arranged like the civilians but the etiquettes of service officers are striking in features. It is a well accepted fact that services as a whole and unit, of in particular, are judged by the behaviour and manners of individual officers.

Calling on is one of the principal means of entry into social arena of a station. It has been said that the etiquette of calling on people dates back to the days of the cave man. He is credited with leaving a carved block of stone at the door of his neighbour as an expression of a desire of friendship. In present times, it is the practice to leave cards or sign in a book kept for the purpose while making formal call.

On arrival at a station on duty or a visit, an officer will call on the officer commanding the unit or establishment at his office within 24 hours. Before calling at residence of the commander, the visiting officer ascertains from the Adjutant as to the calling customs in vogue. If the commander is married and his wife is present at the station, it is customary for the newly arrived officer to make a visit at the residence of commander. These calls are formal and brief and ordinarily should not last longer than fifteen minutes. In addition, official calls should also be made on some other officers whenever possible on posting of an army officer to a new station depending upon his rank. Officers or ranks equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel and other senior ranks should call on the Governor or Rajpramukh Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner or Collector. Officers belonging to Captain the rank of and above should call on the GOC-in-C or GOC, the Brigade or Sub Area Commander.

In the matter of official calls of service officers of Army, Navy and Air Force at the same station, some etiquettes are also to be observed. The junior officers should call on the senior ones. If both the officers concerned are of equal seniority the officer last to arrive at the station calls on the other. And the visit should be returned within seven days.

The officers posed in Delhi have some extra obligations in this matter. Officers belonging to the rank of Brigadier and above have to call on President, Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Chief of Army Staff, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff. Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels should call on the President and Chief of the Army Staff. Calls of courtesy on the President are normally made on the first posting of the officer to Delhi, on the officer’s permanent transfer from Delhi and on assumption of office by the new President.

The interchange of visits between officers is of great importance. It promotes friendship and co-operation and makes for a pleasant tenure of duty at a station. Calling on is the principal means of families to know each other. It is a well-established custom of the services and should be scrupulously observed. The officers in a unit or establishment call on a newly arrived officers as soon as they get settled. In most cases, it would be convenient to wait upto a week or so before calling on a new arrival. If the new-comer is married and his family is present, officers should call on with their wives.

Calling hours vary with the season, but it is customary to call on between 6.30 and 7.30 pm on any working day. Unless invited to stay on for dinner, guests should leave by 8 pm. This arrangement allows, on one hand, sufficient time for the people to go about their normal pursuits such as playing tennis or other games and, on the other, does not delay their dinner. Holidays should be left free for officers and their families to be devoted to themselves. Likewise, morning calls are not always acceptable and are only made among the most intimate friends. However, when a call of condolence or inquiry for a sick friend is made, it can be made at any time of the day.

While visiting, the duration of call should be kept in mind. The first call rarely exceeds fifteen to twenty minutes. Though subsequent calls may be of a longer duration, it would be wrong to prolong the visit to the point where the hostess is scarcely able to suppress her yawns. On the arrival of another caller, it would be unwise to leave immediately. Lest it gives the impression that the presence of the second arrival is resented. In such cases it would be better to wait for a few minutes, exchange a few words with the new caller and then take leave of the hostess.

Single officers calling at the residence of a married officer should enquire whether the lady of the house is at home. If the lady is at home, the servant should be given the name so that it may be announced to the hostess. On deciding to leave after being entertained, the making of any excuse to terminate the call should be avoided. One should say a courteous farewell at a respectable time and depart. If visiting cards are in vogue, it is the custom for a single officer to leave two cards on the hall table as he goes out. One of these cards is for the hostess and the other for her husband. A card is also left for a parent or a daughter over eighteen years of age if they are known to be members of the household and are residing at the same house.

There are occasions when no reply is received after ringing the door-bell or that the servant of some other person declares that the hostess is not at home. On such occasions two cards should be left. It is permissible to either drop the cards into a letter box or give them to the servant. Some officers do ask for the host if the hostess is known to have gone out. However, if the hostess is present and she lets it be known that she is not at home, then the caller must recognise that the hostess is not prepared to receive visits. In that case he must leave. In calling single officers, the etiquette is much the same with one minor difference. In this case, only one card is left.

When an officer and his wife leave after calling to another married couple, the officer leaves two of his own cards and his wife leaves one. The officer’s cards are intended for the host and hostess and his wife’s card for the lady of the house. In the event of the presence of a daughter of 18 years of age or over or parent in the house, the officer leaves an extra card. His wife does likewise if the adult is a lady. These conventions apply equally to the lady members of an officer’s family other than his wife, when accompanying the officer.

A newly arrived wife should, within two days of her arrival or as soon as possible, make her calls. After she has made her formal call, the other officers’ wives may call on her. Calls of the latter nature are made within a week or ten days of the new-comer’s arrival. It is customary that neighbours of a newly arrived family call on as early as possible and offer assistance to the family to settle in.

These are some of the broad guidelines on the etiquettes to be observed while calling on. There, however, can not be any exhaustive scheme for the same and officers should exercise personal discretion in the matter as the situation before them may merit. The main guiding principle is that an officer must conduct himself decently at all times.