During World War II, Commanding Officers were authorized to advance and promote deserving and qualified Sailors to the highest enlisted rank of Chief Petty Officer. The determination of deserving and qualified" could be difficult for the Commanding Officer. The situation also presented challenges to the Sailor who aspired to attain a Chiefs rating. How best to prepare? How to plan and track preparation? How to best display your qualifications? From these dilemmas sprang the original charge books.
Chiefs began to direct First Class Petty Officers to prepare themselves to assume the additional responsibilities by recording all the details of those responsibilities. Ships professional libraries were generally nonexistent or poorly stocked and much had to be learned directly from conversations with the Chiefs themselves and taken down to be studied later. In addition to the technical aspects of the various ratings, Chief Petty Officers also talked to the First Class aspirants about leadership, accountability, supporting the chain of command, and other professional subject matter often using personal experiences to illustrate how something should (or should not) be done. The collection of notes and study material eventually came to be called by some a Charge Book perhaps because the Petty Officers who kept them were their charges; (entrusted to their care) for professional development or perhaps because the entries included charges (authoritative instructions or tasking of a directive nature).
Today's Charge Book then is a great tradition which has its roots in a magnificent period of our history. Chiefs have preserved it and have returned it to its original purpose. Today's Charge Book is not entertainment and it is not a vehicle for hazing, however mild. It is valid and valuable learning tool. It is treated with respect and as a badge of honor by all concerned. Even better, when CPO Initiation season is over, it becomes a treasured keepsake and the repository for the accumulation of the most precious of our career photos and mementos.
Creative, proudly constructed charge books have been an especially impressive part of the past CPO Initiations. Proper use of charge books is an essential component of the welcome and acceptance into the CPO Mess. Research indicates that Charge Books have a history which is really older than the initiation itself see The History of The CPO Charge Book. Newly selected Chiefs are assigned their Charge Book project almost immediately. Selectees are encouraged to work together on this project but to be individually creative. This promotes team work amongst the selectees. They are not provided too many details beyond directing them to ensure that their charge book visibly displays CPO pride, pride in their rating, warfare community and pride in their selection to CPO.
Work begins immediately and charge books are completed within a reasonable period of time given the individuals workload and command operating tempo. With brief directions, and a little encouragement, and Chiefs standby to be mightily impressed by the selectees creativity and craftsmanship. Every Chief in the mess then makes thoughtful, congratulatory, motivational, and tradition oriented entries to help guide the selectee as they prepare themselves to assume the additional responsibilies of a Chief Petty Officer.
Chiefs share with the selectee patriotic thoughts, words of wisdom that have inspired and motivated them through rough times. They also share tidbits of Naval History and tradition with the selectees as well as to welcome then into the Chiefs community. Genuinely humorous entries are made as enhance the value of these grand momentos and keepsakes. They are, indeed, keepsakes. In fact, many clearly qualify as genuine folk art. The Charge Book and the entries will often be shared with selectees' friends and family for years to come.
Last Preventive Maintenance December 30, 2005