The West Wing Perspective on Protocols: Intent and Practice

To Clarify My Terms

There may be some confusion as to what a protocol is. I would first like to point out what a protocol is not.

Protocol is not ritual, although it may contain ritual elements.

Ritual is a behavior repeated by situation or on demand. The purpose of ritual is the ritual itself and the feelings it creates in the submissive and/or the dominant. It typically does not vary; normally, the perfection of the ritual is its own goal.

Protocol is not etiquette, although it may overlap in its teaching and intent.

Etiquette is proper self-expression, a refined and specialized form of communication—the ability to communicate to others in a fashion that the dominant finds pleasing and appropriate. The absolute importance of proper etiquette and good manners is beyond the scope of this article, but I’m sure to address the West Wing perspective on that in time. Actually, it’s inevitable.

Protocol is not merely following orders or anticipating desire, although it reinforces such things.

Protocol rules are the guidelines that the strong-willed and intelligent submissive uses to make decisions in the best interests of her dominant. Protocol is a structure outlining appropriate behavior and action. It is a set of rules that illustrates the dominant’s desires, needs, and priorities. A well-structured protocol allows confidence on the part of the submissive and the dominant, and helps take D/s outside the bedroom and into everyday life.

The first and toughest question in designing a protocol is:

What do you want?

Tougher than it looks. At least, it was for me. It took some thought.

My concept of dominance is a 24/7 structure. However, I have little interest in moment-to-moment micromanagement, repeating myself, or servants without initiative, drive, or backbone. A proper structure is part of the answer. I applied the Old Guard concept of three degrees of protocol: Low (Third), Middle (Second), and High (First). Low and Middle each have formal and informal forms to increase their versatility.

Low Protocol

For day-to-day life, I wish servants in my service to be able to interact normally with the rest of the world and, to some extent, with me. There are too many real-world uses for a competent representative to cripple their social effectiveness with burdensome rituals. This does not change the status of their service to me, nor does it strip them of the reminders of their service that are often so important to them. It does demand that such rituals be subtle and often invisible to the world at large.

So, when designing that structure, I had to decide what I wanted it to teach:

• a continuous reminder of service and its responsibilities;
• permitted casual behavior, yet with specific boundaries;
• recognition of station, orders, demands, and requests in an invisible and unobtrusive fashion;
• behavior that reflects my intentions and desired interaction on a personal and professional level; and
• awareness of accountability despite the temptations offered by casual behavior and independence.

Low Protocol is often the most difficult to master for the trainee because it offers many of the illusions, comforts, and distractions of freedom, yet accountability and responsibility do not end during these times. It has the least moment-to-moment guidance and often the greatest margin for error.

Middle Protocol

Most often used in public scene clubs and play situations, Middle Protocol changes the degree of focus and the priorities of the servant in question. It is perhaps the most classical of my protocols, the one that people would most easily identify as BDSM. Considered a “performance” protocol, I needed it to teach the servant:

• how to prioritize decisions in the appropriate context;
• the time and place for degrees of casual behavior;
• consistent ground rules of action and responsibility;
• awareness and anticipation of my needs, wants, and desires—and those of other respected dominants in my company—as a priority; and
• focus on BDSM priorities, no matter how long or strenuous the time spent in Middle Protocol.

Most BDSM activities are carried out in this form, but it is merely another facet of the structure. Service, authority, and accountability do not diminish when someone is eased down from Middle to Low; only their expression changes. There is no “off time.”

High Protocol

The expectations and requirements of High Protocol are the most exacting.

• Complete attention and focus, no matter the distractions.
• Absolute and instantaneous obedience, without delay, hesitation, or question.
• Decision-making and priorities are not part of High Protocol; the servant’s wants, needs, and desires are suspended.
• All extraneous movement, speech, and thought are unacceptable. If First Protocol is in effect, concentration is demanded.
• Awareness that every move, answer, and behavior is being carefully scrutinized and judged.

Normally, my High Protocol is used for short periods for instruction or amusement, or for longer periods as punishment.

Each of the protocols has its own codex of speech, posture, and behavior, but I am not going to list them here. I do not wish to distract from the purpose of protocol with the details of my particular preferences and fetishes.

These guidelines are in effect even when I am not present. In fact, that is very much their purpose. If one of my servants is out shopping, she is naturally in Low Protocol. If she runs into a respected dominant of my acquaintance, her protocol becomes Low Formal. If that dominant takes her home to work or serve, she will step up to Middle because she knows that is appropriate behavior. If that dominant becomes angry or requires absolute attention, she will step up to High Protocol until released to a lower one.

With further education, I can—and have—sent that same servant to that same dominant with instructions that quickly and simply dictate my expectations for her behavior:

Middle Informal, speech in Low Formal, and if he makes sexual use of you, up to High so he does not have to concern himself with your opinions or preferences. If he chooses to, he can take you down from there.

The West Wing has five guidelines that carry through all the protocols, ideas that I expect a servant to keep constantly in mind. No matter the situation, these rules apply:

1. Good manners are always appropriate.
2. Gratitude is always appropriate.
3. Acknowledge a request, order, or mistake.
4. When in doubt, ask. When in need, request.
5. Maximum amount of information, minimum amount of words. (Ken’s Law.)

Understanding these guidelines, combined with a working knowledge of the protocols, allows me great confidence in my servant, for I know that I will be represented well. Protocol can be changed by order or by situation. It allows a servant never to be without guidance and never to be lost as to her priorities and responsibilities.

—Flagg

January 19, 1999 — Be Very Polite