It's the official policy...

"It's the official policy (of the USS Khai Tam)..."

Meaning

Though the origin of the saying on the USS Khai Tam had a very specific message, "It's the official policy..." came to mean that while there was a strict rule to which we must adhere, there was tacit approval for violating that rule if you would do so with subterfuge. It also implied that if caught violating said rule, you understood that the ship would disavow any knowledge of your actions.

Origin

When the USS Khai Tam's annual retreat, KhaiCon, had outgrown the small facilities a the Florida State University Reservation where it had been held for its first few years, it was moved to Camp For All Seasons (CFAS), a campground owned by Girl Scouts of America. When not in use by scout troops, the camp could be rented to other groups for their non-scouting events. Its large, two-floor lodge had a full professional-style kitchen, showers, and all of the space needed for the event.

KhaiCon was notorious for being a party where plenty of alcoholic beverages would be consumed, but CFAS had a rule against any such substances on the premises. Knowing that attendees would surely ignore that rule, and not wanting to lose favor with the camp, the organizers of the retreat gave the following statement (first verbally, and then as transcribed below, on the flyer for the event):

It is the official policy of the USS Khai Tam and the Camp For All Seasons Girl Scout Camp that alcohol not be allowed at the camp. Unofficially, if you choose to ignore that policy, you must have any alcohol in an unmarked or disguised container.

The pseudo-legalese of the statement got a round of chuckles from the members in attendance. Going forward, just the first line, "It's the official policy..." became shorthand, and was enough to communicate the entire thought.

Over time, the quote came to be applied to any rule that, officially, the group would honor (such as maximum occupancy of a hotel room, or a posted speed limit), but would, with a wink and a nod, ignore violations that were inconspicuous.

Usage

A strange hybrid of quote, mantra and in-joke, almost always used in a group of club members. When discussing some policy or rule, one person would utter, "It's the official policy...", and the rest of the group would spontaneously chant together in monotone, "...of the USS Khai Tam, that...", followed with whatever rule was the topic of debate.