Here's the write up:
There were over close to 400 people scheduled to take oath at Faneuil Hall in Boston on 03/20/2014. Add another 100 or so relatives who had come to see the ceremony.
People started lining up outside the Fanuel Hall visitor center and there were some security staff on the doors. There were three long lines initially based on the color of the oath letter, white, orange and green.
In my case, spouse and I had different colors of oath letters.
The reporting time was 12:00 and the hudge was going to preside over the ceremony at 1:30 pm. Got in line at around 11:15 in somewhat milder weather but still cold at times. Waited pretty much until 12:00 to be let in.
The relatives were let in first on the second floor of the Hall. Then people with white color oath letters, followed by orange and green.
The security guards shouted some instructions while still outside the building not sure what he was saying something to do with phones and food not allowed. Or may be it was turn the phones off when inside.
Whilte entering the first door (main door to the building), I asked the security guard if it was ok to take the water bottle. He asked if there was coffee in it that might cause stains (on the floor?).
On the actual enterence to the hall (the place of ceremony), staff was looking at the form N-445 and green card. Nobody looked at if the form N-445 was filled up or not.
The chairs had a packet sitting on each vacant chair and people pretty much sat in the order they entered the room.
I was still waiting for spouse to enter so I asked one of the staff if we could sit together during hte ceremony, answer was no but we could sit on the end of the rows so we could be "next" to each other but not adjacent..there was the pathway between us bu good enough to check up on things with each other.
People were taking pictures, videos.
The USCIS officer introduced himself on the mic and asked people to fill up the N-445 form. Once that was done, people were asked to come forward to the tables setup in front of the room row by row. About 12 people in one row. When you get to the table, show them your form n-445 and green card. They ask has anything changes since your interview (meaning marriage/divorce, traffic tickets etc). They took the plastic green cards, put them in container and stamped the form n-445 with "surrendered I-551" and returned the form n-445.Also scribbled a number 2 which is the number of the table where the applicants go later in the process to receive their naturalization certificate.
Judge arrived around 1:30 and clerk of the court announced that this place is now considered court and it's in sessions. Speech given by the judge, applicants were asked to stand and recite the oath after the clerk of the court. People who had requested name changes, thir reuquest was granted by oral motion. I don't know if they were given any additional documents later.
After the speech, judge left the building and applicants were asked to come to the table number scribbled on their form n-445 and collect their naturalization certificates. There was no need to sign the certificates but applicants were asked to sign them when get home.
The certificates were well protected and were in their own plastic thin sleeves in what looked like an office max binder. As people went to tables, the person at the table, looked at the form N-445 to verify the ID and then took the cert out and handed over after congratulating the applicant.
I took pictures when I was filling up the form N-445. But essentially there are eigh check boxes to check (all of them will be No for most folks unless you ran into traffic trouble or if there were other changes since your interview).
The whole event ended around 3 pm. So all in all close to 4 hours easy.
