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The Iron Ring Ceremony is one of the most important moments of an engineering student's life. The Ritual of … Iron Ring 1. Engineers receive the ring after taking an oath known as the Obligation of The Engineer, during a ring ceremony. Designer Darrell Freeman's "head-to-foot" layout incorporates the symbolic iron ring that is presented as part of the ceremony. Of course the Order of the Engineer was started at the same institution that I received my ring from (years after my education, I might add), Cleveland State University. Some graduating engineers choose to receive a ring passed on from a relative or mentor, giving the ceremony a personal touch. A reminder of this is provided at the end of the ceremony in the form of a written instruction that states: "The Rule of Governance provides that there shall be no publicity in connection with the Ritual." The Iron Ring is a ring worn by many Canadian-trained engineers, as a symbol and reminder of the obligations and ethics associated with their profession. © Corporation of the Seven Wardens, All Rights Reserved 2020 © Société des Sept Gardiens, Tous droits réservés 2020 However, most camps have decided to give rings made of stainless steel to avoid the deterioration of iron … The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer is a formal ceremony where graduating engineering students in Canada take the Obligation Oath and are presented with the Iron Ring. [8] This is particularly true of recently obligated engineers, whose rings bear sharp, unworn, facets. Some universities extend an invitation to witness the ceremony to anyone in the engineering profession; however, engineers that have not undergone the ritual are not permitted to participate in it. The Obligation is private, though not necessarily secret. The modern machined ring shares a similar design as a reminder of the manual process. This ring is bestowed on graduating Canadian geoscientists in an oath ceremony that is done separately from the engineers, but bears the same ethical obligation. There were maybe 10 engineering grads in a year back then so you would have a very small and intimate group of people,” he said. The idea to create a ceremony that emphasized the standards of ethics for graduating engineer originated from Haultain. The Rings were originally hammered manually with a rough outer surface. The ritual takes place separately at individual Camps across Canada usually situated near an engineering university. Latecomers will not … Iron Ring Ceremony for Spring 2020 University Graduates Tentatively Scheduled for November 7, 2020 As a result of ongoing concerns regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Chief Warden of the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer has directed all Camps to postpone Iron Ring Ceremonies until further notice. H.E.T. On 25 January 1922, Haultain proposed that engineers take an ethical oath. On 25 January 1922, Haultain proposed that engineers take an ethical oath. That ceremony began in 1926, using a wrought iron ring and an oath written by poet Rudyard Kipling. Graduating engineering students receive a small iron ring to … "[7] Kipling's calling also affirmed that an engineer must not compromise their work, in spite of external pressures; and was a call for professional unity between engineers. [8] The myth persists that the initial batch of Iron Rings was made from the beams of the first Quebec Bridge, a bridge that collapsed during construction in 1907 due to poor planning and design by the overseeing engineers. Fairbairn, Chief Engineer, Canadian Pacific Railway; Harold Rolph, President, John S. Metcalf and Co., Consulting Engineers; N.M. Lash, Chief Engineer, Bell Telephone Co.; J.M. The ritual takes place separately at individual Camps across Canada usually situated near an engineering university. [8], As part of the preparation for the ritual, candidates are instructed not to discuss the details of the ritual with the media. I do. Twelve half-circle facets are carved into the top and bottom of the outer surface, with the two sets of facets offset rotationally by fifteen degrees. [1][3], The ring symbolizes the pride which engineers have in their profession, while simultaneously reminding them of their humility. During the construction of the Quebec Bridge in 1900, poor decisions led to the failure of the bridge ending the lives of 75 individuals. It binds all engineers to their ethical obligations to society. Robertson, Consulting Engineer; and John Chalmers, Engineer for John Quinlan & Co., Contractors. The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer has been instituted with the simple end of directing the young engineer towards a consciousness of his profession and its significance, and indicating to the older engineer his responsibilities in receiving, welcoming and supporting the young engineers in their beginnings. [2][9][10] However, the initial batch of Iron Rings were actually produced by World War I veterans at Christie Street Military Hospital in Toronto. [5] From 1922 to 1925, the structure that would administer the oaths, or "callings," was organized. This oath was one of the earlies5 ethical codes ever recorded, dating back to the times of the Greeks. The ritual is intended to invoke the moral, ethical and professional commitment of an engineer, with the ring provided as a reminder of this obligation. On 1 May 1925, three of these newly obligated engineers[6] met at the University of Toronto with a number of the officers of the Engineering Alumni Association and obligated 14 of them in the Senate Chamber of the university becoming the first local chapter (referred to as a camp) to do so. The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, sometimes known as the Kipling Ritual, is the name of the ceremony in which graduating students of an accredited Canadian engineering program receive their Iron Ring and administer the Obligation. The ring is presented to engineering graduates in a private ceremony known as the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. At the Toronto camp, the individual ceremonies held at the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and York University continue to provide recipients with a choice of rings made of iron or stainless steel. Following the Obligation, the Iron Ring is placed on the little finger of the working hand,[2] and is worn by the engineer as a symbol and a reminder. The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer dates back to the 1920s. Kipling authored the obligation that is recited at the ceremony. At the core of the “ Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer ” is an iron ring which is given to graduating engineers in a ceremony by taking an ethical oath. Only those who have met the standards of professional engineering training or experience are able to accept the Obligation, which is voluntarily received for life. Presently, only Camp One of the Corporation in Toronto continues to confer rings made from iron; stainless steel rings are conferred at all other locations across Canada. The Iron Ring can be made from either iron (left) or stainless steel (right). The Obligation, which is not an oath but a solemn expression of intention, is subscribed to at the ceremony. 1 The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer The Iron Ring Ceremony Source:Uofc-IronRing2002 2. University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, École de technologie supérieure (Université du Québec), Dr. J. Jeswiet: Information Relevant to the Iron Ring Ceremony, Information Relevant to the Iron Ring Ceremony, Commemorative Stamp-Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, 1925–2000, "The Wardens of Camp One - The Calling of an Engineer", The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer website, University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services, The Phantom 'Rickshaw and other Eerie Tales, Wee Willie Winkie and Other Child Stories, From Sea to Sea and Other Sketches, Letters of Travel, Rudyard Kipling's Verse: Definitive Edition, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ritual_of_the_Calling_of_an_Engineer&oldid=987477336, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Graduates of a Canadian engineering programs, engineers, This page was last edited on 7 November 2020, at 09:08. 2 Objectives for Today • A Little History • Explain the Iron Ring Ceremony – Significance, meaning • Provide information about logistics 3. The Iron Ring is a symbol of humility and continuity. The rings are given during the ceremony held at individual universities, each assigned one of 27 camps of the Corporation of the Seven Wardens. the canadian ceremony is dignified, impressive, and includes the placing of a wrought iron ring on the small finger of the individual’s wo rking hand, and then having them epea in concert the words of kipling. It is the momement that the student takes his or her oath to uphold the public trust in all that they do as future engineers. Vikings used a bullion economy, and they traded for goods and services in silver. [1] As part of the ritual each participant is conferred the Iron Ring. [8], The Wardens originally considered expanding the ritual to the United States. Each ring is made from stainless steel or wrought iron. The ritual is administered by a body called The Corporation of the Seven Wardens. The ritual traces its origins to professor H. E. T. Haultain of the University of Toronto, who believed and persuaded other members of the Engineering Institute of Canada that there needed to be a ceremony and standard of ethics developed for graduating engineers. Kipling said “Iron Ring is cold because the material is unforgiving when Engineers make mistakes”. At the ceremony, graduating engineering students and those with acceptable qualifications take the Obligation Oath and are presented with the Iron Ring. It is organised into 27 regional branches, called camps, numbered by order of establishment. Dalhousie Engineers Take an Oath of Honour in Iron Ring Ceremony Posted by Engineering Communications on March 11, 2019 in News Aayush Mashruwala, Andrew Salah, Mohamed Many, Shannon LeDrew (l-to-r) show off their Iron Rings following the 2019 Ritual of the Calling of the Engineer at Dalhousie. During the ceremony, the engineer is presented with an iron ring that … [6], The text of the calling was written by English poet Rudyard Kipling, at the request of Haultain. Fairbairn later visited McLean at his home in Merrickville, Ontario, to secure a sizeable donation from McLean, philanthropist, on behalf of the Corporation of the Seven Wardens, the custodian and administrator of the ritual, to ensure its survival. 3 … The Iron Ring is small and understated, and was designed as a constant reminder, rather than a piece of jewelry. Haultain, a civil engineering graduate from the University of Toronto proposed an ethical oath for the engineering profession to hold engineers accountable for work done. The Iron Ring ceremony, officially titled the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, celebrates graduating engineers’ transition from students to professionals. The ceremony is open only to candidates, those who have already undergone the ritual and at some sites, guests invited by candidates. There are, of course, controversial issues and detractors from the Iron Ring and the obligation ceremony. [2][3] The seven past-presidents were the original seven Wardens of the Corporation. First held in Canada in the 1920s, the ceremony is similar to the Hippocratic Oath spoken by new physicians. Fairbairn met with Harry F. McLean, president of Dominion Construction and Kipling in Montreal at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel to discuss the details of the ritual. An inaugural ceremony was held in the evening of 25 April 1925, at the University Club of Montreal, when the obligation was taken by six engineers,[5] some of whom were involved with Kipling in its development. This does not mean that once you get your iron ring, that you can call yourself a professional engineer. Most of all, the Iron Ring reminds the Engineer of the oath taken during the Ritual and that they must take due care in making decisions, consideration for life and safety must be Paramount. The design acknowledged the significance of the ring ceremony and recognizesd the ring as linking the four major engineering achievements depicted on the stamps. Haultain, and is uniquely Canadian. The ceremony in which you would receive an iron ring involves the recitation of an obligation, somewhat akin to an oath, which you must take before receiving an iron ring. [10], The ring symbolizes the pride which engineers have in their profession, while simultaneously reminding them of their humility. The Iron Ring is made from either iron or stainless steel. [9] It is intended to be worn on the little finger of the working (dominant) hand. The iron ring serves as a physical reminder of the oath the candidates have just taken and the obligation they must work by. Known as the Corporation of the Seven Wardens, the organization was named in honour of the first seven presidents of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineers. The ceremonies are private affairs with no publicity. [8] However, it is customary for those who have gone through it to not discuss the details of the Calling with others, even engineers from other countries. The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer is a private ritual, authored by Rudyard Kipling, in which students about to graduate from an engineering program at a university in Canada are permitted to participate. The Iron Ring ceremony is different for every school in Canada and is organised by one of twenty Camps of the Corporation of the Seven Wardens. [7] Kipling's calling sought to emphasize the responsibilities of an engineer, affirming their responsibility to "not henceforward suffer or pass, or be privy to the passing of, Bad Workmanship or Faulty Material. This ceremony is called the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. Students take an oath to uphold the social responsibilities that accompany becoming an engineer, and receive an iron ring to mark the occasion. From 1922 to 1925, the structure that would administer the oaths, or "callings," was organized. The text of the ceremony for the Ritual was created by the English poet Rudyard Kipling after a request by Professor H.E.T. Participation may also be permitted for Canadian professional engineers and registered engineers-in-training who received training elsewhere. [11] Efforts to secure control of the ritual were made in 1935, when the obligation was copyrighted, and the Corporation of the Seven Wardens formally incorporated in 1938.[11]. [7] Iron Rings are awarded to engineers during the ritual, in reference to "[their] Honour and Cold Iron," a phrase used in the calling. ... As part of the ritual each participant is conferred the Iron Ring. As a common legend goes, the iron for the first rings was collected from the wreckage of the Quebec Bridge, which collapsed twice during construction in the early 1900s and killed more than 80 people. The ring has a lot of meaning in Canada. As it is a solemn occasion, semi-formal attire is required. [9] There, the facets act as a sharp reminder of one's obligation while the engineer works, because it could drag on the writing surface while the engineer is drawing or writing. Because iron deteriorates turning the finger black and making the ring fit more loosely, all camps except Toronto have stopped conferring rings made of iron and have switched to stainless steel rings. [8], Commemorating the 75th anniversary, the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer domestic-rate stamp was issued on 25 April 2000. Based upon the success of the Iron Ring in Canada, a similar program was created in the United States, where the Order of the Engineer[12] was founded in 1970. 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