In 1925, six engineers at a university in Montreal performed the first Ritual Calling of an Engineer. Herbert Haultain, a engineering professor at the University of Toronto, conceived of the idea of a ceremony because he “felt that an organization was needed to bind all members of the engineering profession in Canada more closely together. He also felt that an obligation or statement of ethics to which a young graduate in engineering could subscribe should be developed.”  Haultain recruited Rudyard Kipling, then living in Canada and already known for his respect of engineers, to design the ceremony and oath, the details of which remain shrouded in secrecy.  Since then, new engineering graduates have performed this ceremony in schools all over Canada, and Canadian engineers all over the world have been spotted by the iron rings on our pinkies. The importance of this ceremony, I recently realized, is not in the oath as much as it is in the community that is forged through this unchanging ritual. About the image: a new iron ring is displayed on an engineering text book (photo: Elisa Prajogo). I’m going to throw mine in hot flames for a few seconds and check for markings… don’t want the Nazgûl chasing after me… 

In 1925, six engineers at a university in Montreal performed the first Ritual Calling of an Engineer. Herbert Haultain, a engineering professor at the University of Toronto, conceived of the idea of a ceremony because he “felt that an organization was needed to bind all members of the engineering profession in Canada more closely together. He also felt that an obligation or statement of ethics to which a young graduate in engineering could subscribe should be developed.” 

Haultain recruited Rudyard Kipling, then living in Canada and already known for his respect of engineers, to design the ceremony and oath, the details of which remain shrouded in secrecy. 

Since then, new engineering graduates have performed this ceremony in schools all over Canada, and Canadian engineers all over the world have been spotted by the iron rings on our pinkies. The importance of this ceremony, I recently realized, is not in the oath as much as it is in the community that is forged through this unchanging ritual.

About the image: a new iron ring is displayed on an engineering text book (photo: Elisa Prajogo).

I’m going to throw mine in hot flames for a few seconds and check for markings… don’t want the Nazgûl chasing after me… 

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  1. storyranger reblogged this from beingblog
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  3. linhduong12 reblogged this from jonix2
  4. 1ifeisgood reblogged this from fashionofthemind
  5. jonix2 reblogged this from fashionofthemind and added:
    Man, I wish Americans had something cool like that for our engineers….all we get is the FE exams haha.
  6. fashionofthemind reblogged this from beingblog and added:
    markings… don’t want...Nazgûl chasing after me…
  7. scrisori-de-sertar reblogged this from engineeringisawesome
  8. engprincess reblogged this from engineeringisawesome and added:
    Iron Ring.
  9. cominupshort reblogged this from beingblog and added:
    That’ll be me one day, no matter what.
  10. thehao reblogged this from engineeringisawesome and added:
    I would wear an iron ring. Why don’t we have anything like that in the US?
  11. engineeringisawesome reblogged this from beingblog
  12. randomocracy reblogged this from beingblog
  13. beingblog posted this
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