Legend has it that the metal used to make the rings comes from the beams of the Quebec Bridge, which collapsed in the early 20th century as a result of shoddy engineering. conscious always that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity The Iron Ring is small and understated, and was designed as a constant reminder, rather than a piece of jewelry. The first such ceremony occurred on June 4, 1970, at the Cleveland State Universityunder the supervision of … The rings are given during the ceremony held at individual universities, each assigned one of 27 camps of the Corporation of the Seven Wardens. [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. The Order of the Engineerexists to foster the same sense of pride and responsibility for professional engineers in the U.S. However, the ring is not a symbol of qualification as an engineer; engineering qualifications are determined by provincial and territorial licensing bodies. [9] It is intended to be worn on the little finger of the working (dominant) hand. The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer is the ceremony where graduating engineers participate in the "calling," and receive their Iron Rings. [2][7] A second ritual was administered in Toronto on 31 April 1925. and to uphold devotion to the standards and dignity of my profession, The organization conducts similar ring ceremonies at a number of U.S. colleges, in which the recipient signs an "Obligation of the Engineer" and receives a stainless steel Engineer's Ring (which, unlike the Canadian Iron Ring, can be smooth and not faceted). [4], The Iron Ring originated from H. E. T. Haultain, a mining engineering professor at the University of Toronto. The goal is to bridge the gap between training and experience, and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer. 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. Engineers receive the ring after taking an oath known as the Obligation of The Engineer,[3] during a ring ceremony. 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. The ceremonies are private affairs with no publicity. On 25 January 1922, Haultain proposed that engineers take an ethical oath. The Engineer's Ring is a ring worn by members of the United States Order of the Engineer, a fellowship of engineers who must be a certified Professional Engineer or graduated from an accredited engineering program (or be within one academic year of graduation to participate). The Iron Ring is made from either iron or stainless steel. For decades, engineers from different parts of the world have developed a certain culture and practices in their profession. The history of the Ring Ceremony has to do with the construction of a bridge across the St. Lawrence River in Quebec in the early 1900s. To it I owe solemn obligations. "[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. Rings used to be cast in iron in the most unattractive and simple form to show the nature … [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. Protocol dictates that the rings should be returned by retired engineers or by the families of deceased engineers. The NTH Ring is a ring awarded by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, to graduates of their Masters of Science in architecture or engineering programs. About The Order. [1][2] The concept of the ritual and its Iron Rings originated from H. E. T. Haultain in 1922, with assistance from Rudyard Kipling, who crafted the ritual at Haultain's request.