The Order of the Engineer is an association for graduate and
professional engineer
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...
s in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
that emphasizes pride and responsibility in the engineering profession. It was inspired by the success of the
Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, a similar and much older Canadian ceremony, and has 245 active links (what the Order of the Engineer calls a chapter) across the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Oath
Before joining, members must take an oath to abide by a code of ethics called the "Obligation of an Engineer":
Ceremony
During the ceremony, engineering graduates take the Obligation of the Order. After each member takes the obligation, they put their hand through a large representation of the
Engineer's Ring
The Engineer's Ring is a ring worn by members of the Order of the Engineer, an American Fellow#Learned or professional societies, fellowship of engineers who must be a certified Regulation and licensure in engineering, Professional Engineer or gr ...
. A member of the Order of the Engineer then places a stainless steel ring, known as the Engineer's Ring, onto the little finger of the graduate's dominant hand. The ring is worn on the little finger so that it will drag across any surface on which the wearer writes, providing a constant reminder of the engineer's oath.
Each inductee takes the obligation, signs a certificate of obligation and wears the ring as a symbol of their pride in the Order and their obligation to the profession, as well as the public. Often, friends and family join the new initiates to celebrate after the ceremony.
History
The first American ceremony was held on June 4, 1970 at
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in oper ...
's Fenn College of Engineering, though similar ceremonies on which this is based have a much longer history in Canada (dating to 1925). Now, almost all states have universities with chapters, called "links", that host the Order of the Engineer. Several engineering organizations also host links such as
NSPE,
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...
, and
ASCE.
Early attempts to extend the Canadian ritual to the United States were unsuccessful, due to complications including copyright issues.
Order of the Engineer
, Order-of-the-engineer.org
See also
*Engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
*Engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
*Engineering ethics
Engineering ethics is the field concerned with the system of moral principles that apply to the practice of engineering. The field examines and sets the obligations by engineers to society, to their clients, and to the profession. As a scholarly ...
*Engineer's Ring
The Engineer's Ring is a ring worn by members of the Order of the Engineer, an American Fellow#Learned or professional societies, fellowship of engineers who must be a certified Regulation and licensure in engineering, Professional Engineer or gr ...
* Iron Ring
* Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer
*National Society of Professional Engineers
The National Society of Professional Engineers (abbreviate as NSPE) is a professional association representing licensed professional engineers in the United States. NSPE is the recognized voice and advocate of licensed Professional Engineers repr ...
*Ordem dos Engenheiros
The Ordem dos Engenheiros (OE, ) is the regulatory and licensing body for the engineering profession in Portugal. It is headquartered in Lisbon, and has several regional branches in other Portuguese cities.
The OE was established by law in 1936. ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Canadian Iron Ring Website
{{authority control
Engineering societies based in the United States