Canadian EngineeRing Myth

This is just a forward of something I wrote earlier this evening in response to yet another thing found on the internet. After re-reading it, I thought it might be appropriate for our PipingDesign discussion list.

Apparently the Americans have set up a similar symbolic ritual (1970) based on the 1925-ish Canadian one, see:

<a href="http://www.order-of-the-engineer.org/history.htm">http://www.order-of-the-engineer.org/history.htm</a>

Is this familiar to engineering people outside of North America? Is the American version well-known in the US?

Here are a couple of additional links for those wanting to know more about the "Iron Ring Ceremony":

<a href="http://www.ironring.ca/">http://www.ironring.ca/</a>

<a href="http://www.eng-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=2">http://www.eng-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=2</a>

Paul
Montreal

• Original Message -------- Subject: Canadian EngineeRing Myth Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 20:36:28 -0500 From: Paul Bowers <pbowers@pipingdesign.com> Organization: Piping Design Central To: <some other email list>

This might interest some of the engineering types around here. For others, well, just remember that "real" engineers were the original geeks and nerds before all these newfangled, non-pocket-protector-wearing computer-type wannabes usurped the honorifics.

<a href="http://me.queensu.ca/undergraduate/activities/ironRing/jj-ring.asp">http://me.queensu.ca/undergraduate/activities/ironRing/jj-ring.asp</a>

"Ring Material. A myth about the rings given to Obligated Engineers is they are a reminder of the Quebec Bridge that collapsed. While remnants of this popular legend still exist, the rings were never made of materials from the collapsed Quebec Bridge, nor is the ring symbolic of the failure of that bridge or any other engineering project6. Rings have always been produced from commercial sources7, originally puddled wrought iron and more recently wrought iron and stainless steel. Kipling indicated that the Ring as an allegory in itself be rough, not smoothed, and hammered and as a ring have no beginning or end. There is no evidence that there is any particular history in the source of Cold Iron for the Ring, nor any intention that there should have been, although remnants of the Quebec Bridge "legend" still exist in Canada."

Paul "I are not an engineer" Bowers Received on Thu Jan 20 21:54:00 2005