“The whole idea of a secret society is also deeply disturbing for a profession that is all about public accountability.”
“To be completely honest, it was a traumatic and infuriating process. [...] The two issues that glare out at me over the years is the complete lack of consent and communication in the Iron Ring Ceremony.”
“The history that underpins the rite/ceremony must also be acknowledged and incorporated into the review process.”
I think most people have forgotten what the ceremony is. I was surprised at how antiquated it was when I went back after 25+ years to present a student with their ring. The language really seemed anachronistic. The whole idea of a secret society is also deeply disturbing for a profession that is all about public accountability.
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– Emily Moore
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This is long overdue and it is something I have been thinking about for 20 years.
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I am a Metis person who self-identifies as 2S (two spirit), non-binary, queer, plus. I am currently a practicing Professional Engineer registered in Manitoba. I graduated from the University of Manitoba, Civil Engineering program in 2005, and I went through the Iron Ring Ceremony.
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To be completely honest, it was a traumatic and infuriating process.
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Over the years, I have tried to raise concerns about the colonialism and sexism that are embedded into the Iron Ring ceremony. However, although people were willing to talk to me, my concerns as an Indigenous engineering graduate were typically ignored. I was eventually passed off to the Wardens of the Iron Ring Ceremony, and subsequently given a weak excuse essentially side-stepping the issues I raised, and making excuses for how they are inclusive because they have diversity in their ranks.
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After all that nonsense I encountered during the Iron Ring ceremony itself, through my early career, and from what I have learned performing activism in the Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, I came to the conclusion that I would not wear the Iron Ring. The Iron Ring doesn’t respect my identities and values (personal and professional).
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The two issues that glare out at me over the years is the complete lack of consent and communication in the Iron Ring Ceremony. And as a queer person, consent and communication are fundamental to all my relationships. It is shameful that so-called ethical professionals are herding young people through a secret ceremony that can best be described as a 100-year old colonial hazing experience.
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The Iron Ring Ceremony needs to be either completely dismantled and retired, or transformed into something more open and transparent.
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– Cory, Metis, graduated 2005
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The history that underpins the rite/ceremony must also be acknowledged and incorporated into the review process. The initiative that created the ceremony arose from a January 1922 speech given by HET Haultain. This origin point must be incorporated in our review because Haultain was (a) the driving force behind the initiation of the rite and (b) the person who contacted Kipling and engaged Kipling’s assistance in drafting the rite. Haultain’s speech, entitled “The Romance of Engineering”, is part of his papers held in the University of Toronto archives (Haultain was a Professor of Civil Engineering at UoT). Haultain’s correspondence with Kipling in Fall 1923 is not held in the UoT archives but were, reportedly, returned to the Kipling family (at their request) to be consolidated with Kipling’s papers in the UK. There may also be relevant correspondence (with Kipling and/or Haultain) within the archives of “Camp 1”.
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– Derek Oliver
“This ceremony was meant to give us a sense of pride. And eventually it did, overall the feeling of the achievements, and attending the ceremony with lots of other fellows was awesome. However, the feeling DURING the ceremony itself was far from being proud.”
“Respect for the profession will only grow with increasing transparency and acknowledgement of the unique context and responsibilities of engineers in Canada.”
“Taking the oath as worded was a contradiction to his indigenous identity.”
[Students wished]
“that the contradiction of the ceremony be made known early on in their programs so they could have a longer time to deliberate.”
I attended the ceremony in 2015 during the second year of my PhD as an international student. I had no idea what to expect from the ceremony because no one was sharing anything with us and everyone was saying you are not supposed to know anything and afterward you are not supposed to share with the ones that have not attended the ceremony! The secrecy was exciting to a point but after that it was more scary than being exciting. Also, as an international student who speaks English as the 3rd language, understanding the scripts, context, etc was impossible. I had no idea what was happening; not understanding the words well combined with the format of the ceremony reminded me of being in a court and being judged/convicted. This ceremony was meant to give us a sense of pride. And eventually it did, overall the feeling of the achievements, and attending the ceremony with lots of other fellows was awesome. However, the feeling DURING the ceremony itself was far from being proud.
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– Shelir Ebrahimi
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With a PhD ( but not an undergraduate degree) in engineering, I have been excluded from the formal committing of myself to the profession. As as a professor in an engineering school, I obviously have a deep commitment to the profession and the development of young engineers who will employ their skills as engaged and responsible citizens. I have been asked to be a sponsor and it has been very sad to have to decline. Respect for the profession will only grow with increasing transparency and acknowledgement of the unique context and responsibilities of engineers in Canada.
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– Anne Johnson
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In a 200+ person course on professionalism for graduating students, we invite practicing engineers to share their stories of ethics and professionalism so students can learn from lived experience. Our guest that year shared a number of useful and practical reflections but also related what it was like to participate in the Iron Ring ceremony and how the language of the ceremony posed a deep moral conflict for him in the moment, feeling like taking the oath as worded was a contradiction to his indigenous identity. The very act of taking that oath to act honourably, worded as it was in language that didn’t align with his identity, felt like a compromise to his sense of integrity. In the end, he opted not to get the ring. Students were asked to reflect on their takeaway from the guest visit and the majority of students expressed concern over their own upcoming Iron Ring ceremony, for which many had already registered. A number of them asked rhetorically “Why couldn’t we have heard about this before?” because they were now having second thoughts about whether they should attend their own ceremonies. Others requested that the contradiction of the ceremony be made known early on in their programs so they could have a longer time to deliberate. Many at least wanted the option of having more information to make an informed decision, rather than be “blindsided” on the spot at an event they they had otherwise been eagerly looking forward to.
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– Canadian University engineering professor
“I work for the Division of Engineering Science but I'm also an alumna (1991), one of only a handful of women in my graduating class. The "secret handshake" and elitist nature of all things iron ring didn't sit well with me back then and it still doesn't, though I do very much value the sense of accomplishment and community that receiving the ring provides, and the stated commitment to the profession.”
“I appreciate the history and significance of the ceremony as it was originally created, but in order for it to mean something to modern, diverse engineers I strongly support the discussions and efforts to update it.”
“This is the function of engineers, first and foremost: we build things that work, and work well. So we should build a community of engineers that works well, and we should also go forth and do the same thing for our society. Through our efforts we can reach a state as polished as a well-worn iron ring.”
I work for the Division of Engineering Science but I'm also an alumna (1991), one of only a handful of women in my graduating class. The "secret handshake" and elitist nature of all things iron ring didn't sit well with me back then and it still doesn't, though I do very much value the sense of accomplishment and community that receiving the ring provides, and the stated commitment to the profession.
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I was honoured to attend the Queens Engineering ceremony and "ring" my nephew, and really noticed how archaic, Christian, colonial, and un-inclusive the ceremony sounds now. I appreciate the history and significance of the ceremony as it was originally created, but in order for it to mean something to modern, diverse engineers I strongly support the discussions and efforts to update it.
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So for a new ritual, perhaps we could reiterate the smoothing of the rough edges as the gaining of an engineer’s maturity over time, but perhaps we could also say that the smoothing of the rough edges represent the evolution of an inclusive community. Each facet of the ring might represent the diverse components of a community of engineers (or any community within our society, for that matter). When these diverse components come together at first, relations between them may be discordant (rough) rather than harmonious. But if we believe in the concept of the community and truly embrace inclusivity, those relations will become smooth over time.
This is the function of engineers, first and foremost: we build things that work, and work well. So we should build a community of engineers that works well, and we should also go forth and do the same thing for our society. Through our efforts we can reach a state as polished as a well-worn iron ring.
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“I was confused and then later angry that [Kipling] was a celebrated part of the ceremony. [...] I don’t wear the ring; I leave it in my closet. At the time, I thought maybe I was just being a rebel. Now I think I should not have been made to feel like a rebel in the first place.”
“I finally appreciated the moral conflict and resulting exclusion many recipients experienced and became deeply embarrassed and saddened [...] I was then compelled to work with my colleagues to make the changes needed in order to foster inclusion and belonging in all obligated engineers. Regardless, I am still incredibly proud of my Ring..”
“I do not understand why there is not a complete reassessment of the texts. [...] The consideration of equity, diversity and inclusion, the protection of the environment, the evolution of the role of the engineer in an ultra-connected world where the solutions to many problems are found by working with people from other disciplines...”
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Before the ceremony, I was aware of who Kipling was. I was confused and then later angry that he was a celebrated part of the ceremony. I ultimately took part in the ceremony as all my peers did as well. Later I felt angry at myself for participating. Even right after the ceremony I was talking about the problems with Kipling and some of the staff didn’t like my comments. I don’t wear the ring; I leave it in my closet. At the time, I thought maybe I was just being a rebel. Now I think I should not have been made to feel like a rebel in the first place. I don’t want graduating engineers in the future to feel alone if they experience what I have felt.
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– Anonymous, Recent graduate
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I loved the ceremony when I participated in 1987. I received my ring from my father and brother, expanding my sense of community and family tradition. However, attending an Iron Ring Ceremony much later in my career, I finally appreciated the moral conflict and resulting exclusion many recipients experienced and became deeply embarrassed and saddened that the ceremony had changed so much. I was then compelled to work with my colleagues to make the changes needed in order to foster inclusion and belonging in all obligated engineers. Regardless, I am still incredibly proud of my Ring.
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– Katherina V Tarnai-Lokhorst, P.Eng, FEC, FGC (Hon.), BASc, MBA, DSocSci (she/her)
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Three weeks ago the ceremony of taking the ring for my son took place. I was very moved to get up to give him his ring. It was the recognition of a lot of energy invested on his part and a step important in her life as a young adult. That said, the ceremony itself raised my eyebrows several times. It is a completely outdated ceremony, which alludes extensively to the Catholic religion with even an excerpt from the Bible (women who take care of the meal while the man is embarking on life...) It was all the more out of place since more than half of the young people who received their rings were from visible minorities and probably not from Catholic religion. It was almost shocking with conservatism and paternalism. I do not understand why there is not a complete reassessment of the texts. There would be a lot to say in this ceremony about the challenges for these young people to build a better world. The consideration of equity, diversity and inclusion, the protection of the environment, the evolution of the role of the engineer in an ultra-connected world where the solutions to many problems are found by working with people from other disciplines, are just a few of the challenges they should be reminded of in this important moment at the start of their career.
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– Engineer and Canadian University Professor
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