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The Order of the Engineer with Rudyard Kipling Connection
By
Branko Terzic
Attending a wedding recently I made the acquaintance of c charming young couple from Canada. As we chatted I casually mentioned that I noticed the young husband was wearing the Iron ring signifying membership in the Canadian Order of the Engineer. He was surprised that I recognized it and asked me how I knew about it.
The response was that I too was inducted into the Order of The Engineer but in the US. A version of the Order of The Engineer was brought to the USA in 1970. The Order was established in Canada in 1925 and includes an oath taking in the form of the “Obligation” of the Engineer. Due to copyright laws that US Order did not copy some aspects of the Canadian’s elaborate s ceremony of induction.
My induction took place in 1976 at an annual meeting of the American Association of Cost Engineering. At the time I was working as a Special Investigations Engineer at the Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WEPCo) in Milwaukee. Dr. Julian Pekarski was an engineer with advanced degrees in operations research at WEPCo and he sponsored my membership in the AACE. Years later I had the honor to preside over the induction of the 1999 Graduates of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Applied Science and Engineering into The Order of the Engineer (May 16, 1999)
The internet provided this historic note:
“The idea of a ceremony for the Obligation of Canadian Engineers dates back to 1922, when seven past-presidents of the Engineering Institute of Canada attended a meeting in Montreal with other engineers. Rudyard Kipling responded to a call from the seven engineers with The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, to be administered by the Corporation of the Seven Wardens Inc. It was instituted with the simple end of directing newly qualified Canadian engineers toward a consciousness of their profession and its social significance, and indicating to more experienced engineers their responsibilities in welcoming and supporting the newer engineers when they are ready to enter the profession.
The inaugural ceremony was held in Montréal on April 25, 1925, with the first ceremony conducted on May 1, 1925 by Camp 1, Toronto. 2025 marks the 100th Anniversary of this Canadian tradition.”
Rudyad Kiping’s “Obligation” is still used today:
Obligation of the Engineer
I am an Engineer. In my profession I take deep pride. To it I owe solemn obligations. As an Engineer, I pledge to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect; and to uphold devotion to the standards and the dignity of my profession, conscious always that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity by making the best use of the Earth’s precious wealth. As an Engineer, I shall participate
in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give my utmost.”
It’s interesting to me how a casual meeting led to my revisiting and renewing my interest in the Order of the Engineer. If you are a graduate engineer and have not been inducted here is the US website: https://order-of-the-engineer.org/
The Honorable Branko Terzic is a former Commissioner on the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and State of Wisconsin Public Service Commission, in addition to energy industry experience was a US Army Reserve Foreign Area Officer ( FAO) for Eastern Europe (1979-1990). He hold a BS Engineering and honorary Doctor of Sciences in Engineering (h.c.) both from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.
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