Today I learned that the Iron Rings given to Canadian engineers in a special ceremony when they graduate are 1) more often made of stainless steel 2) not made from iron from the Quebec bridge that collapsed and led to Canadian engineers creating the ceremony, which includes the reading of a poem by Kipling written especially for this.
I remembered coming across this youtube. I didn’t listen to all of it but it might have answers.
There’s a similar type of ring thing going on the US, but doesn’t seem to be as widespread. No mention of it at the school I graduated from.
Wiki has an article that answers most of your questions.
- Some are stainess steel but most are the traditional iron
- That the iron is from the collapsed Quebec bridge is just a story
- Kipling did write the poem used during the ceremony
- Canada’s first ceremony was in 1925 while the US has a similar ceremony but only since 1970
I didn’t actually ask any questions, just noted that I’d already found the answers.
I’m jealous, I would have liked to get a ring like that. I even didn’t have a ceremony, I just walked into the office, showed my student ID and got my diploma handed out by the secretary, and that was it.
My dad had a degree as a civil engineer, and had the traditional iron ring. He lost it at one point, and was quite disgusted when the replacement they sent him was stainless steel.
I’m in the U.S.
Every now and then someone here at work host an “Order of the Engineer” ceremony. I’m an EE, but have never attended. Walking around with that ring on my finger would seem ostentatious to me. Not much different than hanging a bunch of diplomas and awards in my office; I don’t do that, either. To each their own, of course.