The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer is the ceremony where Iron Rings are given to graduating engineers who choose to obligate themselves to the highest professionalism and humility of their profession. It is a symbol that reflects the moral, ethical and professional commitment made by the engineer who wears the ring. The ceremonies are private affairs with no publicity. Invitations to attend are extended to local engineering alumni and professional engineers by those who are scheduled to participate.
Just as the ritual is symbolic, so is the ring itself. The ring represents an engineer's personal obligation to work for the betterment of society. The ritual suggests that engineer's rings should be returned to their Camp upon retirement or death. The fact that this rarely happens is not important. What is important is that engineers who wear the ring know what it represents and remember their commitment. While some families choose to retain the ring in memory of a deceased engineer, this should be discouraged. It is important that an engineer's ring not be worn by non-engineers or retained simply as a keepsake. It is a symbol of the engineer's obligation to society and, as such, should not be trivialized.