Rule of Governance (First Approved March 1926)

“In light of past Endeavour and seeing what our forefathers in the craft have accomplished and what miracles await their children, it seems just, reasonable and wholesome that when a man or a woman is called to our work, he/she shall once openly, and among his/her betters and equals, profess the faith that is in him/her and shall declare upon what level – God abiding them – he/she sets out to bed his/her foundations.

 

To this end the “Calling of an Engineer” has been instituted.

 

Founded on the experience of the ages on our practice, tempered by time and experience, avoiding all secrets and mysteries, with the simple end of directing the young engineer toward a consciousness of his/her profession and its significance, and indicating to the older engineer his responsibilities in receiving, welcoming and supporting the younger engineers in their beginnings it carries the spirit of our calling.

 

It is therefore just, reasonable and wholesome that to safeguard the permanence and purity of the Ceremony, its Notes and the Landmarks, and in order that the whole may be carried on decently and in order, there shall be a code of procedure firmly laid down to protect these basic ideas and a body for their execution.

 

To this end it is deemed wise to appoint Seven Wardens whose authority shall be supreme in all matters connected with the Ceremony, and the safeguarding of the Ancient Landmarks so that by no means can these be varied in any respect.

 

With this intent, The original Seven Wardens being all past presidents of The Engineering Institute of Canada were constituted a body charged with preserving the integrity and purity of the “Calling of an Engineer,” with its due ceremonies and Ancient Landmarks precisely as laid down herein.

• The powers of the Wardens shall be supreme in all matters except as to the text delivered in ceremonies, as well as Ceremony notes, and the use of the Ancient Landmarks therein, which must not be varied.

• In order that there may always be Seven Wardens – they being a self-perpetuating body shall co-opt and fill any vacancy in the group but solely from the engineering craft.

• In the exercise of their sole discretion, they shall authorize the formation of Camps as considered advisable, either retaining the operation of these Camps in their own hands or delegating by revocable written documents such part of their authority as they may deem wise to such individuals or groups as in their judgment should govern each individual Camp.

• Camps shall be constituted under written authority from the Wardens whose powers shall be set out therein, and beyond such written word, these Camps and their Executives are not authorized.

• To each Camp shall be given such charter and writings of the Ceremony as may be necessary, identified by signature of all the Wardens of any one of them under direction, together with such copies of the Obligation as may be necessary to provide each with its own.  And of these writings shall no copies be made.

• In the event of the disbanding of any Camp, its Camp Book Register, records, papers and landmarks shall be returned to the care of the Seven (Corporate) Wardens. In the event of unfavourable report upon any member of a Camp by more than seven of his equals in that Camp, appeal shall lie to the Seven Wardens, with whom shall rest the final decision as to that members’ worthiness or unworthiness to continue as an Obligated Engineer.

• In no case shall the text of the Ceremony and Notes or its delivery be varied in any way, the Ancient Landmarks changed, nor the body of custom in regard to detail in connection with the ceremony altered, that there may be identity of procedure and authority throughout the Camps.

Subject to the above, all matters of detail in organization of the Camps shall be set out in the By-Laws of each under approval of the Seven Wardens in the interests of uniformity.”