The Iron Ring Camp 23 Award

The Iron Ring Camp 23 Award has been established by the Wardens of Iron Ring Camp 23 (CAMP23) to support students entering or transferring into the Engineering program at the University of Victoria. 

CAMP23's national parent organization is the Corporation of the Seven Wardens so named in honour of the first seven presidents of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). The Corporation upholds the uniquely Canadian tradition of the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, which emphasizes integrity, responsibility, and ethical practice. 

The Iron Ring tradition began in 1922 to strengthen professional bonds among engineers and reinforce their ethical commitments, with the first obligation ceremony held in 1925. Over time, Iron Ring camps have expanded across Canada, embedding the Ritual within local engineering communities. 

The Ritual was modernized in 2025 and remains a symbolic ceremony in which graduate engineers receive the Iron Ring as a reminder of their obligation to society, while the Ring is not a professional qualification, it remains a powerful symbol of ethical responsibility, a legacy that CAMP23 continues to preserve and promote through its twice annual obligation ceremonies held at UVic.