AIM The American Institute for Michaels

Rite of Affirmation

The Oath of the Michael.

The Oath is the Institute's principal rite of affirmation. It is, by long tradition, recited aloud at the chartering of every chapter and at the seating of every fellow. Members in good standing may, on this page, read it for themselves. A small printed certificate is offered to those who do.

I The Text

I, [a Michael], do solemnly affirm:

That I shall conduct myself, in my public and professional life, in a manner which I would be willing to defend before the Board of the Institute;

That I shall, where the occasion permits, extend to my fellow Michaels the small kindnesses by which a community is made;

That I shall favor patience over urgency, and the slow patient work of the years over the quick gesture of the moment;

That I shall not bring the Institute, by my conduct, into disrepute;

That I shall, where I find myself unable to honor the foregoing, withdraw with the dignity proper to the matter, rather than persist in standing without merit;

And that I shall hold these undertakings in good faith, for so long as I am, by accident or by election, a Michael.

So affirmed, this [date].

II Recital

The "Read aloud" function uses your device's speech synthesis. The Institute makes no representation as to the dignity with which any particular synthesizer will render the text.

IV Notes

The Oath, in its present form, was adopted by the Board on the twelfth of October, 2020 — the date of the founding convocation — and has not since been amended. The text is the property of the Institute and may be reproduced for personal, ceremonial, or academic purposes; commercial reproduction requires the written consent of the President.

The certificate generated on this page is informal. Members in good standing who wish to receive a formal certificate, struck on the Institute's heavy stock and embossed at the seat, should write to the Recording Secretary in due course.