The Coat of Arms

Wheatstone Bridge

The shield is crested with a Wheatstone bridge, with the association's colors of scarlet and navy blue entwined beneath. Our emblem, the Wheatstone bridge, is an accurate precision electrical instrument used to measure an unknown electrical resistance by looking at the ratios of three other resistances. When correctly adjusted the bridge is in balance, which is what we strive for as members of HKN: to lead a balanced life, a life in which scholarship, character, and personality are jointly developed. When you look at the HKN emblem, the Wheatstone bridge is symbolic of a balanced human being.

The Caduceus

The Caduceus, wand of Mercury, who was the messenger of Jupiter, was preferred by our founder, Maurice Carr, as the symbol for this association. But another and older profession already had selected this symbol. Therefore, upon the honor point of the shield is placed the Caduceus as a memorial to him who organized this society, in which so many now enjoy membership. Its field is scarlet, symbolizing the zeal with which Maurice Carr projected his idea.

Band of Silver

The band of silver has been charged with three cubes of magnetite to represent, and thus remind you of, our three great requirements: common sense, an industrious spirit, and a congenial nature.

Hand of Jupiter

The mighty hand of Jupiter was selected as being symbolic of the founding chapter, with a blade of lightning for each of the ten members. The field is blue, signifying the loyalty with which they performed their task.

The Scroll

Beneath the shield is a ribbon bearing the name ETA KAPPA NU. In early Greece there was a philosopher who discovered that if he rubbed a piece of amber with a cloth he experienced the phenomena that we know as static electricity. The Greek name for amber is spelled ηλεκτρον (Eta Lambda Epsilon Kappa Tau Rho Omicron Nu). From this word the English language derives the words: electricity, electron, and electronic. And from this name we derive our name -- we use the first, the fourth, and the last letters, namely Eta, Kappa, and Nu. The symbols used on the emblem are the early forms of these Greek letters.

Go back to About Us.