2 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 3 From the PLSO Chair MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Passover Mentorship The Passover Seder is an important part of the Jewish identity. A central theme is the retelling of the Passover story, which remembers our ancestors’ journey from slavery to freedom. It is an important educational tool in many Jewish households, including mine, because it provides a clear and scripture-commanded way to educate our children. In our home, our children begin by asking my wife and I four questions. We start by lauding them for asking the questions and then answer each question through participation, discussion, and debate and by exciting their sense of taste, smell, hearing, sight, and sound. The observance of the Passover occurs in the home, not in a synagogue, and it requires direct involvement and communication from the parents to the children. This is very similar to the process of being a good mentor, which PLSO needs more of. Like the duty to tell the story, PLSO's mission is to promote our profession through education. A liberal education emphasizes moral character, virtue, and responsible citizenship, necessary for human flourishing and living in a free society. These principles form the foundation of excellence and the idea of a “good surveyor.” One of the best ways to learn these principles and how it relates to land surveying is through mentorship. The goal of mentorship is to educate the student through participation, discussion, and debate. Young surveyors learn by asking questions and having sensory experiences, and they need good examples. The mentor leads by example to help the mentee discover excellence and the idea of a “good surveyor.” Our mission implies that PLSOmembers contribute to the profession's growth by bringing up surveyors toward excellence and the idea of a “good surveyor.” The study of surveying in geomatics will provide the technical and problem-solving skills needed to become a licensed surveyor. Licensure is a means to an end; the end is excellence in being a “good surveyor.” The Rising Generation can find meaning and purpose in the idea of a “good surveyor” when they discover that it is a role based on the principles of a free society. PLSO must tell the story of surveying and its relationship to the American ideals of liberty and civil society. Learning the science of survey through a geomatic education can be done through formal institutions or self-study. But instruction on excellence and the idea of a “good surveyor” is best done by mentors at the chapter level. The Ruling Generation of surveyors (50+) must tell the story of surveying. Younger surveyors need your time and attention. Our society needs future surveyors who have mastered the art and science of surveying, are honest, objective, and have the virtues required to maintain a stable and just cadastral system. Mentoring is a shared responsibility and has no room for self-promotion. Ronald Reagan once said, “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.” Like Moses’ name, it is missing from the Passover story. The good to be done includes instilling excellence and developing a “good surveyor,” not promoting one’s ego. Don't let this opportunity pass over you. You can help by volunteering to join the Practices Committee in developing a mentorship program for Emerging Leaders. The program is chapter-centered and overseen by the chapter president. Learning objectives will include understanding the past, present, and future of surveying. It focuses on leadership and the soft skills that develop and equip the rising generation to become “good surveyors.” If you are interested in joining this team, please get in touch with our office or the Chair at 541-517-8205. Jeremy Sherer, PLS PLSO Board Chair Our society needs future surveyors who have mastered the art and science of surveying, are honest, objective, and have the virtues required to maintain a stable and just cadastral system.
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