5 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org From the PLSO Chair Our Challenge Our challenge is to find a path that embraces our shared humanity and our desire to serve. Goodness is our shared humanity; a good Land Surveyor has mastery over the art and skill of surveying with an honest charter. Excellence is expressed through our desire to serve. To serve well as a Surveyor is to do what is equitable and just. Our challenge is agreeing on the path toward human flourishing as Professional Surveyors. Working with a diversity of thoughts and ideas is messy. We will never agree on everything, but we must agree on the principles that make a good Surveyor, developing excellence in our profession, toward a common idea of our duty to humankind. Meeting the Challenge With these challenges, let me offer a path toward bringing up this Organization and preparing it for the next generation to flourish. First, let’s look to the future and have a vision. We touched on it a few years ago but have not finished the work. Like a land survey, a Good Surveyor needs a point established in moral and ethical character, a direction toward excellence in the mastery of the art and science of surveying, and a destination toward a duty to self, the profession, and society. The last proposed vision statement met these three criteria: “Our vision is to achieve excellence in the art and science of the practice of Surveying by building on an individual’s character that produces professional fellowship and the virtue of justice.” (PROPOSED VISION.) Second, let’s reimagine a more energetic organization that encourages excitement and unleashes creativity. A structure that is unshackled from a topdown, committee-centric approach to one that fosters Chapter independence and Executive consistency with a Chair- President. We are already tinkering around the edges. This year we are looking at a ByLaws change tomake the Chair a President- Chair who serves a two-year term. Finally, let’s prepare the next generation to be good Surveyors. This includes our work in the Practices Committee who are dedicated to Leadership Academy and Professional Development Programs that train young and old Surveyors toward a vision of a Good Surveyor, excellence in our profession, and duty to society. The Leadership Academy is presently working on an Emerging Leadership program that will be a Chapter lead, Mentorship Practicum focusing on the Past, Present, and Future of Professional Surveying in our Society and Organization. Preparing the next generation also includes our continual partnership with OSBEELS to create a path toward licensure that fits the reality of how many of us become Surveyors. Barriers to licensure can be lowered while ensuring that it maintains rigor. Many have already participated individually or corporately in the Task Force meetings. Last March, the Board provided a statement on the initial draft on licensure, which can be viewed on the Chair’s Corner on our website. Get Involved Today We don’t have tomorrow or the day after. Today is the day to take the first step. I am asking you to join our Practices Committee to promote Good Surveyors and Excellence in our Profession. If the Practices Committee is not for you, please consider volunteering in other ways. If you are interested in being involved, please call me today at 541-517-8205. If you are interested in joining this team, please get in touch with our office or the Chair at 541-517-8205. How to Send Us Your Work Please email the editor Vanessa Salvia with submissions. vsalvia@gmail.com Your submission should be in .doc format. Please send images separately (not embedded in the document) and at the highest file size available (MB size range versus KB size range—larger sizes are encouraged). Please include the author’s name and email address or phone number for contact.
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