The New Generation of Surveyors-How will we pass the torch?

[SPMPLS]

Excellent Evan. Look forward to having you as a volunteer next year to help hang and judge (and take down) the entries in the S.A.G.E. map contest in El Dorado County. We will be hanging them in February and judging is two weeks hence.

[E_Page]

I had to say something. Picture the 3 Stooges in Boot Camp. Sergeant asks for volunteers to step forward, Moe and Larry step back leaving Curly looking like he stepped up.

Hey Moe! Remind me again in January.

[Rob_LS]

Nice article by Sacramento ASCE President Louay Owaidat: http://asce-sacto.org/news.php

[Mr. Smith]

How the torch was passed to me:

Start out by given a chance to show up on time and help with drafting and research.
Help with field crew, organize trucks cut brush become chainman.
Taken into the field on a weekend for free looking for scribed rocks and finding some.
Pass LSIT (this takes self motivation)
Encouraged to go back to school, get BS degree.
Study for two years and sit for exam.
Be shown above all else you must be honest.

(we talk with local high school students on carrier day)


You pass the torch by hiring someone and mentoring.

Brian

[LS_8750]

Well stated Mr. Smith.

[LS_8750]

"And then one day I met this cat that called himself a surveyor:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geDCtBQeN8c

[LS_8750]

Chainman music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db94lyKYOcg

[TIB]

LS 8750 mentions Journeyman/apprentice code built in to profession. Sounds like union program to me. Although most seem to be anti-union, they had a good program back in the day. 4 years of going to school twice a week was mandatory condition of employment. In order to work as a surveyor, you had to learn how to survey. Having a job was motivation to go to school. Classes were taught by local surveyors. No state credentials, no college degrees or credits, no diplomas. I joined at 19. After 4 years with no other formal training I completed the apprenticeship program then got LSIT. Got LS at age 25.
Thanks Local 12!. Due to their program I turned just another job for a kid into a profession I now love. It produced skilled surveyors. A chainman knew how how to chain properly. A good chainman is a dying breed. Now you have a "rodperson" to hold the stick plumb and set points as fast as possible where the Chief says. A Chief knew how to survey, not just push buttons to operate the latest hardware. The union did good to "pass the torch", more than any community college, boy scouts, or high schools ever did. It paid well. The $35/hr chainman is now a $10/hr stickholder. Young people do not get excited about holding a stick for $10/hr. Too bad every hates the union now. They had a good thing going.

Why are so many surveyors anti RCE? Is this because of the notion that a RCE can't survey well? I used to kid my Dad, an old school 1960's RCE about how RCE's were incompetent surveyors. He chuckled, then paused and replied, Son, that may be true, but for every RCE that can't survey, there is an LS that can't survey either.