The Oregon Surveyor July/August 2018

2 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 41, No. 4 From the Editor Greg Crites, PLS Editor MESSAGE EDITOR FROM THE The simple fact is, we need your involvement, not just your membership. Look at your life and pencil out a way you can help, in whatever fashion. I f it seems that this issue is a bit tardy . . . it is! As your editor, I find ourselves struggling to gather sufficient content to fill the pages of this magazine which to me has been no surprise for much of my career. Regrettably, I know that the subject matter is out there; it just requires someone to take the time to put it down in writing and send it in for consideration. As an all-volunteer orga- nization, we are continually plagued with finding folks willing to devote a small part of their personal time to play a part in making the PLSO a strong community. As tired as I am of hearing this old cliché, we only remain strong by active and en- thusiastic member participation. Sitting here in my office, I have little “personal” knowledge of the dynamics of individual chapter involvement, but seeing things like the South Central Chap- ter having trouble filling their officer vacancies pains me greatly, especially considering how much I’ve been active within our organization for so many years. That involvement has given me an informed perspective on how much time is required to take part in the oper- ation and success of the PLSO. Frankly, the time requirement is negligible yet the rewards, both personally and pro- fessionally, are great. I can’t empathize with excuses for not participating. Say- ing you don’t have time? That’s lame and, in my estimation, is nothing short of lazy, not to mention how much I find laziness abhorrent! There are only a few excuses that I find acceptable for not being an active partic- ipant in our organization. First, you have young children at home. I know what a time commitment that is! I would never fault you for devoting your free time to your children, but only to a point. Those children also learn by example and demon- strating to them, once they’re a bit older, that actively participating in your profes- sional community as a means of giving something back for the livelihood you enjoy is important and valuable. Second, you are disabled or caring for an ailing family member or relative that requires continual attention. It seems that every day there is some media cov- erage about the struggles that caregivers face and I would never find fault in us- ing such a commitment as an excuse for not participating. Finally, there’s death, which needs no ex- planation. As I get older, all those aches and pains begin to give me perspective on how much closer my own “end-time” is getting. Well, I can cite exceptions to excuses one and two because despite those, I’ve known PLSOmembers who’ve managed to overcome those obstacles and still found time to participate in this organi- zation. So where does that leave you, the non-participant? I don’t need to itemize the number of ways a PLSOmember can participate as you only need to talk with an “active” member to get some great ideas. The simple fact is, we need your involve- ment , not just your membership. Look at your life and pencil out a way you can help, in whatever fashion. The PLSO will be a stronger, all-volunteer organization if you can find a way to help. Please do! Oh, and by the way, while you’re at it I’m always looking for content for this mag- azine, so if you have a story to tell, don’t hesitate to put it down if you think your peersmight be interested in reading about it. Regardless of your writing skills, our editorial team can help put an accept- able spin on whatever you submit. “Go ahead, make my day” and help to make my job easier. Regarding all the “volun- teers” who’ve helped to make this issue possible, thank you ! x 2018 NSPS Excellence in JournalismWinner: Best Editorial “Cross Pollination” Sept/Oct 2017