PLSO The Oregon Surveyor January/February 2020

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org 3 From the PLSO Chairman whose duty it was to preserve the peace, administer justice, distribute property of the deceased, register land titles, and so on. In states like Oregon, the County Sur- veyor was an engineer who contracted private land surveys and was the engineer overseeing the design and construction of county roads. Within the Office of the Surveyor, the virtue of justice is found. In a well ordered, free society, it is the responsibility of the Surveyor to ensure that everyone is given his due, both in a distributive and cumulative sense. This is the essence of justice. Thus, when speaking about private property rights, the surveyor must possess an honest disposition in the administration of his survey duties, while at the same time be fair minded in his private affairs. The institution of surveying, whether bound- ary or construction, promotes a just and peaceful society by supporting the rights of the public and the individual landown- er. Surveyors may differ on a variety of subjects, but they agree on what is right and wrong. A good surveyor looks like the honest administrator of justice. Nevertheless, honesty is not enough to ensure justice; a surveyor could make an honest mistake. The role of the County Surveyor was de-emphasized in favor of experts specialized in the art and science of surveying. The Oregon Board of Exam- iners for Engineers and Land Surveyors (OSBEELS) is concerned with protecting the welfare of the public and safeguard- ing life, health, and property in the State of Oregon through licensure. In so do- ing, OSBEELS encourages the virtue of prudence by ensuring that minimum standard survey practices are observed. Not only must a Surveyor have the skill, knowledge and ability to practice survey- ing, but he must also have the capacity to administratively apply the law in the evaluation of evidence toward a well- reasoned survey opinion. In other words, hemust judiciously performthe art and sci- ence of the practice of surveying through the guidance of rational thought to make an informed and proper conclusion. Sur- veyors do not live in the abstract, we live in the reality of objective truth. A good Surveyor looks like a person using good judgment and common sense in the pru- dent practice of surveying. Honesty, good judgment, and common sense are essential to the virtues of justice and prudence, but as honorable as these ideals may be, they need to be reinforced and sharpened by virtuous people who have a common interest. OSBEELS uses a stick to enforce the laws, but most times only a carrot is needed. The Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon was created to support the Surveyor through the vir- tue of fellowship. We are social beings and need to feel that we have meaning and purpose in our lives. The formation of a society, under a common interest, provides for the safety and happiness of the individual. It provides for our safety because it keeps us accountable to one another, and happiness, because we are supported by other like-minded people. However, for a society to function well, its members are called to do a little more than what is asked, and to give more than what is taken. Societies will not last long without people who have a heart to serve. In this context, PLSO fulfills our need to unite under a common interest to serve one another through charity, and by pro- viding and enforcing the common virtues required for a peaceful society. Surveyors are independent and self-reliant, but we understand that a free society requires a virtuous citizenry. A good Surveyor looks like someone who serves his community and is accountable for his action within the fellowship of others. My grandfather was right about not get- ting rich as a surveyor, but riches are not always measured against money and possessions. Sometimes the things we treasure most are measured against in- tangibles like character and virtue. The character of honesty is needed for the vir- tue of justice. Common sense and good judgement are characteristics needed for the virtue of prudence, and service and accountability are needed for the virtue of fellowship. These are the build- ing blocks toward excellence—to live a better and happier life. Excellence is not perfection. G-d knows we are not perfect. Rather, excellence is the highest charac- ter an individual can obtain in the virtues of being a surveyor. Leaders like Pat and Tim have laid the plans toward relevancy. We only need a foundation. The surveying profession is great, and when we work together under a common interest to promote virtues that best serve society, the reward is ex- cellence. What is the reason excellence should be promoted in our society? A wise man once said, “build your house on a rock.” Without a strong foundation, we risk losing sight of our purpose and control over circumstances. In the next articles, we will dig deeper into this ques- tion, “Should PLSO promote excellence, and how should it be promoted?”  x Agree or disagree? I welcome your comments. Please email me at [email protected] with your thoughts.