PLSO The Oregon Surveyor May June 2020

20 The Oregon Surveyor  | Vol. 43, No. 3 Featured Article Further, recognizing the important role PLS plays in change allowsme towalk through my already developed neighborhood, or travel to undeveloped/developing ones, and notice a total station set-up and what that may actually mean. This insight is an interesting piece in making me feel more connected to my surrounding en- vironment. Maybe someone is about to add onto their home, sell or divide their land, or maybe verify the boundary and terrain for a future project. These are all changes seeing a PLS can signal, and I’ve never really understood that until now, i.e., you mean to tell me a PLS does more than wear a sweet vest and stand near construction areas?! It is points two and three that I found to be the most discussed topics amongst the surveyors present at that delega- tion and, to me, the most fascinating. I’ve found that organizations without an es- tablishedmethod of communicating new techniques, methods, and ideas within their area and to other areas result in either constantly reinventing the wheel or failing to innovate because “that’s the way it has always been done.” It’s the age-old adage of “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Personally, this seems like an exciting time for the PLS profession because our society has never been more intercon- nected. The adoption of new surveying and shared communication technology within the PLS community is fostering more networking possibilities within the profession: The newest surveyor to the most seasoned professional can collab- orate more than ever before. The ability to communicate using somany different methods also allows for more in - tegration with the public and, as a result, all of us “outsiders” nowhave even greater opportunity to be exposed to this pro- fession. This increased exposure means greater educational outreach and recruit- ment, which leads to increased innovation. With these internal organizational ties be- ing strengthened, I’m looking forward to seeing the new ways this profession will be working together to bring its import- ant work into the public eye.  x I met James on my first day of university as an incoming freshman at University of Alaska–Anchorage (2002!) where we both ended up graduating with B.S degrees. He was a year ahead of me. We’ve kept in touch over the years and in late 2018 I was asked to join the delegation to Switzerland. When he decided to join me, I didn’t think we would actually see much of each other due to the full agenda. But upon arriving, James asked to tag along to these various presentations and sur- prised me further by proving that he had actually studied up on land surveying and read all the documents our delegation leader had sent out about the Swiss system! There went my presumption that he would be incredibly bored because he wouldn’t understand the discussions. He asked some really great questions and engaged with everyone everywhere we went. He even made some well-timed surveying jokes! He doesn’t want to be a surveyor, but he has a newfound un- derstanding and respect for what we do and can do here and abroad. During the remaining part of James’s European culinary tour I would get pictures of various monuments and survey control points he had come across—just like all surveyors do when we travel, because we just can’t help it. Surveying allies are everywhere and it’s always great to have their support and hear what their take is. – Samantha Tanner, 45th Parallel Geomatics, Hood River, Oregon www.45thparallelgeomatics.com A measuring point, aka messpunkt, in Austria. Photo courtesy of James Barber. A close-up of the tri-point on Kinnoull Hill. Photo courtesy of James Barber. continued from page 18 T