MSS General Membership
& Crab Feast, July 16
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Join fellow surveyors at a General Membership Meeting and Crab Feast on Tuesday, July 16 at Nick's Fish House in Baltimore.
We'll start at 5:30 PM with an informal forum with the Board of Directors. This is an opportunity for members to ask questions and hear the latest news in the surveying profession and in MSS with your elected leaders. Then, beginning at 6:00 PM, enjoy fellowship, relaxation, and delicious food. We'll have steamed crabs and all the sides, as well as alternative entrées for those who are not crab fans!
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Deadline for Scholarship is June 30th
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Are you looking at becoming a licensed land surveyor? Are you applying for school and need some financial help? Or do you know someone who is? The Maryland Society supports an independent Scholarship Fund, The Maryland Society of Surveyors Educational Trust, (MSSET).
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Spotlight: Rob Kundrick
is a Professional Land Surveyor at GPI Geospatial, Inc and Chair of the Appalachian Chapter.
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When did you start surveying, and why?
My enlistment in the Navy was coming to an end and I needed to decide if I was going to re-enlist or become a civilian. An advertisement in the back of a magazine caught my attention promoting a technical school featuring surveying and construction management. I contemplated surveying with the Navy by joining the SEABEES as an engineering aid, but chose to get out.
Soon after my enlistment was up, I headed north to Maryland to spend time with my father and see what Baltimore had to offer. I responded to an employment ad in the Baltimore Sun for an opening as a survey rodman at an engineering firm in Laurel. That firm was Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. So, in August 1985, my surveying career began, and not long after starting at GPI, and I signed up for Surveying 101 at Catonsville Community College for the fall semester.
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Describe one of your best experiences while surveying?
One of the best experiences I have had in surveying performing astronomic observations in Baker Park. The purpose of celestial observations was to transfer a true azimuth to the “Compass Stones” that sit in front of Frederick City Hall.
The compass stones have sat in front of the City Hall (formally the county courthouse) for over one hundred years and have been disturbed by lawnmowers and vehicles. Rumor has it a news van, reporting a story at City Hall, backed over “South Magnetic”, which was leaning badly. The Appalachian Chapter decided to take on a project to reset the stones, observe the astronomic azimuth, and set a plaque to describe the significance of the marks. The part of the survey that made it most memorable was setting up the replica Mason & Dixon Observation Hut and observing Polaris with my fellow surveyors. We then transferred our astronomic azimuth from the baseline in Baker Park to the magnetic stones running a closed loop traverse through the City of Frederick.
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Describe one of your worst experiences while surveying?
The worst experience while surveying was falling in a stream in the middle of February.
The project was in Frostburg, Maryland and we were performing a stream as-built of the newly constructed improvements. It was a cold day in February when I slipped on the icy rocks, trying to cross the stream to survey the opposite bank. When I first hit the water, it took my breath away, and I was shocked by how cold the water was. At that point, all I could think of was getting out of the water and head back to the truck to seek heat.
By the time I walked from the stream to the truck, my pants were frozen stiff. The bigger problem was I did not have any extra clothes in my truck. So, after sitting in the truck for several minutes with the heater on, I was able to thaw my pants out enough to drive and find dry clothes. I drove to local Dollar General and purchased a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, changed clothes and headed back to the stream to finish the job.
I did not attempt to cross the stream for the rest of the day and walked all the way down to the bridge to cross. I learned a valuable lesson that day and now always keep extra clothes in my vehicle. Since that day, I have had to break into the clothes stash on numerous occasions.
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What type of surveying makes up most of your work?
My surveying career started with municipal surveying in the City of Laurel and flood plain surveys throughout Prince George’s County. It quickly led to land development surveying and construction stakeout, where I also learned how to perform boundary surveys and prepare record plats. Throughout my career I have continued to perform topographic and boundary surveys along with construction stakeout in support of land development projects.
I started surveying on highway projects in the early 90’s and have been working on transportation related projects ever since. It has allowed me to build my skills in establishing survey control, GPS positioning, and right of way surveying. Being involved with transportation projects also has led me to managing remote sensing services such as photogrammetric and LiDAR surveys.
I currently manage surveying and mapping services that include aerial mapping, LiDAR, and traditional land surveying. I still get the opportunity to perform boundary and right of way surveys along with preparing survey plats, but have added remote sensing services to my portfolio.
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Who are some of the surveyors that influenced your knowledge in the profession (in school or on the job)?
I would have to say there have been many people in my career that I have influenced the way I survey and the procedures that I follow. There is an opportunity to learn a new skill or procedure from just about everyone you work with. But without a doubt, there are a few surveyors that I can say have been a major influence in my career.
The first would be Warren W. Sorg, the first surveyor I worked for. I learned how to plot topography, research and plot deeds, and the basics of coordinate geometry under his guidance. He is a great teacher and taught me the importance of checking your work, how to write descriptions, and never give up the search for a corner. I recently had the privilege of enjoying lunch with him at the PSLS conference in Hershey.
The second surveyor that has had a major influence on my career was James Mask. I first met Mr. Mask n 1985 when I signed up at Catonsville Community College for surveying classes. He called me Bob, and he taught every survey course that I took in the program, except for the law and boundary courses. I completed the certificate program for Surveying Technology under his guidance, and later earned an Associate Degree in Surveying Technology from CCBC. I had the privilege of becoming an adjunct instructor for Surveying Instruments and Streets and Utilities, using the materials he left behind in the program as references.
Lastly, I met Paige See, III in 1985 and we made up one of the survey crews at GPI, where we became best friends. We were fortunate to pick up surveying skills from his father, Paige Jr., while performing boundary surveys in the mountains of West Virginia on weekend jobs. Paige and I moved on from GPI, working for separate companies, but stayed best friends. We were hunting partners, hot rod junkies, and just good friends. He left us in 2013, way too early, and I sure do miss him.
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What was special about what you learned from them?
Warren taught me, along with all the other surveyors, that quality and integrity was among of the most important traits of surveying. He was responsible for getting me involved with the Maryland Society of Surveyors and supporting us to attend chapter meetings at the Anchor Inn.
Mr. Mask was the most influential persons in my surveying career. He taught me all the basics of surveying along with the advanced subjects such as traverse adjustments and celestial observations. He seemed to know everything about the profession and had stories to back up what he taught. Jim could solve equations in his head and made sure you understood formulas and how they related to surveying.
Paige was a hard-working guy who inspired the people around him to also work hard. We had fun surveying and enjoyed the projects we worked on. Together we learned how to survey and apply the techniques that we picked up along the way.
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What advice would you give to new surveyors?
Education is extremely important in this profession and gaining field experience is highly recommended to fully understand how to recover evidence and make accurate measurements. To become a well-rounded surveyor, you need to understand how to identify and locate artificial, natural, and cultural features, and understand how they relate to boundary retracement. Consult with other surveyors when analyzing and resolving difficult problems in boundary control. Having a second opinion can open your eyes up to something you may be overlooking. Follow the deed calls and not just the geometry and let them guide you to the correct boundary location.
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When you are not surveying, what do you like to do?
Being a surveyor and loving the outdoors, I have many hobbies that involve sports, nature, history, and culture. When I am not spending time exploring historical and cultural attractions with my family, I like hanging out with my buddies doing guy things.
Depending on the season, you will find me either in the mountains of West Virginia at the hunting cabin, on the golf course trying to better my game, or fishing at the ocean.
I also enjoy customizing, restoring, and repairing vehicles. In my life I have had several classic cars and trucks that I have restored and enjoyed driving.
How has surveying changed you?
I don’t believe that surveying itself has changed me as a person. My lifestyle and work ethic would be the same for any other profession that I may have chosen, but land surveying seems to fit my lifestyle.
Surveying has offered me the opportunity to become a team member, teacher, manager, business owner and promoter of the profession. I have embraced the profession for the last 33 years and will continue to practice surveying well into retirement.
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Potomac and Chesapeake Chapter Baseball Event!
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Come out and join your fellow surveyors for a night at the ball park in support of the Maryland Society of Surveyors Educational Trust and the Young Surveyors Chapter. This night is also the 5th Annual Touch A Truck event presented by Miss Utility! Over 35 utility and heavy vehicles will be on display beginning at 4:30 and kids will receive a free backpack courtesy of Miss Utility. (Limit 1 backpack per paid child ticket while supplies last.) There will also be a fireworks show following the game.
Click here
to find out more about this event and to purchase your ticket(s).
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Western Seminar, July 26,
Features Jim Demma
The Maryland Society of Surveyors is pleased to announce its Western
Maryland Seminar will be held Friday, July 26 at Hagerstown Community
College.
Statutory Laws of Maryland Relating to Land Surveyors
This seminar will be a discussion on the latest edition of Statutory Laws of Maryland Relating to Land Surveyors, more commonly referred to as the “Black Book.” It includes the latest collection of statutes and rules from the Annotated Code of Maryland and is a convenient legal starting point and reference work for all surveyors in the State of Maryland. The seminar will also include a review of the very latest appeals court cases on boundaries, easements and adverse possession; and a segment on ethics.
Presenter: James J. Demma, Prof. Surveyor, Esq., Miles & Stockbridge and Editor of Statutory Laws of Maryland Relating to Land Surveyors
This seminar may qualify to meet the requirements of COMAR 09.13.08.03(B) for ethics, law, and standards of practice.
8 CPC/PDH will be awarded
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How to Locate Your CPC/PDH
on the MSS Website
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One of the services provided by MSS is that it keeps a record of attendance at conferences, and educational seminars personalized to you, the participating member. Each member has a profile on the MSS website where all educational credits are recorded. You can view/print your educational certificate at anytime.
If, for instance, you have not kept copies of your educational certificates and you are one of the lucky 10% who are randomly audited at license renewal time, you can obtain the necessary paperwork by logging into your profile on the
MSS
website.
Another service MSS undertakes on behalf of its members is that the President-Elect, in the current case President-Elect Aaron Worley, attends each Maryland Board for Professional Surveyors meeting as a liason between the licensing board and MSS.
Recently, the board spoke to Aaron to say that a licensee under random audit turned in transcript records printed from the MSS records site which were incomplete. It is possible to print from more or less the wrong place and get a result which will not satisfy the board requirements.
After each conference, or seminar, attendees are sent an email which reiterates their sessions and gives instructions delineating the process for printing certificates which will satisfy the requirements for proof of compliance for license renewal. These instructions most often fall by the wayside and are lost and forgotten by renewal time.
In order to serve the membership better, we are publishing the instructions for printing your certificates.
Click here
, and follow these step-by-step instructions on how to view/print a certificate from your profile on the MSS website.
We encourage you to call the MSS office at 800-303-6770 if you need assistance.
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7/16/2019
Location:
Nick's Fish House, Baltimore, Maryland
Time:
6:00 PM
7/26/2019
Location:
Hagerstown Community College, Hagerstown, Maryland
Time:
8:00 AM
8/3/2019
Location:
Prince George's Stadium, Maryland
Time:
4:30 PM
10/16-19/2019
Location:
Princess Royale Hotel, Ocean City MD
Registration Opens Soon
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The Maryland Society of Surveyors is pleased to offer important books that should be on the bookshelf of every prudent, professional surveyor.
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Chris Alvey
Jacob Aydelott
Mike Ayers
Woodrow Botts
Nicholas Bowen, Sr.
Adrian Britton
Bruce Burton
Roger Chenoweth, III
Gavin Coco
Courtney Cooper
Stephen Copp
Rob Crouch
Ryan Daisey
Kenneth Herwig
Annalinda Iacoviello
Shane Mcaleer
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Marc McCormick
William McKeague
David Mitchell
Robert Moccia
Chris Mowdy
Justin Rawls
Stuart Showalter
Richard Simon
Mike Sobola
Justin Umberger
Kevin Vellek
Luisa Winters
Matthew Zohorsky
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Chesapeake College Seminar Recap
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On Friday, June 7th Jim Demma, John Berettini and Mike Maguire spoke to a group of 75 MSS members at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills. To the right is a picture of fellow MSS members learning how some SUE equipment works.
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Our condolences to the family of Thomas Francis Conlon, Jr. who passed away on June 5, 2019. Tom was a member of MSS and the Potomac Chapter. He will be missed by his family and friends.
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Colonial Market Fair Recap
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MSS members participated in the Colonial Market Fair on June 8, 2019 at the Banneker Historical Park and Museum near Catonsville MD.
The theme for the fair was “The 18th century comes alive at the Banneker Historical Park and Museum!”
Benjamin Banneker was a self-taught free African-American man who published a six year series of astronomic almanacs, and assisted Major Andrew Ellicott with the boundary survey for the new federal city, Washington, DC.
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MSS Past President Chas Langelan has organized the participation of “colonial” surveyors for this event for as long as we have been associated with this fair. Assisting Chas this year were: Jeff Elkins, Eddie Glawe, Wayne Twigg, and Bob Banzhoff. The exhibits featured compasses, chains, early transits, books, everyday items, a map of the layout of Washington DC, and Jeremiah Dixon’s map of the most famous survey line in the world, the Mason-Dixon Line.
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The group engaged with a great many people who were not only interested, but interesting on their own account. MSS members met two retired lady astronomers, two college age fellows (one who recommended the book “The River of Doubt” about a surveyor in South America) who we tried to recruit into the profession, and a gentleman who stated that when he worked for MDSHA, he designed a large portion of I-97. The surveyors answered a number of insightful questions, and also learned something in the process.
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Instrument Operator - Dewberry - Lanham, MD -
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Survey Party Chief - Dewberry - Lanham, MD -
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Survey Technician - Dewberry - Lanham, MD -
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Survey Technician - Draft-McCune-Walker - Towson, MD -
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Survey CAD Technician - Ben Dyer Assoc - La Plata, MD -
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Senior Field Surveyor - Rodgers Consulting - Germantown, MD -
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Lidar Scanning Specialist - Direct Dimensions - Owings Mills, MD -
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Survey Manager - AECOM - Hunt Valley, MD -
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Land Survey Party Chief - Hillis-Carnes Engineering Assoc - Annapolis Junction, MD -
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Crew Chief - MA Engineering Consultants - Towson, MD -
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Field Technician Survey Party Chief - KCI Technologies - Sparks, MD -
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Survey Instrument Person - MA Engineering Consultants Towson, MD -
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Survey Party Chief - MA Engineering Consultant - Towson, MD -
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Instrument Operator - christopher consultants - Lanham, MD -
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Professional Land Surveyor - Morris & Ritchie Assoc - Abingdon, MD -
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Survey Field Coordinator - Precision Measurements - Ellicott City, MD -
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Survey Party Chief - Precision Measurements - Ellicott City, MD -
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Party Chief - christopher consultants - Lanham, MD -
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Licensed Surveyor/Survey Group Leader - Vogel Engineering + Timmons Group - Ellicott City, MD -
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