The Holidays are here and I hope that they find you and yours in good spirits. It is a time of giving and thinking of others. The Western Federation of Professional Surveyors (WFPS) has joined with NSPS Foundation to establish the Western State Scholarship and Relief Fund. This fund is set up to assist those in the land surveying community that have been affected by natural disasters such as the fires in both ends of our state. Please consider contributing to this fund.
This link will explain how to contribute and
here is the link to the application for relief fund assistance. You only need to be employed or associated with the profession:
Set aside March 23-26 for the joint conference with NALS at the Silver Legacy in Reno. A workshop with Jeff Lucas is being slated for Saturday with opening ceremonies on Sunday morning, then we'll wrap up the conference on Tuesday. Our traditional bowling tournament will be on Saturday after the workshop, Sunday icebreaker reception, and on Monday evening, a live auction with Lightning Williams.
Finally, I ran across an article written in the
Cal Surveyor archives by one of CLSA’s Founders, Don Ward, who wrote several articles on professionalism and ethics of a Land Surveyor. I think his words are still true today.
“A professional man by virtue of his knowledge, conduct, integrity, judgement and experience, commands an atmosphere of trust, solicitude, public faith and dependence in his work. His conduct must demonstrate moral and ethical influences of the highest caliber. His integrity must be flawless. Professional characteristics are common through most professions and when grouped together in one individual serve to identify that individual as a professional man. These characteristics are practical judgement, businesslike, learned, skilled, expert, thorough, prompt, systematic, solicitous, synesis, integrity and courage."
As I come to the closing of my tenure as your President, I have found for the most part the surveyors I have encountered throughout the state have adhered to these standards but as in any organization, there are those who forget these codes of ethics and prefer to be influenced by what they want the truth to be rather than what the truth is.
Saul Bellow once said, “A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.”
During this Holiday Season, let’s remember to respect one another in truth despite our disagreements.
Ron Nelms
CLSA President
