MSPS: Missouri surveyors' society has new identity

Surveying is one of the oldest professions in history. It was used in the construction of the pyramids of Egypt, and also mentioned several times in the Bible.

In 1957, several of the Registered Land Surveyors in Missouri met and formed the Missouri Association of Registered Land Surveyors. According to the MARLS Constitution, the purpose of the association "is to represent the interests of and be a primary spokesman for the surveying profession in Missouri; to elevate the standards of the surveying profession in Missouri, thereby benefiting the general public; to ensure that the general public and offices of records receive superior land surveying that bring about an upgrading of land records; to sponsor legislation and educational programs beneficial to the public and land surveyors; and to improve the professional recognition of the surveying profession by the public and by other related professions."

In 1999, House Bill 343 was passed and signed by the governor of Missouri. This bill was known as the "Definition of Surveying." HB 343 changed the "Registered Land Surveyors" to "Professional Land Surveyors." With the millennium change in the year 2000 came the change from MARLS to MSPS the Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors.

The MSPS is affiliated with the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping and the National Society of Professional Surveyors. Springfield and southwest Missouri have their own Ozark Chapter of MSPS and there are other local chapters throughout the state.

The Ozark Chapter of MSPS includes the counties of Hickory, Greene, Polk, Christian, Stone, Dallas, Webster, Douglas, Taney, Ozark, Texas, Wright, Howell and Laclede.

To become a professional land surveyor, a person is required to have passed at least 12 semester hours of approved surveying course work, including two semester hours in the legal aspects of surveying. The required hours are all available at Southwest Missouri State University. Surveyors renew their surveying licenses every two years.

To renew a license, a surveyor must obtain 20 professional development units of continuing education. A PDU is one contact hour of training approved by the Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors. Missouri surveyors have had the continuing education requirement since Jan. 1, 1996.

Education is very important to surveyors, especially with the constant change in technology over the past few years. The MSPS has a college scholarship program for high school students who are planning to enter the surveying or engineering field. The MSPS awards one or two annual scholarship awards of $750. The Ozark Chapter of MSPS awards two annual scholarships of $350.

To award additional scholarships, the National Society of Professional Surveyors sponsors an annual math competition across the United States called Trig-Star. The goal of this program is to encourage and recognize the best students of mathematics.

The Trig-Star program is designed:

To promote excellence in the mastery of mathematics in high school;

To honor high school students who have demonstrated their superior skill among classmates at the local, state, and national levels;

To acquaint high school students with the use and practical applications of mathematics in the geomatics professions; and

To build an awareness of geomatics as a profession among mathematically skilled high school students, career guidance counselors and high school math teachers.

Since 1998, City Utilities and Central High School have been partners in the Trig-Star program.

The Trig-Star tests are given locally by members of MSPS. The test of the local winner is sent to the state coordinator who determines the state winner. The state winner is the recipient of a $750 scholarship from MSPS. The test of the state winner is sent to the national coordinator who determines the three national winners.

The National Trig-Star first-place winner is awarded a $1,000 scholarship, the second-place winner is awarded a $500 scholarship and the third-place winner is awarded a $250 scholarship. The student's trigonometry teacher is awarded a Teacher Excellence Award of the same amount as that received by the student.

In the past 25 years, the MSPS has been very active in helping surveyors stay abreast of the technology change. Since the 1700s, surveyors had used a chain (measuring tape) to measure distances. The instruments for angular measurement were either a surveyor's compass, a transit or a theodolite. The field notes were kept in a field book.

Surveyors then started using electronic distance measurement, laser measurement instead of the chain. Then came the total station and data collector which meant digital angle reading and no more field books. Now we are using GPS, or surveying by use of satellites. Is it any wonder that surveyors require continuing education?

(Richard H. Cox, PLS, is vice president of the statewide Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors and supervisor of mapping and surveying at City Utilities of Springfield.)