President's Message

July 2018

     Summer sure does come hot and fast here in Florida, and I hope everyone is enjoying some time off for summer vacation and family. Working and playing outdoors in Florida during the summer months is something we surveyors are very used to. Always remember to cover up or wear sunscreen while out in the sun, and have plenty of water around to keep hydrated during activities. This is something to always think about when with your field crews and family.

We continue to be very busy working for this Society and the surveying and mapping profession in Florida. The FSMS office is steadily receiving new and renewed memberships each week and our new website is attracting more activity and generating more advertising opportunities. Remember to thank and support the companies who so graciously support this profession and our businesses in Florida. One of the key benefits of a professional society such as ours is the networking and support of one another. The more that we join together and support each other in this profession, the better and stronger our daily business and lives will be.

Thank you to all that have stepped up to volunteer and serve this Society in the coming year. Our slate of Officers and District Directors for the state has been filled and many chapters are in the process of filling new positions on a chapter level as well. If you have been considering getting involved with your business and profession, there is no better way than volunteering to work for the association that has your back.

Every surveyor and mapper throughout Florida benefits from what FSMS does every single day. These duties range from working with the Board of Professional Surveyors & Mappers on revising and protecting our Standards of Practice and statutes, to monitoring legislative changes that could negatively affect our businesses. Over the years, members of this Society have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for scholarships for geomatics students, and supported the largest CST program in the country. We work together with local fundraisers to fund scholarships, the FSMPAC and disaster-relief efforts. As I write this message today, we must all remember that we contribute to our Society to either give back or pay forward for the many blessings we have each day.

The 63^rd Annual FSMS conference is coming up just around the corner on August 15^th – 18^th and it is shaping up to be another great one! Our room block is filling up, so get your reservations in now as the cut-off date to receive the discounted room price is July 12^th. Please consider taking a few days off to join us for some great fellowship, fantastic seminars, and family and social time on the beach in St. Pete.

My condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to all of my FSMS friends and family that have lost loved ones this year. It is never easy to move on after the passing of a family member, but rest assured, we will all be reunited again in a much better place. Never let a day go by without being positive, respectful, thankful, caring, loving and forgiving to all that you meet every day -- especially your family.

“In the end, all journeys are spiritual. So go off the main road. Be givers of hospitality and gracious takers of it too. Accept the serendipitous moments of life because, when all is said and done, you may find out that they were not serendipitous at all. And know that faith is as real as bread broken among friends. What you believe will take you far on your journey. If you search carefully, you will find good food all along the way.” -Alton Brown