Jacksonville, FL — April 11, 2006 — In partnership with the Black Creek District of the Boy Scouts of America, North Florida Council, Clary & Associates Professional Surveyors and Mappers volunteered their time and industry expertise for the 2006 Black Creek Merit Badge Fair on Saturday, March 18th at Camp Immokalee in Keystone Heights.
For the annual event, Clary & Associates assembled an eight-man, company team to collectively serve as the required Certified Merit Badge Counselor for the Surveying Merit Badge. From 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the team gave comprehensive instruction to attentive Scouts as they diligently worked to earn the badge.
Clary & Associates’ eight-man team consisted of survey project manager Matt Jennings; crew chiefs Josh Mabry, Jason Knoeber, Mitch Henderson and Rick Rigsbee; instrument men James Rohde and Dave Wilferth; and Rodman Eric Beckham, who also is an Eagle Scout — the highest rank achievable within the Boy Scouts of America organization.
“The Boy Scouts offers endless opportunities for fun while facilitating the positive personal growth of our youth,” said Greg Clary, founder and president of Clary & Associates. “We always enjoy being a part of this outstanding program, primarily because it is designed to impart the value of perseverance, personal achievement, ethics and integrity, responsibility, education and camaraderie. These values definitely are in line with our own, which makes it very worthwhile and satisfying to participate in this exciting event.”
As required by the Boy Scouts of America, the boys must discuss with a licensed surveyor the importance of surveying in order to earn the Surveying Merit Badge. For this purpose, the Clary & Associates team instructed two class sessions, each consisting of 13 Scouts.
During each session, the Scouts were required to occupy five property corners of an area designated by the Clary & Associates team. The boys recorded the angles and distances between the points, and located by sideshot a climbing wall and a dirt road. The Scouts had to be accurate in their measurements, with an error of closure of not more than five feet — a task they easily accomplished. The exercise also required the boys to use a level rod and place elevations on each of the property corners, using an assumed elevation of 100 feet on the first corner.
“I was surprised at how quickly the boys understood the concept of reading a level rod,” said Eric Beckham, rodman for Clary & Associates. “They also had to pace a distance within five percent of the measured distance. We actually had one Scout come within three inches of being dead-on the correct distance, which was fantastic.”
To finalize the project, each of the Scouts drew a map of their “survey” and wrote a metes-and-bounds description of the property. The Clary & Associates team also addressed with the group important surveying fieldwork safety issues and procedures.
“We also took some time to discuss how surveying has changed over the years through the use of GPS technology,” said Matt Jennings, survey project manager for Clary & Associates. “We showed the Scouts one of the backpack units we use to locate wetlands, and explained how this technology is more time-efficient, in some instances, than using traditional survey methods. We also discussed ways to successfully enter the surveying industry and meet the requirements to become licensed in Florida.”
Incorporated in 1910 and chartered by Congress in 1916, the Boy Scouts of America’s educational program gives Scouts the opportunity for advancement within a ranking system. While the achievement of each rank becomes increasingly difficult, Scouts also have the opportunity to earn merit badges in more than 120 subjects.
The Surveying Merit Badge (Badge #109) is one of the original badges approved in the early 1900s by the organization. Requirements for the merit badge are periodically updated to keep pace with the continuous technological advancements applied within the surveying and mapping industry.
About Clary & Associates
Since 1983, Clary & Associates, Inc. has been making its mark as a leading provider of professional surveying and mapping services. Specializing in large-scale residential and commercial land development projects, Clary & Associates has a well-earned reputation for delivering high performance and value. By blending innovation and integrity, founder Greg Clary and his team of skilled professionals are committed to maintaining the highest standards of excellence while serving clients in the real estate, architecture, engineering and transportation industries, as well as state and local government.
Clary & Associates, Inc. provides a wide range of surveying and mapping services, including: Boundary, topographical, wetland and condominium surveys, as well as transportation design and right-of-way surveys, subsurface utility designation and excavation, and GIS Mapping.
Clary & Associates is located at 3830 Crown Point Road in Jacksonville. For more information, please call (904) 260-2703, or visit www.claryassoc.com.