Board Members Corner
Continuity By Mike Thomson, BCLS
T
he ABCLS and the Board of Management has benefitted from “continuity” in performing its governance activities, all in support of the ABCLS’ mandate to protect the public interest by regulating the practice of land surveying in BC.
Continuity: the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time
As land surveyors, in solving for position, we seek “redundancy”. Where repeated measurements are taken to improve the quality of the measurement of position. We ask, in evaluating the work of another, was there enough redundancy? We see redundancy as a positive. Society uses “redundant” or “redundancy” as a negative, something that is not or is no longer needed, something superfluous. In linguistics, redundancy refers to information that is expressed more than once. The thoughts that follow are intended to express a concern I have, around continuity, the benefits of a consistent and repeatable (i.e., redundant) approach to governance and an appeal to the members of the Association of BC Land Surveyors (ABCLS) to be aware of the tasks the ABCLS has before it, as described here-in.
I believe continuity is a positive. I believe continuity of leadership is of benefit in an organization with an understood mandate. The ABCLS mandate to protect the public interest by regulating the practice of land surveying in BC requires a consistency of decision making, a consistent approach to dealing with issues that come before the ABCLS Board of Management (the “Board”) and the Management team of the Secretary and the Chief Administrative Officer.
However, they will need to be up to speed and understand the current environment of professional regulation in BC very quickly. There was a time when the new board member was called the “water boy” – always male – and a term that meant – for the first year – at Board meetings they observed, did not speak, and just focussed on filling the water glasses of the other Board members around the table. This was more than the unwritten expectation – this was made clear.
With our 2021 AGM in March, the ABCLS Board has changed in a way that is greater than we have historically experienced, and with that change we have a risk.
While this has changed, particularly with the change of the election system, generally electing three new Board members per year, the new members have still been given some time to get up to speed. Not this year – the three new members face an exceedingly difficult task – be up to speed, contributing ideas, thoughts, guidance before the ink is dry on their first Board package. Relying on the balance of the Board for the required education is not going to be possible. In fact, we need the full membership participating in this education and offering support to our three new Board members.
I offer congratulations to the three new members of the Board (Marissa Moore, Aaron Shufletoski, and Emily Freeman). They bring many positives to the role and are going to do great.
As land surveyors we all must determine if we are “in” or are we “out”? That is, are you “invested” in the direction the ABCLS must move with the landscape of professional governance, or are you the LINK | April 2021
23
