Starting Field Work - Practical Boundary Surveying - page 132

Fig. 10.1 Free range hogs in the field being surveyed
four. The person in charge of the crew is called the Party Chief or Crew Chief .
The person running the instrument is called the Instrument Man or Instrument
Person . The person walking around locating evidence is called the Rod Man or
Rod Person . The traditional hierarchy of the positions begins with the party chief,
who is the boss of the crew, then the transit person, then the rod person. The crew
chief is usually the most experienced person in the crew. She is responsible for con-
ducting the survey and having the final say regarding what needs to be accomplished
and how it will be accomplished. The rod person is often the newest person on the
team and often the least experienced. With a two person crew, the party chief is usu-
ally required to additionally perform the work of the rod person. Sometimes, if the
instrument person is experienced, the party chief and instrument person will take
turns running the instrument and locating evidence. When locating evidence, it is
crucial that the person making the locations be very experienced in interpreting the
nature of the evidence being located. This is important because the evidence will
have legal significance in determining boundary locations. In such cases, the crew
chief must either locate the evidence or at least observe the evidence and provide
directions on how the evidence is to be located and noted in the record. It is benefi-
cial that the crew operate as a team, with each member supporting the others in order
to efficiently complete the tasks at hand. Although there should be a clear chain of
command and clearly designated duties, this should enhance, not detract from the
efficiency of the crew. Each member should be ready and willing to take on the
duties of another crew member should it become necessary or desirable to do so.