Dewberry’s Mount Laurel, New Jersey, office hosted its second annual survey merit badge day on May 7, 2016, for local members of the Boy Scouts of America, making it Dewberry's third survey merit badge day. Dewberry employees organized required exercises for the scouts to earn their badge.
Five boy scouts and one venture scout participated in this session and earned their survey merit badges. The scouts learned the basics of land surveying and how it relates to the community. They discussed the importance of GPS and its effects on surveying, as well as other relevant topics such as the application of technology. The scouts were also introduced to career opportunities within the surveying profession.
The requirements for the badge include a knowledge of first aid for the types of injuries that can occur while surveying, as well as proper identification of poisonous plants and animals that inhabit the area. The scouts must also find and mark the corners of a five-sided lot, measure the angles and distance between each corner, and compute the error of closure. With their field notes gathered, scouts must draw a plat of the survey, to scale, and write a metes and bounds description. They also use a corner marker as a benchmark with an assumed elevation of 100 feet and, using a level and rod, determine the elevation of the other four corners.
With more than 100 badges currently in existence, the surveying badge is one of the original badges that still remain available for scouts to obtain, dating back to 1911. It is historically one of the most difficult to receive as merit badge counselors who are also professional land surveyors are in short supply.
About Dewberry
Dewberry is a leading, market-facing firm with a proven history of providing professional services to a wide variety of public- and private-sector clients. Recognized for combining unsurpassed commitment to client service with deep subject matter expertise, Dewberry is dedicated to solving clients' most complex challenges and transforming their communities. Established in 1956, Dewberry is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, with more than 50 locations and 2,000+ professionals nationwide. To learn more, visit www.dewberry.com.
