I have been coming to this sight for a long time and reading the many conversations for some time now. I wanted to introduce myself to the many folks on this site. My name is Christian Medders, and I am licensed in Tennessee and Georgia. I have been in the surveying industry since 1996 when I worked two very smart surveyors in Brunswick, Georgia. I learned through several honest hardworking surveyors from a local county surveyor that really cared about helping the locals to a large firm surveyors that showed me how to make larger projects work. I somehow talked my wife into marrying me in 1997, and we have three wonderful Children that we raise here in the Tennessee Valley. 18 Daughter who is a Sophomore in College, a 15 son who is a Sophomore in High school, and a 5 year old in Kindergarten. I obtained my first license in 2005 after my wife and I put me through school. We moved her home to Tennessee in September of 2005, and started our little slice of the world, Medders Surveying. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to buy records from many the local surveyors here that have retired, or have passed away. I try to survey with integrity, honesty, and service to the community. I feel that I have taking both routes to get my license. I went through all the jobs in surveying that you could do, from holding the pole as a greenhorn, to running crews, then on to drafting, I was then promoted to running the survey department after I got my first license in January of 2005. As I worked, I took college class, and was actually approved to take the test because of college and experience. I could have applied for the test earlier with Tennessee using 6 year of progressive experience, but I did not feel I had learned enough through the experience at that point. I am feeling that I am one of the last of the generations of surveyors that actually have pulled a chain, and drew a drawing by hand and actually understand that it not always about the data collector is saying, but there is surveying law in place for a reason. I think there is a lot that has been missed in the college classes that a longer experience time needs to help balance. I have had few greenhorns out of college here in Tennessee that do not want to chop the briers and climb the mountain on your hands and knees while hauling a instrument. They want to come draw in my office for two years and go take the test and get their license to be my competition. I am all for helping someone, but I do not think this is doing the public a service to send out half baked surveyors to ruin things until they get it and pin cushion because their professor in college has never been a day in the real world and found that monument in the packed rocky soil the the gravel drive has creeped over making it hard as concrete to dig in. Well.... that's enough soap box. If I can ever help anyone, please let me know. I am glad to be here and look forward to hopefully adding a 2 cents in.
Christian Medders, post: 411087, member: 11658 wrote: I have been coming to this sight for a long time and reading the many conversations for some time now. I wanted to introduce myself to the many folks on this site. My name is Christian Medders, and I am licensed in Tennessee and Georgia. I have been in the surveying industry since 1996 when I worked two very smart surveyors in Brunswick, Georgia. I learned through several honest hardworking surveyors from a local county surveyor that really cared about helping the locals to a large firm surveyors that showed me how to make larger projects work. I somehow talked my wife into marrying me in 1997, and we have three wonderful Children that we raise here in the Tennessee Valley. 18 Daughter who is a Sophomore in College, a 15 son who is a Sophomore in High school, and a 5 year old in Kindergarten. I obtained my first license in 2005 after my wife and I put me through school. We moved her home to Tennessee in September of 2005, and started our little slice of the world, Medders Surveying. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to buy records from many the local surveyors here that have retired, or have passed away. I try to survey with integrity, honesty, and service to the community. I feel that I have taking both routes to get my license. I went through all the jobs in surveying that you could do, from holding the pole as a greenhorn, to running crews, then on to drafting, I was then promoted to running the survey department after I got my first license in January of 2005. As I worked, I took college class, and was actually approved to take the test because of college and experience. I could have applied for the test earlier with Tennessee using 6 year of progressive experience, but I did not feel I had learned enough through the experience at that point. I am feeling that I am one of the last of the generations of surveyors that actually have pulled a chain, and drew a drawing by hand and actually understand that it not always about the data collector is saying, but there is surveying law in place for a reason. I think there is a lot that has been missed in the college classes that a longer experience time needs to help balance. I have had few greenhorns out of college here in Tennessee that do not want to chop the briers and climb the mountain on your hands and knees while hauling a instrument. They want to come draw in my office for two years and go take the test and get their license to be my competition. I am all for helping someone, but I do not think this is doing the public a service to send out half baked surveyors to ruin things until they get it and pin cushion because their professor in college has never been a day in the real world and found that monument in the packed rocky soil the the gravel drive has creeped over making it hard as concrete to dig in. Well.... that's enough soap box. If I can ever help anyone, please let me know. I am glad to be here and look forward to hopefully adding a 2 cents in.
Welcome from NC.
Ed
Christian Medders, post: 411087, member: 11658 wrote: I have been coming to this sight for a long time and reading the many conversations for some time now.
Shouldn't have waited so long to "jump in". You already knew the water is fine here! Welcome! 😎
Welcome aboard, Christian.
Howdy Christian
Welcome to the site
Hi Christian,
Welcome to this site. I usually check it one or two times a day for the good info posted by our fellow surveyors.
I am curious about something you mentioned. You started surveying in 1996 and were using a chain? I think the last time I used one was in 1990, and that was only after setting a chaining point (with an edm) and then chaining the remainder when staking a point.
You already know what a great resource this place has become. Welcome. Add as much as you take. We all can learn from someone else.
Should you ever relocate your business to Kansas it would be good to change the name of your business. The locals would hear your Tennessee accent when you mentioned Medders Surveying and think you were talking about being an expert at surveying meadows. Some might even ask if you only survey on open prairie ground or if you do work in town also.
Yes, I know, everybody likes a little a** but nobody likes a wise a**. Forgive an old sinner, please.
Christian Medders, post: 411087, member: 11658 wrote: I have been coming to this sight for a long time and reading the many conversations for some time now. I wanted to introduce myself to the many folks on this site. My name is Christian Medders, and I am licensed in Tennessee and Georgia.......
Hey Christian when did you move back? Are you back in Chattanooga? We should get a beer. David
Welcome Christian. Would Bobby Shupe be one of your "mentors"?
Andy
Welcome to the Board Christian. I think we may have spoken on the phone once or twice. This is a great place to share ideas and ask questions.
Welcome. Former lurkers are the best.
Andy, yes, Bobby Shupe and Gary Nevil are my first mentors. I worked for them when I was in Brunswick, GA. David, I have been in Athens, TN with my own little company since 2005. Mr. Gilbert, We had several crews when I started, we used a transit and chain to do lot surveys on a crew. If you couldn't do that then you couldn't progress to the Total station. I appreciate all the comments. I look foward to discussions.
Athens was the cradle of my mother's family. I still have cousins I've never met (if they're still alive) in Athens. We took my Grandfather back there in 1965 to visit where he was born. I don't guess I've been back there since.
The "Edgemon Family Cemetery" is about 15 miles N by NW from Athens in the Ten Mile area of Meigs County.
Paden, I know exactly where that is, I have done a lot of work in Ten Mile. The most tick infested place I have EVER surveyed. I can scrap the ticks of my jeans with a knife and they will make the blade look black.
Christian Medders, post: 411927, member: 11658 wrote: Paden, I know exactly where that is, I have done a lot of work in Ten Mile. The most tick infested place I have EVER surveyed. I can scrap the ticks of my jeans with a knife and they will make the blade look black.
Probably why Oklahoma looked so good to my granddad! 😉
Mr Meaders, welcome to the forum. It's fine to see a guy with the sense to know that it's not all one thing, or another, but an honest look at it all.
Nothing excluded.
That's professionalism.
N
