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| Come join us in Deadwood for the 43rd Annual SDSPLS Convention! The West River Chapter of the South Dakota Society of Professional Land Surveyors has been hard at work planning the 43rd Annual SDSPLS Convention and we think they have put together an excellent line up for this year's event! The Convention will offer 15 PDH, an exciting Scholarship Auction and Raffles, the chance to visit with our industry partners, plus recognition of our scholarship winners and your award-winning colleagues. And, of course, all kinds of opportunities to catch up with friends and colleagues! Scroll down for More! See the Full Schedule HERE! (Updated 12/29/25) |
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| It's not too Late! Click HERE to Register! * Be sure to log in as a member and take advantage of membership rates! *When you go to the registration page, click on the little Register button below the credit card symbols on the left side of the page. (Unfortunately, we can't move or resize this button.) *If you want to pay for your membership renewal and convention registration in the same transaction, register for the convention first and select the Invoice Me options. Then, go to your Profile and select the Invoices and Payments Menu renew your membership and the convention registration cost should show up, too, and you can pay in the same credit card transaction. * If you have multiple members from your company attending the Convention and renewing their memberships, complete this FORM and send it in to the SDSPLS Office and we will register and invoice your whole group at once. * Remember: Members can purchase Raffle Tickets online when you register. Even if you are not attending the convention, you can go to the registration page and purchase raffle tickets or make a scholarship donation easily online. If you just want a raffle ticket or need to purchase your tickets separate from registration, just select Option 7. |
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| We have an Exceptional Schedule! Check back for Updates! * With the offering of 15 Professional Development Hours, please note that the convention will start at 9am on Tuesday, January 6th and go through Noon on Thursday, January 8th. Check out the complete schedule HERE. * Convention presenters include Gary Kent, Donald Teter (Fairmont State Land Surveyor Professor, expert on the surveying of Mt. Rushmore, ethics instructor, and more!), Amber Vogt (South Dakota Planners Association President and Lawrence County Planning & Zoning Director), Jon Nelson (SDDOT), Senator Randy Deibert PLS, SD Board of Technical Professions Members Cory Biegler PLS and Mike Coleman PLS, NSPS President Linda Foster PLS, and More! *We will be covering a wide array of topics with concurrent sessions this year, so check back for the session descriptions. LSIT Training sessions will also be offered throughout the convention as some of the concurrent sessions, with great information for anyone who wishes to attend. |
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| Make Your Room Reservations Soon! *A room block is reserved at The Lodge in Deadwood. You can make your room reservations at any time by calling 605.584.4800 and asking for the SD Land Surveyors room block. The Lodge is located at 100 Pine Crest Lane, Deadwood, SD. *For those of you who have not booked your rooms yet, there may still be some rooms available at the Convention rate, but they are going fast! *If you need state rate rooms, please coordinate with others in your group and provide Nancy a list of who needs rooms, when the rooms are needed, and how they will be paid. If the form of payment will be direct bill, Nancy will also need the name and contact person responsible for the direct bill account. |
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| We Appreciate our Exhibitors and Sponsors! As an Exhibitor or Sponsor, the SDSPLS Convention is THE annual event for you to showcase your company and survey related items. In addition to interacting with attendees, you also have a number of ways to show your support of SDSPLS and/or the SDSPLS Scholarship Program by donating auction items and door prizes, sponsoring a meal or break, or one of the many other ways outlined on the Exhibit & Sponsorship page HERE! |
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| Scholarship and NSPS Competition Team Raffles and a Live Auction -- Oh My! There are, three amazing ways for you to participate in raising funds for the SDSPLS Scholarship Fund and the NSPS Student Competition Team. *The Big Sioux Chapter will again be sponsoring a raffle for the Scholarship Fund. The raffle prize is an amazing Ooni Koda 2 Pro, gas powered pizza oven. Yes, once again you can buy your scholarship raffle tickets online when you register! Tickets will still be on sale on site at the convention, but if you want to take care of it in advance, just check the box of your choice on the registration page. If you need to pay for the tickets separate from your registration, just go back and select option 7 on the registration page and you can purchase them individually. Or, if you are not attending the convention, you can still purchase your tickets online by selecting option 7 on the registration page. Good Luck to All! *The Big Sioux Chapter is also sponsoring a special raffle for the NSPS Student Competition Team. This raffle item will be available for viewing on site -- and you won't want to miss this custom-built item, valued at over $1,800! Only 38 tickets will be available at $100 each, plus two tickets to be auctioned off during the Live Auction. Bring your wallet! Tickets available on a first come, first served basis. *Through the generosity of our Members, Firms, Sponsors, and Exhibitors, SDSPLS has been able to maintain a robust Scholarship Program for many years through the Live Auction. Gather your friends and colleagues and put together some amazing auction items -- and come ready to bid! Whether you are able to attend the Convention or not, we encourage everyone to consider making a donation to the Scholarship Fund by donating to the Live Auction, purchasing a raffle ticket or making a donation to the Scholarship Fund. |
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| Final Call for Your Amazing Photos! Enter the Annual SDSPLS Survey Photo Contest! The Top 3 photos will win a prize! Email a high-resolution digital file of your photo with your name and a brief description of the photo or project to DirectorSDSPLS@hotmail.com by December 30th. Remember, SDSPLS reserves the right to post the photos on the SDSPLS website or in Backsights & Foresights, with appropriate credit. |
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| Award Nominations SDSPLS has a long history of honoring those who represent the profession well and those who have made exemplary contributions to the profession. We encourage you to review the Outstanding Contribution to the Land Surveying Profession and the Surveyor of the Year award categories and their criteria to help you in identifying a nominee for each. Find the criteria and fillable pdf nomination forms by clicking on the name of each award, above. Nominations are due by 5pm Central Time on December 15th. |
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| Questions? Multiple people to register? Call Nancy in the SDSPLS office at 605.951.1004 or email DirectorSDSPLS@hotmail.com. |
