Rocky Arell said: … and “we’re the badguys” portrayed by the landowner community?
Thanks, Rocky. Landmen are being stereotyped and getting a really bad rap on here. I’ve helped a lot of people for nothing. Some were appropriately appreciative, ie thank you’s, and others were sorely lacking in social graces. As Bigfoot says, some people unfortunately have this mistaken idea that they are “entitled”.
Steph: Thanks for the support and empathy. Read AAPL President Jack Richards remarks in the Jan'12 Landman 2, Jack's a UT/PLM classmate of mine and I share his position on that is the incumbent duty of all landmen of authority, whether in-house or out-house, to insist on their delegates be AAPL members. Myself, while a 20 year CPL, I'm critical of the Certified Professional Landman in its absence of exclusion of practice by non-CPL(AAPL) and that any number of academic/career workshops offer blitz classrooms on fundamentals of landmanship then issue a "certificate" of attendance (not competency!), then the person presents themself as "certified"? Oh, come on now !!! Nail technitions require more classroom/certification that a "landman". As you might imagine, I've an advocate of the licensing issue ... what not? You and I earn, demonstrated ans sustain our skills and integrity and should our career be infiltrated by last nights bullrider? Again, myself: in the early stages of Eagle Ford work in DeWitt County, Texas (where I resided with an office/infra-structure, known in the community, etc.) likely becasue of my insistence on a professionally earned day-rate, lost a placement to a broker to a person that I personally know was shampooing dogs at the vet clinic the prior week, then pranced around the community as a "landman" ... or course, fit hit the shan when they got their 1099 at the end of the year and hadn't been advised of the self-employment tax rate and the necissity of quarterly estimates being paid (Ooops, now how am I going to make payments on that new car, new boat, new ATV, etc?). Article in recent New York Times referred to the landmen canvassing the state/Marcellus as door-to-door salesmen ... yep, AAPL, you've done a great job with our public image .... erk, NOT!!!! later, RA