CREATING COVENANT COMMUNITIES
by Robert K. Spear

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all Patriots and their families. This includes my family, without whose help and support I could never do all that I do.

Front cover design and photo of Kamiah, Idaho, typesetting, and editing by Robert K. Spear.

UNIVERSAL FORCE DYNAMICS PUBLISHING
P.O. Box 410
Leavenworth, KS 66048
(913) 682-6518

ISBN: 0-9622627-2-2

Library of Congress Number:

Copyright 1993 by Robert K. Spear
All rights reserved.

DISCLAIMER

Please note the author and publisher of this book is NOT RESPONSIBLE in any manner whatsoever for any injury, death, financial, or legal problem resulting from following the advice contained herein.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert K. Spear, the author of Surviving Global Slavery— Living Under the New World Order, is a man of many accomplishments. A 6th degree black belt, he is considered an American pioneer in the Korean scientific street fighting art, Hapkido (the way of coordinated power). The first American to attain a 3rd degree black belt and instructor's certification in Korea, back in 1975, Bob is currently in the U.S. Hapkido Federation.

Bob has written and presented numerous academic papers on the martial arts and is internationally recognized as a martial arts theorist and author. He has presented trainings on three continents to general military, special operations, Military Intelligence, security forces, and civilian personnel, since 1974. Since retirement in May, 1993, he has become LTC Bo Gritz's primary self-defense instructor on the SPIKE Survival Training Team, which tours ten major cities throughout the United States.

Raised on a self-sufficient farm in Indiana, Bob writes articles for several survivalist and martial art magazines. He spent 25 years in Military Intelligence and deception operations. He holds BS degrees in both Music (voice major) and Business from Indiana University (he used to play guitar and arrange music for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and was a professional band player and studio musician for six years) and an MS in Business from the University of Northern Colorado.

Universal Force Dynamics (UFD) Publishing got its name from a set of conflict management theories developed by Robert K. Spear from the Eastern martial arts and Western military and business science. These theories have been used by the Army's Command and General Staff College to develop new tactics. The Dallas Cowboys football team has used them to teach movement to new linemen. The principles of UFD figure prominently in several of Bob's personal security books.

UFD is located in Leavenworth, Kansas, near the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College and Combined Arms Command. It has been in business since 1989. Co-located with it is Bob's retail bookstore, The Book Barn, in business since 1979. It is run by Bob's wife, Barb. Editorial questions should be directed there.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A special thanks to Tom Baker for his info on sovereign counties and to John Quaid for his work on townships; to Scott Stoddard and Reid Smith for their info on the United Order and covenant communities; to Russ Williams and John LeBourgeois for their moral support; and to Bo Gritz and the SPIKE Training Team for their encouragement and advice.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section I Getting Started                                                                            1
Introduction                                                                                                2
  Chapter 1 Potential Dangers                                                                     7
  Chapter 2 Selection Criteria                                                                   15
Section Il Covenant Community Scenarios                                              25
  Chapter 3 The Powerful Leader                                                              27
  Chapter 4 Rebirth of a Dying Town                                                       37
  Chapter 5 Sovereign County                                                                  43
  Chapter 6 Church / Sect buys a Small Town                                          49
  Chapter 7 Native American Reservation                                                59
  Chapter 8 Writing Covenants                                                                 65
Section Ill End Pieces                                                                               73
  Chapter 9 Summary                                                                                75
Appendix A Decision Making Tool                                                          79
Appendix B Emergency Response Plan                                                   91
Appendix C Resources                                                                           109
Order Blank                                                                                            130

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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this book is to provide suggestions to those who would reject the mark of the beast and come together with like minded people to survive the tribulations which are soon to come.

Ever since I retired from the US Army's civil service in May of 1993, I've been training people all over America in self defense for Ltc Bo Gritz's survival seminar series called SPIKE (Specially Prepared Individuals for Key Events). Over the past six months, I've taught approximately 3,500 people how to defend themselves against knife and gun attacks.

Of this group of concerned Americans, I've been amazed how many have read my earlier title, "Surviving Global Slavery — Living Under the New World Order". For every copy of this book which has sold, eight to ten people have read it. It has been passed around among families and friends all over this country. Because the interest, many came to me with numerous questions generated by "Surviving Global Slavery."

It was on a plane flying back to Kansas from Hollywood, California, where we had conducted a training for another group of Patriots, when the Holy Spirit a 2 x 4 and hit me up side my head to get my attention. He told me, "You've got to write a follow-on book to answer all the questions you've been getting. It should be entitled "Creating Covenant Communities". It should be a tactics book, one with more details than "Surviving Global Slavery", which was a strategy or overall view point book."

I thought to myself, "Yes, that is right, and it should be written in a narrative style so people don't find it too dry."

The Saints and Patriots are beginning to gather. I've been impressed by the number of families and individuals who have felt driven to leave their urban or suburban locations and head for a specific rural site. Many have given up careers and friends to go to more remote places without really understanding why until they got there: they found a number of like-minded people were coming to the same place. It seems the Holy Spirit has been working overtime with his promptings to those who would help build the Ark.

Although I know where several of these communities are located, I will not reveal their names or locations in this book for security reasons. The reader will need to understand what to look for and how to select a place on his or her own. Like-minded people need to come together and covenant with one another to share talents, and resources in order to survive and even flourish. A covenant is a contractual exchange of promises based on a law more powerful than any Man might generate. It implies a legal structure related to spiritual considerations. Its courts and judges are not of this earth, but are of a Heavenly nature. This coming together will then become a Covenant Community, one which is based on spiritual commitments.

Although I have deep personal feelings about my particular brand of spiritual commitments, I will not try to impress them on the reader. Rather, I respect each person's free agency to choose for his or her self how they will choose between right and wrong, good or evil. Be that as it may, I have a strong testimony that Christ is my King and that my soul's salvation is totally dependent on his sacrifice.

This new book discusses some potential dangers we should be aware of so we will make safe decisions. It then examines a number of selection criteria which will assist a family to make intelligent choices as to where and if they should relocate or stay right where they are.

We will then consider five scenarios of how a Covenant Community could be formed. These will be treated like journalist interviews with fictional people who have made it work. There is a discussion of how to develop covenants. The differences and the aspects these scenarios have in common with one another will be summarized. An aid to help make life decisions is provided. A simple emergency response plan is provided as a model for covenant communities' use. Finally, a list of helpful resources will be provided to help those who would create their own Covenant Community.

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CHAPTER 1

POTENTIAL DANGERS

There are many potential dangers in our world. We need to consider all these when we evaluate possible places to gather as Covenant Communities.

EARTHQUAKES

As I begin this chapter, my heart hangs heavy with the knowledge that last night a 5.7 Richter scale earthquake struck in Klamath Falls, Oregon. This is an area where I have many friends. How appropriate that I begin my writing with a reminder of how terrible natural catastrophes can be.

The potential for severe earthquakes should be taken into account. It's easy enough to understand the dangers of California, and how about Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. It's much more difficult to remember there are danger areas in the internal areas of America as well. For example, I currently live in Leavenworth, Kansas (although I will be moving to a Covenant Community of my own choosing in the not too distant future). This Midwest town along the Missouri river just north of Kansas City is bracketed by at least two major fault lines. One is the Madras fault which lies to the south and west of St. Louis, Missouri. The other is a north/south fault line running from Nebraska to Oklahoma through Manhattan, Kansas, 125 miles to our west.

These faults have been dormant since the 1880's; however, when the fault in Manhattan last let go, windows were broken in Leavenworth. When the Madras fault let go, the Mississippi river flowed backward for three days and nights and church bells were rung as far away as New York. Can you imagine the forces involved there?

The 1880's seems to have been a time of great seismic activity. We used to live outside Ft. Huachuca, Arizona in the town of Sierra Vista. A great earthquake took place there in the 1880's. When it did, Wilcox lake, which was about ten miles across, suddenly drained in three days like someone had pulled the plug from a giant bath tub. To this day, it is a dry lake bed. Up until that time, the San Pedro river was navigable by paddle wheel boats. Today it looks like a small creek. Most of its water flow dropped underground.

The point is, it's important to check out the areas you are considering. Call or write the County governments of these areas and ask for the Office for Emergency Preparedness. They should have records and estimates for all potential natural catastrophes and should be glad to provide information.

In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has a book which lists all the danger zones for any kind of threat in the US. This is available from the County Emergency Preparedness Office as well.

Earthquakes are increasing in frequency. There have been 85 major earthquakes in the eighties, and the nineties look like there will be many more. In the 1900-1910 time frame, there was only one, the great San Francisco earthquake. Today, there is more and more seismic activity throughout the world. These include another dangerous phenomena...

VOLCANOES

I was watching a late night news program on a public education TV station last Spring. They were showing underwater motion pictures of new volcanic activity along a fault line under the Pacific ocean off the coast of South America. In all, they said, there are over one hundred new volcanoes along that fault line. This same fault line runs all the way up to Alaska through the Pacific Northwest.

When considering a location, remember to research past and potential volcanic activities. Mount Saint Helens scattered massive amounts of fine volcanic ash for hundreds of miles down wind. I participated in military exercises at the Yakima, Washington firing range over a year later and experienced drifts of this talcum powder fine dust which blew in the wind and got into everything. It ruined vehicle engines, got into our food, and generally was a constant nuisance.

The most dangerous area is the Pacific Ring of Fire, which includes the mountain ranges in the Pacific Northwest. This is a shame because Northern California, Oregon and Washington include some of the prettiest and most fertile areas of the country.

We were conducting a training in the Chico, California area, about 3 hours north of Sacramento this Fall. As we drove up into the mountains, we saw bowling-ball-sized lumps of basalt and granite rocks. They littered both field and forest. A geologist told us these had been shot high into the air by a volcanic eruption many years ago. It had literally rained down molten rock.

Would you like to be present during such a hail storm?

FLOODS AND TIDAL WAVES

This summer I found myself filling sandbags to save our town's community center which stands next to the banks of the Missouri river.

Coming back from a trip to the Eastern US later on, I really began worrying if there would be any bridges left over the Mississippi river and if I would be able to get back home. The UPS driver, who ships and delivers books to and from our bookstore, told us his company was having to make 1,000 mile detours to get their deliveries through.

The point is, you should consider the possibility of floods and tidal waves and how they would affect the potential community sites you may be considering.

FAMINE

If transportation into and out of your community was severed for whatever reason, would you be able to eat? How dependent is your community on petro-chemical fertilizers and pesticides? Could it transition back to organic farming? What is the likelihood of your community getting swamped by refugees, thereby creating food shortages? What kinds of plans should be made to lessen the impact of these and other potential famine causes?

DISEASE

If a virulent communicable disease such as a plague virus began running rampant, could you isolate your community? Biblical, Nostradamus, Native American and Latter Day Saint prophecies have all predicted terrible destruction of human life by sicknesses in the last days. This is one of my greatest personal terrors, because it's so difficult to fight something you can't see.

PERSECUTIONS

Many of us who reject the Mark of the Beast in the last days will be persecuted. Already the federal government is forming its ranks against those who are no longer politically correct. President Clinton says we will all have to carry his universal health benefits card.

A Court of Claims has already been formed. Its mission is to prosecute all parents who refuse to allow their children to receive soon-to-be-mandatory vaccinations. They will be charged with child neglect and abuse.

Will you be able to provide mutual protection to one another from these persecutions and even worse ones? Sad though it seems, it appears many American communities will have to plan and execute extensive defenses against those who would unjustly use and abuse us.

LAWLESSNESS

As I type this paragraph, CNN News is announcing that Boris Yeltsin has just dissolved the Russian Parliament. The DOW is plummeting and gold and silver are going up. How long will it be until our form of government collapses?

One man, Mr. Harry Figgie, a highly successful CEO was the Co-Chair of Ronald Reagan's Grace Commission which studied ways to make Federal Government more efficient— ways which were ignored by the politicians. Mr. Figgie has written an excellent book, "Bankruptcy 1995", which explains if we consider compound interest alone, our national debt will be so huge by 1995, we won't be able to pay its interest payments—no matter how much the government collects in illegal taxes. The country will then be effectively bankrupt.

At that point all the so-called entitlement programs will cease. Those who are accustomed to regular freebie handouts will be left high and dry. They may start doing some pretty desperate things— actions which may make the Los Angeles riots look like a Sunday School picnic in comparison.

If you live in an urban area, get out while there is still time!!!

THE BOTTOM LINE

When you consider an area to stay in or to relocate to, try to envision all the potential problems. It's probably impossible to find a completely safe place. The main consideration is: are the problems reasonably manageable?

PS TO PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE ADHERENTS

This author has many friends and family who truly believe they are going to be "beamed up" before anything bad happens to them. This is a powerfully attractive concept. After all, no one wants to go through bad times, persecution, torture, death, and unbelievable cataclysmic events. At risk of being tarred and feathered by good fellow Christians, this author would propose that the rapture is a satanic backed doctrine. What better way to destroy Christians' faith than by leading them on to the possibility they will be taken up before the tribulations. When they aren't, how many will accept the mark of the beast?

Don't take this author's word on this matter, go to the scriptures and to history. Numerous righteous people have undergone trials and tribulations, from Job to the original Apostles. Faith is not enough to assure safety from the world. Dave McPherson in two books debunking rapture doctrine, The Incredible Cover-Up, Omega Publications, P.O. Box 4130, Medford, OR 97501, and The Great Rapture Hoax, New Puritan Library, 91 Lytle Road, Fletcher, NC 28732, and H. Speed Wilson in his book, Rapture! Prophecy or Heresy, Life Enrichment Publishers, P.O. Box 20050, Canton, OH 44701. State rapture doctrine can be traced to Margaret MacDonald of Port Glasgow, Scotland and John Darby, organizer and promoter of the Plymouth Brethren movement. Mr. Wilson says about Darby, "He expanded and promoted it and a two-phased Second-Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to include a secret rapture. He did not seem to consider the fact that a secret rapture was so secret the Church had not heard of it, not discovered it, in Scripture for over 1800 years!"

In addition, there are several Scriptures which state clearly (without interpretation, inductive reasonings, or deductive reasonings) there will not be a removal of Biblical Christians from the earth to heaven in a rapture:

John 17: 15 - 20                 Matthew 13: 29 - 40     Matthew 13: 41
Matthew 13: 47 - 48         Matthew 13: 49             Matthew 24: 37 - 41
Luke 17: 26 30, 34 - 37     2 Peter 2: 5                     Matthew 24: 21 -22
Luke 13: 19-20                   23rd Psalm                     Psalm 37: 9-11, 28 - 29
Psalm 145: 20                    Psalm 125: 1                   Proverbs 10: 30
Proverbs 2: 21 - 22           Psalm 37: 34 - 40           I Thessalonians 5: 23-24

These pretty much support the argument that it is the wicked who will be removed from the earth by the tribulations and the righteous will remain to meet the Lord.

If that is the case, the Christians need to prepare for these challenging times. They also need to consider coming together to support one another during the coming tribulations.

CHAPTER 2

SELECTION CRITERIA

Should we go somewhere else or stay where we are? What should we look for? Where will we find it? What kinds of people do we need with us? These are the kinds of questions we should be asking ourselves if we are considering how best to ride out the times of the tribulations. The following are a number of areas one should study in depth as they pertain to a potential choice. Consider these, along with the danger aspects of Chapter I, in order to make an intelligent decision.

You might find it helpful to use a decision matrix such as the one provided in Appendix I to this book as an aid toward making your decision. If where you live seems to answer the preponderance of these areas of concern, then perhaps you should stay there. If not, then you are going to have to go through a research and decision process.

Above all, you will need to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He will guide and direct your search and validate or reject your decision. This is why Spiritual Preparedness is so important! You must stay in tune and in touch with our Heavenly Father to make the best decision for you and your family!!!

GEOGRAPHIC / GEOLOGIC

Geologic stability is a prime consideration. For instance, the northern coast of California is a beautiful, rich place; however, it might fall off into the sea someday. Maybe that wouldn't be such a good place to live after all. One should also consider the impacts geological instabilities could have on man-made dangers. For instance, if there is a large nuclear storage site near where you are considering and the region is subject to severe earthquakes, think about the radiation which might be inadvertently released.

Geographically, the best places to live tend to be in or near mountain valleys. These places are generally more isolated culturally and physically; and, therefore, are safer and more easily defended. In any case, the location should be rural. It is better to live in or near a small town rather than to be completely isolated on some mountain top. Randy Weaver's incident with the government proved red neck survivalism in the mountain redoubt doesn't work. Neither does bringing a group together under one roof or compound, as was done by the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. These are the two extremes. A much better chance for survival is to be surrounded by a small neighborhood of like-minded people.

This writer would recommend a town of 50 - 5,000 people—smaller being better. My personal preference is to live on the outskirts of such a town where there is plenty of land to grow food and raise animals. A great deal of self-sufficiency can be had on five to twenty acres.

Those should be usable acres, not some steep-sided, rocky, hilly "view" lot. The availability of water is another important consideration.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Look for an area with a good aquifer (a good water table) and/or running water through it or adjacent to it. Access to a pond or a lake would be fine also. You may have to treat water from above ground sources.

Chlorination is the easiest method. Some say chlorination is carcinogenic; however, this situation is not for ever. It only takes three to five days to die from lack of water, cancer takes a much longer time to develop. If you still have concerns, you might take shark cartilage capsules as a preventative measure.

CLIMATE

The key is "growing days". Generally these are frost free days. Obviously, some crops, such as cabbage' spinach, etc., grow even after frosts. A way to beat too short a growing season is with green houses and cold frames.

Rainfall is nice to have; however, the Jews in Israel and the Mormons in Utah, have caused deserts to bloom with excellent irrigation methods. If your region doesn't have adequate rainfall, you'd better have access to energy efficient irrigation.

Too much rainfall can be a problem as well. My garden in Kansas was ruined the last two summers by too much rain (a fluke for Kansas). It rained so much so often, I couldn't get into the garden to work it. The weeds simply took over, the potatoes rotted in the ground, and the corn developed fungus.

How cold the winter gets should be a factor. If you're off the grid and, therefore, have no outside electricity other than what you produce yourself, if you have no natural or propane gas, you're limited to solar and wood heating. If your winters produce cloudy skies and 300 below zero temperatures, you better have a lot of firewood or cowchips at hand.

If your area is subject to hurricanes, you might want to rethink the location or build to withstand them. The best hurricane-proof structures are underground homes and domes.

In all, when it comes to food production and warm winters, tropical is better than temperate, and temperate is better than harsh northern climes. Some people, this author included, can't handle extremely hot climates and will opt for cooler environs.

SELF SUFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS

The basics of self sufficiency focus on water, food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. As we have discussed previously, a good, clean water source is necessary. When it comes to food, not only will you want to garden well, you should locate in a rural area close to farmers who grow grain, legumes (the bean family), and/or potatoes. This will assure a nearby source of these staples.

Access to wool or cotton or animal hides might be a consideration for clothing. Supplies of building materials such as wood, stone, or adobe mud should be examined.

Finally, access to medicinal herbs growing in the wild and people talented in using them should be considered.

CULTURAL IMPACTS

For those who have always lived in big cities or in suburbia, you're going to find there is a need to make a cultural transition if you move to a rural area. Country people tend to be friendly; however, they can be clannish and may resent too many outsiders coming into their area. How then can you overcome some of these challenges?

First, don't come in offering to remake their world. They won't be interested. Don't offer them all kinds of advice on how they live their lives or accomplish their work. If you truly think you have a better way of gardening or taking care of animals, demonstrate it by example and not by volunteering unasked for advice.

Do be friendly and ask for their advice. Don't make a nuisance out of yourself and use some discernment. Sometimes people will purposely give poor advice to cause a failure which might, in turn, cause you to leave in defeat. Ask for advice from multiple sources.

Demonstrate that you are coming into the community as a hard worker and a Godly person. They don't want problems or impositions coming into their community. Show that you have talents and energy to offer. If you go to meet a neighbor for the first time, take something handmade such as fresh baked bread or canned preserves with you as a token of your sincerity and proof you can work with your hands. If you ask to borrow a tool, use it well and return it promptly, hopefully in a better condition than which you received it. If it was rusty, clean it up and oil it.

In other words, prove you are a person of honor, manners, and value. These will gain you acceptance better and faster than all the money in the world.

Don't scare the people to death. You are not moving into the area to ride out the tribulations. Rather, you have left the city or wherever because you were concerned for the safety of your family in a high crime area and wanted to live a simpler life. You are patriots, believers in the Constitution, and are worried about the direction the world is headed. You'll find plenty of sympathetic ears. Country folk like to be left along by the world.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS AND PERSONNEL NEEDS

It is wise to surround one's self with good people. They should be of like-mind, like-religion (if possible), and similar life philosophies. They should have, collectively, many of the skills required by a rural society to function and sustain itself.

Starting with the obvious, we need people who know how to garden and farm, people who know how to raise and treat the various animals our community needs to sustain itself. These animals may include, but not be limited to, chickens, rabbits, goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses, mules, and donkeys. Not only do we need animal husbandry, we need animal veterinarians. A muleskinner and trail outfitter would be nice. Someone who knows how to work with work horses and the machinery they pull would be a God-send.

We need a butcher who knows how to dress and cut up wild game as well as domestic animals.

Those who are skilled in the building trades will be essential as additional shelters may be required: carpenters skilled not only in framing buildings, but in log cabin and pole barn construction; masons who know building with stone and adobe, as well as with bricks and blocks; plumbers and alternative electricians and technicians; foundation construction and road builders; a blacksmith will be essential to make and fix tools. People skilled in food preservation such as home canning and dehydration will be necessary. Teachers for our young will be required. Doctors, nurses, chiropractors, herbalists, and homeopaths will all be essential assets. Notice how these are all people with hard skills.

People who know how to apply for government grants or how to conduct polls and surveys, or who know how to be excellent bureaucrats will not be required. These products of modern society will need to acquire some hard skills or become part of our unskilled labor pool, i.e., ditch diggers.

People with community and self defense skills will be highly desirable, as we will see in the next section.

The pattern which emerges from these community requirements indicates a pragmatic approach. The reader may note professional clergy haven't been mentioned. Covenant communities will require spiritual leaders; however, they should not be full-time professionals. Rather, they should be hard workers, producing goods and services alongside everyone else and then take on spiritual duties such as teaching and providing solace as needed as part of their normal workday and off-times. The author realizes this may seem unusual in modern society, but it is the way the original Church was set up and how God intended our societies to operate. Look around at some of the Lay churches in our society for a model.

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

The days of tribulations will be perilous ones. Covenant Communities will have to be able to defend themselves from many threats— marauding youth gangs, hungry urban residents, religious persecutions, and so-called United Nations Peace-Keeping Forces.

These communities will need peace keeping forces of their own. For normal threats such as marauders and gangs, a Sheriffs posse organization should answer the needs of law and order. If UN Forces decide to take on such a community, more extensive paramilitary training, organization, and equipment will be required.

The Swiss have a good working model in their society. All able-bodied male citizens own a military rifle and ammunition for it and keep it in their home. They train on a monthly basis and are ready to go to battle with a minimum of notice. They have become the Minutemen of Europe. Covenant communities need their own Minuteman structure as a reserve, plus a cadre of professional military trainers.

The community won't be able to afford a full-time military cadre; however, they should have prior-service military and law enforcement personnel who are able to plan and train the population after work and on the weekends.

TRANSITION COSTS

An important consideration is the cost of relocating. You will need to plan for the cost of acquiring property at the new location, the costs of improving it (to include buildings, fencing, animals, and equipment if not there already), and the costs of moving your belongings there. Remember, the more you have to pay for your property, the less you will have for these other areas.

SECTION II

COVENANT COMMUNITY SCENARIOS

The Powerful Leader
Rebirth of a Dying Town
Sovereign County
Church / Sect buys a Small Town
Indian Reservation

The following scenarios are fictitious; however, they represent real possibilities. The reader could use any of these five or a combination of several of them. The author has seen examples of all these in action around the country.

Each scenario is based upon an interview of several imaginary characters who represent typical viewpoints for their situation. Each chapter lists these characters in the beginning so the reader will have an easier time keeping them straight.

After the list of characters comes a brief overview of the situation to set the stage. Finally, our interviewer poses questions to the characters to enable them to tell their story.

CHAPTER 3

THE POWERFUL LEADER

Cast of Characters:

The Honorable Robert Smith— former Populist Senator from a Western state

John Cain— Real Estate developer

Joe Bob McCoy— Plumber

Jill Germane— Weaver

Situation Overview: Senator Smith's foresight urged him to develop a covenant community to insure civilization and freedom have a chance of surviving the trying times to come. He bought a large tract of land in a Western mountain state and used John Cain to develop it into a small, self-contained and self-sustaining community called "Windhome".

By offering well organized land parcels with many amenities attractive to homesteading families at very fair prices, they have been able to attract hard working, independent people who have developed a strong loyalty to Senator Smith.

They began supplementing their community's economy with a unique bartering system developed in Ithaca, New York, called the HOURS system.

The scenario opens with an interview of the characters in the den of Senator Smith's ranch house:

Question: "Senator Smith, can you tell me how you got the idea to create Windhome?"

Senator Smith: "Back in the 1970's I read a book by Jerry Pournel and David Niven entitled 'Lucifer's Hammer'. It dealt with a giant asteroid which struck the earth creating cataclysmic events throughout the world.

The story it tells about how people prepared for the event, since scientists could track the asteroid's orbit months in advance and determine when it would intersect the earth's orbit."

"One of the characters in the story was a wealthy politician who bought a large ranch and gathered people of skills and values around him to ride out the event together. His hope was to save civilization."

"Another poignant scene which stuck in my mind was a diabetic physicist with JPL at Palo Alto who feels it imperative to save as much of his "how-to-do and how-it-works" library for use later on. During a wild storm created by the asteroid strike, he sits in his library, wrapping his books in garbage bags, dusting them with insecticide powder, and wrapping them yet some more. He takes them out into his back yard in the middle of the night and buries them in his septic tank, safe from any marauders."

"These scenes came back to me as I witnessed our country rapidly going down hill. I thought I could perhaps make a small difference by doing something similar to the characters in that book, an attempt to preserve our posterity."

Question: "Is that why you bought this 2,000 acre ranch?"

Senator Smith: "Yes, I had worked with John Cain here on several previous projects back East. He's the one who really pulled this all together from the land side of the venture. Without his expertise we would never have been able to put Windhome on the map."

Question: "John, can you give us an idea of how you put this development together?"

John Cain: "First, working with the Senator was a two-edged sword. He had money and enough political clout to enable us to get up-front financing. At the same time, he was too well-known to go shopping for land himself. If the land owners would have discovered Senator Smith was shopping for a large parcel, they would have jacked up the prices. That's where I came in."

"Coming from out of state, I was an unknown entity. I flew into the state capitol, rented a 4x4, and headed out for the areas Senator Smith told me to research. It took about a month during which I ate at least a pound of dust and slept in more small town motels than I'd care to think about. I must have covered one-fourth of the state by the time I was done; however, I finally found this ranch."

"It was a monolith left over from the old trail driving days. It bordered another 10,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land which had been leased in the old days to support huge cattle herds. A combination of environmental wacko laws and the government's raising of its range leasing fees had forced the previous owners out of the large-scale family cattle business."

"The family who owned it previously had ridden its ranges for four generations, but the kids had grown up and didn't want to carry on with the ranching tradition. It had become too much for the aging parents."

"They had wanted $1,200 an acre for it. This is where the Senator's pre-approval for financing came in handy. Knowing how big a loan I could play with gave me some bargaining power up front. Instead of the $2.4 million asking price, I offered $800 an acre or $1.6 million with an immediate closing within the week. They were overjoyed to close a deal so rapidly and believed it still gave them enough for their own retirement and their children's as well. So, they snapped it up."

"The land had a good aquifer under it, as evidenced by several commercial sized wells they used for irrigating large alfalfa fields. The county had practically no zoning regulations, as is typical here in the West, so I was able to plan the subdivision of the land and get it approved fairly quickly."

"I divided over 3/4s of the property into 10 and 20 acre homesteads. We left some of the alfalfa fields intact to provide feed for the animals which the people would bring with them. This gave each homestead enough land to provide a large garden and room for several grazing animals and the out buildings needed to shelter them."

"We bulldozed roads into all the homestead sites, expanded the water handling capabilities of a couple of wells, and ran water lines to the home sites as well. To pay for that, we almost doubled the price of the homestead acreage to $1,500 an acre. We ended up just covering the development costs."

Now we were ready to attract people we wanted to live around us. I'd prefer to let Senator Smith describe how that was done.

Senator Smith: "As soon as we closed the deal, I went into action. Over the years, I had developed a rather extensive mailing list. Because of my Populist political leanings, I had a large following from outside of the state."

"I had published a monthly newsletter about my views and the status of various legislative actions for some time. This, plus the constant networking a politician has to do, meant I knew a great many talented people who thought like I did. It wasn't difficult at all to attract a wide variety of families who wanted to live free of the system and had talents to contribute."

"I was careful to invite highly skilled construction people first off. This insured we could build a community in-house, so to speak. Why pay an outsider to drill a well or doze a road, when we could give that work to one of our own? This kept the price down and insured the highest quality of work since the ones doing it would have to live with it."

"We had an architect who came up with several cheap, energy efficient designs for functional homestead dwellings using materials which were close by. Many of our homes are earth-contact or buried homes. Several use old tires as a basis for the support walls. These are known as 'Earth Ship' homes in the ecology movement."

"We dug down about four feet into gentle slopes and placed the tires along the foundation piers. Then we filled them with earth, which we rammed tight with hand tampers. As each layer was completed, another layer of tires was stacked on top in an overlapping manner and filled with earth. Once the walls were up, we used a mortar mix and high tech sealants to smooth over the irregularities of the tires and create walls which looked like they were adobe, even if they weren't."

"These underground homes are very energy efficient, which is important if one goes completely off the power grid. We would have tried adobe, which has high thermal mass and insulation qualities, but it is too wet here."

"Because there is a lot of wheat and hay grown in this area, some people built straw bale houses, which use tightly packed bales covered with mortar. "

"Some shipped in logs for log homes, which have a mass factor, as well as an insulation "R" factor. This makes them relatively energy efficient (although not as efficient as the earth-contact). A couple of families built "cordwood" homes by cutting two-foot lengths of 3" to 6" diameter firewood, laying them crosswise in a bed of mortar, and filling the spaces around them with mortar.

These use pole barn construction techniques for the integral strength of the walls and the cordwood to fill in the open space between support poles. They're actually easier to build than log homes because there is less lifting and carrying of large logs. Firewood is also cheaper than large logs."

"We contracted an expert in alternative energy who was able to buy sun ad wind energy technologies in bulk and install them cheaply, thereby passing on the savings to our homesteaders. We even used composting toilets so we wouldn't waste water or a good source of fertilizer."

"By using energy efficient housing designs, we were able to drastically cut back on energy production requirements, which helped keep its costs down. "

"But, maybe I should let Joe Bob tell some of this story".

Joe Bob McCoy: "Well, like the Senator said. He asked me early on if I would like to come in on this Windhome thing. Best decision I ever made in my life. I laid pipe in every single house in this community. Guaranteeing me all that work, gave me enough to pay off my own place free and clear. What I especially like now is this HOURS money system we're using'.

Question: "Can you tell me how that works?"

Joe Bob McCoy: "I sure can. It's so simple, even I can explain it."

"HOURS is an economic exchange system based on time. If you think about it, what's more valuable than our time? It is the one thing all mankind has in common and has a limited supply of."

"It don't matter what ya do for a livin'. If you are a plumber like me or a doctor, or a weaver of cloth like Jill Germane there, your time is equally valuable I may spend four hours installing a new water heater in some one's house. Who's to say that time is worth any more or any less than the Doc's cutting on someone for four hours, or Jill making a throw rug for four hours."

"Under the economic system we used based on dollars, equal times had different values. The justification for this was based on different skills and knowledge. One guy might sit on his tail all day with a telephone in his ear and make millions, while a ditch digger worked his butt off and got paid very little."

"Somehow, the HOURS seems more fair. More importantly, it seems to work. Why shouldn't my time (which is really my liberty or my freedom to do that which I choose to do) be worth the same as anyone else's."

"If I help Jill here with some plumbing, she fills out an HOURS certificate stating she owes me for the hours worked. I take it down to the HOURS office where they record it as a debit for Jill and a credit for me. Jill and I could have worked a direct exchange of HOURS-based work as a direct barter exchange or we can use the formal exchange system at the HOURS office. Both of us pay the HOURS office a few minutes of time for their record keeping. That way everyone wins and is treated fairly. I really like it!"

Question: "How about you, Jill? Do you like the HOURS system as well as Joe Bob does?"

Jill Germane: "Oh yes, I used to spend so much time at my loom for so little money. Hand-made items were considered too inefficient in comparison to assembly-line-produced products to compete, so I had to appeal to people's snobbery and their taste for the artistic aspects of what I made. There are no factories here. We live a simpler life. I guess that's why the HOURS system works so well for us."

Question: I can understand the straight labor aspects of your system, but how do you deal with your need for raw materials?"

Jill Germane: "That was tough at first. I needed wool and flax (our climate's too cold for cotton to grow well here). I sat down with our shepherds and those farmers who grow flax. They came up with the hours they spent on growing and harvesting their respective crops. I, in turn, faction in their hours with mine on a pro rata basis, when I set my HOURS prices for my wares. It's kind of complicated at first, but once everyone agrees on what time it takes to produce their wares, we're able to come up with standardized prices. I know this is so different from how societies have priced goods primarily upon a supply and demand basis, but we're happy with it. Like Joe Bob says, it works."

Question: "Let me ask all of you, what is the one thing which makes your community work?"

John Cain: "Let me answer that one, if I may. The strong leadership, which Senator Smith provided is the most important factor. Without him, none of this would ever have taken place. When in doubt, we still use him as the final judge of what the community should do."

Joe Bob: "That's right, whenever a dispute arises which we can't resolve amongst ourselves, we come to see Senator Smith. We accept his judgment in all things."

Senator Smith: "I guess they're right, because that's the way things seem to work around here. My only concern is the future. I love this community, what would happen if I die? Who would make decisions then, and what would happen if that person didn't have they same love of community? What if a later leader reverts to the old, "What's in it for me?" attitude?"

Jill Germane: "That's why we will always seek a Godly, righteous person to lead us."

“Senator, you're too modest when you lay your attitude upon love of community. The real reason you're a good leader for us is your highly developed sense of rightness and unselfish commitment to serving your fellow man, and we thank you for it!"

CHAPTER 4

Rebirth of A Dying Town

Cast of Characters:

Enos Hobson— Local Farmer
Mike Watson— Ex-Banker / Herb Grower
Ely Stein— Writer / Publisher
Barbara Jansen— Computer Programmer
Lacy Grant— Artist

Situation Overview: Galeton, a rural community in the Appalachian mountains is spontaneously revitalized by high-tech, artsy-craftsy types who begin flocking to it in search of a better lifestyle away from the urban grind and its dangers. Our interviewer is talking to some of the Galeton community residents at the local library.

Question: Mr. Hobson, since you've lived your entire life around here, could you tell us a little about Galeton’s history?"

Enos Hobson: "Sure, Galeton was originally settled by Quakers who had come from England with William Penn and then migrated south. Ever since then, we've all been Friends Church people here, at least until recently, that is. Now there's a little of every kind of philosophy and religion represented in the community."

"Over the generations, we lost more and more young people to the lure of the big cities and careers other than farming. In fact, Galeton had almost become a ghost town. There were only about ten original families left in the town. So many houses and businesses had been abandoned."

Question: "What happened to change all that?"

Enos Hobson: "Back in the late seventies and early eighties, there was this "back-to-the-land" movement in America. Our remoteness and cheap real estate prices attracted a few of those people, you know, the Mother Earth News-reader types. They called themselves homesteaders. Some stayed on, but many couldn't make a go of it, so they left."

"Then the slow but steady destruction of our constitution began. In the early nineties, we started to see more and more families move into the old places and start to fix them up. Raw land was bought and more and more people started building new places. Before we knew it, the town had come to life again and the surrounding countryside was teeming with a whole bunch of folk who, for whatever their diversity in religion and race, all pretty much thought alike. Every one of them was a good American. Oh, they may not have been real flag wavy about it, but you could tell they loved this country."

"At first, some of the old folk resented all these newcomers, but it wasn't long before they realized the new people had something to offer. Most were really hard workers and pulled their own weight."

"They even demonstrated an obligation to take care of some of our more elderly citizens, bringing them food and looking in on them on a regular basis to make sure they were OK. It didn't take long for actions such as these to make a place in the community for our new neighbors."

"One thing we noticed right off was although these people lived off the land as much as possible, many of them had jobs they worked right out of their homes. One of our neighbors, Barbara Jansen, is a computer programmer. She says this is an example of the Electronic Cottage concept."

Question: "Barbara, can you tell us what the electronic cottage is all about?"

Barbara Jansen: Back in the early eighties, a professor by the name of Alvin Toffler wrote a book called The Third Wave. It was about how mankind has gone through three revolutions or waves of how we live our lives. The first wave was when we changed from hunters and gatherers into farmers. This was the agriculture revolution."

"People no longer had to move around, following herds of game animals. They could stay in one spot, cultivating crops and domesticating wild animals. They got up at sun rise and went to bed at sun set. Life was lived in time with the seasons of the year."

"Then came the second wave, the industrial revolution. 

Now people moved to the cities. They got up and went to work at the same time and came home at the same time. They stayed up later in the night. They became more organized. Time became a precious, organized resource. People no longer worked at home but came together at centralized places of work in cities. Population centers became extremely concentrated."

"With the proliferation of computer and telecommunications capabilities, a third wave or the information revolution has come into play. Now we don't have to go into a factory or office to work. Toffler, who worked as an assembly line worker for ten years before he went back to college for his Doctorate, has always been very credible to me because of his down-to-earth background. He said people who work out of their homes, using computers and telephone lines set a definite trend. He is the one who coined the term, Electronic Cottage."

"Toffler said people would no longer have to live in overcrowded cities and suburbs to make a living. We could go back to the land and country if we really wanted to and that's what I did. As long as I have a computer and a phone line, I can take on computer programming contracts with large and medium-sized companies anywhere in the world without leaving the homestead. So, I'm living in an electronic cottage."

"At the same time, I'm living the good life here in the country— away from urban crime, eating healthy food which my friends and I grow ourselves. If I have to spend a couple of weeks canning vegetables during harvest time, I can catch up on my programming contract working longer hours and on the weekends later on. My time is free to arrange how I want. Plus, I'm surrounded by wonderfully caring neighbors. This is a great life— a mixture of high tech and high responsibility for others, so to speak!"

Question: "Mike, why did you come to Galeton?"

Mike Watson: I was a banker before I came here. I got tired of the rat race, tired of the lies which I had to tell to keep my job. I grew up on a farm and had been wanting to get back to my roots. I also had been receiving promptings from the Holy Spirit that I needed to find a rural community."

"You know, it's really funny. I had looked at a lot of places. and called about many more. I haunted the classifieds in the back of Back Woods Home Magazine. I sent in for a subscription to the Rural Property Bulletin, which lists rural properties from all over the US and Canada. But, when I drove into this valley for the first time, I received a sudden, clear revelation that this was the place."

"Now I raise herbs commercially. I'm not getting rich, but I'm getting by. This job has its pressures too—unpredictable weather, a volatile market, and so on; however, I can get up in the morning and still look myself in the face."

"Most interesting is the fact that I am surrounded by other people just like me. Many of whom got strong spiritual urgings just as I did."

Ely Stein: Mike is right. I had similar feelings that I needed to find a rural community. I learned about Galeton from a travel article a friend of mine wrote for the Sunday newspaper's travel supplement. The transition was fairly easy for me. I can write and publish anywhere there is power for my computer and laser printer and a post office for my orders and my shipments. I have expanded my mail order business and don't have the overhead I had in the city. What little extra work which comes in periodically can be handled by part time workers around here. If I get a surge of mail orders, there are a couple of ladies down the road who come over to help me pack and wrap the orders on a sub-contract basis.

Question: Lacy, you're an artist. Is it as easy for you as it is for Ely?

Lacy Grant: I think so, certainly. As an author, Ely has to leave periodically on author signing and speaker engagements. I have to do the same thing for gallery showings and art shows. The commuter airport is a couple of hours away, but so what? It's not like I have to travel every day."

"There's plenty of quiet around here, so I can concentrate on my painting. My only limitation is my imagination, and it seems to be much more active now that I don't have to worry about my apartment being broken into. The community's sense of peace has been extremely helpful to my soul.

Question: "Enos, What do you think about Galeton

Enos Hobson: I never thought the old place would become so exciting. Just look around in this room. I never dreamed I would have computer experts, writers, and artists for neighbors and that I would get along with them so well. What's happened here is making my final days real comfortable, you know? Life is much more pleasant today!

CHAPTER 5

SOVEREIGN COUNTY

Cast of Characters:

James Cochran— Green County Attorney
Bill York— Green County Sheriff
Bob Johnson— Rancher
Joe Larsen— Lumberman
Retired Major John Wright, US Army— Military retiree

Situation Overview: Pushed to the limits of economic despair by environmental wacko laws and over-regulation, Green County, a poor and thinly populated county in the Western mountain states adopts the US Constitution as a County ordinance and declares their sovereignty from the Federal government. Patriots seeking constitutional government flock to the county in search of their freedoms and God-given rights. Our interviewer is talking to representatives of the various county factions in a local cafe.

Question: "Mr. Cochran, as the Green County attorney, perhaps you can shed some light on what you folks have done here politically to create this huge influx of new citizens to the county. Where did you get this idea of a sovereign county government?"

James Cochran: "Well sir, it's not an original idea. We got it from Catron County, New Mexico, except we took it a step farther than they did. Green County is much like Catron— we're thinly populated (only 2,500 people) and relatively poor. Like Catron, our primary sources of employment are centered around cattle ranching and timber cutting. Also like Catron, over regulation and insanely stupid environmentalist regulations had just about destroyed what little economy we had."

"Federal officials were crawling all over us. Eighty-five percent of our land was Bureau of Land Management controlled, and they kept trying to acquire more and more of it.. Some say they plan to give it all away to Japanese and Arab big money interests when America goes bankrupt soon, so they're getting what they can from us while they can. In fact they were being down-right intimidating and deceptive about it. Bob and Joe here can tell you about that."

Bob Johnson: "You've got that right, Jim. Intimidating and deceptive are surely the words for what they were doing. They kept raising the range leasing fees until it hardly paid me to graze my stock on BLM land. Besides that, they were doing everything they could to grab onto my range land— land that goes back four generations in my family. If they could have forced me out of business, the Feds would have picked up my ranch for a song."

"The final straw was the day I caught a couple of Feds red-handed stocking one of my streams with an endangered species fish. If I hadn't have caught them at it, they would have been able to force me to cease cattle operations entirely. We've seen them actually claim cattle might accidentally swallow fish like this when they're drinking, so cattle can't be allowed in that area anymore"

"You should have seen their faces turn red when they realized I was watching them. All they could mumble was something like how it had been worth the try. That's when I came to the Sheriff and Jim Cochran to see what we could do about it. I was lucky Jim had been doing his homework!"

Joe Larsen: "I had similar problems. I'm a responsible lumberman. We don't clear-cut in my operation. We try to practice good timber management techniques by taking a few big trees and a lot of secondary growth which works just fine for plywood and press board. I'm not greedy, I'm just trying to make a living and provide for my workers as well."

"The Feds didn't seem to care how responsible I was. They were more interested in shutting me down than in how well the forests were being lumbered. They kept claiming they were finding endangered species throughout the BLM forests— species which aren't even native to the area, and it was their word against ours. They were also messing with me all the time, attempting to fine me for this or that supposed violation. I was at my wit's end until Jim Cochran pulled off the Sovereignty thing. Now Bob and I have full use of all the formerly Federalized land as long as we use it responsibly. The County's economy is booming."

Question: "How did you pull off the sovereignty thing, Mr. Cochran?"

James Cochran: "We adopted the Constitution of the United States and several Federal regulations and memorandums of understanding as County ordinances. See, the Feds have been violating their own rules, especially when it comes to the area of civil rights. By making them County ordinances, we were able to put teeth into them by making Federal authorities personally liable for violations, thus subject to grand jury action, investigation, and maximum State punishment as criminal acts. Bureaucrats hate to be held responsible for anything, much less criminal acts. We're talking about the potential for some serious jail time. You should have seen how they responded to all this. Sheriff York, was fantastic!"

Question: "What happened, Sheriff York?"

Sheriff Bill York: "These FBI and ATF boys came into a County Commissioner meeting and attempted to arrest the three Commissioners and Jim Cochran. Biiiigg mistake, since the Sheriff's Department is in the same building. Miss Sally, the commissioners' secretary, managed to get a call out to my secretary. I grabbed a few of my deputies and came a charging in."

Question: "What happened then?"

Sheriff Bill York: "Well sir, those boys seemed a little surprised to see me. You see, they didn't bother to check in with my office before coming here. I asked what was going on and what they thought they were doing. Mr. Cochran said they were trying to arrest him and the Commissioners for some fool thing like sedition. I just reminded them whose jurisdiction they were in and how they were in violation of our new County ordinances.

I said it seemed to me there was enough evidence already that they had been attempting to violate our people's rights and we could convene a grand jury right now, then they could get an opportunity to experience my County Jail's hospitality while they were awaitin' their formal trials."

"The agent in charge got real meek-like real quick. He allowed as there might have been some mistake and a breakdown in communication. I told him, if he and his bully boys ever came back to Green County without checking with me first, I would have to give them a lesson in jurisdiction and the power of the County Sheriff. Now, if they weren't out of my sight in twenty seconds, we would just commence that grand jury right there in the office. All this time, my deputies were lookin' real mean and real anxious-like."

"Well sir, they were out of that room on a dead run, I tell you. Haven't been back since, I might add."

Question: "Heh heh heh, Mr., Cochran, what did you mean when you said you took Catron County's idea a step farther?"

James Cochran: "Well, all we had fixed so far was our people's civil rights. We still hadn't assured them of their God-given ones. To do this, we created sovereign townships within the county to protect them from State law abuses as well. I got this idea from the patriot actor, John Quaid with BCS, c/o Box 788, Rosamond, California. His telephone number is 805-256-8210, if you want to know more about townships. The bottom line is that none of us have to pay Federal or State income taxes."

Question: "Major Wright, I understand you represent the people who have been flocking to this county since they declared sovereignty. Why did you come and what's it like to live here?"

Major (retired) John Wright: "Like many vets and ex-law enforcement types, I had a strong sense of what the constitution is all about. I felt betrayed by the Federal government. I had taken serious wounds and saw many of my friends and soldiers wounded and killed in a unrighteous war, one where several presidents and their administrations lied and covered up the fact they had left over 2,000 of our buddies behind as prisoners of war. This was an unconscionable act of deceit on the part of our national leaders.

"Frankly, I'd had it up to my eyebrows with a government which had misused and abused both the constitution and myself. I love America, but I hate what it has become. My family's move to Green County was my attempt to find a piece of freedom such as America's founding fathers had designed for us. This is the first time I have felt truly at peace since the Vietnam War. Now I'm surrounded by friends who think, feel, and believe like me. I have a government which truly cares for me and my rights and protects my family, rather than trying to destroy it."

CHAPTER 6

CHURCH BUYS A SMALL TOWN

Cast of Characters:

The Reverend Paul Nunn— Pastor of the Holy Apostolic Church
Bro. Roy Bloom— Farmer and Deacon of the Holy Apostolic Church
Sister Elsie Palmquist— School Teacher and church member
Bro. Manfred Mueller— Merchant and church member
Bro. Willi Appel— Black Smith and church member

Situation Overview: The Holy Apostolic Church, a small but well-off independent church group, decides to leave worldly cares behind and prepare themselves for the Second Coming. They buy an old, semi-deserted town and some surrounding farm land, determined to live lives similar to the primitive Christian Church, holding all things in common as was depicted by the scriptures. The community is named Mount Zion. Our interviewer is speaking with a number of Church members in the Church office building.

Question: "Reverend Dunn, what is the premise for Mount Zion? What does it mean and why are you forming it?"

Reverend Dunn: "Mount Zion has always been a symbol for the Lord's community, a kind of shelter from the storms and the cares of the World. The people of our Church decided it was time to come together and prepare for the tribulations. We pray for the best and prepare for worst."

Question: "Is there a scriptural basis for this?"

Reverend Dunn: "Yes, even in the Old Testament, God's people were supposed to work together in support of one another. For instance in Exodos 22:25 it says, 'If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.' In Deuteronomy 23:20, we find it was all right to charge usury to a stranger, but not to one of God's people. 'Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it. '

In describing the Primitive Christian Church, we find the Apostle Luke saying in Acts 2:44-47, 'And all that believed were together, and had all things in common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

"In Acts 4:32-35, Luke gets much more specific. 'And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his owned; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need."'

"Paul speaks to the Christians in Thessalonica about how people should conduct themselves in common with one another. Il Thessalonians 3:7-10: 'For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; neither did we eat any man's bread for naught; but wrought with labour and travail night an day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you, to follow us. For even when we were with you, his we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."'

"There have been many communal Christian societies: the Shakers, the Harmonists, the Ephratists, the Amana colonies, and especially the early Mormons, before the Federal government blackmailed them into statehood by insisting they abolish not only their pleural marriages, but their Church's political party, 'The Kingdom of God', and their communal economic system called the 'United Order'. There have also been other groups who wished to escape the World and its evils, the Amish and the Mennonites being the most prominent."

"In addition, if Christians are to reject the Mark of the Beast, we must come together in one place so we may pool our talents and resources in the one common cause of surviving through the Tribulations so we can meet with the Savior as he comes again."

"I did quite a bit of research before we decided to take on this project. A Mormon historian by the name of Ogden Kraut especially impressed me as to why Christians should live with all things in common in these modern days. Let me read a couple of pages to you out of one of his books, The United Order, Pioneer Press, 7285 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121, pages 221-223. Of course he uses the Mormon term, 'United Order', but it means the same thing as 'all things in common' did in Luke's and Paul's times:"

"It seems that man has a tendency to spend his money as soon as he earns it. This self-interest motive is the reason that men find difficulty in joining a United Order. And, his love of money is the greatest temptation and reason so many men have failed in their attempt to live this law of the Gospel.

In a well organized United Order, the money system could be almost entirely done away. Only a few persons would be required to do the buying, selling, and marketing of produce from the United Order. Most of the people working in the Order may not have any involvement with money, as there would be no need for it. When each man in our society is dependent upon getting money, skimping, manipulating it, gouging, hooking, and being involved with all the petty evils connected thereto, then society becomes a den of thieves and barbarians. Under our present system, the slightest failure to acquire wealth, may result in the loss of years of labor. For instance, a man might make payments on a home for 20 or 30 years; then because of unemployment, illness, or an accident, he might be forced to miss a few payments, eventually leading to his home being taken away from him. This kind of system should not be allowed in a Christian society because it is legalized robbery. Also, in our present system, a man is forced to be a bookkeeper and accountant so that he can pay all the numerous forms of taxes or else be threatened and harassed and possibly sent to jail. Each man becomes a slave to income tax, sales tax, auto tax, federal tax, state tax, etc., etc. In a United Order he is free from such servitude.

Consider the many sound reasons for a United Order to be established among men:

1. It provides work for everyone. There are no lines of unemployed or welfare applicants.

2. Every man is able to share in the profits of the community. As it grows in wealth, power, and profits, so do all the people who helped to create it.

3. It eliminates unjust taxation and unstable Socialized Security; and a man's profits are not doled out to the lazy, incompetent idler.

4. It equalizes the value of labor and time. It prevents men such as doctors, lawyers or swindlers from taking a small fortune from the unfortunate or unsuspecting. A doctor or lawyer may take 1% of his work time to acquire the amount of wealth that a hard working laborer acquires in 99% of his work time.

5. It provides the education, training, and means to offer everyone a chance to utilize their talents and abilities. Men don't go to work somewhere just to have an income—as it is done now.

6. It prevents the temptations of robbery and thieving due to poverty or unemployment. Swindlers are not allowed to practice their schemes. It prevents lawsuits so common in our society, involving money, inheritances, land or property.

7. God has promised blessings to those who obey this law and curses to those who do not. Vast sums of temporal riches are promised to those who live this law as well as spiritual gifts and manifestations. Anyone with common sense would not prefer our present economic system to one in which everyone shares temporal and spiritual blessings equally. "

Question: "Can you tell me how your system works?"

Brother Roy Bloom: "Our system is one based upon the concept of Stewardship. First, we believe all things in this earth belong to the Creator and that all people are the custodians of these resources and riches which the Lord has placed upon the earth for the benefit of Mankind."

"Second, we are all members of God's family; therefore, we are all brothers and sisters. If that is so, then we are responsible for one another's welfare."

"Third, like any family, everyone is expected to so his or her share. Each should give what he has (skills, labor, art, management, services, or goods) and in return, receive what he or she truly needs. All should have a place or position in this system with the exception of one— the idler. Those responsible for managing our assets would be remiss if they were to give of the fruits of our labors to any who could, but would not work."

"Fourth, we take the responsibility to give education and assistance to any who lack thereof to provide for themselves. This is not charity, but the creation of valuable community members. Remember the old saying about it being better to teach a man how to fish than to only give him fish to eat. Teach him how, and he will be able to fend for himself."

"Fifth, private property and individual dignity must be preserved. This may seem in opposition to the idea of holding all things in common; however, what it means is for every family to give up all in return for being given stewardship over what they need to live and be comfortable, if possible. That which they are given back is theirs to use and take care of."

"When we decided to put this community together, we pooled all our money, our assets, our equipment, our food, and our abilities. The community, which is run by the council of Deacons in support of the Pastor, then bought this town and its surrounding farms."

"We provided for our poorer members by giving them that which they needed to survive and prosper, the same as anyone else."

"We signed covenants to do all that we do so there would be no question or misunderstandings."

"Each individual and family was given a specific stewardship over property which was given to them. Since I'm an experienced farmer, I was given more land and more tools and equipment than the average family because I know how to make these particular assets pay off better for the community than, lets say Sister Palmquist here."

Sister Elsie Palmquist: "Oh my yes, I wouldn't know how to begin to plow, much less plow a straight row. But I do know how to teach young children. Instead of a tractor, I got a room at the school house, the text books I needed to teach from, and the responsibility for three grades of youngsters."

Brother Bloom: "Frankly, I think she has the tougher job! Each and everyone of us in the community received a stewardship of some sort— even a young mentally retarded man. He was given the responsibility for counting our animals every morning. He has an uncanny ability with numbers, despite his handicap, so we found something useful for him to do within his capabilities. Most importantly, he feels happy as a contributing community member. You better not forget to let your sheep out to pasture or he'll be by to tell you you're missing so many ewes, rams, and lambs. Because of him, we discovered a predator problem early on, thereby, saving many animals which might have been taken before enough of us noticed."

"In return, each of us receives according to our needs. And, what we receive is considered ours because that is part of our stewardship. If we need something and are given it, it's now ours to use as we will. If we misuse or abuse it, we won't get any more."

"Next, excess production goes to the community storehouse to be sold or traded outside, or to be distributed according to needs. The more productive everyone is, the more we have for community and individual use.

The same goes with surpluses."

Question: "What happens if someone becomes disenchanted and wants to leave your community? Or, what happens if someone becomes dishonest or a danger to the community by their actions?"

Brother Manfred Mueller: "In the first instance, he would be allowed to keep title to the property he was given stewardship over, but that which he gave over in common to the community for the benefit of the poor and the rest of the community would be forfeit. In the second case, if someone misbehaves so badly that the community, by common assent, must ask him to leave, all titles and property will be forfeited in accordance with the covenants he signed to become a member of the community. "

Question "How do you determine what people

Brother Willi Appel: "By common assent of the Pastor and the Deacons' Council. Some things are easy; everyone needs a toothbrush and the fixings for tooth paste. A computer might be a different story. If someone could use a computer productively, they would have more need for it than a teenager who wanted it only to play Nintendo games.

Brother Manfred Mueller: "We paid attention to the Old Testament as well. From time to time, loans are made to community members for worthy projects with reasonable potential. No interest, or usury, is charged on these loans. On the other hand, we are very careful with excess community assets, so if someone fails at whatever project they obtained the loan for, it may be a long time before he gets another chance."

Question: 'Do you ever get outsiders who come here, wanting to join your community?"

Reverend Dunn: "Yes, we had a young family come here last week. We're still in the process of working them into the scheme of things. And, I think we will be seeing many more in the not too distant future. It's our surplus production and supplies which allows us to gather others into the fold."

"The bottom line is that there are blessings to be attained from a communal effort such as ours. Some are temporal— of this world. Others are eternal, because we are practicing Brotherly Love, which is what He asked us to do from the very beginning."

CHAPTER 7

INDIAN RESERVATION

Cast of Characters:

Bob Placid-Waters— Chief, Miacoc (mee-a-cock) Indian tribe
Jim Sees-Far— Miacoc tribal elder
Frank Carter— White tribal adoption applicant
Carl Acton— Black tribal adoption applicant

Situation Overview: The Miacoc Indian tribe begins to take back their sovereignty. This attracts certain individuals who desire to throw in their lot with the Indians to escape the increasingly socialistic, heavily taxed American mainstream. More than a tax shelter, these outsiders truly identify with the Indians and the freedom they are seeking. The interview is being conducted in the tribal council room at the reservation.

Question: "Chief Placid-Waters, can you tell us how your Miacoc tribe went about regaining some of their sovereignty from the Federal government?"

Bob Placid-Waters: For too many decades our people had lived lives which were totally dependent on the government. We didn't have to pay taxes, we were given free housing, free utilities, and even free vehicles from time to time. We got welfare checks every month just like many of the people in the big city ghettos. In fact, we had become totally dependent on the government system for almost everything in our lives."

"By making us totally dependent on the system, they had bought our peace. If some of our young braves, especially those who had received an education at the universities, started making waves, the government had the perfect tool to shut them up."

"The Bureau of Indian Affairs Agent would go to the tribal elders and tell them to keep the young bucks quiet and out of trouble, or some of the entitlement programs would be cut back or curtailed entirely. This way, they used us against our own people."

"We decided to play the game by the White Man's rules. We got permission to create a duty-free industrial complex. We then went to the Japanese and sold them on the idea of setting up a few production facilities on the reservation. This provided work for some of our people and it gave us enough money to begin to take responsibility for our own lives. Rather than go the gambling casino route, which would have had us opening our doors to organized crime, we had a more honest means of generating tribal and family funds, while sticking our thumb in the eye of the American industrial complex."

Question: So, why did a white family and a black family ask to be adopted by the tribe? Mr. Carter and Mr. Acton, could you answer that one? Did your actions have anything to do with the Miacoc tribe's new venture? Did it lure you here?

Frank Carter: Indirectly, yes, but not for the economic reasons you may associate with their actions. I liked the fact that the Miacoc's were taking responsibility for their own welfare and were trying to break free of the Federal government's grip on their lives."

"I have been involved in the Patriot Movement for some time. I firmly believe in the US Constitution as our forefathers originally wrote it. In fact, I believe it to be a divinely inspired document."

"I had the good fortune to have served in Vietnam beside several native Americans. War is no respecter of men or class. There's no room for atheists in the fox hole. My Indian friends had the opportunity to share some of their belief systems and values with me from time to time in the bull sessions we had, when we weren't fighting the VC or the jungle. I began to see we shared a lot more beliefs than we differed."

"When I heard about this tribe, I decided there might be a way of acknowledging their sovereignty and sheltering my family from the increasingly socialistic Federal government's encroachments on our lives. We bought forty acres over in the next county—free and clear. We even got clear title to it in the form of an allodial deed. Then I went to Chief Placid-Waters here and offered to donate our land to the tribe in return for its protection and adoption."

"My purpose was to demonstrate they really were an entity separate unto the Federal government with the right to legally acquire additional land. This gave the tribe significant clout and made for a powerful precedent. What if whole towns started doing this?"

"In return, as fully adopted tribal members, we would gain their protection and be relieved of the onerous requirement to pay Federal and State taxes, an act which is similar to paying a tithe to Satan, considering what our tax money is buying these days."

Question: What did the tribal elders think about this idea, Mr. Sees-Far?

Jim Sees-Far: At first we thought Mr. Carter was one crazy white eye. The more we thought about it; however, the more sense it made. We took him up on it. After all, what did we have to lose? Plus, we acquired forty acres of land for free with a willing tenant on it. Frankly, the land was a lot better than any forty acre parcel on the reservation."

Mr. Carter really opened our eyes to other possibilities. For instance, back in the 1880's, many of our people actually sold some of the land on the reservation to settlers moving into the area. These non-reservation families have lived on the reservation for over a hundred years without paying for the privilege of using our facilities. Now we charge them property tax. Oh yes, Mr. Carter really started something."

"Of course, Mr. Carter's family comes out ahead in that we have given them first right to live on that forty acres as long as a family member wants to live on it. As adopted tribal members, they don't have to pay property taxes on it, only non-tribal residents have to do that under our new tax ordinance. In return, he allows us to use ten acres of it for cash crops."

Question: "Mr. Acton, why would an African American family want to be adopted by the Miacocs?"

Carl Acton: "Well, first, my ancestors fought the Miacocs as Buffalo Soldiers. They gained a healthy respect for one another which was passed down from father to son in my family. I got to thinking we had more in common than just bravery in battle. Both our people have been enslaved and oppressed."

"My dad broke free of the ghetto many years ago, and I had the advantage of a good college education. Like Frank, I also fought in the Nam and got to know Miacocs."

"I also heard about their attempts to regain some of their own sovereignty. I remembered the stories my Grand Daddy used to tell me about his Daddy fighting the Miacocs. They have been a part of my family's roots, at least indirectly. I found myself identifying more strongly with what they were doing to help themselves and not with so many of my Black brothers who have given up."

"My wife and I decided to make our stand for freedom with proven brother warriors. We're both teachers and, therefore, have skills to offer the youth of the tribe. We're living on the reservation now, fully adopted members, and are teaching in the reservation school. My kids' best friends are native Americans, rather than African Americans. I guess the thing we have in common is that we are all Americans, regardless of our ethnic background."

"We see it as a way to strike back at the Global Elitists. They would have contention among all the races so we don't have time to focus on the real enemy, the international puppet masters behind the scenes. We have joined our brothers and sisters under God to form our own coalition against tyranny.

CHAPTER 8

WRITING COVENANTS

According to the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, covenants are:

1. an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified;
2. an incidental clause in such an agreement;
3. a solemn agreement between the members of a church to act together in harmony with the precepts of the gospel.

When most people think of the term covenant, they think in terms of a planned community or a property owners' association. Usually these kinds of covenants address such issues as what kind and how expensive a dwelling must be erected, what kind of fencing may be put up, how many cars can be parked on the property, and so on. Obviously these deal primarily with neighborhood appearance and life style.

This book, however, deals with more serious types of covenants— those which we will voluntarily accept to insure our community can sustain itself through the tribulations. Rather than the esthetics of "keeping up with the Jones", types of agreements, we should focus more on intra-personal relationships, economics, and crisis management issues. The very basics which our life sustaining agreements should address are areas such as:

• Mutual Aid to Community Members
• Use of Resources
• Crime and Both Inter and Intra-Community Conflict
• Community Government
• Community Values
• Community and Individual Security and Emergency Actions
• Conditions of Agreement and Dis-establishment

Covenants may range from the informal, for loose-knit communities, to the highly structured for planned, totally integrated, self-sufficient communities.

Let's take a look at each one of these basic areas to see why they re important and how a few sample covenants might be written. The samples are merely the author's thoughts and certainly don't represent all the ways, or even the best ways, covenants could be written.

When in doubt, the spirit of the covenant should always be more important than the letter of the covenant.

MUTUAL AID TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS

If we consider the primary reason for coming together in a covenant community is to support and sustain one another through the coming tribulations, this area takes on special import. The following are some possible covenants you might consider:

1. If and when the mark of the beast is offered, we agree not to accept it. In return we expect to experience:

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having harps of God. And they sing the song Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." (Revelations 15:2-3)

2. Once we reject the mark of the beast, we agree to pool all our resources, talents, and skills for the common good of the community and its members.

3. We will attempt to aid all those in need who have rejected the mark.

4. We agree to not request assistance unnecessarily.

USE OF RESOURCES

By rejecting the mark of the beast, we will not be able to conduct commerce as Revelations 13:17 states: "And know man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." This means whatever we have in hand going into the tribulations, and what we can raise and grow during the tribulations, is all we will have. Resources will be in short supply and will be very precious. That which we have be garnered and cherished.

At the same time, many city people will move to rural areas— City people who have little idea of the priorities of country life. A good example is my suburban-reared wife who truly believes once a pet is adopted, it takes on a quasi-human status, never to be sold or given away, much less killed if it becomes a destructive nuisance. On the other hand, being farm-raised, I have a much different opinion. Here are some sample covenants centered around resources:

1. Man was given a stewardship over the earth. This does not mean we should practice environmental extremism. It does mean we should use common sense in using and caring for our resources wisely. One should not knowingly pollute water sources, for instance. Wood lots should be managed so that they can be used for years to come, rather than being clear-cut all at once. Much could be learned from the Germans' use of forest meisters (masters) who have supreme say over which trees get cut and when.

2. Animals have been placed upon the earth to serve mankind and not vice versa. Any damage done by animals belonging to us should be recompensed fully. Any animal which becomes a nuisance should be destroyed or taken elsewhere.

CRIME AND COMMUNITY CONFLICT RESOLUTION

One of the strongest reasons to leave the urban environment is to get away from crime, gangs, violence, and conflict in general. Human nature being what it is, it would be naive to expect an idyllic life in the country.

There will still be crime; there will be squabbles within the community; there will be confrontation with other political levels and communities. A pro-active frame-work of common-law-based codes and a punishment structure more suited to the realities of rejecting the mark of the beast is needed. The following is an example of a crime and a range of punishments which have more meaningfulness in a community with such purposes as ours.

1. Stealing by a community member from another community member will not be tolerated.

A. Minimum Punishment— Shunning (an Amish practice which means no communication for a period of time by the whole community with the perpetrator and his or her family).

B. Maximum Punishment— Confiscation of up to all perpetrator's property plus banishment from the community.

COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT

All communities must have some sort of governing structure to order their affairs. The possibilities of type are almost endless; however, whatever the community or its founders decide upon must be documented, and its members must covenant to sustain and support it, if good order is to be maintained.

There is a probability that the government could change as different stages toward the tribulations are reached. For example, we might start out with a fairly loose, libertarian structure for the time leading up to the mark of the beast rejection. Then, after we reject the mark, it might evolve to a more communal form of government, which is better able to manage holding all things in common, as was done in the early days of the Church and will be required to make it through the tribulations.

COMMUNITY VALUES

For the greatest harmony, people living together and sustaining one another need a common set of rules for what should be considered important, right or wrong, good or evil, proper or improper. Some examples are:

1. We will attempt to go the extra mile and then some to get along with our neighbors. If an offense is given, apologies and remedies should be given quickly, without reservation, and without pride getting in the way.

2. Knowledge should be shared, along with material goods. How-to wisdom will be priceless in the latter days.

3. Our elders should be cherished and used as mentors. A long, lifetime of experience is too valuable to ignore.

COMMUNITY / FAMILY SECURITY AND EMERGENCY ACTIONS

Each family and community should be security conscious. Marauding bands may have to be held off. Emergency action plans should be written, taught, and practiced. Appendix 2 is a sample emergency action plan for a church which could easily be adjusted to a family or a community. All should be ready to deal with outside threats and cataclysmic acts of God. A good covenant for this area would be one which focuses on the promise to support community emergency actions.

CONDITIONS OF AGREEMENT AND COMMUNITY DIS-ESTABLISHMENT

The community needs an agreement to form. This agreement should stipulate the conditions of its formation. It should also state under what conditions and by what procedures the community could be disbanded and how its individuals may leave it, if they so choose later on.

Some aspects essential to success are ownership of property and other assets brought to the community and whether it must be left behind or not, whether there will be compensation and, if so, in what form if someone wants to leave. Everyone should know all the rules before signing and stand by them.

SECTION III

END PIECES

CHAPTER 9

SUMMARY

Creating a covenant community is not an easy task, nor is it impossible— it's been done before. What has not been done before is rejecting the mark of the beast. Consider how difficult it will be to make the decision to not buy or sell anything again, especially when so many friends, relatives, and neighbors will be doing so and not thinking anything about it. "It's just the natural progression of high technology," they will say. "What are you? Weird?"

Of course, we'll have the last laugh in the end. Those who take on the mark willingly will have a terrible retribution to pay. In the mean time, we will have to persevere through some very tough times.

One of the more difficult aspects of moving to the country with other Godly patriots will be its economic challenges. The reason why so many rural areas have cheaper life styles is the lack of viable economies. There are no jobs for many of the people flocking in. This means you will need to either be financially independent, retired on a stipend, or have the ability to create your own job.

In my case, I have a retirement, although quite small. I also have the ability to sell products by mail and to go elsewhere to train people in self defense. Not everyone has this luxury.

For this reason, it may be necessary to live a communal life earlier than the time for rejecting the mark of the beast, so these Godly patriots can be cared for. That is why it is so important to develop your covenants early on, so that all know what the rules and requirements of the community are going to be.

Making a major life decision such as this is a difficult process. You must consider all the potential dangers of each possible location. You'll need to establish selection criteria early on in order to consider all the aspects of each area in your decision making process. The decision making method in Appendix I will help you do that.

We have used five different scenarios of how covenant communities could come together. They range from highly structured approaches, such as the Great Leader and the Church Buys a Small Town scenarios, to the far freer approaches in the natural Rebirth of a Dying Town, the Sovereign County, and the Indian Reservation scenarios.

All five had two themes common to them all, the practice of brotherly love or care for one's fellow man and the responsible care for the environment and the community.

Appendix 2 will provide you a framework for planning for emergencies in case a disaster strikes the community. This will increase the chance for community members to display brotherly love responsibly under the stress of emergencies.

Writing this book has been somewhat of an odyssey for me— from getting the inspiration from the Holy Spirit on a plane flight from Los Angeles in July of 1993 to writing this summary in January of 1994 on my MacIntosh. During this period, I have met literally thousands of salt-of-the-earth patriots. Many have expressed extreme interest in this book project, indicating to me that it is badly needed. I only hope it fills the bill.

Some of you readers may have noticed my philosophies and political views seem somewhat confusing. On one hand, I am very conservative a proponent for individual and community freedom. On the other hand, I embrace communal living and economics. These end-times call for strange bedfellows. Yesterday I saw the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) stand together on television and condemn our government for its unrighteous dominion and excessive use of force against our citizens. Here are the epitome of left and right wing organizations coming together against a common foe, our own government. Isn't that strange?

Last year I picked up a black man hitch hiking in central Kansas and gave him a lift to Kansas City. I don't usually stop for hitch hikers; however, I felt moved by the Spirit to do so. As we talked, we found we were of the same age. While I had been active in ROTC in college back in the 1960's, he had been active in the Black Panthers. Now we were middle-aged men. Both of us were Vets and we had the same concerns about the constitution being destroyed and our country being run from behind the scenes. In fact, we both wanted the same things out of life and had many of the same fears.

It's time to agree to disagree on certain subjects with people, but we need to put behind us these differences and come together in common purpose. Our world is in an awful state of disarray. Any strategy which has us fighting one another because of skin color, religion, or politics is a strategy of the devil. We must stop fighting amongst ourselves and focus our passion and our attention on the real enemy— Satan and those global elitists who would take our lives and our freedoms away and control our every thought and action.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I wish you well in your quest for a safe and secure future. Use these tools and come together with others of like mind. Forget all the labels, use ideas which work for the times to come. If it seems righteous and it seems like it will be successful, use it. Good luck and God bless each and every one of you!

DECISION MAKING TOOL

APPENDIX 1

A TOOL FOR

DECISION MAKING

PAST USE

The author has used this decision making tool for many years. It has been used as a primary teaching vehicle by the author for hundreds of teenagers in a "How to Make Important Life Decisions" workshop in our church. It has also been beneficial to people making career changes from the military to civilian life.

ORIGINS

Back in the 1970's, the author was responsible for testing highly technical electronic warfare and signals intelligence systems mounted in airplanes, helicopters, and in tracked ground vehicles. The purposes of these tests were to determine how well the systems worked for typical soldiers. Although most aspects of the tests were fairly cut-and-dried scientific and engineering experiments which are easily measured, some aspects were extremely subjective. These latter required soldiers to give opinions about things they liked and didn't like about the systems undergoing tests.

This decision aid is a mechanism the author developed in an attempt to quantify the soldiers' opinions so they could be more easily computerized and compared with the measurable scientific results.

HOW IT WORKS

Making important life decisions is stressful. Too often we let our heart or emotions rule, instead of our reason. The decision matrix is designed to first evaluate all the decision factors unemotionally. Once an answer is obtained using reason and logic alone, then emotions are allowed a voice too. The final decision becomes one based on sound judgement, while allowing the heart a balanced opportunity for influence.

DETERMINING DECISION FACTORS

First we must decide how we should judge each area in which we are considering to live. Remember the potential dangers we outlined in Chapter I and the selection criteria we examined in Chapter 2. These aspects should make a good start, so let's make a list of them:

• Geological Stability (potential for earthquakes, volcanos, etc.
• Potential for floods/tidal waves
• Potential for famine
• Disease control
• Danger of persecution
• Proximity to urban areas and geographical isolation
• Availability of water
• Growing days
• Rainfall
• Temperature extremes
• Storm potential
• Potential for self-sufficiency
• Ease of cultural transition
• Availability of community support personnel & own kind
• Security
• Transition costs

These factors are not the only ones. We all have different life requirements, so feel free to add on others. Neither are all factors of equal importance. Each of you will have to decide the relative importance each factor has toward making your decision as to where to live.

One way to do this is by assigning arbitrary (made up) values to each factor on a scale of 1 to 10. The more important the factor, the higher the value. For example, you might be scared to death of urban violence so you would want to assign a high value, such as a 9 or a 10 to the "Proximity to urban areas and geographical isolation" factor. On the other hand, "Temperature extremes" might not be a big deal to you, so rate it a 1, 2, or 3. These are called "weighting values".

Let's go through our example list and assign weighting values to all the factors and arrange them in a column. Remember, these are the author's weighting values and not everyone's.

6 • Geological Stability (potential for earthquakes, volcanos, etc.
4 • Potential for floods/tidal waves
5 • Potential for famine
6 • Disease control
7 • Danger of persecution
9 • Proximity to urban areas and geographical isolation
10 •  Availability of water
8 •  Growing days
7 •  Rainfall
3 •  Temperature extremes
4 •  Storm potential
9 •  Potential for self-sufficiency
5 •  Ease of cultural transition
8 •  Availability of community support personnel & our own kind
9 •  Security
10 •  Transition costs

EVALUATING POTENTIAL LOCATIONS

Now we're ready to evaluate our potential locations. To be logical, you should include your present location as a comparison. Who knows, it might score better than you expected.

To illustrate the process, let's examine four different locations. Remember, this evaluation is based on the author's viewpoint. You might have very different feelings about these factors and the places and that's OK. But, at least you'll see how it's done.

We will now form a decision matrix (TABLE 1) by arranging four locations across the top of the page (my present location in Eastern Kansas, Southern Missouri, Southern Utah, and Southern Oregon). Along the left side we list the factors with their weighting scores. When you do this for yourself, you can evaluate as many locations as you want.

TABLE 1: MATRIX STRUCTURE

E. Kansas   S. Missouri S. Utah         S. Oregon

Weighted Decision Factors

6 Geological Stability
4 Floods/tidal waves
5 Potential for famine
6 Disease control
7 Danger of persecution
9 Proximity to urban areas
10 Availability of water
8 Growing days
7 Rainfall
3 Temperature extremes
4 Storm potential
9 Potential for self-sufficiency
5 Ease of cultural transition
8 Spt personnel & own kind
9 Security
10 Transition costs

Now we will score how well each location satisfies each criterion. Use a scale of 0 to 5 where:

0 = the location doesn't satisfy the criterion
1 = satisfies very poorly
2 = satisfies poorly
3 = satisfies
4 = satisfies very well
5 = satisfies perfectly

TABLE 2 on the next page demonstrates the author's best attempt at doing this evaluation. There are logical reasons for each one of these scores. In the area of geological stability, for example, Eastern Kansas may be affected by future earthquakes but not so much that I can't live with it. Therefore, I scored it a 3 for "satisfied". Southern Missouri will be affected by the Madras Fault if it lets go. I scored it a 2 for "satisfies poorly".

Most of Utah is geologically unstable, so I scored it a 2 as well. Oregon is part of the Ring of Fire region and will be very dangerous if it quakes or blows volcanically; therefore, I scored it a 0. This is the type of logic the author used to come up with some number scores for this factor.

TABLE 2: RAW SCORED

E. Kansas   S. Missouri S. Utah         S. Oregon

Weighted Decision Factors

6 Geological Stability                                   3                   2                   2                   0
4 Floods/tidal waves                                   3                   3                   3                   0
5 Potential for famine                                 3                   4                   3                   4
6 Disease control                                         1                   4                   5                   2
7 Danger of persecution                             0                   3                   5                   3
9 Proximity to urban areas                         1                   5                   5                   3
10 Availability of water                               0                   5                   3                   4
8 Growing days                                            4                   4                   4                   4
7 Rainfall                                                       3                   3                   2                   4
3 Temperature extremes                           3                   3                   3                   3
4 Storm potential                                         2                   3                   4                   2
9 Potential for self-sufficiency                   2                   4                   3                   3
5 Ease of cultural transition                       4                   3                   5                   3
8 Spt personnel & own kind                       3                   2                   4                   3
9 Security                                                      0                   4                   5                   4
10 Transition costs                                      4                   4                   2                   1

85

Once we have scored each location for each factor, we multiply each score by each factor's weighting value. TABLE 3 illustrates this by the use of slashed number pairs. For example, in the first factor each score is multiplied by the weighting factor of 6 for geological stability to give us respective scores of 3/18, 2/12, 2/12, and O/O. The numbers after the slashes are the weighted scores. Each location's weighted scores should be added up in each column' to give us a total or cumulative weighted score. The location which scores the highest is the logical choice for our location.

TABLE 3: WEIGHTED CUMULATIVE SCORES

E. Kansas   S. Missouri S. Utah         S. Oregon

Weighted Decision Factors

6 Geological Stability                                   3/18             2/12             2/12               0/0
4 Floods/tidal waves                                     3/12             3/12             3/12               0/0
5 Potential for famine                                   3/15             4/20             3/15              4/20
6 Disease control                                          1/6               4/24             5/30              2/12
7 Danger of persecution                               0/0               3/21             5/35              3/21
9 Proximity to urban areas                           1/9               5/45             5/45              3/27
10 Availability of water                               0/0               5/50              3/30             4/40
8 Growing days                                           4/32             4/32              4/32             4/32
7 Rainfall                                                    3/21              3/21              2/14             4/28
3 Temperature extremes                             3/9                3/9                3/9               3/9
4 Storm potential                                         2/8               3/12             4/16              3/12
9 Potential for self-sufficiency                   2/18              4/36              3/27             3/27
5 Ease of cultural transition                       4/20              3/15              5/25             3/15
8 Spt personnel & own kind                       8/24             2/16             4/32              3/24
9 Security                                                    0/0               4/36             5/45              4/36
10 Transition costs                                     4/40              4/40             2/20              1/10
Weighted Cumulative Scores:                   232               *401             399                313

87

At this point, we have used logic only. Now it's time to allow our emotions to enter into the process. Perhaps you don't like the way the scores came out. Maybe you should have given more weight to some factors and less to others. Maybe there are some important factors which never got considered. For example, Southern Missouri and Southern Utah had scores which were only 2 points apart. A factor which was not considered was the amount of greenery present year-round. True, this is an aesthetic issue, but it is an important one to my family. When this factor enters into the formula, Southern Missouri wins hands down, because it is green year-round while Southern Utah is only green where and when it is watered.

The critical thing is you can choose any location you want, but at least you've considered all the factors thoroughly. This process prevents a person from "shooting from the hip" regarding an important life decision.

One final note, after you have gone through this process, don't forget to go to the Lord in prayer and ask for his advice. Listen to the Holy Ghost. Don't be dismayed if you don't hear the answer you wanted to hear. If there is a place which makes good logical and emotional sense, yet the feelings you get from the Lord on the spiritual side don't confirm it, there may be good reasons why.

If you don't receive confirmation, the Lord either knows something mere mortals don't, or the timing isn't right. There was a family who went house hunting in Florida. They looked and looked. Each one of them really liked one particular house, but they couldn't get a clear confirmation that they should make an offer. After several weeks, the husband and wife both felt moved they should make an offer. The house was listed for $85,000. They offered $35,000.

The real estate agent said, "This offer is ridiculous. You and I both know the house is worth the asking price. I am duty bound, however, to present it."

Much to everyone's surprise, the owner accepted it immediately. It seems he sold two very lucrative businesses earlier that day. He wanted to leave the area quickly and money was no longer an object, timing was. The Lord evidently knew this, which is why he held off his confirmation till a later time.

APPENDIX 2

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

The enclosed Emergency Response Plan was written to support the author's local Ward (Congregation) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons). It could easily be adopted by any church, group, or community by making minor context and language changes. It's important to note most every one in the group gets a job or responsibility. That way everyone feels a part of the group since they are contributing to its effort.

Because there are a number terms used in this plan which are peculiar to the LDS Church, the following is a list of these terms and their rough equivalents.

Term                                                Equivalent

Ward                                                Congregation
Stake                                                Diocese or Parish (usually contains 5 - 12 Wards)
Region                                             Arch Diocese
Bishop                                              Pastor (unpaid, lay minister)
1st & 2nd Counselors                   Assistants to the Bishop
Bishopric                                         Bishop plus his two counselors
Relief Society                                  Women's organization
Ward Clerk                                      Chief administrative assistant for membership records

Executive Secretary                       Bishop's appointment secretary
High Priest Group                          Middle-aged and older elders
Elders Quorum                               18-year-old to middle-aged elders
Primary                                            Organization to teach 2 to 11-year-olds
Young Men & Women                  12 to 17-year-old youths
Call or Calling                                 Official Church assignment

APPENDIX 2

LEAVENWORTH 2ND WARD EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

I. PURPOSE: To provide guidance to Ward leadership and membership of steps to take in general emergency situations to insure the greatest probability of survival by the membership. It provides necessary information to Stake and higher level Church organizations for their emergency action plans. It also serves as a vehicle of communication with governmental emergency preparedness agencies.

II. MISSIONS:

During emergencies, provide for the well being of:

1. Church members
2. Members' personal property
3. Church-owned property
4. Community in general

III. RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Bishop has overall responsibility for the Ward. He is assisted by the Ward Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, who coordinates all preparedness activities for the Ward, and the Ward Welfare Committee who are responsible for implementing the program.

IV WHY PREPARE?

The Lord has revealed to us in great detail exactly what He intends to do prior to the ushering in of the millennium. He has told us in scripture both old and modern of the earthquakes, tidal waves, famines, tornadoes, pestilences, plagues, destructions, social upheavals, and cosmic interplay that will wrack the earth from north to south, from east to west, causing it to reel to and fro on it's axis like a drunken man, and threaten the very existence of the human family. He has told us that the wicked shall slay the wicked in senseless inhumane wars and then describes in graphic detail the effects of nuclear holocaust, which His prophets have declared shall be.

He has specifically named cities, states and countries upon which these desolations will be poured out; cities such as Salt Lake City, Boston, Albany, New York, Jerusalem; states such as Utah, Missouri, Illinois; nations such as Russia, Europe, Asia, Africa, Israel, and in fine all nations.

The promised destructions are not conditional — they must come or the millennium cannot begin. They must come — not because He delights in the destruction of His children but because He knows with perfect understanding the desires and intent of he who was cast out of heaven for rebellion and who has usurpingly established himself as the "god of this world," and the desires of designing men who serve him. These destructions must come — so that the earth may be swept clean of all wickedness and be prepared to receive Him who's right it is to sit upon the throne and who will govern it 1,000 years.

He has specified the time parameters in which it must all be accomplished; prior to the opening of the seventh seal. He has further declared through His prophets that our calendar is correct and that the appointed time is rapidly closing within which all must transpire. And declared that it shall be in an instant suddenly — as a whirlwind. He has given us signs and warnings; has counseled us on how to prepare; and commanded us to watch and be ready.

There is absolutely nothing we can do to prevent or forestall these promised destructions. The Lord God Almighty has decreed that they shall be. He has opened the portals of heaven and sent forth the angels of destruction to commence the work of cleansing the earth and the inhabitants thereof. Well might we try to dethrone God himself as to think for one minute that our actions can alter the decrees or time tables of heaven.

For us there is but one course to pursue: to obey His commands and prepare — prepare temporally as He has instructed and to prepare spiritually that we may return to Him clean and worthy regardless of the time or manner in which He calls us home.

V. EMERGENCY SITUATIONS: The possibility of the following situations has been assumed for the purposes of planning:

I. Natural Disasters

• Tornadoes
• Severe rain, ice, and snow storms
• Floods
• Severe Droughts and Famine
• Epidemics
• Earthquakes

2. Manmade Disasters

• Nuclear / Biological / Chemical Attacks
• Breakdown of Civil Authority / Civil War
• Breakdown of the Monetary System / Economic Depression

VI FIVE PHASES OF EMERGENCIES:

• Preparation
• Watch
• Warning
• Disaster Strikes
• Respond to Disaster

1. PREPARATION:

The best way to prepare for emergency situations is to plan and train for them, to gather resources together in anticipation of an emergency, and to know what outside sources of resources are available, both Church and community. This plan provides the basis for preparation to include a training plan (ANNEX A: TRAINING).

The Bishop should call at least one member who is a ham radio operator and has radio equipment to the position of Ward Communications Specialist. His responsibilities include planning and practicing for maintaining radio communications with the Stake and Regional Emergency Preparedness authorities and with community emergency response nets. Ward auxiliary organizations will be responsible for maintaining communications within the ward (see TAB I: Communications).

With some disasters, there is ample advance warning of possible disaster locations. Under such conditions, the Ward should:

A. Test the amateur radio system and determine how it should be used should a disaster strike.

B. Ward Welfare Committee should meet and be certain:

1. Contact is made with members unable to care for themselves and plans are made to protect them and their property.

2. Contact is made with the Leavenworth County Office of Emergency Preparedness to offer help and to assure them of our cooperation.

3. A system is in place to assess injury and property damage within hours after the potential disaster. Be prepared to communicate the status of Church and member welfare to the Liberty, Missouri Stake or Independence, Missouri Region as required by the Stake Emergency Response Plans.

4. Members are prepared to help one another secure personal property.

3. WARNING:

When a disaster is imminent, the Ward leaders should:

A. Follow civil authorities' instructions for evacuation.

B. Be certain the elderly and disabled are safe and their property is secure.

C. In coordination with Leavenworth 3rd Ward, set up a command post at the Meeting House and, if possible, have the Ward Communications Specialist set up his equipment at or near the Meeting House.

D. Advise the Stake and civil authorities of the status of preparations.

E. Make a final radio test by communicating with the radio operators at the Stake and Regional level store houses.

4. DISASTER STRIKES:

All leaders and members should take immediate shelter. If possible, communicate on-going events to the Stake.

5. RESPONDING TO THE DISASTER:

A. Re-establish communication through the Ward radio operator (or phone, if possible) to the Stake or to higher authorities, if necessary.

B. Assess through regular Elders Quorum and High Priest channels as soon as possible any injury to members and general damage to personal and Church properties and report to Stake and civil authorities.

C. Continue to work in harmony with local civil authorities and provide volunteer manpower where possible to assist in recovery operations.

D. The Bishop will determine the needs of members and deploy local resources as available.

E. If conditions call for additional supplies of food, water, shelter, etc., these supplies should be requested from the Stake / Regional storehouse through Stake authorities.

F. After 72 hours, a more detailed assessment of property damage should be obtained, if damage is extensive, and reported to the Stake.

G. Once Ward needs are satisfied, and if so advised by Stake authorities, food supplies and clothing may be distributed to communities through local humanitarian agencies.

VII SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

All members will be assigned tasks best suited to their talents and the needs of the Ward. Although specific auxiliary organizations will be given specific responsibilities or missions, some of their members may be given tasks to support other organizations because of their personally unique capabilities or needs of the Ward. The following table on the next page provides the ward's organizational structure for emergencies.

1. BISHOP / WARD COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST:

The Bishop has overall responsibility for the Ward's welfare. The Ward Communications Specialist will set up close to the Bishop's command post location to insure quick reaction communications capability with the Stake and civil authorities. He will also coordinate all inter-ward communications requirements.

2. EMERGENCY RESPONSE COORDINATOR:

The Ward Emergency Coordinator is the Bishop's primary representative during emergencies. He has no command authority other than to represent the Bishop's guidance and direction in emergency response situations.

3. BISHOPRIC FIRST COUNSELOR:

Responsible for coordinating all activities regarding the Relief Society Presidency (the women's organization), the Young Women's Presidency (12 to 17 years-old), and the Sunday School Presidency.

4. BISHOPRIC SECOND COUNSELOR:

Responsible for coordinating all activities regarding the Primary Presidency (children's education) and the Young Women's (12 to 17 years-old) Presidency.

5. WARD CLERK/ EXECUTIVE SECRETARY:

A. The Ward Clerk and the Executive Secretary will man the Emergency Command Post as required (up to 12-hour shifts each).

B. The Ward Clerk will maintain a Ward map with the location of each member's dwelling posted on it.

C. The Ward Clerk and the Executive Secretary will be responsible for maintaining member accountability and welfare status as input is given them by the Priesthood organizations.

D. They will work in conjunction with the Ward Mission Leader and full-time missionaries to establish contact with inactive members.

6. HIGH PRIEST GROUP LEADER:

The High Priest Group Leader will be responsible for determining member family status on an ongoing basis through the home teachers; and for acquiring food, water, and medical supplies as required through his quorum. All member families are encouraged to store at least one year's supply of food, clothing, water purification means, fuel, and medical supplies; and at least a two-week supply of water for their family.

7. ELDERS' QUORUM PRESIDENT:

The Elders' Quorum President, through his quorum, is responsible for determining member family status through the home teachers on an ongoing basis; for acquiring shelter, maintaining security of personnel and property, and for rescue operations. He will control the Spearhead Team operations.

8. RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT:

The Relief Society President is responsible for coordinating mass food preparation and first aid / medical training and treatment. As a minimum, she should:

A. Identify people who can help to plan and prepare meals.

B. Ensure that food is prepared safely.

C. Supervise menu planning, food preparation, serving, and cleanup.

D. Identify any members or willing non-members who are capable of teaching medical-related subjects to the Ward and coordinate that training.

9. YOUNG WOMEN'S PRESIDENCY:

The Young Women's Presidency is responsible for child care and recreation (to free other adult Church members for other tasks). They will also help other organizations as assigned.

10. SUNDAY SCHOOL PRESIDENCY:

The Sunday School President is responsible for providing Spiritual education and enlightenment. They should pay particular attention to the emotional needs of the Ward.

11. PRIMARY PRESIDENCY:

The Primary Presidency will be responsible for coordination of child education as needed.

12. YOUNG MEN'S PRESIDENCY.

The Young Men's Presidency will be responsible for coordinating all sanitation requirements and activities; provide foot, bicycle, or motorcycle messengers as required; and provide support to other organizations as assigned.

13. SPEARHEAD TEAMS:

The Elders' Quorum President will organize and train quick-reaction Spearhead Team(s) (three to six personnel) as required for a first-in rescue response capability. It should be composed of physically fit younger men/women who have the necessary tools, vehicles and skills to assess an emergency situation and commence initial rescue and medical operations.

TAB 1: Communications

A. The Ward Communications Specialist will be responsible for the coordination of all communications planning, training, and implementation.

B. Each auxiliary organization should develop a communications plan / capability using: telephones, Citizen Band radios, ham radios, and messengers. Alternative means of communication should be developed so that backup will be available if the primary means fails (use radios or messengers if the phone system fails).

C. The following is a list of Emergency Action Contacts for the Leavenworth area:

Bishop William Xxxxx, xxx-xxx-xxxx, 20392 Mt. Xxxxx Rd, Leavenworth, KS 66048

Ward Preparedness Coordinator, Robert K. Spear, xxx- xxx-xxxx / xxx-xxxx, 410 Xxxxxxxx, Leavenworth, KS 66048

High Priest Group Leader, Jerrold Xxxxxx,xxx-xxx- xxxx,1323 Xxxxxx St, Leavenworth, KS 66048

Elders Quorum President, Martin Xxxxx, xxx-xxx-

xxxx, 1204 Xxxxxxxx, Leavenworth, KS 66048

Relief Society President, Theresa Xxxxxx, xxx-xxx xxxx, 616 S. Broadway, Leavenworth, KS 66048

Leavenworth Fire Department: 911 or 913-682-3346

Leavenworth City Police: 911 or 913-651-2260

Leavenworth County Sheriff: 911 or 913-682-1313

Ambulance Service: 911 or 913-684-0788

Civil Defense / County Emergency Preparedness Office: 913-684-0455 / 682-5724, radio frequency

155.820 MHz or 147.00 ham repeater operations.

Leavenworth Red Cross: 913-682-6662

St. John's Hospital: 913-682-3721

Cushing Hospital: 913-682-1144

Ft. Leavenworth Hospital: 913-684-6400

Kansas Power & Light: 913-682-4924

Weather Bureau (Sheriff's Offce): 913-682-1313

Poison Control Center (KC, KS): 1-800-332-6633

Leavenworth 2nd Ward

Ham Radio Operators

Ed Xxxxxxx, 913-xxx-xxxx, 734 Xxxxxxxxx, Leavenworth, KS 66048 Extra Class, WBOLYQ, 1--1F rig.

Robert K. Spear, 913-xxx-xxxx, 410 Xxxxxxxx, Leavenworth, KS 66048

Technician Plus code, KBOLCF, dual band VHF/UHF hand held.

Martin Xxxxx, 913-xxx-xxxx, 1304 Xxxxxxxx, Leavenworth, KS 66048

Technician Plus Code, NOKFP, 2-meter hand held.

TAB 2: Reporting

The Ward Bishopric should be prepared to report the following information to the Stake or Region (if communications with the Stake have broken down):

• Name, title, and unit of the reporting officer.

• How the presiding officer can be reached.

• Description, location, and magnitude of the emergency.

• Numbers of members injured, missing, or dead.

• Location and extent of damage done to Church or member property,

• Actions being taken to help those in distress.

• Needed assistance that is unavailable locally.

ANNEX 1: TRAINING PLAN

All auxiliary leaders will develop training sub-plans which identify all actions which need to be taught in order to accomplish Ward missions and their organizations' specific responsibilities; the standards to which they will be taught; the Ward or community subject-matter-expert assets who may be used for the training the Ward membership; and milestones as to when training will be accomplished; and how and when emergency plans will be exercised.

B. Milestones:

January 1994 Ward Welfare Committee reviews, makes recommendations, and approves Ward Emergency Response Plan.

March 1994 Auxiliaries develop and submit sub-plans to Ward Emergency Response Coordinator.

April 1994 Auxiliaries commence training program.

December 1994 Initial training completed.

APPENDIX 3

RESOURCES

The following resources are provided as a service to the readers. Most are available through Universal Force Dynamics Publishing / The Book Barn, and an order blank is located in the end of this book for your convenience. It isn't necessary to cut the page out, just photo copy it as many times as you need. The resources on the next page are available directly from their source. We hope these resources help you create your own covenant community.

CREATING COVENANT COMMUNITIES

News Letters & Magazines

As a service to our customers, to keep them fully informed, we like to recommend certain sources of information we consider vital to your well-being. We don't get paid for this and we have no financial interests in these publications. We just feel they're important to have.

Backwoods Home Magazine, 1257 Siskiyou Blvd, #213, Grants Pass, Oregon, 97520, $17.95 6x

Countryside & Small Stock Journal Magazine, WI 1564 Hwy 64, Withee, WI 54498, $18.00 6xs

Mother Earth News Magazine, Sussex Publishers, 24 E. 23rd St, NY, NY 10010, $17.95 6x

American Survival Guide, McMullen & Yee Publishing, POB 70015, Anaheim, CA 92825-0015, $26.95

Journal For Self-Reliant Living, POB 910, Merlin, OR 97532, $99.00, 6x

Bo Gritz's Center For Action Newsletter, 1106 N. Gilbert Rd #2114, Mesa, AZ 85203, $24.00

Jack McLamb's Aid & Abet Police Newsletter POB 8787, Phoenix, AZ 85066, $20.00

McAlvany Intelligence Advisor Newsletter (Economics) POB 84904, Phoenix, AZ 85071, $95.00

Live Free's Directions Survival Newsletter, POB 1743, Harvey, IL 60426, $20.00

Consent Withdrawn Political Newsletter, POB I, Cave Junction, OR 97253, $29.00

God's Plan For Good Health Newsletter, 233 Rogue River Hwy #294, Grants Pass, OR 97527, $25.00

Rural Property Bulletin, P.O. Box 37, Sparks, NE 69220, $16

ANTI - NEW WORLD ORDER ODOR BOOKS

N 1/N Surviving Global Slavery: Living Under the New World Order by Robert K. Spear

Internationally acclaimed self defense author, Robert K. Spear, discusses the impacts of a worldwide dictatorial government on many facets of our lives. More importantly, he presents practical, commonsense solutions to the challenges created by rejecting the Mark of the Beast. Finally, he provides the best resources available for self-reliant living.

ISBN: 0-9622627-8-1, 164 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 pbk, $9.95.

02-N Creating Covenant Communities by Robert K. Spear

You plan to reject the Mark of the Beast. You also know you need to gather with other patriots to support and sustain one another in these last days. How do you go about it? This frequently asked question prompted Mr. Spear to provide a blueprint on how to select a safe site, what kinds of people need to be there, and details of how to turn it into reality. Realizing there is "more than one way to skin a cat", Mr. Spear provides several different scenarios of how patriots can come together to covenant with one another for mutual support and protection. This is a must have book!

ISBN: 0-9622627-2-2, 100+ pages, 5.5 x 8.5 pbk, $9.95.

03-N Vampire Killer 2000 by Jack McLamb

Edited by retired Phoenix police officer (the most highly decorated officer in that city's history), this superbly written pamphlet is designed to warn law enforcement and military personnel of the dangers of the NWO using numerous global elitists' quotes. The most credible source of NWO information available. $6.00.

SELF DEFENSE BOOKS

04/D Close Quarters Combat for Police and Security Forces by Robert K. Spear

Controlling, containment, and baton techniques for common street threats. Subjects include: proper use of night stick, come-alongs, unarmed attacks, knife attacks, club attacks, pistol disarming, ground fighting, training aids and drills, martial art theory, and tactics.

ISBN: 0-9622627-4-9, 128 pages, 350 photos, 8.5 x 11 pbk, $19.95.

05/D Survival On the Battlefield: A Handbook to Military Martial Arts by Robert K. Spear

Complete training program for killing and maiming techniques. Subjects include theory, body weapons, kicks, breakfalls, throws, chokes, locks, come-alongs; defenses against— strikes, clubs, knives, bayonets, chokes, kicks, throws, holds & grabs; ground fighting; knife fighting; sentry neutralization; expedient weapons; training female soldiers, the Threat's training, physical and mental conditioning, training facilities & aids, drills, programs, and teaching tactics and strategies.

ISBN: 0-86568-093-0, 190 pages, 350 photos, pbk, $14.95.

06/0 Military Knife Fighting by Robert K. Spear

Great basic book. Subjects include: Fighting grips and stances, targets, blocks and counters, serial and parallel attacks, knife grappling, sentry kills, knife vs bayonet, knife vs entrenching tool, knife throwing, & training hints.

ISBN: 0-9622627-6-5, 126 pages, 120 photos, 5.5 x 8.5

pbk, $9.95

07/D Hapkido: The Integrated Fighting Art by

Robert K. Spear, 6th Dan, U.S. Hapkido Federation.

An overview of Mr. Spear's art. Subjects include: history, philosophy, training, belt system, warm-up & cool-down exercises, basic kicks and strikes, breakfalls, joint locks, sweeps, basic and advanced kick and punch defenses, escapes, free sparring, cane and fighting stick techniques.

ISBN: 0-86568-079-5, 186 pages, 350 photos, 8.5 x 11 pbk, $12.95.

080 The Dillman Method of Pressure Point Fighting by George A. Dillman, 9th Dan

Fifteen years of research lies behind Master Dilman's discovery of the secrets behind Okinawan Karate's katas, the art of Kyusho-Jitsu. Learn how to knock out opponents with just a few touches. Revolutionary information!

ISBN: 0-9631996-1-7 , 272 pages, 415 photos, 85 pressure point illustrations, 9 x 10.5 pbk, $34.95.

Weapons & Equipment

09/W "The Brush", designed by the Frizell brothers, master knife makers in Arkansas, is a highly functional plastic hair brush with a sharp, strong spike hidden inside its head. This spike can be driven through a 1/4 inch sheet of plywood without damaging its point. It cannot be detected by metal detectors. Last year, the Frizells sold 50,000 of these. A woman whose life is threatened by an attacker, can easily ruin his whole evening with a few hard jabs to the groin.
$10.00 IO[W Wooden Practice Knife: A must for knife defense and knife fighting practice. $6.00

113

PERSONAL SECURITY

11/P Surviving Hostage Situations by Robert K. Spear and LTC D. Michael Moak

Most of us don't like to think about bad things which might happen to us. But, what would you do if you walked into a convenience store while it was being robbed and found yourself in a hostage situation? This primer covers: the hostage takers, hostage situations, emotional / psychological expectations, coping with captivity, planning an escape, physical resistance, executing an escape, rescue— who and what to expect, getting back to normal, how to prepare the family, recommendation for survival, and a family contingency plan.

ISBN: 0-9622627-5-7, 144 pages, 60 illustrations, 8.5 x 11 pbk, $14.95.

AUDIO AND VIDEO TAPES

12/V Safeguarding Your Family From The NWO

Recorded at the September, 1993 Soldier of Fortune convention in Las Vegas, this 90 minute tape of Robert K. Spear's speech contains many startling revelations about how swiftly and thoroughly the Global Elitists are establishing their satanic governmental framework. He reveals many personal experiences from his governmental past which are directly related to the creation of the NWO. His was the most popular tape of the SOF convention again this year, as it was in 1992. Don't miss it! $7.95.

178/V Robert Spear Sings "God, Father, and Apple Pie"

Recorded at the award winning music studio of Levin and Many in Burbank, California, Robert sings songs of patriotism, inspiration, and the values of responsible fatherhood. Most people know Bob Spear as one of the better self defense instructors in the world. Few know he has a degree in voice from Indiana University's School of Music and was a studio guitarist who played with big bands such as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under the baton of Warren Covington, and has fronted his own society orchestras for years.

Bob, who leads the singing for Bo Gritz's SPIKE training sessions, has a rich lyric baritone voice and an understanding of the importance of his songs' subjects. He has worked, taught, and sung literally all over the world, and brings that experience to his music. Not since Tennessee Earnie Ford have we heard a man's man, who is not afraid to sing about God, Fatherhood, and the American way. $7.95.

179/V Robert K. Spear Teaches Defenses Against Weapon Attacks

Master Trainer Spear teaches defensive techniques to effectively counter knife, club, and gun attacks in this exciting video instructional tape. We know they work, because at least three people have had their lives' saved because of Bob's training. $39.95.

180/V Robert K. Spear Teaches Weapons Offensive Techniques

Master Trainer Spear teaches the proper ways to use knives, clubs, and sticks. This instructional video tape includes the techniques in his best selling books, Military Knife Fighting, Survival on the Battlefield, and Close Quarters Combat for Police and Security Forces. Bob teaches these approaches at the Soldier of Fortune Annual Convention and LTC James Bo Gritz' s SPIKE Survival Training Team. Mr. Spear has taught thousands all over the world. $39.95

181/V Robert K. Spear Teaches Fighting Up Close and In Confined Spaces

Master Trainer Spear shows how to get out of grabs and chokes; how to put on effective come-alongs; how to fight on the floor, against the walls, and in corners. $39.95

Buy all three video tapes for $100.00

GARDENING BOOKS

35/G Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening

A treasure trove of facts on organic gardening, including garden designs, landscape ideas, techniques for growing food crops. You'll need this for when commercial fertilizers are no longer available. $17.95

36/G Square Foot Gardening

The best book on gardening efficiently in small spaces. Great for intensive gardening. Based on a grid of I-foot squares, the square foot garden produces as much food a conventional row garden but requires only one-fifth of the space and work. $14.95

37/G The Rodale Book of Composting

Composting is essential to gain organic fertilizer. This book is the authority on all the ways one can do this. $14.95

38/G The New Seed Starters Handbook

When to start seeds, what depth to plant them, how to water them, what type of light is best, etc. $14.95

39/G Foolproof Planting

How to successfully start and propagate more than 250 vegetables, flowers, trees, and shrubs. $14.95

40/G The Desert Shall Blossom

Essential information for gardeners in the Mountain West, with the desert climate, alkaline soils, plant diseases and insect pests found only in that environment. $14.00

41/G Indoor Vegetable Gardening

Tells how to build and enjoy a simple, low-cost hydroponic garden in your home using easily obtained materials. It shows how to construct growing trays, prepare inexpensive watering systems, install the florescent lighting typically utilized in home indoor gardens, and how to mix the proper plant nutrients. $10.00

42/G Cold Climate Gardening

How to extend your gardening season by 30 days. This will be an important book for those who live in short growing season areas. $13.00

43/G Warm-Climate Gardening

For gardeners in warm climates, winter is an active growing season, spring is violent and short, and summer is so hot that few plants and few gardeners can enjoy it. The author advises on how to take advantage of each of these seasons; how to choose drought-resistant plants; why summer hardiness is a s crucial as winter hardiness; and how to schedule maintenance chores away from times when it's too hot to garden. $12.95

HOMESTEADING

44/0 The "Have More" Plan

Written in the early 1940's, this is still the best book ever written on how to do it all on only 5 acres. The costs of things may have changed, but the methods are eternal. $7.95

45/0 Successful Small-Scale Farming: An Organic Approach (revised and updated) This is the general handbook for anyone entering or contemplating small-scale farming as a part or full-time occupation. $10.95

46/0 Turning Wool Into A Cottage Industry

Whether you purchase wool for your business or you need information about managing a flock of sheep, here is a complete, no-nonsense, up-to-date information source. Business and merchandising tips and descriptions of eighteen entrepreneurs who have proved it can be done will inspire you to expand your own wool-based income. $14.95

47/0 How To Find and Buy Your Business In the Country

Running a country business can be a joy or a nightmare. Here is honest, useful advice from one who has been there. $11.95

CONSTRUCTION

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

48/E The Independent Home

Living well with power from the sun, wind, & water. How others are doing it all over the USA. $17.95

49/E The Alternative Energy Source Book

The "Whole Earth Catalog" of alternative energy. Includes many sources of all kinds of energy producers—wind, water, and sun. $16.95

50/E The Home Water Supply

How to find, filter, store, & conserve. $16.95

51/E How to Build Small Barns & Outbuildings

Over 20 do-it-yourself projects complete with plans. $16.95

52/E Build Your Own Low-Cost Log Home

The title says it all. $12.95

53/E Low-Cost Pole Building Construction— Step- by-step instructions plus many plans. $12.95

54/E 25 Pole Building Projects

Pole building saves time, labor, and money— requiring no foundation, excavation, limited grading, and fewer materials. $17.95

55/E Solar Projects for Under $500

Practical solar construction projects with something for everyone. They're easy to build and inexpensive and will save you money from the beginning. It's time to start getting off the grid! $11.95

56/E 547 Tips for Saving Energy in Your Home

Energy costs are on the rise and soon we may have to produce our own. $7.95

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

57/1, Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage: Facilities Design and Management

The essentials for designing safe and functional facilities. We may have to rely on horses again some day. We're going to need to know how to board them and care for them. $14.95

58/L Horse Sense

A complete guide to horse selection and care. Learn about the selection of a horse, housing, fencing, and feeding. Also immunizations, dental care, and breeding. $12.95

CREATING COVENANT COMMUNITIES

58/1, Raising Rabbits the Modern Way

Contains the most recent how-to information for successfully raising rabbits on a small to semi-commercial scale. All new information on feeding, housing, medication, breeding, showing, and selling. $9.95

59/L Raising Sheep the Modern Way

Updated and revised edition, highly recommended for anyone contemplating expanding the farm by adding sheep to the menagerie. $9.95

60/L Raising Milk Goats the Modern Way

Updated and revised edition. We think it's the best basic book on goats. $9.95

61/L Raising Poultry the Modern Way

Here's detailed information about selecting chickens, turkeys, and geese for show, eggs, or meat; housing and feeding; and protecting the flock from disease and predators. $9.95

62/1, Raising the Home Duck Flock

Ducks are the easiest domestic birds to raise. Popular with home home and farm owners because they are helpful: ducks will eat insect pests, clean unwanted plants from ponds and lakes, eat all table and gardening leftovers, and produce nitrogen-rich manure. And in the end, you'll enjoy low-cost meat and eggs. $9.95

63/L The Family cow

A good basic book on cattle raising for homesteads. $12.95

64/L Raising a Calf for Beef

Raising your own beef calf requires a daily commitment, but not a lot of time, and only a small amount of land. Here you'll find housing, feeding, and medical information

RESOURCES

as well as butchering information. You'll save money, and the quality of the meat is assured by you. $7.95

65/L Small-Scale Pig Raising

The author discusses: penning and handling, health and nutrician, commercial feeds, breeding, physiology, management, and butchering. $12.95

66/L Keeping Livestock Healthy

An updated veterinary guide, highly recommended to all livestock owners, whatever their degree of sophistication. $14.95

67/1.4 Beekeeping: A Practical Guide

Begins with an explanation of the difference between "keeping" bees and merely 'having" bees, followed with bee history , getting started, an overview of bees and their colonies,and necessary equipment for bee-keeping. A complete reference for starting properly with bees. $16.95

FOOD STORAGE

68/F Root Cellaring

The simple, no-cost, no-processing way to store your garden's bounty. The storage method which requires little work, no canning jars, or freezer bags, and no fuel makes a lot of sense. $12.95

69m Stocking Up 111

Completely revised and updated, this classic is better than ever. Readers will find the basics along with the latest in home preservation techniques, 300 recipes, all-new illustrations, nutritional charts, conversion tables, lists of selected fruit and vegetable varieties, and the most up-to-date information on home food safety. $24.95

CREATING COVENANT COMMUNITIES

70/F Home Sausage Making

The author, who mastered the old standbys and favorite ethnic varieties, now pushes on with new varieties (175 recipes in all) that are lower in salt and cholesterol. $13.95

71/F The Canning, Freezing, Curing, & Smoking of Meat, Fish, & Game

A classic how-to book. Practical, with its outline of easy-to-follow procedures and approved shortcuts. $9.95

72/F Cheesemaking Made Easy

This book tells how to make cottage cheese, mozzarella, blue, gouda, colby, up to 60 varieties of cheeses. You'll be surprised how easy it is and how little equipment is needed. It's inexpensive, especially if you have your own source of cowls or goat's milk. Delicious results are possible, even on your first attempt. $9.95

73/F Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game

Covers how to butcher beef, veal, hogs, lamb, poultry, rabbits, and venison. $11.95

74/F Tan Your Hide

Now you can make vests, belts, and wallets by home tanning and hand-working your own furs and leathers. $8.95

75/F The ABC's Of Home Food Dehydration

A wide variety of drying methods and techniques are included along with tips on selecting a home food dehydrator. It describes the steps of the drying process, pre-treatment of foods, guides for many specific foods such as: fruits, herbs, meat, fish, and vegetables, the rehydration process, and numerous recipes. Focuses on how to integrate dehydrated foods into the family's daily diet. $8.00

76/C The New Cooking with Home Storage by Vicki Tate

A collection of over 700 food storage recipes including: pioneer recipes, dehydrated foods, home remedies, natu- ral beauty and personal care, emergency baby care, survival section, and tips on how to make your home storage program more livable. $14.95

77/C A Bite of Independence Through Self-Sufficiency

Feed a family of four for as low as $10.00 a week. This invaluable book teaches you to make your own baby foods, breakfast cereals, pasta, tofu, meat from wheat, cheese & yogurt, vinegars & soupbase, shampoos, soap, cosmetics & perfumes, and fish farming. $26.00

78/C A Survival Acre— 50 Nationwide Wild Foods & Medicines When all else fails, you can eat weeds and grasses and stay healthy. Naturalist author tells how to find, pick, prepare, and eat wild plants we see every day and usually don't recognize as food. $5.00

SURVIVAL

79/S Skills For Survival Organized into three sections: home management, gardening, and foods. Focuses on organizing family into a more efficient unit, emergency preparedness , emergency equipment, and best ways to garden for maximum yield. $16.00

80/S Prepare Today — Survive Tomorrow Raising and storing basic foods, fallout shelter construction, weapons for defense, nuclear survival, attack preparation, and defense philosophies. $14.00

81/S Survival Medicine Complete guide to preventative and curative techniques which use completely natural means. $10.00

82/S The Best Of Woodsmoke— A Manual of Primitive Outdoor Skills Topics include: surviving solo, building shelters, finding water, trapping, hunting, fishing, basics of keeping warm, handling wild game, surviving mentally. $17.00

31S You Can Stay Alive Wilderness living, safe travel, wilderness medicine & first aid, where to camp safely, and much more. $9.00

84/S Primitive Outdoor Skills Sweat lodge, snake bags, primitive comfort, hot draft bed, sage bush, and much more. $15.00

85/S Indian Crafts and Skills 700 pictures on: tipis, wigwams, pit dwellings, primitive tools, weapons, cooking utensils, trapping, tanning, clothing, and decorations. $17.00

86/S Mountainman Crafts and Skills The finer points of fur trapping, rifle and knife usage, black powder safety, and making of clothing, tipis, furniture, and cookware. $17.00

87/S Leather Making A manual of primitive and modern leather skills. $13.00

RESOURCES

88/S Back To Basics Readers Digest book about traditional American life. Includes buying and building on land; energy from wood, water, wind, & sun; raising own vegetables, fruit, & livestock; enjoying your harvest year-round; skills and crafts for house and homestead; recreation at home and in the wild. $26.00

FAMILY PREPAREDNESS

89/S Beginners Guide to Family Preparedness Easy guide to starting, maintaining, and sustaining food storage. $11.00

90/S Emergency Survival Packs

Tells how to prepare portable 72-hour and 14-day family emergency evacuation kits. Considers kids' needs as well as adults'. $5.00

91/S A Stitch In Time— A Complete Guide to Recycling Clothing and Odds-and-Ends Filled with practical, cost-cutting tips on how to stretch clothing budget, provide for family, how to patch and mend worn clothing, how to lengthen, how to prepare bedding, sew tote bags, emergency shoes, blouses, maternity tops, infants pants, mittens, and jumpers. $8.00

92/S Your Guide for Emergency Preparedness— What to do Before, During, & After Earthquake, Fire,

Storm $3.95

22/R THE DRYING PANTRY We discovered this littlejewel at the Salt Lake Preparedness Expo this Fall. It is energy free (electricity not required) and super convenient. Built of special plastics which protect against damage by the sun, it is completely enclosed by netting to keep out unwanted little critters. In between uses, it folds up into a compact, flat package. It uses five shelves and can be hung up indoors or out. One excellent way to use it would be in a parked car out in the sun. Since we are always looking for products which are energy independent, this dehydrator made a lot of sense. $39.95

23/R WILD CARDS TM by Linda Runyon

Fifty-two plastic playing cards with color photos of edible wild plants. Each has a plant, a map of where it can be found, instructions for food preparation, and you can even play card games with them. These are perfect for the survivalist, the camper, the backpacker, and the gourmet cook. $10.95

24/R FROM THE SHEPHERD'S PURSE This is the best book available on using wild plants and herbs for medicinal purposes. It includes color pictures of each plant in its natural setting. There is a line drawing, a chart of where it grows, and a chart of what time of year and day to pick it. There are preparation instructions, what each cures, and the proper dosages. We can't stress enough how good this book is! $26.00.

LONG TERM STORAGE MEDICINAL HERBS

With the possibilities that we may not have full access to traditional medical facilities in the future, herbal nature-pathic medicine will play an ever increasing role. To insure an adequate source of medicinal herbs, we are offering the same edge the SPIKE trainees are now getting. There are two different packages of these herbs vacuum packed in ceramic-lined cans:

25/R • 10

$33.00

26/R • 16

$85.00

1-ounce packets in a # 2 1/2 can —

1 to 4-ounce packets in a #10 can —

LONG TERM STORAGE V1TAMINs Insure your family gets adequate and balanced nutrition during troubled times. These specially designed vitamins for long term storage will maintain full potency at least five years. They are also vacuum packed in ceramic lined cans.

27/R • One year's supply of vitamins —

$31.00

LONG TERM STORAGE OPEN POLLINATED NON-HYBRID GARDEN SEEDS Use these 17 packets of non-hybrid garden seeds to fill a 195' x 70' garden patch with enough vegetables for your family for a year and still have enough left over to provide seeds for the next year's crop. This is an incredible deal; last year Mr. Spear paid over $60 to three different non-hybrid seed companies to purchase enough seeds to fill a 95' x 48' garden. We've found a terrific source which is cheaper and packs them into vacuum packed ceramic lined cans.

28/R • One can of 17 seed varieties includes: sweet corn, snap beans, garden peas, beets, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, onion, bell pepper, winter squash, summer squash, spinach, tomato, broccoli, and watermelon. $17.00

29/R BACK TO BASICS GRAIN GRINDER

Hand grain grinder grinds one cup of flour per minute. Adjustable from fine to course settings. Easily grinds wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, soybeans, seeds, nuts, shells, peppercorns, peanuts, herbs, spices, and many others. Everyone should have one or two of these! $80.00

FOOD STORAGE

Complete Year's Supply of Food (Check catalog for detailed info):

30/R Family of4: $2,540.00 plus shipping paid COD

31/R Family of 2: $1,520.00 plus shipping paid COD

32/R Individual: $787.00 plus shipping paid COD

33-34/R Fortified Whey-based Milk: Mr. Spear discovered this at the Preparedness Expos. Make cheese out of milk, and what's left is whey. This powdered product has zero cholesterol, low fat, no alergenic agents (which means no more ear infections for the kids), and tastes rich. Comes in five flavors— white milk, chocolate, orange-creme' (tastes like a dream-sickle), strawberry-creme', and no-egg nog. Multi-level so not sold in stores, but only costs $5.00 to become a distributor. Costs as low as $1.35 per gal.

$65.00 for 6-Pack of whey-based drink (2 natural milk, 1 chocolate milk, I orange, 1 strawberry, I no-eggnog), one mixing pitcher, and distributor fee. Makes approximately 24 gal.

CATALOGS

176/T Lehman's Non-Electric Catalog serving the Amish community & filled with neat homesteading stuff.

$2.00

177/T NITRO-PAK— Best catalog available to survivalists. $3.00

RESOURCES

Inc Bo Gritz's SPIKE (Specially Prepared Individuals for Key Events) Training Series on Video

3/V Phase I Tapes: This three (3) tape video set will take you through the four classes of Phase I training. Included are Bo Gritz on Self Defense, Scott Weekly on General Preparedness, Gary Goldman on Land Navigation, and Dawn Bittner on Emergency Medicine. You'll also meet our experts on Food Storage, Trusts, State Sovereignty, Alternative Banking, and Gold and Silver. It's time to prepare yourself and your family for the future.

$75.00

14N Phase II Tapes: Three tapes comprise seven hours of dramatic instruction. Includes Bo with Lock Manipulation (open any lock in two seconds), Scott Weekly with Secret Service Tradecraft (bodyguard your family),Robert K. Spear with Defense Against Edged Weapons, and Randy Hoff with Wound Management and Suturing.

$75.00

15/V Phase III Tapes: (Available after March 1994)

World class shooters teach marksmanship, instinctive and combat shooting. Bob Spear teaches gun disarming. Excellent class on homeopathic medicine.

$75.00