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Suggestions on how a survival community might enlist new members.

The lights have gone out. It may be years, if ever, before they come on again. You haven’t seen a banana, orange or avocado in a long time. Of course that’s not surprising since there hasn’t been an open grocery store in a long while either. You have heard rumors that the death toll from disease in China and India is in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even in the billions. But you don’t really know, because you haven’t heard a thing from Washington or the State Capitol in quite a while.

You are on your own.

It is the end of the world as we knew it. Disease, the collapse of the economy, the failure of power, water, septic, delivery and legal systems have seen to that. There’s no gas, which means no cars. All of a sudden you find yourself living in the 18th Century. About the only good thing that has happened lately is that you managed to find safety in a “survival” community.

You have a number of good people with you. There’s 24 hour security, enough food, (barely), everyone’s health seems to be holding out and the gardens are growing. But you have a problem. The group needs to expand in order to survive. There’s just too much to do. The herd animals you have must be cared for and watched constantly because you can’t risk losing any of them. Perimeter security must be maintained, but unfortunately security and animal herding are very different jobs, so that takes a number of separate workers. Making soap and candles, weaving cloth, sewing, and boot and harness making are all time consuming. And garden and field crop weeding is a full time job for many. Just doing the laundry is a major task, not to mention cutting firewood year ’round, and food prep. and cooking all day. 16 hour days of hard work are the norm, and mistakes are happening because some folks are just so tired.

So your group has met, and decided to seek out several more folks to join your community. The several bachelors would like to have a couple of more women join the community. And the single women feel the same about available men. You’d like some trades and crafts people who could start producing some trade goods like wooden buckets, tinware, paper, and a good bow maker would be great. More help in the house and gardens is certainly needed. Just getting someone to build a new pig pen would be wonderful. And there’s always the necessity for additional folks on security.

So what do you do ?

There’s still occasional “road people” and other wanderers. But picking the right ones to ask in can be very dangerous. You’ve heard that sometimes roving gangs will send out “spotters” who try to enter communities just to scope out defenses and resources. Anyone who might be sick is always a problem. Vaccinations are a thing of the past, so a touch of the “bad” flu could kill you all. And then there’s the personality problems, and the crazies. Strangers can simply carry many problems with them. Not the least of which is your need to first confirm that they are not an immediate threat. But if a stranger seems initially ok, there are a few things that might help you decide if you should consider them for community membership.

Fortunately, a built in human survival trait often called “gut reaction”, that is so often ignored in good times, will likely come into greater use. These feelings are sometimes called “the hair standing up on the back of your neck”, but in good times are usually dismissed as paranoia or “being judgmental”. Dogs have never had that problem and have always used it. You’ll need to quickly relearn to pay attention to it. It’s simply becoming more aware of, and learning to more often trust, your gut feeling, your first impression.

So the first thing to do on meeting someone is to trust your senses. If a stranger appears overly nervous, stands or walks kinda funny, seems too well fed, or too dirty, if their eyes don’t meet yours, or they stare too intently, if their skin appears yellowish or too red, even if their smell seems “different” somehow, you want to trust your first impressions. “Casually” study any strangers. Notice if they are making an attempt to stay clean, or seem to be dirty by choice. In a friendly way ask about the meaning of something they are wearing or carrying, if it is fairly unusual. You may be surprised at the answers you might get, that could indicate some sort of mental “weirdness”. Look for what doesn’t exactly fit. If something just doesn’t seem quite right, maybe it isn’t.

But so far, your, (informed), first impression seems ok. Then what ? Well, on meeting someone new, notice what they talk or ask about. If they ask inappropriate questions, or blurt out asking to be given food, that’s not so good. If they say they are traveling and looking for a place to settle, and ask if it would it be possible to do a bit of work in exchange for a bite to eat to help them on their way, that’s better. You’d also want to notice how they react to things said. If you ask the stranger how are conditions back up the road, and they spit out that those blank, blank so and so’s ran them off, that’s not generally a good sign. (Unless of course you happen to know the so and so’s don’t like anybody who’s decent.) If you make a joke, does the stranger laugh, or do they just frown or maybe laugh too much. Just really pay attention to how they react socially.

Next, check out what they are carrying. (Remember that earlier you had already confirmed they were no immediate threat.) Explain to them that if they are going to be allowed to stay in the area, you need to know they are okay. There’s the obvious security issues involved, and you need to know what weapons they have. But also, what a person chooses to carry on their back says a lot about that person. If their kit is well organized, that’s more likely a useful person. If they are carrying mood altering drugs, dirty utensils and unclean firearms and knives, they are more likely to just be a problem. If they object to a “friendly” search, its probably time for them to hit the road.

So, now you’ve met a person who has passed the “smell” test, seems socially appropriate, and appears well organized. You still don’t know much about them, but it seems like maybe a work for food trade is all right. You don’t want to let them into your community proper, they haven’t been cleared for medical issues and diseases, and you never let anyone in for security reasons unless you fully trust them. But, since they asked to trade work for food, you can set them to work cutting firewood, in the wood lot outside the fence, or some other such job. It also would be a good opportunity to work with them to see if they can use a saw or axe without getting hurt. And you could push them a bit to see how they do with some hard labor. Pay attention to their ability and attitude towards what they are doing. And notice how well they take direction.

Then set down with them, serve them the food they earned, and talk. Ask them about being on the road, what their skills are, what they are looking for, maybe even what their dreams are. Ask if they have any family or friends they are looking for, or hope to find. And ask if they have been married, or would want to be. You could tell a story about some charity work you had done before TEOTWAWKI, and ask if they had done any themselves, (which can be an indication of their selfish or giving nature). If you make it a conversation and just have a casual talk, they may answer more fully and truthfully than if you act like it is an interview. Most people who have been alone for awhile, and still have their head screwed on right, like to talk if the person they are talking with seems at ease. So just be informal. It is amazing how much you can learn about a person by asking the right “inconsequential” questions.

If they pass all those tests, it’s time to get down to business. It’s time to be very, very clear and forthright. Tell them you are looking for a member or two. Ask if they are interested. If they are, explain they will need a complete medical check. If they pass that, they will go on probation. For several weeks, they will work a full day every day, be talked with a lot, be expected to make a few examples of the craft or trade they claim to be proficient at, and will live in a removed tent, cabin or teepee. In return they will receive fair trade for their work, and the same food as the rest of the community. Tell them if they get along with most everyone, pass the medical quarantine of living separate and have showed no new disease or illness, can work enough to contribute, and actually have the skills they claim, they will be held up for vote to become a member. Finally explain to them in detail the community’s rules. And explain in as much detail the communities cultural norms, such as folks like to share meals, or pray together, or hold book readings and sing-a-longs every evening, ..or whatever. Every group or community has its own ways, and new members need to know what they are going in.

If they agree with all that, you’re possibly on the way to growing.

But just remember. Do your due diligence in checking them out. We all often approach new opportunities and people with overly optimistic hope. It isn’t until later we become more realistic. Living in a close knit community can be a bit like marrying into a family. Make sure that the “family” you choose, will continue to be the family you want. You really need to get along with each other as well as possible. Someone who always seems to need to do things in a way counter to the rest of the group, or who later displays an initially hidden problem personality, can tear a group apart. Then they are going to have to leave, one way or another.
–Problem is, in a survival situation, if you banish someone, they may come back with new friends. And the “problem person” will know every single one of your weaknesses and strengths. Having them leave, (vertically), may not be an option. And that will be one of the hardest decisions you will ever have to make. Who you take in can really matter. For the good or the bad.

–Note: For the past 35 years, I have had folks living in my home, out in one of the cabins, in tents, motor homes, or in various teepees at my place. One guy was here for 20 years, others only lasted three days. There’s been homeless women with infants, recovering drunks, new age moon gazers, kids in school, some goof offs, others with no teeth and a few with too many lice. Some were good, some terrible. The suggestions in the above article are some of the ways I have developed over time in order to avoid the “terrible”. I suggest that if you are able, take in some people now during good times, give them a break, help them get on their feet, then send them on their way. In return, you will have done a good thing, and learned many lessons about how to get along with folks. You will also learn some quick and valuable lessons about how to decide who to take in. You will find the experience very helpful in the coming TEOTWAWKI.

We are currently having free Disaster Preparedness classes. Please see the Survivalist Groups “Meet-up” web page–a listing posted on Feb. 28th, listed under “Ohio & Midwest”. Lets help each other now, in order to be able help those less fortunate later. – Jim Fry, Curator, Museum of Western Reserve Farms & Equipment