Churches and amateur radio groups are obvious sources. Gun shops are also potential sources. Our group actually started due to another reason, which I won't discuss here. When organizing, the group should determine its ultimate goal, and make that very clear. Decide what the purpose will be, and also decide what you don't want to do.
We've had good fortune in that members have diverse capabilities. We try to meet at least once a month and train on various subjects. The instructors vary, dependent upon their knowledge base. Field activities are important, otherwise the group will just sit around and b.s. Once you have a good core group, the group will attract other family members and friends.
Communications are very important. We use one of the on-line messaging services, and it's active. We also stress the need for non-infrastructure communications, i.e. simplex communications. CB radios, GMRS, and MURS are all used by non-amateur licensed members. We are slowly, but surely getting more members to become licensed amateur radio operators, which opens up our communications capabilities. At this point though, I believe that every member has at least one radio capable of communicating with the group. This past week we had another member pass his Tech license exam, and supposedly another four will take the exam in early May. We're encouraging members that live further from our core group to obtain their General class amateur radio licenses, so we can communicate on the HF bands.
One thing that our group stresses, is that we are NOT a militia, and we have no interest in getting involved with opposing the government. We are a group that assists each other, and our intent is to be only defensive if there's a need to use firearms. Firearms and firearms training are important, but they're not the focus of the group, they are merely tools which are used to protect and to defend. We don't have mandatory equipment lists, or SOP's, though each family has at least one AR-15 by choice. We use what we have, and each family is responsible for their own needs. We also realize that not everyone is going to be a "shooter". We try to find a slot that fits each person's capabilities.
In our group, we have two "outposts" where folks would rally if there was a SHTF event. The two locations were decided upon because they both have livestock, and are well set-up for long term occupation. The group would divide and bug out to the two spots. Comms would be maintained between the two locations, and a quick reaction force (QRF) would be available to assist either site. The thinking is that it's not a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket. The two owners of the outposts are committed to providing all the resources available to the people at their outposts. This takes some trust on the part of outpost owners, as they're literally opening up their doors.
Age diversity is an important factor. Younger folks are needed to do some of the physical work, and older folks provide life experience insight. We're blessed in that we currently have three families with school aged children that are active in the group, and I believe we'll have a couple more joining us by the end of the year. Kids are rapid learners and they're helpful in teaching some of the older folks. Kids also remind us why we're involved with a MAG.
The group will need good leaders, who are willing to invest their time. Our group does most things by consensus, but the outpost owners have total autonomy at their locations. The leaders plan and coordinate training. We try to avoid military type organization, however we do use military methods when it's appropriate. I guess the big thing is for individuals and the group to be flexible.
