In this episode of The Doom and Bloom(tm) Survival Medicine Hour, Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy interview old friend Charley Hogwood, author of the new and unique book MAGS: The People Part of Prepping. In his book, Charley discusses how to form and manage a mutual assistance group in tough times. He talks about just about every factor involved in being successful as a group, even if everything else fails. The podcast below is part 1 of a detailed discussion of how to put together a well-organized community in a true survival scenario.
We were honored to write the foreword to MAGS: The People Part of Prepping. I hope that you’ll get a copy of the book, as I believe it is unique and is a well-written discussion on an important topic most do not consider seriously. I recommend it highly.
I think you’ll enjoy my interview with Charley on our latest podcast: Survival Medicine Hour: Charley Hogwood Interview on mutual assistance groups.
MAGS: The People Part of Prepping
How to plan, build, and organize a mutual assistance group in a survival situation
FOREWORD
by Joe Alton, M.D. aka Dr. Bones
(dr. bones says: I’ve placed the Foreword here to give you a taste of what the book is about)
The decision to adopt disaster preparedness as a philosophy is usually arrived at privately. At one point or another, a light bulb turns on above your head: Maybe it’s a good idea to start accumulating supplies to assure your continued success if, for some reason, everything else fails.
Firstly, congratulations! You have become a member of a worldwide community that, while a small percentage of the total population, will have the best chance of surviving a major catastrophe and rebuild society. That community, however, is far-flung and fragmented. You’ll need to figure out a way to network locally with like-minded folks to put together what I sometimes call a “village”: A set of people with differing skills and knowledge that can help each other in times of trouble. An individual may survive, but it takes a village to thrive.
In one of my lectures, I use a slide that I call “The first thing you’ll need to stay healthy in a survival scenario”. The slide is a black and white photo of a forlorn-looking creature known as a Tasmanian Wolf. If I wanted a picture of a wolf, why not pick a magnificent red or gray wolf? Simply, because the Tasmanian Wolf is extinct, and so will you be, if you don’t have enough people cooperating to perform the activities of daily survival. So the first thing you’ll need to stay healthy is a community. The concept of community is as old as time itself, but few rugged individualists realize its absolute necessity. Without it, even the most prepared person will do little more than eke out a miserable existence.
So how to put together that group of like-minded folks? Very few books address this subject, and this is why I was glad to see that Charley Hogwood has finally decided to put his extensive knowledge of the subject in print. I have known Charley Hogwood for many years now. His list of accomplishments are extensive and I have been impressed with his efforts to put together local mutual assistance groups. At last, here is useful information, in plain English, on how to exponentially increase your chances of survival after a major calamity.
Charley doesn’t put out a manifesto of “Do it my way, or you won’t make it”. There are many ways to skin the proverbial cat, and there are many ways to put together and manage a mutual assistance group. He doesn’t necessarily guarantee that this is an easy road to travel. He does, however, give you several reasonable strategies that will help you organize.
No other book has devoted itself to this important issue. In this book, you’ll find every factor involved in putting together a successful group discussed in detail. From picking a location to setting up rules to dealing with conflict, Charley Hogwood explains it all for you.
Without realizing it, Mr. Hogwood has even put together a new community by writing this book: Those that realize the importance of working together to work for the common good. This community will be a diverse lot, but will have one thing in common. They’ll have this book in their survival library.
Joe Alton, M.D. aka Dr. Bones
