part0044

Over the next month, Rick visited the other CSCs. He was impressed with what the government had accomplished, but not so impressed with the other local leaders.

They left him uncomfortable. They all reminded him of Major Watkins. All out for a power grab. At the same time, he realized that he left them very uncomfortable. He made the visits in uniform at David Paul’s suggestion. They were all wanted to be. He was the real deal.

He had no doubt that with the Federal help they could control their local areas. The question was what they would do with that control. He expressed his concerns to Paul. Paul told him that they agreed with his assessment and that he had just passed another test. DHS's intention was to replace every one of them with true local control; the problem was identifying the correct leaders.

Rick thought about that for a few days and came back with the suggestion that they should make contact with local volunteer firemen, scout leaders, the civil air patrol, and the HAM radio clubs. They had a track record of being involved with the local community because they believed in it, and they had proven that they could make things happen. He didn’t limit his thoughts to those groups but expressed the idea that they were the type of people they were looking for. There were probably other groups that met these criteria.

When Rick shared these thoughts with David Paul, Paul got a very thoughtful look on his face. “You know Rick; we were looking at all the official organizations that are part of the local government. We never thought of the volunteers, but as soon as you brought it up, I know this will be the source of the people we need.”

“There will be people in the official positions that cross over, but we didn’t know how to separate the people that are good for the community from the drones. Unfortunately, the government has become a stereotype for a reason.”

“So anyway Rick, how would you identify the key local person?”

“I would get a representative from each of those volunteer groups. I would interview them as to who they thought the local leaders were. I would then come up with a reason to give psychological and skill tests to them to ensure the right mix of people. I would then bring them together in several exercises to see who emerges as the true leader of the group.”

Paul continued, “While we are on Leadership issues, there is one that I have been putting off.”

“What is that,” inquired Rick ?

“Paul and Mary Kettler aren’t cut out to be the interfaces with the outside working groups. Paul delights in telling them they are government drones living off the backs of the honest working man. Mary isn’t much better. This doesn’t lead to open communication.”

“I’m not even saying they are wrong. However, they have to realize that the people they are dealing with are the best of the best. The real drones are hidden in the bureaucracy and will never be found. All they are doing is alienating the people who are trying to help them.”

“I wish I could say you are wrong, but I can’t. I will take care of it. I think I may have an idea to make this a win-win.

After Paul from DHS left, Marsha had an amused look on her face.

“What’s so funny,” Rick inquired.

“You, you have been set up again. Want to bet who will be up to his eyeballs in interviews for both the outside groups and Mary and Paul?”

This stopped Rick in his tracks. He had one of his many cups of coffee in hand and almost spilled it.

“You are kidding, right?”

“Nope saw that one coming a mile away.” “

I don’t think you are right, want to bet on it? ”

“Sure I could use a break from washing dishes for a month.”

“Lawn mowing season is coming up. You can do the first month.”

“You got a bet!”

Rick invited Paul and Mary over for dinner the next night. His intention was to have a nice dinner, then bring up the painful subject after the meal was concluded. This wasn’t to be.

They were barely in the house before Paul started. “Rick, Mary, and I have to get off those committees. They are driving us crazy. I know they are good people, but they just can’t see that they aren’t really contributing to society.”

“Isn’t what they are doing contributing?”

“Yeah now, they are practically at the point of a gun. They would be happy to be sitting there doing nothing and collecting a check.”

“That may be, but they are now contributing. What do you have in mind?

“We have been paid to attend those meetings. Mary is thinking of opening a day-care center to help with the income. ”

For some reason, Marsha went into a coughing fit. It couldn’t have had anything to do with her trying to imagine Mary running a day-care center for children.

Mary didn’t look real pleased with the thought and mumbled something about, “little snots.”

Smothering his own laughter Rick stated, “This could help me with a couple of problems. One Marsha and I are gone so often we can’t take care of the house and grounds as we should. How about we hire you at the same rate you have been making?

Paul jumped all over that, “That sounds great, what is the other thing?”

“I know you and Mary have been involved in scouting, both Boy and Cub. I would like you to revamp the program for us locally. Also start with the old basics, not the current program.”

“What are you looking for?”

Well, you know that Baden-Powell wrote a Handbook for Scouts to fill a need that he had when he was in the field. There were many young soldiers from England, who knew nothing about surviving in the outdoors. It became so popular with youngsters in England it was described as the Scouting Movement.”

“It had no organization until King George had two problems which he used to solve one another. One was he couldn’t advance Baden-Powell any further in the Military, and second was a huge juvenile delinquency rate, at that time. The young men didn’t have enough to do. So the King asked Baden-Powell to set up an official Scouting program.”

“I am faced with a similar situation, Paul. I won’t lie to you. You aren’t happy with your advisory groups. They aren’t happy with you. Hiring you to take care of the grounds at a fair wage takes care of your income problems and our grounds keeping issues. Revamping the Scouting training and literature will help train our youth for what is to come.”

Rick didn’t add, “And it will save a lot of toddlers from learning many bad words.”

Rick brought out a box of literature; it included copies of the first Boy Scout Handbooks and even a rare copy of Baden-Powell’s Handbook for Scouts.

“Use these as the foundation. I suggest you involve the more experienced Scout and Cub Masters and Commissioners, of course, don’t let Council get wind of this, or they will freak out.”

When Rick told David Paul about the changes with Mary and Paul, he was more than satisfied.

Rick didn’t complain as he did the dishes all through August as he now had Paul Kettler taking care of the yard. It was July before David Paul called him and told him that teams had done the first local volunteer group interviews. He would be part of the interview team now that people had been tested for skills and mindset.

“Why am I going to be part of the interview process?”

“It is part of positioning you in these people’s minds as the head honcho of the CSCs.”

“Can I get a set of Head Honcho rank badges?”

“I think you are wearing them now Rick”

“I guess, but I thought maybe six or eight stars might be more appropriate for this lash-up.”

“Why are you so cynical?”

“Well, it seems to me like we are imposing this like a banana republic. We aren’t giving them any choice in the matter.”

“Rick this is one area where we do have more expertise than you. If this played out on its own locally, we would end up with the wrong people in charge, and they would be second-guessing you and trying to take over. We are just trying to ensure that we end up with the best we have in charge both locally and nationally.”

“You have more faith in me than I do,” replied Rick.

“Rick the more I work with you the more convinced I am that you are the right person for the job. Besides we have a secret weapon in place to keep you on the straight and narrow.”

“What’s that?”

“How ready are the other sites,” inquired Rick and also changing the subject.

“About 65% is our best guess. Yours is at 95%. Food and medicines are in place. Raw material stocks are there. The infrastructure is complete. Key professions have been recruited, and most have moved in. About the only thing left are the niceties; like theaters and bowling alleys. Even those are started. If things went to hell tomorrow you could make it.”

“Could the other groups make it?”

“Doubtful, though new key personnel have been identified, there is no real leadership that has been generally accepted. But the worse thing is that they don’t have any barriers up to keep them isolated.”

“We must be okay there, but I haven’t been out to look at them.”

“Rick the Berlin Wall wasn’t as stout as what we have in place. The entire valley has been walled off. Reporters have been all over us wondering why this is being done. If we didn’t have the FISA courts on our side, it would be headlined every day. As it is I don’t know how long it can be kept quiet. The blogosphere has been chattering for a while, but it has been the conspiracy sites at this point. That will change.”

“Where we do have to talk about it, we will present it as an exercise in urban planning. It is a test case for a balanced community. From one point of view that is exactly what it is. From a larger perspective, it is also a balanced country. One of the things we have kept track of is demographics. The percentages of just about any group that you can think of are very close to the country as a whole. Only felons and the hidden groups like pedophiles may be underrepresented. We didn’t move any known felons out, but we didn’t invite any in. I don’t think they will be missed.”

“How is the computer center coming along?” Rick asked.

“You don’t rival NSA, but you have a heck of a lot. Literally, all of the libraries of the world are included. The whole area is linked with the new ultra-fast fiber optics and the latest Wi-Fi. We have provided beefed-up computers to every business and household at a much-reduced rate. Because of this, the kids in this area are cleaning up on all the online games. We have six world record holders in this area. That has become noticeable in the gaming world, but again hasn’t made the mainstream yet.”

“We are on the verge of the CSC’s existence going national. When it does, they will become a Mecca for survivalists, and we will lose our ability to function as we should. It will become a free-fire zone as the crazy’s show up, then if there are real problems later the CSCs won’t be able to carry out their mission. We are about at wit's end of what to do.”

“Short of buttoning down in here and putting up a clear zone outside your walls, there isn’t much we will be able to do. That option isn’t open anyway. The current administration just about had a heart attack when they were briefed on the CSC’s existence. They don’t fit in with their equality for all plans. Christ, I don’t know how many more of these ' equalities for all’ plan’s our nation can survive!”

“Slow down David you are going to have a heart attack. What will be, will be, nothing is worth frothing at the mouth like that,” said Rick.

“I know, but we have put so much effort into this, I hate to see it going down the tube. The administration will use any excuse to pull the plug.”

Later when he related that conversation to Marsha, she told him, “It might have been more convincing if you haven’t been known to froth a little yourself.”