The challenges of 2012 are rooted in the need to manage and survive growth.  Our small and aging staffs are about maxed out.  We absolutely must  get some of the many new and highly qualified members into Directorships at the March 24^th Annual Meeting.  We also need help with the website, newsletter and database.  I am reasonably optimistic that we will get this help.  Our main task will be to support the chapters and their programs, but we will still conduct several national and regional events in 2012.  The Annual Meeting will be conducted at the Hammond Indiana Cabela’s store conference center on Saturday March 24^th at 1:00 PM.  The 42^nd annual Camp Independence weekend survival and self-reliance event will take place at the group camp facilities at Tippecanoe River State Park in north central Indiana between May 4^th and 6^th.  A “hard core” members and guests only survival training camp will be conducted in southern Indian on or about August 10^th.  We will again sponsor multiple local preparedness education programs in September.  Live Free will also participate in many gun shows and survival related exhibitions.  Flyers will be mailed out for these events.  Non members wanting more details can e-mail lfinow@aol.com

  Thanks to everyone for their support in 2011.  We look forward to building a self-reliance network and spreading preparedness and survival knowledge in 2012.

2011 Review and 2012 Challenges

   We started 2011 with 3 established chapters and 2 in development.. At the end of the year we have 6 established chapters and at least 4 in development. Our income was just a few hundred dollars below our expenses, but we have adequate reserve funds.  The total income and expenses were double that for the previous year. Membership grew by 150% in 2011.  The website and the national advertising accounted for only a small part of our growth.  The most successful recruiting and organizing methods continue to be person-to-person contacts and community events.  We also gained a number of highly qualified new instructors.  A database of instructors and certifications is being developed so we can service our chapter events.  Live Free conducted five Civilian Preparedness seminars and fairs in the Midwest during September (National Preparedness Month) with the support of community organizations and supplies. This is the third straight year of growth and increased activities for the organization.

It has been a while since I made an entry. We were very, very buisy in September and October doing classes and meeting new people. Membership continues to grow and we have added several new chapters and alliances as well. November and December will be devoted to planning for 2012 and 2013.  Keep two dates in mind (1) the Annual Meeting in Hammond IN on March 24th and the Camp Independance at Tippecanoe River State Park on the weekend of May 4-5-6.  The empowerment and support of Live Free chapters is a high priority for the comming years.  While each chapter may be at a different point in development and face different situations, they should have the same basic missions as followes. 
     The four prime missions of a Live Free USA chapter provide an unlimited challenge that should direct the efforts of every member indefinitely.  None of these goals can be fully achieved, but offer a path to individual security and independence.  Collectively, the success of multiple chapters and groups can make significant difference on how our communities and our nation survive and recover from the multiplicity of disasters and the general collapse of existing systems.  They are intended to provide security, and safety without sacrificing choices and freedoms.  

 1. MEMBER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SUPPORT

Support members and their families in achieving the capability to survive and recover from common short and medium tern natural and man-made disasters without the support or interference of outside agencies.  To this end, provide training, information, equipment and supplies in affordable and practical programs.

Strategic Alliances and Cooperation’s

   As world and national conditions worsen many new survival/self-reliance organizations are springing up.  Also, many existing organizations are developing survival/self-reliance programs or committees.  Live Free’s long established network, experienced core group and full menu of articles, literature and training programs put us in a great position to support and cooperated with these groups.  Our mission is to help as many Americans as possible ant way that we can.

  One recent alliance is with the Save America Foundation.  This is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping Americans survive financially.  They have speakers, seminars and programs designed to assure financial survival.  They were a bit short on some of the non-financial aspects of preparedness, so we offered to share some of our articles and perhaps do some combined programs in the future.  Some of our articles will now reach their constituency through my page on their site.  To see what they have to offer go to www.saveamericafoundation.com