Category — Events

You’ll have two chances to win at SHOT Show!  Simply come by booth #26407 at SHOT Show in Las Vegas the week of January 17th or 18th to register for the first giveaway and drop back by on January 19th or 20th to register for the second giveaway!  To register, you’ll need to find Troy at our booth and give him the appropriate secret phrase (below) to register.  It’s that simple!

Secret Phrase for January 17th and 18th: “Facta non Verba” (deeds not words)

Secret Phrase for January 19th & 20th: “Carpe Diem” (seize the day)

Two unique winners will each receive a free SPOT Emergency Satellite Instant Messenger with one year of basic service and tracking! As an added bonus,  by mentioning the secret phrases, you’ll also receive a valuable discount toward purchasing all your emergency sustainment needs through our online store.  This offer is only for those mentioning our secret phrases.  We will see you at SHOT!

Over the last few years as we have strived to provide timely, applicable, relevant, and actionable emergency preparation information through this blog resource and others, we have learned a few things.  One of our most significant lessons is that vigilant, dedicated emergency preparation simply does not come naturally to most individuals, small businesses, large businesses, government organizations and everything in between.

Such preparation is much more like a religion than a well-marketed commodity. It seems that people literally have to become converted to this religion of emergency preparation. If not truly “converted”, people completely ignore the need or, perhaps even worse, pay only “lip-service” to the concept by preparing inadequately or failing to follow through to a viable conclusion.

We have personally witnessed this lip-service syndrome with certain organizations with whom we’ve had professional dealings.  People in authority (with life preservation responsibilities) indicate they have a need, even a specific mandated requirement, to move their organization onto a solid footing of preparation.  Plans are discussed, actions agreed upon, initial steps are taken… and then… nothing. The concerted push comes up far short of the end zone (forgive the football metaphor, but it is College Bowl season after all).

As we broadly view American society from the preparedness perspective, we truly need to reflect on our nation’s collective state of mind when it’s easier to “sell” preparedness to the American public on the back of a Zombie attack, than the stark reality of the deadly tornados that struck Joplin, MO or any number of other recent global disasters. Lest we forget, the many so called contemporary mystics have obsessed over the ancient Mayan calendar and the supposed end of civilization in 2012. Consequently, we cannot in good conscience summarily dismiss the prophetic 1938 science fiction classic Flash Gordon in his relentless battle against Ming The Merciless. As you can see in this episode “Death Ray From Mars” there’s obviously a correlation between Ming’s evil intentions towards planet earth and the many global disasters that befell us in 2011, right? Truth may not always be a pleasant reality, but it is the truth!

The term provident is defined as showing foresight, providing carefully for the future, and being mindful in making provision. In support of this definition, we continue forth in our passionate efforts to convert the world to the “religion” of emergency preparation, or provident living.

We offer the following 5 categories for your careful consideration. Addressing your personal or professional needs in each category will result in a well-constructed, well-defined, well-executed emergency preparation model.

1. Personal or Business Solvency

In a world of financial uncertainty, personal and/or business solvency is nothing less than a critical consideration in your effort to live providently.  According to John Zietlow and Alan Seidner, solvency is defined as the ability of an organization to meet its long-term fixed expenses and to accomplish long-term expansion and growth. Whether it’s your personal employment in consideration or an organization or business for which you are responsible, the concept is valid. To put this in the simplest of terms – are you (as an individual, group, organization or business) living within your means?  Does your income exceed your expenses?  If not, determine what needs to change.  New job? Different business strategy? Asset liquidation? Redefining the concept of wants verses needs?  In today’s uncertain economy, it is simply not possible to place too much emphasis on financial solvency.

2. Physical Health

“If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.”  No proverb written was ever more true. Whether this is our own personal health, the health of your family or the health for those for whom you are professionally responsible, the implications are the same.  If we aren’t healthy, or promoting a healthy family, all our other emergency preparations may well be an exercise in futility.  Disasters and emergency situations bring their own significant challenges and stresses. We have to be as physically prepared as possible so that we are not compounding such difficult situations with poor health.

3. Emotional Strength

This is really just a subset of our physical health.  To be adequately prepared, our physical bodies must be kept as healthy and wholesome possible.  The same can be said of our emotional health.  Focus on keeping yourself balanced emotionally and physically.  There are a thousand definitions of what this means to people.  Simply figure out what it means to you and act to bring about that balance.  Confident and happy people are productive, effective members of families, businesses and organizations, and society as a whole. Such happiness plays a significant role in how an individual successfully deals with tragedy or disaster. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. (Thomas Merton)

4. Education

An education isn’t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don’t. (Anatole France) Keeping ourselves educated is an often over-looked, critical component to our emergency preparation plans and efforts. Continuing education in the fundamental and advanced concepts of emergency preparation or provident living must be an ongoing, essential element of our master EP plans. A very appropriate military saying applies. “No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.”

5. Emergency Provisions

This last category is where all the “typical” emergency preparation items are found.  Food, water, medical supplies, sanitation, personal hygiene, emergency communications, emergency lighting, tools, etc.  This, of course, is a vital category to be sure.  Let’s just not neglect the other categories listed here as they all have a direct and significant impact on this last one which is the one category that often captures all our attention.

Living Providently

If you can adequately address your own personally defined action items within each of these delineated categories, you will be fully and completely prepared for whatever may come.  You will indeed be living providently.

Facta non Verba

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11^th as Veterans Day and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace.  It is this very cause of peace and protection of our freedom for which so many of our fellow Americans have dedicated their lives and to which so many have sacrificed their lives.  Veterans Day, however, is not the day we only remember those who have died protecting this great Nation.  It is also very much a day we remember those dedicated men and women who are serving you and I in this capacity at this very moment… those who will continue to serve the rest of their lives from a wheelchair missing both legs, and for others bravely struggling to regain their lives through use of prosthetic limbs, and others still who no longer can see or no longer hear.  It is for all these brave soldiers, young and old, active duty or retired, alive and well or struggling against seemingly impossible physical impairments that today we say thank you.  May God bless you for your service, dedication and bravery.  May the people of the greatest nation on Earth never, ever forget the service of men and women of the greatest military on Earth.

Let us all seek to make every day “Veterans Day”. Whenever we see an American Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine or Guardsman, may we all take just a few seconds to thank them for the sacrifices they make every single day to protect the United States of America.

On a personal note, we wish to express our gratitude to a great veteran from our own family who served this country during some of our most perilous times. We will truly miss you, Cousin Cliff.

Oct 25 2011

New Mexico, Rio Rancho

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Clifford William Morrow, 96, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, died Thursday, October 13, 2011 in Albuquerque, NM. He was born March 11, 1915 to William Noah and Caroline Mae (Emmons) Morrow in Milan Ohio.

 Lieutenant Colonel “Cliff” Morrow graduated from Milan High School in 1933 and attended Georgetown University. Colonel Morrow entered the armed forces with the 145th Infantry of the Ohio National Guard’s 37th Division. He commanded L Company, 145th Infantry in the assault of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands and was awarded the Silver Star Medal for Gallantry in Action.

 During the defense of the American forces beach head on Bougainville, Colonel Morrow commanded G Company, 145th Infantry, in defense of Hill 700 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. Later, he left the South Pacific Theater of Operations and was assigned to the 7th Army Headquarters as an air-ground liaison officer with the 324th Fighter Bomber Wing of the U.S. Army Air Corps.

 During the Korean Police Action, Colonel Morrow commanded the 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry, during the action on “Pork Chop Hill” and was awarded a second Bronze Medal for Valor. Colonel Morrow also held other military decorations including the Combat Infantry Badge with Star for service as an infantryman in two wars and the Distinguished Marksman Badge for excellence in marksmanship competitions.

 For a time, Cliff served as a conservation officer with the Ohio Division of Natural Resources. He was instrumental in creating the preserve known as Magee Marsh Wildlife Area near Lake Erie. He also served as a training officer for the Ohio National Guard. In 1963, Colonel Morrow began working for the National Rifle Association (NRA) as the coordinator for their national matches. He later became the director of Hunting and Conservation Activities for the NRA and organized the Hunting and Conservation Division, which was later named the Hunter Services Division. Colonel Morrow retired in 1977 and made his home in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. He was the published author of three books.

 Private services will be held with interment at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date is to be determined.