Questions about Communes

I'm 16, and seriously considering living on a commune when I turn 18. I've been looking into some things about it, but I have so many questions.
Do you need some kind of skill? Do you work outside the commune to provide financial support or are they self sufficient?
Any information anyone could give me would be much appreciated.

 

It's always great to hear of fresh intrest. They can be self sufficient, if well organized. Within practical respects however young communes are probably going to need outside income to survive or a reserve of funds untill a method of sulf-sustinance can be accomplished. Skills are certainly desired ussually, but in most cases little else is truely required other than a willingness to learn, and openminded nature. Communes are very diffrent though, truely without an extremely uniform standard so you should look into the value's beleifs and requirments of some communes before truely deciding what you think of it.
www.freewebs.com/ethn-eco/
(Willpower,Myself)
www.co-operativeeffort.com
(Rabbit,Willow)
www.feelfreefarmproject.org
(hippiehillbilly,dilligaf)
those are the ones on this forum, others can be gound at www.ic.com I beleive

 

Thank you so much for the information.

I'm especially interested in ethn-eco. I hope by the time I can be involved in it, there will be room.

Where is it?

 

we're gonna be up in Maine by the town of Dover-Foxcroft.

 

Sorry, for all the questions, but...

How many people are in the community?

 

You could start your own commune if you wanted.

 

no problem at all, I love the intrest, I ain't keepin the score on members though, that's all willpower, Ill shoot out a ballbark of 5-6 though.

 

I am glad you are interested!


I have seriously thought of getting one started when I become of age in Alabama. But I got to have people that would want to join in.

I think it would be nice if everyone that was part of a commune specialized in something different. So everyone benefits.

There are awesome places in Alabama to start one up, lots of land that has been unspoiled by civilization.

 

nature freak are you looking to start a farm type commune with an income or one where the members have independant finances?

 

kinda Like a farm type thing, or like they were on the movie the Beach, everyone shares. But it would still be cool for people to have specialized talent

But like I said I am only 16 and my parents are probably going to make me go to college, which isnt a bad thing, I would like to learn as much as I can about botany, which will probably be what I major in, that or Astronomy

 

if your parents make you go to college you better make the time worth it and learn about something your interested in and passionate about.

 

your parents can't make you go to college, you'll realize this more the closer you come to graduating, or maybe they'll stay authoritarian right up to the end, whose to say. Make sure your doing it because your passionate about the knowledge though, and not enticity by the lucritive nature of the path.

 

actually - most people that go to college don't make that much money anyways.

So don't be fooled into thinking its a lucritive path either! College trains you for J-O-B's. and JOBS have owners of the company - they make the real money.

 

even in a high paying profession like Nursing or being a Doctor - the CEO of the Hospital (Or Hospital Conglomerate for that matter) makes way bigger bucks then the Doctor or Nurse.

Sounds like it'd be good to go for plant knowledge tho. =)

 

Im just going from the fact 75% of people now cite money as there main drive for entering college where as it was 25% in the 70s/early 80s. The other half cite obviously fundamental drive for knowledge, it is our destined regression to babylon though as indifference and materialism come to rule the hearts of the majority.

 

People who enter college make more money than those who don't. The problem is that now everyone is getting a college degree, so specialization and certification are the keys to getting a good job.

But remember, you don't need a job and money to live or be happy. That's what alot of these communes are all about.

 

Here is my two cents... and it's good so please regard this.

If you go to college:
1) know that if (IF) your parents don't pay and you sign up for LOANs like Stafford loans etc... you will haveto pay them off when you graduate and that is not as easy as it sounds. What this means is you will HAVETO at that point get a job in mainstream society and STICK WITH IT... because if you flake you will not be able to pay off your loans. If you can't pay off your loans you may go into default after 3 years and then you can count on your credit going bad and never owning anything. Not that this has happened to me (yet) but I must earn a masters degree now to ensure that it does'nt. To re-iterate, signing off on college loans binds you to the mainstream and you cannot just go live on a commune after that. So pick a specialty as stated about, make sure you have a skill ie: A LICENSE to do something. They can't fuck with you as much when you have a license. IE: physical therapy, radiology, teaching lic, or a specialized degree like botany, environmental science or pre-med. whatever, you even need a license to be a massage therapist in most states. The Dept of Labor online has a huge list of careers, what they are like and what they pay.


2) If your parents pay, well good for you. I Advise that ,either way, someone like yourself do what you can to attend a liberal university, IE: Those on the coast of northern CA, Boone NC, Boulder CO, Maine and NH, NYC, Boston, etc.

Good Luck, have fun but stay focused,
and remember "don't underestimate the power of the dark side"

 

THey are not completly forcing me to go, my dad has always told me, knowledge is one thing people can never take away from you. I make good grades in school, and we are on a limited income, plus I am almost half Native American. So my college will be free or I will get grants/scholarships. The problem is what I would major in really. I mean I would rather go to a 2 year community college, and go into Horticulture or some form of Botany, but if I went for 6 I would want something to do with Astronomy. But more than likely even if I do go to college, later I will live/ have a long visit, at a commune.

 

Grades don't messure knowledge or even understanding; grade messaure how well you assimilate yourself into the system. If you really see yourself as not wanting to join the working world, take classes that teach you real world skills like farming and medicine. If nothing else you can always have yuor headlights pointed at the dawn.

 

That would be me, I can not see my self in any type of job, other than something to do with Botany or something.

I can def. see me in a commune, applying what I know to help everyone out.