Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Most of the decision making of our little group is done by consensus. So far most of the group decisions have been well thought out and benefit the group as a whole. An example is a discussion as to whether we should carry guns or not. There were many arguments both pro and con. Ultimately we decided to carry one (or perhaps two)shotguns kept primarily to protect us from marauding bears. With proper preparation and Canadian registration we should be OK.

One of the most difficult parts of this trip is how to decide who should ride with us and who should not. I have met several of the riders on the Internet and although I have met most in person, there have been several I have not met. It is going to be difficult to determine if someone is compatible with the group's collective personality just over the Internet.

When we started this adventure in Oct. or Nov. last year, Erica and I decided that we wanted to limit the total number to 10 riders. This seemed to be a good compromise with enough of a critical mass to protect each other from just about any threat or problem but not so many as to become unwieldy. So far, the nine remaining (as of Feb. '07) appear to be pretty compatible.

One personality trait that both Erica and I have become pretty leery of is the "Loner." The Loner is someone who feels that he does not need the support of the group to survive and that he is better off doing things by himself. The loner does not participate in group discussions but tends to bitch at group decisions. This is kind of like someone who doesn't vote but complains about the results of the election. It is the tyranny of the majority but that's the way we do things around here.

We don't want any loners traveling with us because they will not understand the group dynamic and may be somewhat disruptive or, at the very least, will not be an active part of the group. In a serious medical emergency, the loner will probably not know what to do because he hasn't taken the initiative to understand each of our potential limitations.

It is ironic, though, that each of us has to be a loner to some extent, particularly if we get left behind because of a mechanical, medical or other problem. While I don't think we will abandon anyone out in the middle of the Yukon Territory, someone with a major problem could very well be expected to make it on his/her own once we got to a center of civilization.

The other thing that is disruptive is when an individual decides that he will do whatever he wants despite a group decision to the contrary and despite the fact that his behavior will have a disruptive effect on the group. A person of this type will not last too long with us either. We have had to ask several people to "bugger off", not that we want to be mean but that we feel that individual will be better off with some other group or perhaps traveling by himself.