An Account

Of

River’s Militia’s Initiation

At the time of this paper’s publication, River’s Militia will have been 1 year old from the day of its Initiation on September 28, 2018. Since it's been a year, I feel it has been way overdue to have a solid documentation of what happened on that fateful day and even the days, weeks, and months after. So here I am writing down the history of the Militia from my quite centralized point of view. I wish I could say I remembered a year ago like it was yesterday, but I'm only human. However, I have used concrete dates and other events around the Initiation to offer the best timeline I can come up with. Without further adieu, let's get into the significant (although relatively recent) history of River’s Militia.

With this account, I want to point out not only the events significant to the beginnings of the Militia, but to also describe the inspiration for the ideals and structure that make the Militia what it is today. So we will begin a little less than a week before Initiation day on Saturday the 22nd of September. That morning, coastlines from around the world were being cleansed by volunteers contributing to the Coastal Cleanup. I participated in the efforts by helping to pick up trash and debris on my local beach. While volunteering, I was inspired by the effort people put in to a kind cause, and that gave me the initial, and somewhat rough, idea for River’s Militia. 

Presumably, the next few days I spent planning the Militia, or maybe it was just at the back of my mind. I am not sure what I was thinking, but I do know what happens next. The fateful day arrives. Just before lunch, I tell Eric about my plans. While walking out of the cafeteria, I offer some free food to Laithan. I told him that in return he must join River’s Militia and make a hand sign. Actually, if I recall correctly, it was originally called the Riverian Militia, and we must not forget that the original hand sign was much different to the iconic one used today. Either way, the Militia grew. I offered everyone at the table food, and all became part of it. It was from these beginnings our first slogan arose: ”Join River’s Militia; sometimes you may get free food!”. This, naturally, increased our membership by quite a bit over lunch. 

After that eventful luncheon, we all set out to the fields. If I am not mistaken, it was during this migration that River’s Militia became the definitive name. The campaign around the fields started at the swings. There I introduced all to River’s Militia and was met with acceptance, if not enthusiasm, for my cause. Additionally, I was informed by Kaiden that the hand sign we were using was not appropriate for the Militia. So, I created the hand sign we all know and love. From the swings I set off on my journey, along with faithful others, to spread the word. 

From the ditches and the Chalice Tree to the basketball court and the football field, members were being initiated left and right. After my first round, I returned to the swings to regroup. There, I was subdued, and I had no choice but to forfeit the Militia, or at least, my leadership of it. The successor was now The Boss, and his name is classified (but it's actually Mathew). Looking back now, I’m glad this acquisition occurred. I don’t believe the Militia would have grown to what it is if not for the fact that I was not the real head honcho. Having a superior makes you more accountable and less power-hungry. All in all, I’m thankful for being a servant for the Militia, and I was acceptant of it back then too. However, The Boss’s first order of business was quite painful for me to execute.

River’s Militia was over. The Boss ordered me to backtrack on my campaign and tell all that the Militia was no more. Many were outraged. Some members offered to overthrow The Boss and bring the Militia back to life, but I could not allow that. Although the Militia had just begun and had already expired, I knew that violence is not what it stood for. Upon the completion of my bitter errand, I returned to The Boss. I asked him what was next. I was quite confused as to why he would abolish the Militia just after he had obtained it. In actuality, the Militia had not been canceled; it was just being renamed. The Boss gave me a new assignment: to spread Mathew’s Militia, and he even made a new sign. So I set off, overjoyed that the Militia was still alive. I enthusiastically attempted to spread the Militia by its new name and sign. However, the audience did not receive the change of name as well. I assured them that Mathew’s Militia was just as good as its predecessor, and any Militia was better than no Militia at all. They were not convinced and insisted that it would always be River’s Militia.

I returned to The Boss and informed him of my failure. I can’t remember if he was surprised by the rejection or just disappointed. Either way, he decided it was best if we kept it River’s Militia and continued to spread it. So once again I cheered of River’s Militia throughout the fields and spread the joy of its continuation. Titles started being developed for some members: Eric would become the minister of the Militia and read prophecies from the Holy Planner, Laithan would become president of River’s Militia (a role later transitioned to just being over the 8th grade), Mathew would call himself the Enforcer and initiate people with a process that involved throwing leaves at the initiate. And at the very end of day as everyone was leaving the fields, a line of initiation leaves was set up across the pass that everyone had to walk over. Although we had gotten most of middle school in the Militia before this, there was no doubt that they all, in one way or another, were now part of it.

At present, I have realized how many celebrations share the same week with Initiation Day. I don’t think this takes away from Initiation Day. Quite the contrary, these events strengthen the significance of the Militia and positively influence its ideals. I am lucky to have started my cause alongside the  Last year, Estuary Day, a significant event for our community, was being held after school. I was volunteering there, so after the start of the Militia during school, the movement continued full force b at the Estuary. All-in-all, it was quite the eventful day. After I was done volunteering, I texted everyone in my phone about River’s Militia. During a text strand with Alex, I started considering the logistics of the Militia and how it would work. Would we have a flag or currency? Do we have any rules or laws? What will our social structure be? What was the Militia, really?

Eventually, through time and age, these questions would develop answers. The culture and structure of the Militia grew into what it is today as the people that join influence it and it influences them. Back when the Militia was brand new, however, we did not really have that much of  purpose. I knew I wanted to do good with the Militia, but back then it was just a group that people joined just to join it. Sure, after awhile it became a sort of trend to join it, but I wanted the Militia to be so much more than that. We just needed a cause. 

Unfortunately, that cause came crashing into our faces and communities. Hurricane Micheal hit the Florida Panhandle on October 10th, 2018 as a Category 4 Hurricane, the first ever to hit the Panhandle in recorded history. Micheal directly hit Mexico Beach, a community near the Militia’s center of influence. Many friends were now homeless. I knew the Militia had to do something about it. We had to help. This was also realized by our school’s chapter of the Junior Beta Club, and we fundraised quite a bit to help those affected by the Hurricane. Although it wasn’t directly River’s Militia doing the fundraising, everyone in Beta Club were very influential members of the Militia and a perfect example of what I wanted the Militia to be. 

Although I felt proud of Beta Club’s accomplishments, I wanted to have a way for the central part of River’s Militia to raise money. The idea would come to me when I was walking down the hall one day. Jordan handed me two dollars and told me to keep it. He said it was for the Militia. After thinking about it, I decided to count the donation sort of like an investment into the central company of River’s Militia. So by donating $2.00, Jordan had bought 40% of the company from The Boss. Knowing this, you could say the Militia was a company, but I don’t think it’s that simple. I like to think that back when The Boss acquired the Militia, he just obtained the rights to associate himself with the center of River’s Militia. In its entirety however, the Militia is an idea, a cause, that will spread to person to person, each one controlling their own interpretation of the syndicated concept. Maybe I'm going too deep with that, but that's what I truly believe and want the Militia to be.

Back on track, after Jordan invested into the Militia, Kaiden also got interested in buying part of the company. So the River’s Militia Stock Exchange started as those two competing for a majority share, but soon others joined in. Early on, we used a portion of the capital generated from the investors to donate to the canned food drive, but we knew that we wanted the largest portion of the proceeds to go alongside the Beta Donation. So I wrote up An Agreement and it was official. At the end of the school year, the funds would accumulate to one hundred dollars from the investors and one thousand from Beta. We donated the funds to the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association (MBARA), who was accepting donations on behalf of the City of Mexico Beach. With these funds, the city would be able to apply for grants by using them as matching funds. It felt good to know we made an impact on their recovery. River’s Militia’s contribution might seem measly when compared to the base Beta funds, but keep in mind that the Stock Exchange wasn’t really a fundraiser. It gave me a whole set of superiors, instead of one all powerful boss, and it was a way for particularly enthusiastic members to strengthen their influence on the Militia and really call it their own. 

Genuinely, however, the Militia is not something to be held by one person or even by a group of generous individuals. It is a Militia for all. Those that choose to hold the Militia to a higher significance in their lives will in turn be held higher in the Militia, but we must not forget why the Militia was created in the first place. May we never exclude anyone who we could call our brethren. May we always be not only acceptant but kind to others. May the Militia thrive onwards and upwards.

On that sentimental note, I believe I will pause this narrative for now. However, that does not mean this account is complete. Quite the opposite, I must first let history occur before I can record it. So here’s to letting this already elongated essay grow to lengths unimaginable as the Militia matures to greatness.

Associated Accounts vol. 1

Community Section of Militia Memories

Hello, my name is Olivia Barineau, and I would like to say that Rivers Militia has changed my life for the better. I wake up everyday proud to say I'm an active member of the Militia. I've been the Militias A1 since Day1 and personally, I am quite close with most people in the Militia. We are the Militia, we are powerful, and we are a FAMILY. I am an investor in the Militia and investing is a great idea because all our investments go towards great causes such as when Hurricane Michael destroyed Mexico Beach, we as Rivers Militia decided to donate funds towards the unfortunate people who were affected.  

4 Years Later

Written September 28th, 2022

How time flies. You could consider the end of my previous account naive or even pretentious; it is true that the ambitious outlook did not quite accurately reflect what would come. However, I would argue the statement was more ambiguous than ambitious, and history has occurred nonetheless. The Militia is still alive as I am still here to document, both facts upholding the reality of the other. 

So what has occurred since the last account? Close to that same time, The Boss finally decided to turn over control of his M shares to me as the steward of them and under certain conditions. This was an exciting development and a hopeful time, as I intended for these shares to be under the control of the entirety of the Militia's membership, fulfilling the ideal of the Militia being for all. Well, I am sure you are all aware of what occurred just less than half a year after the publication on September 28th, 2019. I am of course speaking of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global quarantine that plagued us, depending on your national and local mandates as well as personal actions, for a great deal of time. Personally, my Spring Break got extended from a week to seventeen months as I did not return to physical school until August 2021, a time span that all but erased Initiation Day 2020. This of course diminished the relevance of the Militia for that period, and almost no investments were collected. The Militia was still in the memories of its members, however, and, upon my return, talk of it resurfaced. I ended up giving out candy on Initiation Day 2021, a callback to the Militia's origins. 

That school year also harbored an explosion of investments, specifically 72 investments (23 more than all investments prior) totaling over $300. Despite this, the Militia, under my leadership, has failed to pursue any charitable cause. The business side of things became the central focus of the Militia but to the detriment of its original goal. People even began thinking they must invest to be in the Militia, which is in great opposition to the Militia's mission of active inclusion. As President/CEO, however, I hold a great duty to the shareholders, even now after becoming the steward of the M shares and therefore controlling a plurality of all outstanding shares.  Throughout the quarantine, although talk of the Militia was either quiet or unable to travel, I still endeavored to finish the programming for the River's Militia Stock Exchange to allow investors to be able to have an accurate account of how many shares and how much of the Militia they own as well as advising them on how best to proceed with their investments. As the explosion of investments came in, however, this process became a more and more distant goal to complete, requiring recoding, bug fixing, and even whole paradigm shifts as to how to think of shares in the Militia. I feel as though I am close to getting it, but, then again, I have thought similarly throughout this entire process.

These new investors and investments made me realize I needed to better codify how the shares of the Militia and the structure of the Militia itself worked. Therefore, upon the request of an investor, I authored two documents: Statement of Shareholder's Understanding and Codification of the Organization of River's Militia. Taken together, they describe and explain the processes that had already been occurring in the Militia, the subsequent structure created by these processes, and the foundation it all rests. As the Statement explains, River's Militia in its structure of ownership is bound together by honor as it is not an entity in any legal sense nor can any agreements be legally enforced. It has always been a goal, thusly included in the Codification, to incorporate River's Militia as a system of corporations, however. The main corporation that owns the intellectual property of River's Militia would be a for-profit entity, with shares distributed exactly as they stood at the time of incorporation. Another non-profit corporation would also be made and then given the M shares that I steward. Directors of this non-profit would be elected by the whole of the Militia, each member getting one vote. It is also through this corporation that River's Militia would make its charitable donations. This plan has some issues surrounding costs, staffing, and/or legality depending on how we were to file. The bottom line is, it would just be too expensive, even with all the investments.

So, my current strategy has been to buy back shares. As the sole member of the Board of Directors, I have stopped issuing shares except for today, September 28th, if anyone contacts me beforehand and wants to buy shares they may. Otherwise, no new investors should become shareholders. Perhaps this fate is quite sad, but I do intend for River's Militia to give a charitable donation this year, likely alongside Beta again as the Militia has a contract with them. Any shareholder who is owed dividends, once they are calculated, is entitled to receive them, and as Treasurer I will endeavor to get them their money. I will be asking them, however, whether they would like to donate their dividends to the charitable donation, and if so I will do so in their name.  In any case, I will do my duties that I am honor-bound to do, and I will make sure, to the best of my ability, that shareholder's accounts will be settled and their rights maintained.

Whatever the future for River's Militia holds, we shall never forget the memories. The Militia has been a very important part of my life, and I know a lot of other people admire it and remember it fondly, the sentiment I have seen today confirms that. Thanks for sticking around. Till next time, Long Live River's Militia.

5 Year Anniversary

Written September 28th, 2023

I woke up this morning and realized it has been five years since the initiation of River's Militia. My previous accounts above have already made a point of saying how fleeting the nature of time is, but it should really not go understated. Or, maybe it should, who knows? In any case, not much has changed with the Militia. Following the rules change, there have only been three more issuances of shares this past year. However, today is in fact September 28th, so you can contact me if you wish to buy shares (provided you already own shares in the Militia).  Sadly, I also have failed to choose a cause for River's Militia to donate to, but I will choose one eventually.

Despite the relative stagnancy of the Militia,  my life has seen a great deal of changes in the past year, and I am sure many of you personally share that sentiment. If you so feel inclined, I encourage you to fill out the below form. You don't have to put any memories about the Militia like it says; if you want you can just share how life's been. And if this is somehow the first time you are hearing of this "River's Militia" (You may have read the silly flyer I posted, in that case, I hope the accounts above give a satisfactory explanation of what the Militia was/is), you are also welcome to submit responses. What would also be greatly appreciated would be if you submitted ideas for charitable donations to help me decide.

This is a short entry, but I knew I had to say at least something for this occasion. I will end off with some final words to you: time moves on and things fade away, but we can always look back at the memories. I hope to see you all again someday. Happy 5-year Anniversary of River's Militia.