WATCHMAN : SURVIVAL RETREAT OPERATIONS MANUAL
GOVERNANCE // ROLES // SECURITY // RESOURCES // PROTOCOLS  ·  MODULE 06  ·  OFFLINE EDITION  ·  v2.0
COMMAND SUITE
HELP  ·  SROM
User Manual
Full illustrated guide to every screen. Hover any acronym for its meaning.
WATCHMAN:SROM
SURVIVAL RETREAT OPERATIONS MANUAL  ·  MODULE 06

User Manual

Plain-language guide. No experience needed.
If you can fill out a form, you can build your group's operations manual. Read this once, then keep it in the binder.

This guide assumes you have never opened this module before and explains everything from zero. It walks you through what the tool does, what each screen is for, and how to turn your answers into a printed, signed governance manual for your group. Work through it in order the first time. After that, use the contents list to jump to what you need.

CONTENTS

What's in here

SECTION 1

What this tool is for

This module builds your group's operations manual: the written rulebook that says who is in charge, who does what, how members are accepted, how the group stays secure, and how disputes get settled. A retreat group that has these decisions written down before a crisis behaves very differently from one that argues about them during one.

The tool does three jobs:

  • Asks you plain questions about how you want your group to run, one section at a time.
  • Writes the formal language for you. You pick options, it produces the finished, properly worded section.
  • Exports a printable document in Word format with a cover page, section headers, page numbers, and a member signature block.
PLAIN VERSIONYou answer questions in calm times. The tool turns your answers into a governance document everyone can read, sign, and follow. You set it up once and update it as your group grows.
DOCTRINEThe sample language is drawn from established preparedness governance work, including Hogwood's MAG and Survival Group material, Kobler and Goodwin's retreat security writing, and Alton's community health guidance. You are free to edit every word the tool produces.
SECTION 2

What's on your screen

The window has three parts.

The top bar

Shows the module name on the left. On the right, COMMAND SUITE returns you to the launcher, and the gear opens shared settings (dark or light theme).

The left rail

Your map of the whole tool, grouped into four parts:

  • SECTIONS — the ten screens you fill in, from Group Profile through Conflict Resolution. A green check appears on a section once it is compiled.
  • OUTPUTS — the Generate Document button. Open it any time to review your progress and export.
  • LIBRARY — SAVE and LOAD FILE buttons, plus your list of saved manuals. You can keep separate manuals for separate groups here.
  • HELP — this User Manual, plus the Demo sandbox link (which becomes RETURN TO LIVE inside the demo copy).

The main area

The screen you are currently working on. For most sections it splits into two columns: your choices on the left, the finished text on the right.

TIPThe status line at the bottom left always tells you where you are, and the rail footer shows how many of the nine writing sections you have compiled so far.
SECTION 3

Your first 15 minutes

You do not have to finish everything in one sitting. But here is the fastest path to a usable first draft.

  1. Open Group Profile and enter your group name, location, and size. This personalizes every section.
  2. Open Founding Documents. Set the basic options, click COMPILE SECTION, and read the result on the right.
  3. Work down the rail, section by section. Compile each one. Edit the output freely if the wording does not fit your group.
  4. When the rail footer shows a high count, open Generate Document and export.
  5. Open the LIBRARY and click SAVE so you can come back to it later.
IMPORTANTCompiling a section only writes it into the document; it does not save your work to disk. Use SAVE in the LIBRARY, or export a JSON file, before you close the window.
SECTION 4

How a section works

Every writing section behaves the same way, so once you learn one you know them all.

  1. Set parameters on the left. These are drop-downs and short text fields. Each comes with a sensible default.
  2. Click COMPILE SECTION. The finished, formally worded text appears on the right.
  3. Edit the result directly in the right-hand box if you want to change anything. Your edits are kept.
  4. Move to the next section using the rail or the NEXT button.
PLAIN VERSIONLeft side is the questions. Right side is the answer. The right side is fully editable, so the tool gives you a strong first draft and you have the final say.
SECTION 5 · SCREEN 00

Group Profile

What it does: captures your group's name, general location, size, and an optional mission statement. These details flow into every other section, so the finished manual reads as if it were written specifically for your group.

  • Group / Retreat Name — what your group calls itself. Used throughout the document.
  • General Location — a region or state, not a street address. Keep it general for OPSEC.
  • Group Size — pick the bracket that fits. Some sample language scales with size.
  • Mission Statement — optional. If you leave it blank, Founding Documents offers a starting one.
OPSEC TIPThis file lives only on your machine. Still, keep the location field broad. A document that names an exact address is a document you do not want to lose.
SECTION 6 · SCREEN 01

Founding Documents

What it does: produces the three cornerstone documents of a governed group — the Mission Statement, the Member Oath, and the Group Constitution. These define who you are, what you believe, and the commitments each member makes.

Set your mission purpose and values, choose the tone of the oath and who witnesses it, and choose how the constitution is adopted. Compile, then edit. A faith statement field is available if your group uses one.

WHY IT MATTERSA written constitution lets a group communicate a consistent message across time, even as members come and go. It is the backbone the rest of the manual hangs on.
SECTION 7 · SCREEN 02

Council Formation

What it does: defines how your group is led. You choose whether there is a single Group Leader with an advisory council, an equal-vote council, or co-equal department heads. You set how leaders are selected, how long they serve, and what counts as a quorum.

PLAIN VERSIONThis is the chapter that answers "who is actually in charge, and how did they get there." Vague leadership is the first thing that fails under stress.
SECTION 8 · SCREEN 03

Roles & Responsibilities

What it does: assigns the jobs your group needs filled — security, medical, logistics, communications, and so on — and states what each role is accountable for. Clear roles mean nobody stands around in a crisis waiting to be told what to do.

TIPMatch roles to the skills you actually have. It is better to combine two roles under one capable person than to leave a critical job named but unstaffed.
SECTION 9 · SCREEN 04

Membership Requirements

What it does: sets the minimum conditions a prospective member must meet to be considered, and the process for accepting them — interview, sponsorship, trial period, or council approval. You can also set a probationary period for new members.

READ CAREFULLYThese are entry conditions only — the threshold to be considered. They are not the ongoing standards a member must maintain. Those live in Resource Standards.
SECTION 10 · SCREEN 05

Rules of Conduct

What it does: states the behavior expected of members and the discipline process when rules are broken. You choose how violations are handled — a graduated path from warning to expulsion, direct council review, or a tiered process scaled to severity.

DOCTRINEDocumented, predictable consequences prevent the slow group-corroding problems — cliques, freeloaders, power struggles — that the literature flags as more dangerous to a group than any outside threat.
SECTION 11 · SCREEN 06

Security Protocols

What it does: defines your defensive posture — the watch schedule, who stands the watch, and how alerts are raised. You choose a rotation pattern that fits your numbers, from short shifts to day-and-night halves.

PLAIN VERSIONSecurity is a 24-hour job and the responsibility of everyone. This section turns that idea into an actual schedule with named positions like the CP, the OP, and the QRF.
FIELD NOTEA small group cannot stand a heavy watch indefinitely. Choose a rotation you can actually sustain for weeks, not one that looks impressive but burns everyone out in days.
SECTION 12 · SCREEN 07

Resource Standards

What it does: sets the supplies and readiness levels every accepted member is expected to reach and keep. You set the compliance window — how long after acceptance a member has to meet the standard — and can record per-category minimums.

READ CAREFULLYThese are ongoing standards, not entry requirements. A member is accepted first, then has the agreed window to build to standard.
SECTION 13 · SCREEN 08

Decision Making

What it does: defines how the group makes choices — the threshold for routine decisions, the higher bar for major ones, what happens in a tie, and whether anyone holds short-term emergency authority. Deciding how to decide, before you need to, removes a huge source of friction.

TIPSet a higher bar for the heavy calls (admitting members, spending shared resources, removing someone) than for everyday ones. A single threshold for everything either paralyzes routine work or rushes the decisions that deserve care.
SECTION 14 · SCREEN 09

Conflict Resolution

What it does: lays out how disputes between members are filed, who hears them, and how fast they must be resolved. You choose how a complaint is raised, what panel reviews it, and the timeline for a decision.

PLAIN VERSIONDisagreements are certain. A written, neutral process keeps a normal dispute from turning into a group-splitting feud.
SECTION 15

Generate & export

Open Generate Document from the OUTPUTS group in the rail at any time. It shows which sections are compiled, your document identity, and the export buttons.

  • Export Session as JSON — a portable backup of your answers. Use it to move work between machines or keep an off-site copy.

The same screen has a Data Management block to export JSON, import a JSON file, or clear the current working session.

TIPYou can export a partial draft any time. Compiled sections are included; sections you have not compiled yet are simply left out, so an early draft is still useful for circulating.
SECTION 16

The Library, saving & backups

The LIBRARY group in the rail keeps your saved manuals on this device.

  • SAVE stores the current session under your group name. Saved manuals appear in the list below the buttons.
  • LOAD FILE opens a previously exported JSON session from disk.
  • Each saved entry has its own LOAD, JSON (export), and DEL (delete) buttons.

Because the library keeps separate entries, you can build and maintain different manuals for different groups from the same tool.

BACKUP HABITThe library lives in this browser's storage on this machine. For anything you cannot afford to lose, also export a JSON file and keep it somewhere safe. Clearing browser data can remove the in-app library.
SECTION 17

Settings

The gear in the top right opens the shared suite settings. The main choice is the theme: dark is the default tactical display; light is a field-manual look that prints cleanly. The setting applies across every module in the suite.

TIPThe User Manual prints in clean black-and-white regardless of your theme. Use the PRINT / SAVE PDF button at the top of this manual to print it or save it as a PDF for the binder.
SECTION 18

Glossary

Hover any acronym in this manual to see its meaning. The common ones:

MAGMutual Assistance Group. A group of like-minded people who pledge to assist each other in a crisis, without necessarily living together.
OPSECOperations Security. Keeping sensitive information about your group, plans, and supplies from reaching outsiders.
CPCommand Post. The central control point where leadership coordinates during an incident.
OP / LPObservation Post / Listening Post. Concealed positions used to watch and listen over a sector and report.
QRFQuick Reaction Force. A small standby team ready to respond immediately to an alert or breach.
CQCharge of Quarters. The member on duty for the watch, responsible for waking others when needed.
SOPStandard Operating Procedure. A written, agreed way to do a recurring task the same way every time.
PACEPrimary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency. A planning method giving four fallback options for a critical function.
AOArea of Operations. The geographic area your group monitors and defends.
WROLWithout Rule of Law. A scenario in which normal legal authority and policing have collapsed.
SECTION 19

Common questions

Do I have to fill out every section?

No. Compile the sections that matter to your group and export. Uncompiled sections are simply left out of the document.

Can I change the wording the tool produces?

Yes. The right-hand output box is fully editable. The tool gives you a strong draft; the final wording is yours.

Where is my data stored?

On this device only, in the browser's local storage. Nothing leaves your machine. Export a JSON file for an off-site backup.

Can I keep manuals for more than one group?

Yes. Use SAVE in the LIBRARY for each group. Every saved manual is a separate entry you can load, export, or delete.

I cleared the session by accident. Can I get it back?

If you had saved it to the LIBRARY or exported a JSON file, load that. Clearing the working session does not touch saved library entries.

SECTION 20

Demo sandbox

This module ships with a demo sandbox — a separate copy pre-loaded with a fully completed sample manual for a fictional group, Ridgeline Retreat. Every section is compiled: founding documents, council formation, roles, membership, conduct, security, resources, decision making, and conflict resolution. A finished manual is also saved in the demo LIBRARY.

Opening and leaving the demo

In the live module, click DEMO in the sidebar, just under this manual. Inside the demo, that same sidebar slot reads RETURN TO LIVE and takes you back. An amber banner across the top of the demo tells you which copy you are in at all times.

Your real data is safe

The demo keeps its data in completely separate storage slots. Nothing you do in the demo — editing sections, saving to its library, deleting, even clearing — can touch your real sessions or saved manuals. Experiment freely.

Resetting

The RESET DEMO button (top bar and amber banner) wipes any changes you made in the demo and restores the original sample manual.

How to use it

Open each section and study how the parameters on the left produce the compiled text on the right. Then open Generate Document and print the sample — that is exactly what your own finished manual will look like.

STEP 1 OF 10 // GROUP PROFILE SECTIONS COMPILED: 0/9 SURVIVAL RETREAT OPERATIONS MANUAL  ·  MODULE 06  ·  © 2026 WATCHMAN Suite, LLC. All rights reserved.