triumph
Well-known member
I ran a crew of about 100 people for Habitat for Humanity in the aftermath of Katrina. installing doors and windows in homes that were severely damaged.
everyone worked in pairs. I worked with each in groups teaching them how to install doors and windows properly.
this was in a restricted area, where you needed clearance and identification.
we had all the necessary construction equipment, also tents, camping gear. lumber, trailers, and millwork.
there were over 1000 homes. we did them all in 2 weeks
They were all volunteers with some who didn't have construction experience. there were also some that were capable professionals. I pared up people without experience with those who knew what they were doing.
and I rotated the crews so they had plenty of instruction.
I worked with everyone there supervising, teaching and did the installs 49 houses myself.
4 Volunteer Ministers showed up in our camp, 3 adult males and one female. 2 were carrying a Coleman cooler.
they would say were with the Volunteer Ministers (to everyone, me included) and at no time did they tell people they were with Scientology
Go Figure.
they were approaching some of the crews and chatting them up
they had no identification or clearance to be there.
they were told by several people working on the sight, they were in a restricted area. without clearance and they would run into the Army National Guard. and be treated as looters.
and go to see the Forman (that would be Me)
I spoke to them, I asked them if they had any construction experience.
the 3 males all said "Oh yes! "
they three males all rattled off about their construction experience.
one of the 3 said he could run the forklift. he was a heavy equipment operator!
and the chief yellow-shirted bullshitters said I can supervise. I own my own company, I'm a contractor been doing it XX years, and I build luxury homes in Florida
just remembered (I told him I am the ONLY Supervisor on this job - he said something like I WILL be your assistant supervisor - I shot that down with a NO. )
and they tossed out stuff like "that's what they did for a living". and was "exactly what they came there to do! " "yea I remember that job you did buddy" and yada yada.
much of it was them talking to each other.
their female companion didn't say much but she did nod in agreement with almost everything they said.
boy was they were full of shit. and I knew it
I told them they could stick around. we had extra tool belts hammers, tape measures, etc- plenty of food with a couple of cooks in the camp and had extra tents, sleeping bags, and blankets cots.
I told them I will start you with grunt work. loading the doors and windows from the truck onto the forklifts to the worksite. and hump them over to the installers
which made the chief yellow-shirted bullshitter grumble. and moan more about his experience.
he was a stand-in your personal space kind of guy while he was talking.
none of them liked it, they were doing too much talking at me than listening to me.
ok, I'll let you start "helping" on the installs first, and when we figure out how much you know, then I'll pair you up with someone else. we will go from there.
which got a round of "I know what I'm doing" between themselves.
they came really close to getting run off the site.
I was reluctant and I had other things to do. by I relented against my better judgment.
I'm a no-nonsense guy on the job. show me don't tell me kind of guy.
I gave in and told the one guy can go help the 2 guys running forklifts.
two on and one-off rotation.
I told them I could arrange to get them all identification and clearance but it would take a couple of days. they all had drivers license's so that wasn't an issue.
that perked them up!
( hip hip hooray, they won't get shot by the National Guard as Looters! )
it was a serious situation out there in the area we were in.
there was looting and shootings in the area where we were in.
it was posted and designated no-go zone without authorization.
with roads blocked and checkpoints
I went around and it was obvious none of them had a clue of what they were doing.
the guy that volunteered to run the forklift ran into the trailer. in the first five minutes. and backed into a tree. (he got demoted)
I pared him up with a carpenter who was a no-nonsense get it done whip-cracking ball buster.
(and just happened to be the guy who personally owned the trailer)
he was quickly worked into the ground.
(Habitat paid for the trailer to be repaired)
the woman with them didn't claim to have experience. she gave some effort, but couldn't lift any of the doors or windows. and she was struggling. she was not well suited for any physical labor' and couldn't drive a nail, no matter how hard she tried.
there were a few women who were there as part of the group. I put some of them working in pairs to make the job of lifting easier. that worked out well. a couple later took to lead roles.
I got her working with someone, she still struggled.
I worked with her in one house. it was clear she was out of her element. and ended up doing most of it by myself.
I asked her if she would like to go help the cooks. which she seemed happy to do.
and she did do her part there.
they men were wandering off, griping taking long cigarette breaks behind the port-a-johns (they all smoked) and ended up pestering some of the crews instead of working. and pissed more than a few people off.
after about 4 hours of semi-effort, they dropped their belts took off and vanished.
on a break, after they disappeared,
some of the crew were laughing because the got a look inside their cooler. it was Scientology books.
a short while later some of the National Guardsmen came and said they looking for 4 people in Yellow shirts. carrying a cooler. they ended up chasing them.
just about everyone who could hear the conversation told them "yea they were here and took off" and "they took off in that direction"
and other colorful comments.
the National Guardsmen, in charge, said get on the phone and call us if you see them again.
Had I seen them again I would have.
BTW in the heat of the chase, they abandoned their cooler.
and their crappy booklets.
they were taking a big chance of being out there.
they had a chance to learn something useful and make a real contribution. instead ran off and they hid in the marshy brush. running from tree line to tree line on a cold wet evening.
they managed to high-tail it out of there without getting caught.
It was a good laugh for everyone after the evening Pig Roast BBQ with a keg of beer and a big bonfire. cuz Habitat for Humanity does something about it
---
I worked for a Scientologist couple who owned a company ( they ran a mission ) I worked for their company a couple of months. about a decade earlier and that's a story. for another time.
everyone worked in pairs. I worked with each in groups teaching them how to install doors and windows properly.
this was in a restricted area, where you needed clearance and identification.
we had all the necessary construction equipment, also tents, camping gear. lumber, trailers, and millwork.
there were over 1000 homes. we did them all in 2 weeks
They were all volunteers with some who didn't have construction experience. there were also some that were capable professionals. I pared up people without experience with those who knew what they were doing.
and I rotated the crews so they had plenty of instruction.
I worked with everyone there supervising, teaching and did the installs 49 houses myself.
4 Volunteer Ministers showed up in our camp, 3 adult males and one female. 2 were carrying a Coleman cooler.
they would say were with the Volunteer Ministers (to everyone, me included) and at no time did they tell people they were with Scientology
Go Figure.
they were approaching some of the crews and chatting them up
they had no identification or clearance to be there.
they were told by several people working on the sight, they were in a restricted area. without clearance and they would run into the Army National Guard. and be treated as looters.
and go to see the Forman (that would be Me)
I spoke to them, I asked them if they had any construction experience.
the 3 males all said "Oh yes! "
they three males all rattled off about their construction experience.
one of the 3 said he could run the forklift. he was a heavy equipment operator!
and the chief yellow-shirted bullshitters said I can supervise. I own my own company, I'm a contractor been doing it XX years, and I build luxury homes in Florida
just remembered (I told him I am the ONLY Supervisor on this job - he said something like I WILL be your assistant supervisor - I shot that down with a NO. )
and they tossed out stuff like "that's what they did for a living". and was "exactly what they came there to do! " "yea I remember that job you did buddy" and yada yada.
much of it was them talking to each other.
their female companion didn't say much but she did nod in agreement with almost everything they said.
boy was they were full of shit. and I knew it
I told them they could stick around. we had extra tool belts hammers, tape measures, etc- plenty of food with a couple of cooks in the camp and had extra tents, sleeping bags, and blankets cots.
I told them I will start you with grunt work. loading the doors and windows from the truck onto the forklifts to the worksite. and hump them over to the installers
which made the chief yellow-shirted bullshitter grumble. and moan more about his experience.
he was a stand-in your personal space kind of guy while he was talking.
none of them liked it, they were doing too much talking at me than listening to me.
ok, I'll let you start "helping" on the installs first, and when we figure out how much you know, then I'll pair you up with someone else. we will go from there.
which got a round of "I know what I'm doing" between themselves.
they came really close to getting run off the site.
I was reluctant and I had other things to do. by I relented against my better judgment.
I'm a no-nonsense guy on the job. show me don't tell me kind of guy.
I gave in and told the one guy can go help the 2 guys running forklifts.
two on and one-off rotation.
I told them I could arrange to get them all identification and clearance but it would take a couple of days. they all had drivers license's so that wasn't an issue.
that perked them up!
( hip hip hooray, they won't get shot by the National Guard as Looters! )
it was a serious situation out there in the area we were in.
there was looting and shootings in the area where we were in.
it was posted and designated no-go zone without authorization.
with roads blocked and checkpoints
I went around and it was obvious none of them had a clue of what they were doing.
the guy that volunteered to run the forklift ran into the trailer. in the first five minutes. and backed into a tree. (he got demoted)
I pared him up with a carpenter who was a no-nonsense get it done whip-cracking ball buster.
(and just happened to be the guy who personally owned the trailer)
he was quickly worked into the ground.
(Habitat paid for the trailer to be repaired)
the woman with them didn't claim to have experience. she gave some effort, but couldn't lift any of the doors or windows. and she was struggling. she was not well suited for any physical labor' and couldn't drive a nail, no matter how hard she tried.
there were a few women who were there as part of the group. I put some of them working in pairs to make the job of lifting easier. that worked out well. a couple later took to lead roles.
I got her working with someone, she still struggled.
I worked with her in one house. it was clear she was out of her element. and ended up doing most of it by myself.
I asked her if she would like to go help the cooks. which she seemed happy to do.
and she did do her part there.
they men were wandering off, griping taking long cigarette breaks behind the port-a-johns (they all smoked) and ended up pestering some of the crews instead of working. and pissed more than a few people off.
after about 4 hours of semi-effort, they dropped their belts took off and vanished.
on a break, after they disappeared,
some of the crew were laughing because the got a look inside their cooler. it was Scientology books.
a short while later some of the National Guardsmen came and said they looking for 4 people in Yellow shirts. carrying a cooler. they ended up chasing them.
just about everyone who could hear the conversation told them "yea they were here and took off" and "they took off in that direction"
and other colorful comments.
the National Guardsmen, in charge, said get on the phone and call us if you see them again.
Had I seen them again I would have.
BTW in the heat of the chase, they abandoned their cooler.
and their crappy booklets.
they were taking a big chance of being out there.
they had a chance to learn something useful and make a real contribution. instead ran off and they hid in the marshy brush. running from tree line to tree line on a cold wet evening.
they managed to high-tail it out of there without getting caught.
It was a good laugh for everyone after the evening Pig Roast BBQ with a keg of beer and a big bonfire. cuz Habitat for Humanity does something about it
---
I worked for a Scientologist couple who owned a company ( they ran a mission ) I worked for their company a couple of months. about a decade earlier and that's a story. for another time.
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Awesome story!
I said, exactly how many pounds of drywall compound and how many coats do you think that would take? It has to be torn out and replaced! I hate those fake Scientology experts. Fuming!
