Rutland Hostel

[greenmtnboy]

I stayed at the hostel in Rutland a few days ago and found the people there polite, pleasant and hospitable. For around $15, it was good to have a shower and space to sleep away from the bugs, etc. Let's all try to be more positive--the old adage, if you don't have anything good to say, stay silent, is advisable. I have no axe to grind in this--only trying to practice the Golden Rule.

[neo]

I stayed at the hostel in Rutland a few days ago and found the people there polite, pleasant and hospitable. For around $15, it was good to have a shower and space to sleep away from the bugs, etc. Let's all try to be more positive--the old adage, if you don't have anything good to say, stay silent, is advisable. I have no axe to grind in this--only trying to practice the Golden Rule.

i plan on staying there in september neo

[Wolf - 23000]

I stayed at the hostel in Rutland a few days ago and found the people there polite, pleasant and hospitable. For around $15, it was good to have a shower and space to sleep away from the bugs, etc. Let's all try to be more positive--the old adage, if you don't have anything good to say, stay silent, is advisable. I have no axe to grind in this--only trying to practice the Golden Rule.

Greenmtnboy,

If you lost a good friend of 12-years due to the twelve tribes you might feel different. The people are polite, pleasant as you said but they will also sick you in the back if you don't become part of their belief.

It is a cult.

Wolf

[bfitz]

Not only a cult, but an abusive, exploitive, diabolical mind control group. The devil always has an inviting smile, remember that. The "golden rule" you refer to should not allow you to let a fellow being come to harm or walk into a trap.
Cults r' bad, m'kay?

[Jack Tarlin]

There was talk of a NEW hostel opening in Rutland this year ......does anyone know anything more about this?

[RITBlake]

Greenmtnboy,

If you lost a good friend of 12-years due to the twelve tribes you might feel different. The people are polite, pleasant as you said but they will also sick you in the back if you don't become part of their belief.

It is a cult.

Wolf

I stayed there last year during my thru hike. Great place, nice people and a very interesting experience. Thankfully no one tried to 'sick me in the back' whatever that means. Maybe they did and I just didn't feel it. I would recomend this hostel, it's in a great location, and is clean and comfortable.

[davidderush]

My friends live in the Rutland community that runs the hostel in question. The other night they had THIRTY ONE!!!! hikers there...amazing, really.

They have a couple of people there now who came as hikers for a night; and decided, as mature, grown up human beings, that the life they saw my friends living was worth taking a closer look at...so they have been living with my friends for the last month or so.

This of many hundreds who have simply enjoyed the warm hospitality and moved on as they planned.

Both kinds of people...the vast, vast majority who stay a night or two and move on...and the very few who visit longer...have been treated with fairness, kindness and respect...even love. No one has been "sicked in the back", whatever that is.

If one of these people decide the life my friends are living is what they want...well, good for them!

Wolf thinks he " lost a good friend of 12-years due to the twelve tribes"...but if he was a true friend, he would have been glad to have his friend do what was in his heart to do, wouldn't he?

Some people who claim to be "friends", are a cult unto themselves...if they can't control what their friends do, they don't want them anymore, because they can't use them.

My friends in Rutland really enjoy being hospitable....and the hundreds of hikers who have stayed there this year, in general, tell them that the warmth and love of their community was one of the highlights of their whole hike...one of the nicest places they stayed on the whole trail.

Having been there myself, I believe it.

Wolf should find a new friend, and give his bitterness an honest burial.

Sincerely,
David Derush

[neo]

i stay there last week,its behind the bus station,they operate a very nice cafe there also,i highly recommend staying there,the people there are very warm and friendly,i will stay again when i do the long trail in a couple years neo

[RSWillis]

stayed there a month and a half ago, and while the people are a little odd they certainly are friendly. I would stay there again in a heartbeat. Hubcap

[ScottP]

They were awesome. Thier model is a beehive, and they take the good of that life with the bad.

[Wolf - 23000]

My friends live in the Rutland community that runs the hostel in question. The other night they had THIRTY ONE!!!! hikers there...amazing, really.

They have a couple of people there now who came as hikers for a night; and decided, as mature, grown up human beings, that the life they saw my friends living was worth taking a closer look at...so they have been living with my friends for the last month or so.

This of many hundreds who have simply enjoyed the warm hospitality and moved on as they planned.

Both kinds of people...the vast, vast majority who stay a night or two and move on...and the very few who visit longer...have been treated with fairness, kindness and respect...even love. No one has been "sicked in the back", whatever that is.

If one of these people decide the life my friends are living is what they want...well, good for them!

Wolf thinks he " lost a good friend of 12-years due to the twelve tribes"...but if he was a true friend, he would have been glad to have his friend do what was in his heart to do, wouldn't he?

Some people who claim to be "friends", are a cult unto themselves...if they can't control what their friends do, they don't want them anymore, because they can't use them.

My friends in Rutland really enjoy being hospitable....and the hundreds of hikers who have stayed there this year, in general, tell them that the warmth and love of their community was one of the highlights of their whole hike...one of the nicest places they stayed on the whole trail.

Having been there myself, I believe it.

Wolf should find a new friend, and give his bitterness an honest burial.

Sincerely,
David Derush

David, my friend as a member of the twelve tribe, was told for four years her place was under a man. Her place was to do “women chores” , cooking, cleaning, raising children. Her option that she shared with me didn’t matter because it was the men in the community that knew “better” then her. She was told what to wear, what she was to teach the children, even what email account she was to use and finally who she could talk to. As you said, “Some people who claim to be ‘friends’ are a cult unto themselves”.

The twelve tribes is about trying to brainwash others to do their bidding also refer to as a cult.

Finally, I know you can never understand this but true friends don’t give up on one another. I doubt the two of us will ever speak again, so be it but before another person in a low point of their life stays in your community, I think it is only fair they know what the twelve tribes really stand for.

Wolf

[Israel]

Well, the beehive analogy is pretty good. Bees sound and look great until you are on the wrong side of them.....

Yes yes, I agree that to each their own if they want to live in the TT but disclosure as to their real structure and their real life sure would be good...one need only spend enough time there to learn there is more to the story than they tell you and one need only talk to a few of the ex-members to realize there is a A LOT that goes on that will not be seen until you are there a while.
And yes, I think we all agree the individuals in the community, overall, are very kind people. It is sad to see them so mentally and emotionally enslaved.

Remember the old adage about "if it looks too good to be true...."

So far it sounds like myself and Wolf are the only ones with any real practical experience with the group beyond just being a happy-go-lucky thru-hiker passing through and interestingly enough...we are the only ones putting forth a word of caution in this and the other thread about the TT.

[Marta]

I stayed there last month when I was passing through Vermont. I was the only hiker staying in the women's area that night. The room is lovely and the women's bathroom is the nicest one in any hostel I've been in. It's conveniently located near a big Wal-Mart, so it's easy to get town chores done.

Because of the way men and women are segregated, staying there was a lot less fun than other hostels--I had no one to talk to. Some of the commune members were extremely nice to me; some were fairly cold. A rather awkward situation arose when one member invited me to dinner in the restaurant (it was closed that day) and another one greeted me at the door and said, "We are not in the habit of feeding hikers."

The scary literature sprinkled liberally throughout the place should tip anyone off that their beliefs are not as benign as their smiles might lull you into thinking.

[Tinker]

The young man who talked with me at the pavilion at last year's Gathering was polite, friendly, and insistant he tried to win me over with a few Bible verses which we agreed on, but, when I told him that I believed that God has me in a church where he wants me, he kept suggesting that they had something better. I don't have the time, nor the inclination to move away from my church to try something different. His demeanor reminded me of the "Moonies" from the 1970's who lived down the street from me when I was in college - far away, disconnected look in his eyes and a constant smile.

I was in a cult for a number of years, and they used the Bible very effectively to control us by guaranteeing that God was interested in making life wonderful for us, praying on our selfish lusts. The Bible talks of the trials that are guaranteed to be part of the life of a follower of Christ. I'm reading the WHOLE Bible now, and finding this theme throughout.
From what I've heard of this group, the word of the leader takes precedent over the Bible. Call it whatever you will. Be cautious.

[Rain Man]

From what I've heard of this group, the word of the leader takes precedent over the Bible. Call it whatever you will. Be cautious.

You wouldn't be bad-mouthing the Catholics and their Pope, now would you???

Joking aside, I've yet to run into a religious sect (and that does includes Catholics, etc) who don't think THEIR guy has the direct dial to God.

It's just easy to pick on the newer sects and call them "cults." IMHO.

RainMan

.

[the goat]

why make fun of, or denigrate any religion or "cult"? if one doesn't believe what another group does, who cares?

if one cares enough to make fun or try to bring down another's beliefs, i would suspect it's because their belief structure is seriously lacking.

[Tinker]

why make fun of, or denigrate any religion or "cult"? if one doesn't believe what another group does, who cares?

if one cares enough to make fun or try to bring down another's beliefs, i would suspect it's because their belief structure is seriously lacking.

I just don't like to see the many manipulated and exploited for the gain of a few - religious or otherwise.

Greed is evil, the upper level of selfishness.

I have been the prey of others. I'd rather pray for others.

I do follow a man, but He is the perfect MAN, the son of the invisible God.

If you like nature now, wait until you see what it's like when it gets fixed.

[neo]

easy feelin said he had a great stay there neo

Gray Spainhour (Easy Feelin')'s 2006
Appalachian Trail Journal

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Friday, October 06, 2006

Destination: Sherburne Pass/Rutland, VT
Starting Location: Lookout Cabin
Today's Miles: 17.00
Trip Miles: 431.40

Today was just a cool day.
But not this morning. No, this morning was {{cold}} and frosty. The gloves and toboggan were priceless.
But I got moving and it warmed up a bit. It's hard to get moving when it's cold--but once I do get going, the cool is much more pleasurable in comparison with the heat.
When I got to the trailhead, I needed to hitch into Rutland for resupply, and to pick up a package at the post office. I stuck my thumb out, and about 5 minutes later Patrick pulled his pickup over to the side. I threw all my stuff in the back and asked if he minded if a dirty and smelly hiker sat in the front. (Thanks Patrick!)
So I finally found the hiker hostel that accepts donations only. It's right in the middle of town and its ran by a Christian comunity called the Twelve Tribes. I went with Storytelller and 46er to their evening worship service and supper afterwards. I will write more on this later, but I will say that they are an extremely nice group of Christians who keep the Sabbath (from Friday's dusk to Sunday's dawn). I am so intrigued by these people and have so much to say that I'm having a hard time stopping right now.
But I have to because it's late and I'm tired. Hasta Manana,
~~Easy Feelin'
--The Woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.-- Robert Frost

[davidderush]

Israel, I wish you could see how insulting and nonsensical your words look to someone like me, who absolutely LOVES the simple life of love and unity we have here in our communities of the Twelve Tribes. You say,

"And yes, I think we all agree the individuals in the community, overall, are very kind people. It is sad to see them so mentally and emotionally enslaved."

I am 52 years old, and I CHOOSE to be here every day. I am NOT "mentally and emotionally enslaved". I am THRILLED to have a life with such wonderful and "very kind" people as I now live with...and to have a context to wake up in the morning and forget about myself and live for the God I cannot see, by living for my friends that I can see.

Jesus said, "love each other as I have loved you"....we live for each other...and I spent my whole life looking for a life like this...

Wild horses could not drag me away from this life. And that is true of all of us who are here with our whole hearts. If anyone doesn't want to be here, they should LEAVE!....we don't even WANT people to be sharing our life who imagine they have something better to do...like live for themselves.

Does it ever occur to you that such "very kind" people may be "very kind" because they are actually CHOOSING to deny themselves to live the kind of life of love that human beings were actually created to live? It is possible?

It is not only possible, but true. Anyone who stays at the hostel and gets to know the people there, will know for sure that these are NOT "mentally and emotionally enslaved" people. They are actually the only people I have ever found in a lifetime of searching that are truly set free to love each other, and have true JOY as a result of that. You grossly insult and misrepresent what our life is.

Anyone with real experience in working with human beings, knows you CANNOT abuse people, "mentally and emotionally enslave" people, and have the result of it be that you end up with a bunch of people who are "very kind" and loving.

What is planted, is what grows. Abused people become abusive people...they don't become "very kind", much less full of love, peace and joy...and that is the kind of people I live with...people who have love, peace and joy. Be real, why don't you? "These people are abused!...and we all say also that "they are very kind". "

This is not reality.

I also find your comment below ignores the fact that there are THOUSANDS of us living in our communities around the world; and we ALL have more experience with our life than you do; and we are THRILLED to be living this life of love with our friends.

Ignoring that testimony, and taking as "gospel" the testimony of those who leave us, would be like evaluating the worth of Yale as a college by only weighing the experience of those who flunked out.

It is not an easy thing to give up your life to live entirely for others. Some try it and then change their minds and leave us. Why would anyone be surprised at that? And why would they imagine that the experience of those who leave us is the measure of the experience of those of us who stay and love our life? People who can't stay married tend to think that married life is hell...and maybe it was, for THEM...but that does not mean that it is that way for everyone. It isn't.

I am "married" to this life of love and unity...and I would rather die than live any other way, as long as this life exists here to be lived. And I know hundreds of people in our communities feel just like I do.

Israel, you go on....

"So far it sounds like myself and Wolf are the only ones with any real practical experience with the group beyond just being a happy-go-lucky thru-hiker passing through and interestingly enough...we are the only ones putting forth a word of caution in this and the other thread about the TT."

I have more practical experience with the "group" that either of you....and I say, go ahead and be cautious....but if you just relax and be real, you will find not a dangerous group, but some of the most real, down to earth and friendly and loving people on the whole planet...and you may also find a whole new way of life...if you happen to be looking for one.

If you are not looking for one, you will just find a very, very nice hostel...and have a great time with good people, and go your way.

That's great. We live from our hearts, and are happy to see others do the same.

And I am very glad to finally see this thread come down to earth....brought back into reality by the real experiences of real, normal people who have actually stayed there with my real, normal friends. It shows how bizarre all the fearmongering on this thread truly is. SOMEBODY is dangerous and unbalanced here, for sure...but it isn't my friends at the Rutland Hostel.

Sincerely,
David

[davidderush]

Wolf, thanks for telling us the source of your bitterness.

Essentially, your friend fell in love with the One we fell in love with...and with the life we share with one another...and left you behind.

That's a hard thing to swallow, for sure. But why don't you just accept it for what it is? She found a life with us that she loves more than the life she had with you.

If she had found such a life she loved more, with another man rather than with a group of people...would you be on such a crusade against him?

I don't know who this woman is, who used to be with you, and is now here with us....but she is here because she has chosen to be here. And to be in our life is a very good thing...for me, it has been like coming into light after living in the darkness. I am happy for your friend.

It would be nice if you could see the value in the choice she has made; and that is what it comes down to, Wolf...she made a choice, and continues to make that choice daily to be with us. You should respect that, if you truly respect her.

Sincerely,
David