Some of us have a group of just a few people. Others don’t have a group at all. Some people that I’ve talked with have a very large group. Once you get into a group size of around five, you need to have some structure. A group with seven adults and three young children can be managed. It’s a lot harder if all seven adults are mechanics with little else to offer.
When selecting members for a group, you are obviously going to select some people because of family relationships and friendships. The others to posses certain skills that make your group functional. Here is a list of some of the skills that you may want to consider:

carpentry
mechanics
engineering
cooks specialized in old time cooking
gardeners, farmers, and ranchers
medicine, dentistry. and veterinary medicine
gunsmiths
veterans
bosses and managers

Once you have your selected personnel, it’s time to cross train others. Not everyone will be able to perform engineering perfectly, but some will pick it up quicker than others. Make sure that everyone is at least familiar with the other skills in the group, but select the best to act as alternates. This helps to ensure that you always have a back up. If your group’s medic kicks the bucket, you have someone else that can help fill his spot.
The next task is to organize your group with structure. You can’t have people just running around doing what they want. Or maybe you do. A republic won’t work for all groups. Some may not want a democracy wither. Some may desire to have a leader that makes all decisions. This is entirely up to you and your group. Regardless, here are some positions that will become vital to your group.
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Leader: This is going to be the person with the most knowledge about surviving and prepping. They also have to have a good sense of reason and character as well. This will be the person who helps leads the group towards the future. They will make suggestions and take in knowledge from the others. This person needs to be cool under pressure as well as a knowledgeable person. This person needs to have the least character flaws so that uniting the group can be done more easily. Trying to take orders from a liar and cheat will not lead to a strong united group. The leader’s position should be the only position that the leader has. This helps to reduce tension in the group. Would you want the leader to also be the Logistics Officer?
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Executive Officer: This person’s role is to not only fill in if the leader is absent, but also to be a gopher and advisor to the leader. This may not sound pleasant , but the less the leader is worried about small details, the more time they have to be focused on the task at hand. This needs to be a person that understands the leader well, as well as the operation. The Executive Officer’s (XO’s) position should be the only position that the leader has. This helps to reduce tension in the group.
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Logistics Officer: Having a boat load of supplies is great but accomplishes nothing if it is not managed well. Someone with an accounting or auditing background would be good at this position. Their job is to take inventory of all that is on hand and disperse it accordingly. They will understand what the group has, needs, and what the future worries will be as far as supplies.
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Operations Officer: This is the person that will plan out activities and daily missions. Whether it’s planting crops for a week or who’s turn it is to do dishes. This officer helps to reduce confusion in the group. Their planning and paper work is rough, but highly needed. The Operations Officer will work closely with the Logistics Officer. In smaller groups, they will also plan training.
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Training Officer: Training will be an important aspect for the future. This job entails inventing training scenarios for different skills and scheduling them in with the Operations Officer. This person also needs to maintain records of what has been practiced, when, where, with who, as well as recognizing what else needs to be practiced.
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Administration Officer: Since there will probably not be fax machines, copy machines, or computer networks, papers will be hand written and stored in a central location. They need to be in an area where various officers have access to them. This person can also act as the group’s historian by documenting any important news that the group thinks is necessary. Another important task that this person can perform is finances. Money may be worthless during a disaster, but things must be paid for beforehand and perhaps even in the future.
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Security Officer: A former peace office would be good for the civil side of things, but a well trained veteran or veteran with combat experience would be the best. This role includes constructing a security plan and working as the primary fighting force. This person will work closely with the Leader, Logistics Officer, Training Officer, Operations Officer, and Group Doc.
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Group Doc: While this person may not be more than a person with first aid knowledge, this is a very important role. This person needs to receive as much training as possible when available. They may also be the Group Shrink, Dentist, and Physical Therapist.
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Group Farmer/Rancher: Food will become so important, that many will die or kill for it. This person needs to be very knowledgeable with gardening and livestock. They will have to figure what type of soil is available, how much water, a source of fertilizer, local weather, planting zones, how much food everyone will need annually, and crop/livestock health. This person should hold only this job due to its importance.
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The above roles are pretty much one person operations. However there will be some tasks that should be shared if possible. This includes cooking, cleaning, working outside, and helping hands for whoever needs it. This model is based off a combination of military and business models. If your group is larger, you can add to it. If your group is smaller, you can always combine. Just remember, without order, there is chaos.

Being that I am just getting this group going there are still officer or executive positions available which means you would have a chance to input your ideas and have a say in the direction in which the group proceeds!