[The_Reader_David]

Interesting that they describe the leader's followers as a "flock". There is a hint of some (doubless new-agey) religion in the term.

If the group is really organized on a purely secular basis, though, it would be the first counter-example to the historical dictum that small scale communism only works when it has a religious basis and provides goods or services to the society at large. (Endowed monasteries don't count since they aren't really a means of organizing economic activity even when viewed in purely economic terms. Self-supporting monasteries, the Oneida and Amana communities being the notable examples of successful small-scale communism.)

Note: small scale communism is actually simply an alternate means of holding private property, in which the ownership is voluntarily shared on a basis other than the investment of capital in an enterprise, and thus should not be obnovious to conservatives. Communism becomes the evil we remember from the Soviet Union and recognize in a few hold out regimes and in dilute form in American liberalism when the coercive power of the state enforces common holding of property.

[najida]

Twin Oaks in Louisa VA and another in Missouri (Acorn?) are totally secular, fully functioning, self supporting and pretty well run (from a sibling who has lived there tells me).

AND they are pretty capitalistic too (as in they are run businesses).

ANNNNND said sibling now has his own mini-commune (as in community house) that he makes enough off of in rent alone not to work. Technically, he is the most successful of the four sibs...the rest of us are still working for a living ;)

[RightWhale]

If the group is really organized on a purely secular basis, though, it would be the first counter-example

30 years is a pretty good run for any commune. Eventually all communes turn to commercialism if they are to survive. Do you wonder if this one is actually purely secular?

[Wonder Warthog]

"Self-supporting monasteries, the Oneida and Amana communities being the notable examples of successful small-scale communism.)"

You left off the earliest such American group---the Shakers.