diff --git a/modpol/modpol.lua b/modpol/modpol.lua
index 0035a09..fbdae77 100644
--- a/modpol/modpol.lua
+++ b/modpol/modpol.lua
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ dofile (topdir .. "/api.lua")
 -- Final checks
 
 -- create instance if not present
-if (modpol.orgs["instance"] == nil) then
+if not modpol.get_org_id_by_name('instance') then
    modpol.add_org("instance", modpol.list_users())
 end
 
diff --git a/modpol/orgs/orgs.lua b/modpol/orgs/orgs.lua
index d3b0564..c9dd729 100644
--- a/modpol/orgs/orgs.lua
+++ b/modpol/orgs/orgs.lua
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 -- preserve records -- if true, will store org ledgers when they are closed, for later reference.
 local preserve_records = true
 
--- policies assigned to any org can go here
+-- policies to be assigned to every org can go here
 modpol.default_org_policies = modpol.default_org_policies or {}
 
 
@@ -45,29 +45,38 @@ end
 
 
 --define the template of a ledger entry
-modpol.ledger_entry_temp = {
-   timestamp = '',
-   entrytype = nil,
-   action_msg = '',
-   org_name = nil,
-   org_id = nil,
-}
+modpol.ledger_entry_temp = function()
+   
+   return {
+      timestamp = '',
+      entrytype = nil,
+      action_msg = '',
+      org_name = nil,
+      org_id = nil,
+   }
+
+end
 
 
 -- define the basic template of an org.
 
-modpol.org_temp = {
-   id = nil,
-   name = nil,
-   policies = {},
-   members = {},
-   ledger = {},
-   parent = nil,
-   children = {},
-   properties = {},
-   old_names = {},
 
-}
+modpol.org_temp = function()
+
+   return {
+      id = nil,
+      name = nil,
+      policies = {},
+      members = {},
+      ledger = {},
+      parent = nil,
+      children = {},
+      properties = {},
+      old_names = {},
+   
+   }
+
+end
 
 -- ===================================================================
 -- Function: modpol.create_ledger_entry
@@ -78,7 +87,7 @@ modpol.org_temp = {
 -- and returns a valid ledger entry table
 
 modpol.create_ledger_entry = function(action_msg, org_id, entry_type)
-   local entry = modpol.ledger_entry_temp
+   local entry = modpol.ledger_entry_temp()
    if action_msg and type(action_msg) == 'string' then
       entry.action_msg = action_msg
    end
@@ -114,13 +123,22 @@ modpol.record = function (org_id, msg, type)
                                 -- Record in global ledger
    table.insert (modpol.ledger, entry)
                                 -- Record in "org"-specific ledger
+
+
    if modpol.orgs [org_id] ~= nil then
-        local org_ledger =  modpol.orgs [org_id]["ledger"]
-        if    org_ledger == nil then
-            modpol.orgs [org_id]["ledger"] = { entry }
-        else
-            modpol.orgs [org_id]["ledger"] = table.insert (org_ledger, entry)
-        end
+
+      local org_ledger =  modpol.orgs [org_id]["ledger"]
+
+      if org_ledger == nil then
+
+         modpol.orgs [org_id]["ledger"] = { entry }
+
+      else
+
+         table.insert (org_ledger, entry)
+         modpol.orgs [org_id]["ledger"] = org_ledger
+
+      end
     end
 
     modpol.store_data()         -- Copy data to disk
@@ -167,60 +185,63 @@ end
 -- with arbitrary properties
 
 modpol.add_org = function(org_name, members, parent_id, properties)
-    local str
 
-    if modpol.ocutil.str_empty (org_name) then
-        return false,"Error: Org needs a name"
-    end
+   local str
 
-    if parent_id and not modpol.orgs[parent_id] then 
-      return false,"Error: Parent_id must be a valid existing org id"
-    end
+   if modpol.ocutil.str_empty (org_name) then
+      return false,"Error: Org needs a name"
+   end
 
-    if properties and not type(properties) == 'table' then
-      return false,"Error: Properties must be a table"
-    end
-    
+   if parent_id and not modpol.orgs[parent_id] then 
+   return false,"Error: Parent_id must be a valid existing org id"
+   end
 
-    modpol.ocutil.log ("Attempting to add new org " .. org_name)
-    
-    if modpol.get_org_id_by_name(org_name) ~= nil then
-        str = "Error: Org " .. org_name .. " already exists"
-        modpol.ocutil.log (str)
-        return false,str
-    end
+   if properties and not type(properties) == 'table' then
+   return false,"Error: Properties must be a table"
+   end
+   
 
-    local org_id = modpol.id_counter
-    modpol.id_counter = modpol.id_counter + 1
+   modpol.ocutil.log ("Attempting to add new org " .. org_name)
+   
+   if modpol.get_org_id_by_name(org_name) ~= nil then
+      str = "Error: Org " .. org_name .. " already exists"
+      modpol.ocutil.log (str)
+      return false,str
+   end
+
+   -- assign a new id to the new org
+   local org_id = modpol.id_counter
+   modpol.id_counter = modpol.id_counter + 1
 
 
-    -- the instance will have a parent of nil if it is the instance. 
-    -- otherwise, it will have a parent of instance's id if not otherwise defined
-    local parent_org_id = nil
-    
+   -- the instance will have a parent of nil if it is the instance. 
+   -- otherwise, it will have a parent of instance's id if not otherwise defined
 
-    if parent_id and not(modpol.get_org_id_by_name('instance') == org_id) then
+   local parent_org_id = nil
+   
+   local instance_id = modpol.get_org_id_by_name('instance')
+
+   if parent_id and instance_id and not(instance_id == org_id) then
       parent_org_id = parent_id
-    end
+   end
 
-    if not parent_id and not(modpol.get_org_id_by_name('instance') == org_id) then
-      parent_org_id = modpol.get_org_id_by_name('instance')
+   if not parent_id and instance_id and not ( instance_id == org_id ) then
+      parent_org_id = modpol.get_org_id_by_name ( 'instance' )
    end
 
 
 
-   local props = properties or {}
-
 
    -- actually add the org
-   local org = modpol.org_temp
+   local org = modpol.org_temp()
    local default_policies = modpol.default_org_policies or {}
    org.id = org_id
    org.name = org_name -- do not change this without the proper api function. This is only a reference, not the only place this is recorded.
    org.members = members
    org.parent = parent_org_id
-   org.properties = props
+   org.properties = properites or org.properties
    org.policies = default_policies
+   org.children = {}
 
    modpol.orgs [org_id] = org
 
@@ -350,6 +371,11 @@ modpol.list_orgs  = function()
     return outbuf
 end
 
+
+
+
+
+
 -- ===================================================================
 -- Function: modpol.reset_orgs
 -- Params:   None