diff --git a/example/main.go b/example/main.go
index 8327628..4554af3 100644
--- a/example/main.go
+++ b/example/main.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	var c *pb.NewCluster
-	c = new(pb.NewCluster)
+	c = pb.InitCluster()
 
 	// log.Println(aCluster.String())
 	// show the droplets to STDOUT
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index 72d4008..0ecbb64 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )
 
+func InitCluster() *NewCluster {
+	var c *NewCluster
+	c = new(NewCluster)
+	c.d = new(Droplets)
+	c.h = new(Hypervisors)
+	c.e = new(Events)
+	return c
+}
+
 // human readable JSON
 func (d *Droplets) FormatJSON() string {
 	return protojson.Format(d)
diff --git a/scanIterator.go b/scanIterator.go
index 3bbaeef..7d3af13 100644
--- a/scanIterator.go
+++ b/scanIterator.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func (c *NewCluster) SelectDropletAll() []*Droplet {
 	var dropletPointers []*Droplet
 	if c.d == nil {
 		log.Info("SelectDropletsAll() c.d == nil")
-		os.Exit(-1)
+		// os.Exit(-1)
 	}
 	for _, d := range c.d.Droplets {
 		if d == nil {