Sometimes It's Not Just About the Money

I received a comment on my blog post ""A Day In The Life of a Campground Host"   this afternoon. It got me thinking of a reply.  But it was too long of a reply to put under that blog post.  Instead of settling down for an afternoon nap alongside my Steveio, I decided to post a blog to reply to a question asked by a reader.

He asked:

OverTheTopCargoTrailer said...

I can never quite figure out this camp ground hosting bit ? If one of you has to work 20 hours per week and there are 4.3 weeks per month thats 86 hours for 1 person x $8 per hour min wage that equals like $688.

if 2 of you work its $1,376 in wages.

Either figure seams like a butt load of money for a site with only electricity ? A free campsite at $620.

How is it hat these Campground owners get folks to willing work for 1/2 or less then min wages ? and is that even legal in these days with so many gov regulations ?

Well....  I guess the easy answer is:  "Because I am having fun" ....

But you do bring up a good point.

Yes, it is 20 hours total between Steve or I working.  Since he is working his normal 40 hour week at the park as the Facilties Maintenace Specialist Advanced person, I am doing most of the camphosting duties.  But he helps me dump the large ash cans and helps me in the evenings if there is a site recently vacated and someone new due to arrive.   In all honesty, I am probably putting in closer to 30 hours a week.

Before and after my camphosting duties, I am also working on my own fiber projects and resupplying my inventory for an upcoming craft show in Chilton in September.  So I might be quilting, or knitting, or spinning.... but always ready to drop what I am doing to visit with someone wandering into my host site to ask questions or get information or even just refill their coffee cup on their morning stroll!

A lot of what we are doing is considered "volunteering" and I come from a family who always helped out with civic events and volunteering at county fairs or fishing jamborees.   As a kid, our family even campground hosting help at a county park we stayed at all summer long for many summers.  I grew up learning to "pitch in and help".   At any event, even weddings or grad parties, it seems my family is the last to leave, always helping with the cleanup.  Yes, even at 2 a.m. after all the partiers have gone home, you often see "Us Bicigo's" still there cleaning up and carrying out, and making sure things are locked up at rental halls or the like.  Something about making the work go much faster when there are more hands to help?     Big families are like that.



Due to so many budget cuts, our state parks are in desperate need of volunteers.   High Cliff State Park is very fortunate to get a lot of help from an organization called The Friends of High Cliff.

check out this link to see all they do for High Cliff

http://friendsofhighcliff.org/

Without them, a lot of things would not be happening around here.  The Friends Group does so much for the park that would never be able to be done on the present restricted budgets.  The paid staff works hard to make everything coordinate with the Friends Group and a lot of great things are accomplished by purely volunteer efforts.  

Right now as I type this, there are 6 or 7 volunteer guys clearing out overgrown brush by the historic lime kilns.  This has been a multiple day job and they keep coming back to do more.

As I type this, I am sure one of the great guys who vie and compete to get to run the big mowers is here cutting the many many square feet of lawns in the huge park.  They are so funny, these guys who love to come and "play" on the big mowers to get the park looking spiffy.   There aren't enough man hours in the budget to get it all done by paid employees; the volunteers are sooooo appreciated! 

It feels good to be part of the "family" around here.  I baked some coffee cake and bars and send them to the shop or office for the workers.  Another employee brought in candybars for everyone.   I sent up a crockpot of my calico beans for a lunchtime potluck.  A ranger gave us a jar of homemade maple syrup.  Someone dropped off some chunks of firewood for us.  Steve brings in cases of water bottles for the folks to grab from the shop fridge.  

It's a nice feeling to be part of something, even for the month that we are here.  

The work isn't hard.  

We are enjoying meeting people from all over the country 

and gabbing and learning about different rv's

I am handing out scavenger hunt sheets

 and rewarding little kids with prizes. 

I lent a guy a pliers and screwdriver 

to fix something on his camper. 

etc. etc. 

Plus, it's kinda fun driving around the Polaris and cleaning up firepits and marking them off on a clipboard.  A sense of accomplishment and a bit of horsepower in my hands. 

Heck, I might even PAY $8.00 an hour to do that.   

Like I said, Sometimes It's Not Just About The Money.....