Are Military Campground Hosts Homesteaders?

What is the real purpose of a Military Campground Host? Are they needed? Are they just Homesteaders in disguise? These are some of the questions I ask myself when I see small Military Campgrounds with a host. Lets look at a small Campground with a host. Laughton AFB in Del Reo, TX. Only 20 sites. Very good rules in place for checking in and the maintenance is done by the bases MWR staff. To me that site the host is occupying is lost revenue for the MWR and a lost nights stay for some passer by. Here is another small one. NAS Lemoore, CA. No camp host. Everything is run from a central location. Not the most organized place to stay but that’s an internal problem and I haven’t been there recently so may be out of the loop on that all together. NAS Jacksonville, FL RV Park. Takes pretty good care of it’s RV visitors without a camp host. Sometimes there are so many camp hosts at NS, Mayport, FL that you can’t keep up with them. What do you think that’s all about? That should be enough to get this started.

FastEagle

You hit a nerve, when you mentioned Mayport. We were put in a overflow area, with no chance of being moved. I had to grit my teeth, when I saw so many old boy camp hosts, taking up spaces I would of liked to have just for a week.
One day we had our screen door open, and our dog was out on the chain. We soon after, she was out, get a knock at the door telling us our dog could not be left unattended. I was at the kitchen sink, and was able to see out dog. She was lying there not bothering a soul, and enjoying the fresh air. She does not do her business until she is walked, so that was not a problem either. I guess they have so many hosts, so they can police, the people in overflow, who can't get a site because the good old boys are taking up the best sites for there selves.

Camp Hosts serve a purpose IF they do the job... I'm guessing clean-up the sites, assures the hook-ups work, call maintenance when needed, and check in the guests, or at least gets RV's in the right spot and advise about CG rules etc. Problem is, as always, some are great and some suck. SO, if you get one that acts responsibly and assists arrivals with the MCG business, then fine to get a spot, even a good spot.

BUt, if that host simply bosses campers around, acts like a private with General Stars, and maintains the 'I got the power" trip -- gives special sites or privileges to 'his buddies" -- then no reason to be there. As usual, a few bad ones will give a negative conotation to the rest ...

I agree with Monkey. Hosts do have a place at all campgrounds. Hosts are inexpensive help that can help keep the grounds clean, be eyes and ears for onsite security, help insure rules are complied with for the comfort of all guests, and be a source of local information. A campground host is there to make the guests feel welcome, comfortable, and safe. Unfortunately, there are hosts that either don't do enough, or go overboard. Yes, there are locations that have too many hosts taking up valuable siteas for guests. Of some of the examples provided, we had a great stay at Laughlin and the host greeted us, gave us information and made us feel comfortable and safe, and the place looked good. The host did a wonderful job and is justified there, although a small RV Park. At Lemoore, dogs were running loose, there were piles of dog waste and trash in the campground, it was noisy at night, and there wasn't a host. A good host on site at Lemoore would have eliminated most of these issues.

Gonna step out there and make a pretty wild prediction --

Based upon a world that is becomming more and more 'connected' and the ability for each of us to communicate about problems at some MCGs ... and because the AD and retired now have RV's instead of tents, and find good use for the MCGs, that eventually the voices will be heard and action will be taken to assure everyone access to the MCG on an equal basis, and the "good ole boy" networks that have abused this benefit for so long will disappear. And the hosts will become hosts that benefit the RV community rather than sit on a spot and save other spots for friends.

In addition, we hear often about the "abused MCGs" because great service and proper supervision at an MCG speaks pretty softly -- so we hear about the abuse (loud and clear) more often than the good service. I personally have found many more great MCGs than I have "not so great" ... and more good hosts than bad -- when I find one I don't like, I just move on. Sometimes, as I'm packing up, I do take the time to show that "bad host" the ring I wear on my longest finger though.

I have to wade in on this one. At Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune, we have two campground hosts of which I am one. Our responsibilities are: 1- Be on call from 1800 to 0800 the following morning. 2- Check in campers and guests who arrive after the reservations office closes at 1800. 3- Make sure that basic rules are followed to include pet control, noise issues after quiet hours. 4- Excessive speed in the campground and on the beach road. 5- Handle emergencies during our tour of duty. 6- Patrol the campground and other lodging areas in the Onslow Beach recreation center. 7- Let guests back into their lodging when they have locked themselved out. 8- Weekend cleaning of restrooms as needed.

The camp hosts here work one week on and one week off and exchange for our services receive our camp site. Both of us try our best to be as non intrusive as possible while performing our duties.

I enjoy what I do here. Periodically, I have had to correct issues but I try to do it in a non confrontational way, informational way. I have yet to have had a unpleasant experience with any our guests. We have lots of young Marines staying with us and sometimes they party a little too hearty, but they are always respectful and responsive when they are asked to tone it down.

If you did not have camp ground hosts, then someone would have to be paid to perform the duties of the host. Adding paid employees forces the campgrounds to raise their rates. We cover over 140 rv sites, lodges, trailers and cabanas with two hosts. I think this is a win-win situation at our location.

Curt