HELP WANTED!

I WILL NOT BE A CANDIDATE FOR RD IN 2013 - Notwithstanding that many might try to put a different spin on it, I have agonied for months about whether I should risk continuing to serve you, people whom I deeply respect and love, for another term.  Ironically, it has been communications among members of the AVA's NEC that have made it clear to me that it is a risk that I cannot afford to take; it has become too clear that NEC XVII is inadequately prepared and it members ill-motivated to serve in the best interests of their constituents, of Volkssporters nationwide, and of the AVA.

 

     I have remained sincerely convinced that, as an attorney, I could bring a more complete understanding to the AVA's many levels of leadership, but have found that that is not among the goals that most NEC XVII members have.  As a professional, held by my profession to performance of representative and service roles at a higher standard, I cannot risk continuing to be part of the governing body of a non-profit entity that would sacrifice the needs of those whom it "serves" for the benefit of the wants of that body.  In short, you, the members of AVA Clubs, and your Clubs, the Members of the AVA, deserve significantly more than most of your National Officers and Directors are willing to sacrifice for you.  I must, therefore, withdraw from active particiption as part of that body.


In Volkssporting,

Ken
Ken Miles

YRESRs

     YRESRs -  If you haven't already submitted your Club's ESR(s) for its 2013 YREs, you are about to be cutting it close; the deadline for submission of those ESRs is midnight (2400 hours; 12:00 am) on Friday, August 31st, 2012, less than two weeks hence!  Although a significant number of Clubs in our Region have completed this requirement, some have not!  Should the deadline not be met, your Club risks having its YRE information omitted from The Starting Point 2013 and from the 2013 IVV Event Log.  Inasmuch as I must review and approve every YRESR in the Region, the earlier you file them, the more you spread my workload.    


In Volkssporting,

Ken
Ken Miles
AVA SC Region Director
918-745-0212

   

                                                                                                   

Home to 105+ Degrees

UPON MY RETURN:  -  I confess, central Michigan had high temperatures FAR more tolerable than those I experienced in Oklahoma either before leaving or upon returning from Micigan State University; oh for highs of eighty degrees!

Regional Director Elections 2013-2015:

Note – Here is a copy of the primary notification of the requirements and procedures to be followed by those individuals who might be considering seeking the office of Director of the South Central Region for NEC XVIII.   The Directors names will be announced during the final meeting session at the National Convention in Florida and will assume office on July 1, 2012. 

  

This is a reminder about the election procedures for Regional Directors for the 2013-2015 term of office. The guidelines are specifically outlined in paragraph 6.6 of the AVA Bylaws and are as follows:

1) Nominating Committee.  It shall be appointed at least nine months prior to the regular membership meeting. The next meeting is set for Wednesday/1 May 2013. Thus, the committee needs to be appointed NLT 1 August 2012.

            2) Elections. They cannot be held earlier than 90 days prior to the next regularly scheduled AVA membership meeting. Again, this is 1 May 2013. Thus, the first day for elections cannot begin before 31 January 2013.

3) Election System.  This is by ballot of Club in the Region and the election is determined exclusively by the Region.  It can be done at a regular membership meeting, special meeting or by mail ballot, which includes email.  See paragraph 6.6 (d) of the AVA Bylaws.

4) Election Results. The results need to be delivered to the AVA Secretary at the regular membership meeting on 1 May 2013.

5) Article in The American Wanderer (TAW). A newly elected Regional Director is entitled to one complimentary bio article and one photograph in TAW. Because of the 90-day RD election restriction, the earliest edition for RD material will be the April-May 2013 TAW. This edition will be printed and released o/a 15 March 2013.

- The article material/photograph is due NLT 25 February 2013.

- The article should focus on what the selectee wants to accomplish in office and should NOT be written in resume style.

- It must be limited to 500 words.

- It needs to sent by email directly to the Editor: Laurel Parrott [taw@bhi.com].

6) Note #1. If an RD election is not held before 25 February, the bio article and photo will be placed in the June-July 2013 issue of TAW. This edition will be released o/a 15 May 2013.

7) Note #2. The February-March 2013 edition of TAW will contain bio data and photo of ONLY the officer candidates for office.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks.

            Heinz Johnson, AVA President

2013 National Nominating Committee: The 2013 National Nominating Committee is being chaired by Glen Conyers of Joplin, MO. His committee members are: Linda Nyman, Colorado Springs, CO; Joseph Piffat, Danvers, MA; Dan Peters, Lennox, SD; and Lucy Yother, Leavenworth, KS. The formation of this committee was approved at the recent NEC meeting in Orlando, Florida and applies to AVA officer candidates only.

Nominations for officer candidates for NEC XVIII are now open. This is for the office of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer and their term of office begins on 1 July 2013 and ends on 30 June 2015. The elections will take place at the 18th AVA Biennial Convention in Orlando, Florida on 3 May 2013.

Nomination letters (expressing an interest in becoming a candidate for office) will be accepted until midnight of Friday, 16 November 2012. Since the Nominating Chair travels a little bit, an e-mail "heads-up" is requested to the Nominating Chair that he will be receiving your notice to run, but "hard copy" letter of your intent MUST BE sent to:

Glen Conyers
PO Box 3191
Joplin, MO 64803

Each nomination will be acknowledged electronically and each nominee will be sent Officer Candidate Guidelines for submitting their "nomination package" article for The American Wanderer plus photo and campaign information.

The deadline for the nomination package is 30 November and it must be sent electronically (not mailed); thus, it is advisable that a nomination package be prepared and sent well ahead of time.

For additional information, feel free to contact Glen at glenconyers@sbcglobal.net or you can call him at 417.434.0977.

KenKen Miles
AVA SC Region Director
918-745-0212

Traveling

PHILMONT SCOUT RANCH - If you haven't ever been there, you should be developing the connections that will allow you to visit and enjoy the Philmont Scout Ranch, near Cimarron, New Mexico, at the east base of the Rocky Mountains.  The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and the camp staff maintains everything so well and so clean that it is certainly like a luxury vacation, while incidently attending Scouting Leadership Courses.  Judy and I only returned from Philmont on Sunday evening.  I am currently planning to depart for East Lansing, Michigan (Michigan State University), for the Boy Scout's National Order of the Arrow Conference starting on Saturday, July 28th, and lasting until Saturday, August 4th.

 

JULY 1st – NOVEMBER 15th DUE DATE FOR E-POSTCARDS, FINANCIAL REPORTS AND OFFICER UPDATES -  An IRC Form 990 is the IRS income tax form for nonprofits.  Proof of E-postcards and other 990 forms filed, Financial Reports and Officer Updates must be received at AVA HQ no later than November 15, 2012.  After November 15th  these reports are past due and a Club will be assessed a $10.00 late fee.

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY -  Leaving at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 26th, for East Lansing, Michigan, and the BSA National Order of the Arrow Conference at Michigan State University.  Over 4000 attendees are expected to attend a full week of classes, competitions, exhibits, demonstrations, and carnivals celebrating Boy Scouting and its national honors arm, the Order of the Arrow.

     I'll be back to the Great South Central Region on Tuesday, August 7th.  Keep up the AVA Spirit for me!


Ken
Ken Miles
AVA SC Region Director
918-745-0212

Did You Know Its Summer?

BE COURTEOUS RECEIVERS OF GIFTS -  Does your Club provide receipts for tax-deductible donations?  A Regional Director asked this question during a recent NEC, "the last word on deductable donations I recall is that one must receive a receipt from the gifted organization in order to deduct the donation – even a cancelled check doesn’t qualify. If this is true, it’s 'Let the giver beware' is it not?  Tell me who actually gives receipts for tax-deductible donations?"

I'M OUT AGAIN -  Your RD (me) will again be out of service, this time (from Saturday, July 14th) until August 8th, as I will be at Philmont Scout Ranch, NM, for a week and then at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, for the NOAC (National [Boy Scouts] Order of the Arrow Conference).  At the first location I will be receiving training while at the second, I will be on the training staff.

TAW DEADLINE - The deadline for the Oct./Nov. issue of The American Wan-derer is August 25th. All articles, including Tails on the Trails, and photographs should be submitted directly to Laurel Parrott, Editor taw@bhi.com or mail to 3526 Humboldt Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55412. Be sure to include "TAW" in the subject line if emailing.

STARTING POINT 2013 PRE-ORDER DEADLINE EXTEN-DED TO AUGUST 1  -  Orders for the Starting Point 2013 cannot be accepted after August 1, 2012. Pre-Order form on the AVA Website under the Publica-tions-Forms link, at AVA Club Forms.

In Volkssporting,

Ken
Ken Miles
AVA SC Region Director
918-745-0212

JULY!!!!!!!!!!

SERVED IN THE MILITARY? THIS MIGHT INCREASE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS. Provided by Saint Leo University

DD FORM 214 -- SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT

Please share this with anyone who's had active duty service between January 1957 to December 31, 2001 and planning for retirement. In a nutshell it boils down to this:

You qualify for a higher social security payment because of your Military service for active duty any time from 1957 through 2001 (the program was done away with 1 January 2002). Up to $1200 per year of earnings credit credited at time of application - which can make a substantial difference in social security monthly payments upon your retirement. You must bring your DD 214 to the Social Security Office and you must ask for this benefit to receive it!

Soc Sec website: http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/military.htm

            This is something to put in your files for when you apply for Social Security down the road.  It is NOT just for retirees, BUT anyone who has served on active duty between January 1957 to December 31, 2001.

REMEMBER, this benefit is not automatic, you must ask for it! We've all been on active duty between 1957 and 2001 or know someone who has.

Passing on good information for all you military folks when you apply for social security. I know this may be too early for some of you to think about Social Ssecurity but, keep living and you will get there...

Alison J. Brown/Financial Coordinator

Saint Leo University/Langley Center

alison.brown@saintleo.edu

REMINDER TO CLUBS - MAIL YOUR $50 ANNUAL DUES TO  THE AVA -  Regular Member Clubs pay annual dues to the AVA on or before July 1 of each year. A Club that has not paid its annual dues by September 1 will be assessed a late fee. A Club that has not paid its annual dues plus the late fee by October 1 will be considered “not in good standing."

TAW DEADLINE -   The  deadline  for  the  October/November  issue  of  The

American Wanderer is August 25th. All articles, including Tails on the Trails and photographs should be submitted directly to Laurel Parrott, Editor taw@bhi.com or mailed to: 3526 Humboldt Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55412.  Be sure to include "TAW" in the subject line if emailing.

JULY 1st TO NOVEMBER 15th IS THE DUE DATE FOR E-POSTCARDS, OTHER 990s, CLUB FINANCIAL REPORTS AND OFFICER UPDATES  -  A 990 is the IRS income tax form for nonprofits. Proof of filing of E-postcards and other 990 forms, together with Club Financial Reports and Officer Updates must be received at the AVA  Headquarters no later than November 15, 2012.  After November 15th these reports become past due and a Club will be assessed a $10 late fee.

In Volkssporting,

Ken
Ken Miles
AVA SC Region Director
918-745-0212

Adieu Mon Ami!

AVA OFFICER RESIGNATION - Last Thursday, July 21st, AVA President Heinz Johnson sent the following message to members of AVA NEC VII:

It is with deep regret that I announce the resignation of Marvin Stokes as the Vice President of the American Volkssport Association and Chair of the 18^th AVA Biennial Convention. His resignation was effective at Midnight (2400) on 20 June 2012.

Marvin has been diagnosed with a serious health condition: MCI or Mild Cognitive Impairment. His doctors strongly recommended that he get away from those activities that may cause stressful situations which could accelerate the disease.  .  .  .

     Marvin Stokes has been a dedicated and steadfast volunteer with the AVA and a strong and loyal friend. His presence at AVA activities will be sorely missed!

In Volkssporting,

Ken
Ken Miles
AVA SC Region Director
918-745-0212