It's Already OCTOBER!

Special Events Program Submittals -  Any club wishing to submit proposals for a Special Event in 2012 must submit to the Special Events Chair, Bonnie Johnson, 25-66th Way NE, Fridley, MN 55432-4202, Home Tele. 830.980.5723, email secretary@ava.org by November 1.  All Special Event Programs must abide by the Special Events Administrative Policy (see Publications-Form site of the AVA Website). Per the policy, all Special Events will be approved or disapproved at the first NEC meeting of the next calendar year, January 2012.

Special Programs Point of Contact - A request from the Point of Contact for the Walking America’s Murals Program would like to know if your club has a sanctioned walk that passes a mural of at least 8 feet by 8 feet depicting any historical, cultural, or local happening on a painted stationary wall or building.  If you do, the walk will qualify for this special event. Please submit your club information with the walk, the specific location, and date(s) of the walk to: Trudy Duffman, Illinois Trekkers Publicity Committee, trudyduffman@yahoo.com or mail to: 432 Timberline Court, Shiloh, IL 62269-3202. Telephone: 618.670.6920.

 

National Volkssport Month - If your club did not pre-order the 2011 October NVM patch, it is still available for purchase through AVA Headquarters for your October event participants. Clubs pay $2 per patch, no discounts, no shipping charge.


     Ken 

No Mid-Week Football; Been Volksmarching Today?

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED AN "IRONMAN EVENT"?  -  1 Sanctioned Walk (10KM and/or 5KM), 1 Sanctioned Bike, and 1 Sanctioned Swim would effectively be an "Ironman Event."  Those who a really into the REAL Ironman stuff could treat it that way; very young, less athletic, and more mature participants could complete any one or more of the component events (e.g., only a 5KM walk) as they would like.  Event organizers should do more than a typical volkssport event (like timing the competitive participants, appointing events "marshals," and having hydration/medical stations).  Sufficient advertizing, traffic control, a location convenient to the swim, and adequate event planning and preparation could result in attendance larger than that to which your club is accustomed and which will probably grow exponentially if you allow it to become an annual thing!

OCTOBER IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL REGION  -  

ARKANSAS

10/29/2011          Van Buren          Walk          Ozark Hill Hikers

KANSAS

10/01/2011          Overland Park    Walk          Kansas JayWalkers
10/16/2011          Baldwin City      Walk          Sunflower Sod Stompers

MISSOURI

10/02/2011          O'Fallon             Walk          St. Louis-Stuttgart VM Club
10/15/2011          Harrisonville      Walk          Pace Setters Volkssport Club
10/22/2011          Cassville            Walk          Dogwood Trailblazers
10/29/2011          St. Louis Belle-  Walk         St. Louis-Stuttgart VM Club
                         fontaine Cem. 

OKLAHOMA

10/28/2011 -        Poteau               6 Swims     World Wide Walkers
  10/29/2011
10/29/2011          Antlers               Walk          Wandergruppe Walking Club
10/29/2011          Idabel                 Walk          Tulsa Walking Club
10/30/2011          Fort Coffee         Walk         Tulsa Walking Club
10/30/2011         Wilburton - Rob- Walk         Holy Family Walkers
                        bers Cave

GO OUT AND WALK!

Ken

October - Football & Volksmarching!

Your Club's Website on the AVA Server - The AVA IT provider has asked that you go to the following link for instructions on how to connect to the AVA's server: www.ava.org/clubs/support due to recent changes to the FTP server. If you have general concerns on an existing account, need to verify your username/password, or if you wish to set up a new account, you may directly email Linda@ava.org.  Each club that has space on the AVA server is billed $60.00 per year on May 1 (prorated for the first year).

FROM CANDY PURCELL -  Hi All,

      The week of October 3^rd through Friday October 7^th Marie, Karen and Linda will be packing up their desks, and their computers will be down.  Carpeting in the reception area, new furniture and re-cabling will be done that week, then staff will be setting up and cleaning out any old paper work no longer needed. The computers will still be active for me, Kevin, and in the Marketing office.  Marie, Karen, and Linda will check email each day from one of these computers and can take care of any emergency business. 

     Painting has been finished on both sides [of the office], and all repairs.  This week we are closing for September to send out statements, re-arranging the storage now that the carpeting is completed next to the storage area.  If there is anything you need right away, please just email me. 

     We will be signing a new five year lease beginning January 1, 2012.  The first two years will remain just as they are now.  The following is the [amortization] schedule:

•      January 2014 our rent will increase 79.00 per month or 2.5% to $3,245.00 per month.
•      January 2015 will increase 81.00, 2.5% to $3,326.00 per month.
•      January 2016 will increase 83.00, 2.5 % to $3,409.00 per month.

     This is an overall 7.5% increase for the next 5 years, which is below the average of 10% to 15% for San Antonio.  The lease term is more than the average of 3 year lease term locally.

     [Commencing] January 2013 all tenants are required to pay leased property taxes; this has become common in this economy.  We have 21% of the building so our leased property tax at the current rate will average $2,830.15 annually.  We do need all of the space we currently have.

AND FOLLOW-UP FROM CANDY -  We will still continue to do what ever work we need to [during renovation], including end of quarter; it won’t effect the clubs entering participation or the RDs helping the clubs, but one thing hinges on the other to get the renovation accomplished, so I would rather let everyone know now what we will be doing, instead of  having anyone angry during that week.  Marie will still be able to use the computer in the marketing office if anyone needs help, just email me.

• Candy

Ken

South Central Region IS COOL!

RAINBOW - Because a member of the Oklahoma City Wandergruppe Walking Club has made inquiry, and despite the long time before what is a logical response was given, all should know that every single AVA event in Oklahoma from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2014, will qualify for the Strolling Somewhere Over the Rainbow (the "Rainbow") Special Event Program.  The simple justification for that decision by Lois Head, POC for the Program, is that "Oklahoma is the Choctaw word for Red Man."  I suggest that no one abuse that favorable decision by attempting to get "Rainbow" credit for completing a single YRE in Oklahoma 20 times or the like, but Oklahoma AVA Clubs and volkssporters from across the Sout Central Region can rely on there being an adequate number of available events qualifying for the "Rainbow" Program!


REMEMBER - 2013 AVA Biennial Convention - Orlando, FL,  April 22 - 26, 2013.





FROM  KEN - Since I have taken on the responsibilities of South Central Region Director I have quite regularly witnessed a number of communications directly from AVA Club Officers and individual volkssporters to AVA Headquarters and AVA Employees.  On occasion that practice is warranted (e.g., emergencies, "short-fuses," direct replies), but in the interest of time conservation (remember, there are only five employees) at AVA Headquarters and of decorum (Regional Directors have been installed both as Members of the AVA NEC and as representatives of the AVA Clubs and volkksporters [their "constituents"] in their Region), PLEASE observe the practice of communicating those questions and comments that are not emergencies, "short-fuses," direct replies, or the like through/to me.  I might ultimately put you in touch with an AVA Employee or Officer, but will do my best to satisfy your need.


   Ken

PEAD THIS BLOG!

THE AVA SPEAKERS INITIATIVE - The AVA Publicity Committee has been tasked with developing a proposal for an AVA Speakers Kit, to be presented at the January NEC meeting.  Volkssporters willing to contribute to this project should contact me soon.

Bob Morrison

AVA Treasurer and Publicity Committee Chair

AVA RECOGNITION AWARDS - Some of you have indicated that you missed the following list when it was published here on July 12th.

AVA RECOGNITION AWARDS

     The awards shown here were made to individuals from the South Central Region at the 2011 AVA Biennial Convention in Des Moines, Iowa:  

Distinguished Achievement Award (Given to an individual who has given at least eight years of exemplary service to the AVA at several stages of service, including the national level)

Ed Tod, St. Louis-Stuttgart Volksmarch Club

Meritorious Service Award (Given to an individual who has given at least five years of outstanding service to the AVA)

Teresa Arnold, Tulsa Walking Club

Dorris Bender, Clay-Platte Trackers

Harrison Billy, St Louis-Stuttgart Volksmarch Club

Barbara Buehrer, Clay-Platte Trackers

Tom Cabot, Hermann Volkssport Ass’n.

Doris Conyers, Dogwood Trailblazers

Doug Evett, Ozark Hill Hikers

Joe Fountain, Wandergruppe Walking Club

Phyllis Gall, Clay-Platte Trackers

Jim Gant, Dogwood Trailblazers

               Jules Hollingshead, Dogwood Trailblazers

Twila Hollingshead, Dogwood Trailblazers

June Holmes, Tulsa Walking Club

Lawrence Lehman, Global Adventurers

Andy Lucas, Florissant Valley Walkers

Kenneth G. Miles, Tulsa Walking Club

Rhonda Minson, Tulsa Walking Club

Janie Otto, Crescent City Volkssport Club

Barbara Porche, Baton Rouge Striders

Barbara Ramsay, Pace Setters Volkssport Club

Shirley Schelper, Tulsa Walking Club

George Snyder, Holy Family Walkers

Sharon Snyder, Holy Family Walkers

Ed Tod, St. Louis-Stuttgart Volksmarch Club

Terri Tyler, Topeka Sod Stompers

John Wickham, Wichita Skywalkers

Jan Wood, East Texas Trekkers

Lucy Yother, Kansas JayWalkers

Certificate of Service  (Given to an individual who has given at least three years of significant service to the AVA, appointed officials of the AVA, and members of AVA committees.

Ronda Chandler, Tulsa Walking Club

Taylor Chandler, Tulsa Walking Club

Lester Clutter, Tulsa Walking Club

Cheryl Hiatt, Tulsa Walking Club

Rhonda Minson, Tulsa Walking Club

Adelle Stutts, Tulsa Walking Club

   Ken

It's A Beautiful Day In The South Central Region

AVA TRADEMARKS -  The following two items have been registered by the AVA and should display the trademark symbol with them.  AVA Headquarters will be sending out modified logos with the trademark to the Clubs shortly.  When they are received Clubs will include these new trademarked logos in all future printing of walk brochures, newsletters, letterheads, envelopes, business cards, etc, displaying (1) the AVA symbol alone or (2) in combination with the words "Fun, Fitness, and Fellowship."  Clubs will be permitted to utilize supplies already printed, but when there becomes a need to replenish stock, they must be prepared with the logo with the trademark symbol. 

     The AVA symbol alone would be merely yhe top portion of what we see belw as that symbol in combination with the words "Fun, Fitness, and Fellowship." 

 
Starting Point  -  Sam Korff, AVA Northwest Region Director, is Chairing an Ad Hoc AVA Committee to explore the future of the Starting Point.  This is a copy of his most recent communication to the NEC on the subject:   

Hello all,

Below are some questions regarding the Starting Point.  Please circulate the questions to your regions and ask for replies before December 1.  That's over 60 days and gives the ad hoc committee sufficient time to formulate/tabulate recommendations for the January NEC meeting.  I have also posted these questions on the AVA Future forum to give the questions the widest dissemination.

Sam

1.  Should AVA continue to be in the book selling business?

DISCUSSION:  AVA has been selling Starting Point books with its current data.  This question leads into the next one, where some have suggested that we get out of the book business and sell the information on a CD or put it on line.  Is this suggestion one that your club would like?

2.  If we keep the Starting Point, what form should it take? (current form, on line form,  printed form broken out by regions and sold by individual regions, CD, a combination of all of these forms)

DISCUSSION:  If we keep the current form with spiral binding, should we also produce a CD, or a breakout by region, or should we just put the data on line and when someone wants the information, they would go on line to retrieve the data?  Some people don’t have computers but computers are available at every library.

3.  How should we charge for what we have?

DISCUSSION:    Lower print run mean higher per unit cost.  It’s been suggested that we get at least 3 bids before sending the Starting Point to the printer.  Is this feasible in view of the deadlines that we have?

4. Should we take pre-orders only, thus eliminating the hundreds of copies not being sold?  This also asks whether AVA should accept the loss of the cost of books not sold and write it off as a marketing/publicity cost. 

DISCUSSION:  Pre-orders have been suggested so that if the club or the person has not ordered the Starting Point by a certain date, then they would not be able to get the book, but would have to get the information on line.  What has happened in the past is that the clubs have used the last year’s sales to determine what they order.  For example, a club sold only 10 Starting Points last year, so they only order 10 for this year. Then they sell only 8.  Nationally, that has worked out to 2000 sold in one year so 2000 get ordered, but only 1600 get sold.  So the following year 1600 are ordered and only 1200 are sold.  We buy hundreds more than we sell.

5. Do you have a suggestion not previously mentioned that could help AVA with The Starting Point?

     Your responses to any or all of the foregoing questions can be transmitted to Sam via your Club or through me.

Ken

Kenneth G. ("Ken") Miles

South Central Region Director

3613 East 55th Street

Tulsa, OK   74135-3811

Home:  918.745.0212

Mobile:  918.706.6063

Information for All to Know!

     This site is for all, be they AVA Club Officers, walkers who have not yet joined a Club, brand new volkssporters, or even AVA NEC Members!  Use of the site is FREE and registration is in no way required to view or make comment to it.  With that in mind and because my intent is to communicate to everyone and anyone interested in learning about Volkssporting, the South Central Region of the American Volkssport Association, or the AVA itself, please feel free to visit this Blog at http://avascrd.blogspot.com/ as frequently as you like; you and your opinions, expressed in an appropriately civil manner, are welcome!

WHAT IS AN EVENT STAMP? -  New volkssporters have often been caught in the quandary of “if there is an Event Stamp, what of a Distance Stamp?”  We old-timers know what we mean when we say Event Stamp, but do you realize the confusion?  Seeing the truth in that question, the AVA has chosen to follow the example of the IVV and call that stamp the “IVV Certification Stamp” or the “AVA Certification Stamp” or even the “Certification Stamp.”  So when you see that terminology, don’t you old-timers become confused.

CLUB REPORTS -  Member Clubs approved for IRC 50l(C)(3) status under the AVA Group Exemption must submit to the AVA National Headquarters the reports listed below (failure to submit the required information will jeopardize the club's 501(C)(3) status and the club's ability to sanction events):  

           

           1.  Club Officer Information Update.

Every club must submit the officer/club information report within thirty days of the change of an officer or any officer/club information and at least once annually between January 1 and November 15. Information required and procedures for submitting this report are shown in the official section of the AVA web site. If the report is not received by November 15, a late fee of $10.00 will be assessed. Failure to make an annual report before December 31 will place the club in “not good standing”. 

2.  Annual Financial Report for 501(C)(3) Organizations.

Every club under the AVA 501(C)(3) umbrella must submit an annual financial report between July 1 and November 15. Information required and procedure for submitting this report is shown in the official section of the AVA web site. If the report is not received by November 15, a late fee of $10.00 will be assessed. Failure to make an annual report before December 31 will place the club in “not good standing”.

3. IRS Form 990, Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax.

            A Member Club must file this form with the IRS

    1) at the end of the first year it is under the AVA Group Exemption;

    2) if it has annual gross receipts of $25,000 or more; and/or

    3) in any year in which the IRS sends it an IRS Form 990 for completion.

{NOTE - Clubs relying on IRC 501(C)(3) status must annually submit an IRS E-postcard, Form 990EZ}

Ken

THE GREAT, GREAT SOUTH CENTRAL REGION!

LOOKING FOR A SOURCE FOR LOW COST CLUB SHIRTS?  -  Check out Queensboro at www.queensboro.com/WP181  or at 800-847-4478. First polo is $2.95 (free basic logo set-up and embroidery, and free shipping), plus various types of shirts and other items at discounted prices and low minimums  This recommendation comes from another Region and I cannot stand behind it in any way.  I therefore recommend placing a minimum order (to try them out) initially.

NEXT NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING  - The next NEC Meeting will be held in Schertz, Texas, on January 20, 21 and 22 (Sunday if necessary), 2012. Details will be posted BY THE ava when they become available.





THE AVA BY-LAWS COMMITTEE - At the most recent NEC Meeting, I was selected to Chair the AVA By-Laws Committee.  In that capacity, I have been charged with selecting members to serve on the Committee until July 1, 2013.  To complete that requirement and to give more volksporters in the South Central Region the opportunity to contribute to the operation of the AVA, I am seeking nominations of dedicated and diligent volkssporters for the AVA By-Laws Committee.  Nominees need not be experienced in the field, nor should they expect to be required to devote tremendous amounts of time or to travel to meetings.  A large part of the Committee activity will be accomplished by electronic communications.  Please sumit the name(s) of nominee(s), with their mailing address, telephone number, and E-mail address (if available) to me at one of the contact locations indicated below.

Volkssporting With God's Help,

  E-mail:  ava.scrd@hotmail.com

Ken

Kenneth G. ("Ken") Miles

South Central Region Director

3613 East 55th Street

Tulsa, OK   74135-3811

Home:  918.745.0212

Mobile:  918.706.6063

THE GREAT SOUTH CENTRAL REGION!

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, 2012 -   For the first time ever 5 clubs in the midwest will be hosting a Memorial Day Weekend event in 2012. The weekend will consist of of two walks Saturday, May 26th,  two walks Sunday, May 27th, and one walk Monday, May 28th, with a possible swim and bike during the Weekend. These events are being sponsored by the Clay-Platte Trackers of Kansas City, the Illinois Trekkers, the Pace Setters, the St Louis-Stuttgart VM Club and the Dogwood Trailblazers, Joplin.  These events will be in the Booneville/Columbia/Rocheporte/Katy Trail area of Mssouri. Four out of the five walks are brand new with one being updated from an old walk not sanctioned in many years.  Just some of what you will see are historic towns, winery/vineyard, limestone bluffs, river, pedestrian bridges, tunnels and woods.  This will be a one time only set of events. 

      The participating clubs would like to provide the opportunity to collect as many "SNOB Stamps" as possible.  Invitations to these events have been sent to each of the National Officers and the 10 Regional Directors on the AVA NEC.  Because of the uniqueness of the weekend and the efforts by NEC members to make those stamps available, at least seven have already communicated their desire and efforts to attend and participate.  THIS WILL BE A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER!


THE KS JAYWALKERS HAVE A NEW FACEBOOK PAGE -  If you are or would like to become a Facebook user, the Club asks you to go to their page and "like" it, so that they can we can get a more accurate and concise address to use on our flyers and advertising for club events.  This will be a great way to get the word out about our upcoming events and group walks.

   

Please share the address with your family and friends:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kansas-Jaywalkers/112547758840372

OUR EXPRESSION OF PRIDE IS IMPORTANT! -  Too many Americans let it up to someone else to display pride in America and her institutions and values.  Don't be one of those individuals; think about what is important to you, and then realize that you wouldn't be in the position to experience most of those things or even to think about them were it not for the Americans who have served to protect that and our many other rights and traditions.  If you can, fly the American Flag, learn and deliver it the respect it deserves, visit a memorial or cemetary and remember the ones who are honored there, take the time to pass on the lessons and values of America to youth, be they young relatives, Scouts, or even young volkssporters.  I promise, you will come away proud!




Remember
Billy Hanks, South Carolina
The Flag that flew against the sky
that fateful September day
was ragged, burned and bloodied
But not defeated in any way.

The people who rallied around her colors
They fought and died and saved
many trapped inside the falling building
o'er which the flag still waved.

So remember, people, give thanks today
to our heroes everywhere.
All who risk all that they have
just to show they care.


In Gratitude to ALL of GOD'S Guardforce,

Ken

September!!!!

Tell Us Where You Walked on Labor Day Weekend  -  An exciting, a beautiful, a special event?  Jot down and post a comment concerning it for us.  Feel free to point out what was unusual and good about an event, but don't be afraid to tell us what disturbed you.  Perhaps you have some recommendations that could help improve a YRE.  Your ideas could result in preventing the "failure" and cancellation of that event.   If you chose to post a comment, you recognize that it is subject to being edited for form or content.

     It is encouraging to see that other RD's on the AVA NEC have taken up the goal of communications with and keeping the volkssporters in their Regions informed.  Recognizing that, I have read a few of those communications recently.  The following information, important also to volkssporters in the South Central Region, has been plagiarized from the Southwest Region Director's "News and Views":

.   .   .   .

Two actions destined to assist the [new AVA] Director of Marketing:

In response to a request by Bob Morrison, the president directed the IT committee chair to recruit the committee members for approval and appointment and [to] develop a proposal for a pass-word protected section of the AVA website for Associate [and Lifetime] Members with an implementation plan for consideration at the NEC meeting in January.

In response to another request by Bob Morrison, the president directed the Publicity committee chair to recruit the committee members for approval and appointment and [to] study the concept of a speaker bureau with “Volkssporters reaching out in their communities with an enthusiastic, well organized, professionally designed message about our sport”.

.   .   .   .

[Having given much of his "News and Views" to reporting on the recent NEC Training and Meeting at Schertz, Texas, Bill Hamilton, South West RD, closed with  .  .  .  ]

In conclusion, I was convinced that one of my primary personal goals for the NEC was off to a grand start, with no credit to me and much to our new national officers.  I would characterize the atmosphere of the gathering, in session and out, with four alliterative adjectives – courteous, congenial, conscientious and cooperative.  Halleluiah!

[I could not agree more with Bill; the EC/NEC Meetings that were the subject of his communication were, in fact, very beneficial for those of us who participated, but more, they served to benefit the AVA.  I feel strongly that the AVA can look forward to overcoming all of its past shortfalls and to a strong move into the future!]

           Ken 
            Kenneth G. ("Ken") Miles
            AVA South Central Region Director
            3613 East 55th Street

  Tulsa, OK  74135-3811

   Tele:  918.745.0212

Your AVA Staff Has Been Laboring

TAW Deadline  for the December/January issue of The American Wanderer is October 25. All articles and photographs should be submitted directly to Laurel Parrott, Editor, at taw@bhi.com or by mail to 3526 Humboldt Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55412.  Be sure to include "TAW" in the subject line if emailing.

The AVA Museum Committee  is in need of missing convention items to complete the museum set. Please send only the requested donations below to the AVA Headquarters, Attention: Joanne Forinash. Please call (210).872.2743 before sending any donations, as there is no space for duplicates.

 
     Needed: Convention Patches for 1979, 1981, 1983, 1999 and 2003.
        Needed: Conv. Pins for 1979, 1983, 1993, 2001, 2007 and 2009.                      
           Needed: Convention Event Awards for 2001, 2005 and 2007.


 FINANCIAL -  $8000.00 was approved to be added to the AVA budget for the upgrade of the furniture and physical plant of the HQ. The staff has done a great job in clearing out  space so the landlord can make necessary repairs. Once this is done, the HQ will be repainted, floors redone as necessary, and necessary new furniture and fixtures bought. The final result should be a HQ that all Volkssporters can be proud of and shows us in a much better light to visitors. If clubs or individuals wish to help defray the costs by donating funds specifically for the upgrade, they can do so. Such donations would be tax deductible and would reduce the budgeted amount.

Ken