Memorial Day Weekend is Coming!

MILES 'N' MISSOURI - 5 Walks, 3 Swims, and 1 Bike in Central Missouri sponsored by four Missouri Volkssport Clubs (the Clay-Platte Trackers of Kansas City, the Dogwood Trailblazers, the Pace Setters Volkssport Club, and the St. Louis-Stuttgart Volksmarch Club) with the help of the Illinois Trekkers Volkssport Club and the World Wide Walkers, an Oklahoma Club!  Events commence in Boonville, MO, at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday (May 26th) and continue to occur until Monday, May 28th, Memorial Day.  Aside from uniformly beautiful trails and walks and a social event/mixer on Sunday evening at about 6:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to walk on Warm Springs Ranch, where all of the Budweiser Clydesdales are bred, born and raised.  For additional information about Miles 'n' Missouri contact Missy McBride, Clay-Platte Trackers, @ missymcbride@kc.rr.com or Deb Kruep, Illinois Trekkers, @ debmarkkreup@yahoo.com.

STARTING POINT 2013 - This year only, pre-orders for clubs and individuals will be accepted and will not be billed until the Starting Point 2013 books arrive. The deadline for pre-orders is no later than midnight Sunday, July 1. The deadline is necessary for the publisher to ensure books will be delivered before Christmas.   All orders will be shipped from the AVA Headquarters. Estimated time of delivery is after Thanksgiving – early December.

2012 South Central Region Round-Up - October 5th-7th -  Most of you are aware that planning for the 2012 South Central Region Round-Up in the Kansas City (Kansas AND Missouri) area has been underway.  We certainly want to have you attend and to provide you all of the information that you might need to enable that (for any additional information, contact me, Ken Miles, @ AVA.SCRD@hotmail.com, Missy McBride, Clay-Platte Trackers, @ missymcbride@kc.rr.com,  Barb Ramsay, Pace Setters Volkssport Club,  @ bramsay55@gmail.com, or Lucy Yother,  @ yotherl@yahoo.com), but frankly, this blast has an ulterior motive;  IF your Club is considering or might consider sponsoring the 2014 South Central Region Round-Up, please let me know at the earliest opportunity!  

Ken
Ken Miles

AVA SC Region Director

918-745-0212

The State of Two States

THE STATE OF TWO STATES - On Saturday, May 19th, Holy Family Walkers of Lawton, Oklahoma, will be celebrating the "Red River Ramble" with walks in BOTH Oklahoma AND Texas. At Pavilion #2 in the park at Lake Frederick, OK, Saturday morning's event will start (9:00 a.m. to Noon). Lake Frederick is about 50 miles west of Lawton. The AVA South Central Region Director's Stamp will be available at Lake Frederick for all who are or would like to do the SNOB Stamps Program. After completing the Oklahoma leg of the Red River Ramble, head south for about 35 miles and across the Red River to the Holy Family Walkers Texas event, starting (Noon to 3:00 p.m.) at the Chaparral Activities Center, 4400 Augusta Street in Vernon, TX. The AVA South West Region Director's Stamp will be available at Vernon. THANK YOU Holy Family Walkers for taking on the task of providing us events in two states on one weekend!

EVENT STAMP HANDLES - Some AVA Clubs have discovered a new way to be accessed a $15.00 fine by the AVA. They are not protecting the stamp handles. These clubs are writing“Front”, “Back”, or the name of the event on the stamp handles using some type of permanent ink marker or an individual working the Finish Table lays the stamp handle flat on an ink pad and presses down hard, resulting in the stamp handle becoming the same color as the entries in the IVV event /distance books.

To prevent paying a fine of $15.00, just spend a few minutes prior to your event by protecting the stamp handle. Perhaps by wrapping your stamp handle in some type of plastic wrap. Write the name of your event on a paper label which you affix to the front of the stamp handle or to a plastc baggie in which you store the stamp.  This will definitely protect the AVA event stamp handle from damage. Just remember to remove any plastic wrap, paper label and tape that you affix to the stamp prior to returning it to AVA Headquarters.

CLUBS CANNOT CHECK THEIR YEAR-ROUND OR SEASONAL EVENT ROUTES OFTEN ENOUGH - One AVA Region's seasonal walks have had three major changes to the trail directions in the last six weeks.  Seems like the people (walkers?) are replacing or moving signs or even moving the location of rest benches. YRE Sponsoring Club Members must check the trail directions constantly.  You may ask volksmarchers attending your year-round or seasonal events to inform your Club of possible problem areas or changes they have observed to your trail directions while walking, but nothing substitutes for hands-on inspection.

 

Ken
Ken Miles

AVA SC Region Director

918-745-0212

Hope All Had A Happy Walking Mothers Day!

THERE IS A NEW AVA EVENT BROCHURE CHECKLIST - Major changes include:  (1)  AVA Special Programs must be listed in the brochure,  (2)  Grid Coordinates of the walk location must be in the brochure (when available),  (3)  YRE/Seasonal Event must now list the host business hours along with any days closed,  (4)   If there is an alternate POC (and there should be one), that person's phone and email address must be contained in the brochure, and (5) brochures must contain statement indicating access to internet resources at www.ava.org.  The new checklist is located at http://www.ava.org/forms/AVAForm405EventBrochureChecklist.pdf.

AVA NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS WILL REPLACE THEIR OLD OUTDOOR SIGN SHORTLY -

American Volkssport Association

Minutes of a Special Online Meeting

Agenda Item #2-12

April 12, 2012

At the request of the President, Heinz Johnson, a Special Online Meeting of the National Executive Council XVII was held on April 12, 2012.

Special Online NEC Meeting

Introduction of Business:

          "I move that funds be approved to install a new outdoor building sign to identify the location of the AVA National Headquarters."

Summary of Proposed Action:

A building location sign was erected on the front of the building that we occupy for our national headquarters in 1993 at a cost of $1,068. This was a lighted sign (night time) that has fallen into disrepair and it has not been used in many years. Also, two trees have grown up that now completely block the view of the sign from the main street (Pat Booker RD) and the front parking lot.

           Our Acting Executive Director learned in late February that the Universal City Industrial Development Corporation (UCIDC) has a Storefront Improvement Program. The UCIDC will allocate matching funds to help cover the cost of business identification signage.

           To take advantage of this grant, a bid was obtained from a local sign company (FASTSIGNS) to install a new building identification sign and remove our old one for $4809.27. The size of the sign will be 36” (H) x 240” (W) and it will not be lighted. 

            [The] building landlord gave us clearance to install a new sign near the top of the west side of the building that would not be obscured by trees. It will be clearly visible from the street by east bound traffic. Our landlord also told us that we had to bear the costs for any wall repairs and painting once the old sign was removed. This is estimated to be $500 and it is not included in the FASTSIGNS bid estimate.

          Our Acting Executive Director submitted a project application to the UCIDC asking for matching funds for our new sign on 24 February 2012. The UCIDC approved our application on 23 March 2012 for a maximum reimbursement of $2,655. A stated condition is that we must begin actual work within 90-days of their award letter.

          [The] cost for the sign is estimated to be $2654.27. This includes the wall repair estimated cost of $500. Funds for this project will come from our savings account and this expenditure will be treated as an increase depreciation expense for fixed assets.

Submitted By: Heinz Johnson, President

Seconded By: Bob Morrison

    

The vote was:

    11    Yes (for)
      0    No  (against)
      2    Abstain (Two affirmative votes were received after the voting deadline)

Motion carried.

Bonnie Johnson                                     

AVA Secretary     

   Ken
                                      

Spring Walking!

DON'T FORGET CRYSTAL BRIDGES - From 8:00 to Noon tomorrow, the Ozark Hill Hikers bring us a walk featuring the NEW Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.  Orchards Park, Bentonville, will be the Start Location and your walk will be rated 1A and meander through wooded areas around and near Bentonville's newest art treasure, Crystal Bridges Museum.  You can even grab lunch in the museum and take a tour after an exhilerating walk!  See you there! 


IVV CERTIFICATION STAMP HANDLING REQUIREMENTS-  AVA Headquarters has begun to more closely enforce AVA Policies concerning IVV Certification Stamps.   Please handle all IVV Certification Stamps with care or a damage fee of $15.00 will be billed directly to your Club account.  Damage is defined as:

  Stamp handle stained with Excessive Ink
  Writing on IVV Certification Stamp handle with permanent marker
  Holes drilled in the handle
  Labels/Tape left on IVV Certification Stamp handle

     Failure to pay damage fees can also result in delinquencies to Club accounts, which can carry further administrative sanctions for the Club. 

LOUISIANA'S STATE CAPITAL WALK - The Baton Rouge Striders Assn. has ceased to do business and obtained permission from the AVA to close it's YREs, including the Baton Rouge State Capital YRE No. 0628.  Efforts to find another sponsoring Club for that event have been unsuccessful.  Current plans to revitalize the event involve it being sanctioned by the South Central Region Director (ME!).  An event coordinator in Baton Rouge or some close city or town is being sought.  Should you know or have a connection with a person (maybe a walker) in that area, please contact them or put me into contact with them regarding this extremely significant role.  Realizing that the 50/51 (States/Capitals) Program is being devalued by the absence of walks in two State Capitals, I hope each of us feels it important to revitalize the Baton Rouge State Capital Event as quickly and deliberately as possible!

  Ken