AVA CHECKPOINT

Official Voice of the American Volkssport Association

1001 Pat Booker Road * Universal City, TX 78148-4147

phone: 210-659-2112 fax: 210-659-1212

VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3 March 2000

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S DESK

In a few weeks, the National Executive Council will be meeting in Vancouver, Washington for its third meeting this fiscal year. During this meeting, I hope to discuss my concerns about the future of volkssporting in the United States. Last month I provided you with a chart on the decline in the number of IVV books that are being processed at the Headquarters. This month I have included Chapter Two in the tragic drama -- a look at our participation over the past nine years. As you can easily see, the picture is bleak. Certainly there will be a lot of speculation about these participation trends. Are YRE/Seasonal Events the problem? Are people just not walking as much? Etc, etc, etc. We cannot speculate, however. We must dig into this problem and find some real answers. This is another example of the magnitude of the task facing the AVA and the Executive Council. What can you and club do to help? You can be a part of the process. Provide information, constructive criticism, suggestions and ideas to your Council members. Talk with them about the problems we are facing and become part of the solution. Over the past month, I have attended two meetings with outside organization and at both meetings the attendees asked me - begged me -- to make AVA the advocate ( the voice) for walking in the United States. These people, who are from State Departments of Health and from Governor’s Councils on Physical Fitness and Sports, acknowledge that walking should be the exercise of choice for most people, but they know this cannot become a reality without someone becoming the advocate for walking. They cannot, by law, do this and they want us to do it. It is certainly something to be evaluated as we look to the future. It will be one the things I will put on the table as we discuss the future direction of the AVA. We may have to reshape our old mold to produce the AVA of the future. Whatever we do, it will mean hard decisions, changes in what we do and how we do it, and an acknowledgment that we will not be able to satisfy everyone. My request of you is that you listen to proposals and concepts with an open mind and evaluate each one with the future in mind. We must have your involvement and your support. Help us by being a positive force in this process.

MONEY BAG--- OOPS! CORRECTION!

By Candace Purcell

In the last issue of Treasury Notes, the paragraph on deadline dates was not quoted entirely accurate.

The stamps are due 10 days after the end of an event(they will be counted as on time if the post mark date is no later than 5 days after event ending date).

Event reports are due no later than 30 days from last day of event.

Late fees are still $10.00

Lost Stamp fee is still $25.00

***Seasonal stamps MUST be returned within 10 days after the close of the seasonal event,

and beginning in April, 2000, if the stamp is not returned on time, the club will be billed for a LOST STAMP @ $25.00 each.

Refer to the enclosed documents for other due dates and costs.

Special Funds Development Committee Report

By Kay Hartman, Chairperson

The Special Funds Development Committee will be promoting five different fund raising projects over the next twelve months.

All of the proceeds from these projects will be applied to the upgrading and replacement of equipment at the AVA National Headquarters. Currently, the committee wants to remind everyone about the Matching Funds Program. This program allows an employer to match dollar for dollar a donation given by an employee to a charitable organization. Please ask your employer if this program is available to you.

The committee is also looking for corporations that would be willing to make a voluntary donation to this project. To involve such a corporation, however, requires your help. We need to know the company name, address, phone number, and contact person. Perhaps you are that contact person. Will you please forward this information to the committee, c/o Kay Hartman, 18119 Beechwood Lane, Spencerville, IN 46788? We will then contact the corporation.

AVA is offering a reward to anyone who forwards a corporate lead that makes a donation. The reward is 10°/. of that donation toward a registration to the 2001 AVA National Convention. This is a very generous reward. Conceivably, a couple could earn free registrations and save themselves approximately $550.00 by sending us the above needed information.

The office equipment replacement project is going to cost $50,000. Every dollar donated is important and very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for supporting the special fund raising projects this year.

Along the Trail Don’t Miss Anything! This Checkpoint is accompanied with many pieces of very important information:

* Agenda for Executive Council meeting April 21, in Vancouver Washington.

* Participation Chart.

* Opportunities marketing newsletter.

* Star Club Award Program information.

* Coupon for Physical Fitness Month patch.

* Bookkeeping information and update.

* Slicks for National Physical Fitness Month (May) and National Volkssporting Month (October).

* Updated Amateur athletic waiver form.

* Updated New Balance Athletic Shoe sponsorship request form.

Friendly Reminder--- April 1, headquarters will only be accepting the updated version of the New Balance sponsorship request form. At that time the eight-week lead time will also be enforced. Thank you for your cooperation.

We look forward to hearing of many successful walks.

Who are the “Ten Best-Mannered People” among the rich and famous, according to the National League of Junior Cotillions?

1. Bill Gates, Microsoft founder.

2. Payne Stewart, the late golfer.

3. Celine Dion, singer.

4. Muhammad Ali, boxing great.

5. Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, JFK’s daughter.

6. Billy Graham, evangelist.

7. Bill Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education.

8. Tom Hanks, Academy-Award-winning actor.

9. Charlotte Church, 13-year-old actor.

10. Wayne Gretzky, retired hockey star.