Official Voice of the American Volkssport Association

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

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

How to effectively market the AVA and volkssporting has been and continues to be one of the greatest challenges that I have faced in all of my years of working and volunteering. We are a unique organization with a very special product to offer. On the surface, this would appear to be the ideal combination for a quick, easy, uncomplicated marketing effort. The truth, however, is that there is nothing quick, easy or uncomplicated about it. Over the past eight years, I have participated in a variety of meetings where the sole topic of the day was how to best market the AVA. We have produced guides and marketing products to support our efforts. We have planned and failed and then planned again. Many of the marketing materials we have produced have been, at best, minimally average. They have been low budget, less than professional attempts to fill a poorly identified need. The harder we have worked, the fewer the number of walkers we have attracted. After a while, we started to become disillusioned and reconciled to the idea that we would never be successful in telling the people about our special sport. We were also apprehensive about the loss of sense of fun and fellowship among the many friends with whom we have shared at least part of a volkssporting trail. Yet, we continued to work with the hope that a new road to the future would be found.

Often, however, when the day is at its darkest, a bright ray of sunlight breaks through the clouds and gives us the hope that the worst is over. This happened for us in the first week of November when Tom Loppnow, Pacific Regional Director and Chair of the National Marketing Committee came to AVA Headquarters to chair a meeting of a small group of volkssporters and marketing professionals. During this intense, four day working meeting, the foundation was laid for a new and exciting marketing effort to take the AVA into the next millennium. For the first time in a number of years, I saw really new ideas beginning to grow. I saw the acknowledgment that quality, professional marketing materials, not inexpensive make-do's, must be the order of the day. I saw a renewed emphasis on the role of our national leadership in promoting our marketing efforts. I saw the excitement and enthusiasm that I remember from my early years of volkssporting. I saw the new light break through the dark clouds over the AVA and volkssporting. I saw a bright, new future for us.

This marketing program will not be started tomorrow or next week or next month. It will require many additional hours of planning and revising. The production of supporting materials must not be rushed, but rather done with care to ensure we have the professional quality we deserve. It will take the support of all that are asked to be a part of the planning and development of this program. But, I know it can be done and will be done because we have a lot of dedicated volkssporters that want it to happen. Our goal is to introduce the program at the convention in Muncie. If you plan to attend, make certain you attend the opening general session and let us renew that special feeling that has made volkssporting something special for all of us.

1999 YRE Stamps. YRE event stamps will be mailed from AVA Headquarters, December 1 through December 5. All clubs should receive YRE stamps by December 15. It is imperative to call AVA Headquarters if your club has not received YRE stamp(s) by December 15th to avoid rush shipping and processing fees.

Club Accounts. A helpful tip from AVA Director of Finance Candace Purcell Some AVA clubs have similar names; therefore, it is wise to print your club name and AVA club number on all correspondence to help avoid processing errors.

A Note for Your Club Members: Overpayments on Individual Accounts. In recent months, statements have been sent to individuals who have overpaid on their account, asking if they might consider donating their surplus to the AVA Millennium Fund. Almost all of these statements are written on accounts of $5.00 or less. Many individuals are concerned that sending such statements is an inefficient use of money. AVA Director of Finance Candace Purcell clarifies, AVA cannot use a customer's money without his or her permission. Although it costs us to mail the statements, it is the correct accounting procedure

for overpayments. With individuals who order only one time from AVA, the credit balance could potentially be on the accounting books forever. The accounts receivable reports become unmanageable unless we periodically clear balances by asking customers to use, donate or refund their credit balances.

Photo Contest Deadline Extended. AVA's "A New Millennium for Walkers" Photo Contest has been extended to December 31, 1998. An updated contest rules sheet is enclosed to distribute to club members. Photo submissions help build our photo library and are of vital use for media requests. Winners will be announced in the February issue of The American Wanderer.

AVA Headquarters Holiday Schedule. AVA Headquarters will host the annual Volunteer Recognition & Christmas Party December 16. Headquarters will be closed Thursday, December 24 & Friday, December 25.

Enclosures. Call to Convention; Delegate Selection & Proxy Designation; and 1999 AVA Convention brochures (5 copies) are enclosed in this issue of Checkpoint