WALK-TOGETHER INFORMATION FOR
GIRL SCOUT COUNCILS AND ADULTS

Click here for a brochure describing the Walk-Together program in .pdf format.

Volkssports are non-competitive, organized walks, bikes, in-line skates, cross-country skis and swims. Volkssports are recognized as one of the GirlSports activities in the Girl Scout program. The American Volkssport Association is the governing body for the sport in the United States. It is part of the International Federation of Popular Sports (IVV) which began in Germany and has affiliates in over 32 countries.

Volkssports are activities that ALL girls, leaders and family members can do together. You can participate in most volkssports events for free. However, each club is a volunteer organization that must pay a fee for hosting an AVA sanctioned event and incurs costs for supplies and facilities. Most clubs recover the cost of events through a nominal fee for event awards and fees for internationally-recognized (IVV) "credit" in the form of an official stamp for participating and completing an event.

Many volkssporters collect these stamps in record books and redeem them for IVV pins, patches and certificates recognizing individual achievements in our sport. These recognitions are milestones of the number of events and distance covered over a lifetime of participation. They are awarded for 10, 30, 50, 75 events and beyond, and for 500, 1000, 1500 and more kilometers covered. Click here to see information on the New Walker Program.

AVA Participation Patch for Girl Scout Walks-
Many AVA clubs have worked with Girl Scout councils to have one of their sanctioned volksmarches (walks) be a Walk-Together. This may be a regular, staffed weekend event or it may be one or several year-round or seasonal events that the club has sanctioned that may be done whenever the start location is open.

Some Girl Scout councils choose to use their own patch as an award for girls who participate in the Walk-Together. However, each year the AVA Youth Program produces a national "AVA Participation Patch for Girl Scout Walks", based on a Girl Scout's design, that all AVA clubs can use as an award at Walk-Togethers. Councils may choose to use this patch which is the same for all USA Girl Scouts around the world. Girls must pay and walk for IVV "credit" to earn the patch. Click here to see the current and prior years' patches.

If you are part of Girl Scouts Overseas, girls and troops/groups can earn the Girl Scout Participation Patch by paying for IVV "credit" in any AVA/IVV-sanctioned event during the year. To get the patch send the location of the event and date, number of participating Girl Scout girls and adults, your name and address and $1 for each to:

American Volkssport Association
Girl Scout Walk Together Patch
1001 Pat Booker Road, Suite 101
Universal City, TX 78148

You are "on your honor" to participate for credit. If you are overseas and have an APO or other US address, there is no additional postage. If there will be additional postage for an overseas address, contact avahq@ava.org to find out what the postage will be.

To find events in your area, click on "Find Walking Events". To find out more information about volkssports, click on "What Its About".

For more information or if you have any questions contact the AVA Youth Coordinator at avayouth@ava.org

American Volkssport Association
1001 Pat Booker Road, Suite 101
Universal City, TX 78148