Information for
GSUSA Councils and units interested in
Volkssporting events for your calendar
(and for the
AVA clubs that will help
you)
Volkssporting (non-competitive organized walks, bikes, in-line skates,
cross-country skis, and swims) is the newest of the GirlSports
in the Girl Scout program. The American Volksport Association is
the governing body for the sport in the United States and is part of the
International Federation of Popular Sports (IVV) which is located in 32 other
countries around the world.
Girl
Scout Headquarters in New York City published its relationship in the April
1999 GirlSports Newsletter and in the
"GirlSports Collaboration Guide 1999-2000" (read the announcement). There are two programs for
Girl Scouts.
Council "Walk-Togethers"
Volkssporting is the only GirlSports that
ALL girls, leaders, and family members can do together in a
multi-generational context.
A
volkssporting club in your area (there are over 500 in the United States) may
host a walk or other event (bike/inline skate/cross-country ski) in your
council which a council can designate as its official "Walk Together." An
offically-chartered club is the only authorized organization to put on a
"volksmarch" or other volkssporting event.
The
clubs put on over 2,000 weekend events around the US every year. You can
usually find an event which will meet your needs from one already scheduled by
the club during one or two weekend days. If these events do not meet your
needs, the club could host one of the over 1200 year-round trails in the United
States sanctioned for volkssporting. If desired, the club can consider creating
an additional weekend event on their schedule to meet the needs of the local
council. Sometimes personnel and other events nearby may limit creating special
events. All events will conform to AVA guidelines for safety, accessibility,
and availablilty to all.
Volkssporters are all winners, therefore, many clubs produce a patch or other
award which is available to all participants. Some Girl Scout Councils choose
to prepare their own award. The AVA Youth Program has produced a national "AVA
Participation Patch for Girl Scout Walks" for all clubs to use for their
members at the Walk-Togethers (1999-2000 patch)
(2000-2001 patch) (2001-2002 patch) (2002-2003 patch) (2003-2004 patch) (2004-2005 patch). A Girl Scout Council may choose to
use the AVA patch as its own award if it wishes. Clubs and councils are not
obligated to use this award, however, all girls wearing the same patch all over
the world adds to the "unity" aspect of GirlSports.
In
October 2000, the AVA National President hosted a Walk-Together with the
Lenni-Lenape Girl Scout Council. The award for this event was a patch with an
outline of the five counties of Northern New Jersey which make up the council.
As each Girl Scout, adult leader, or family member does a sanctioned volksmarch
in a different county, they "color-in" that county until the patch is complete
indicating that they have "walked their council." (see the LLGSC-AVA patch)
Participation is free to everyone. However, each club is a volunteer
organization that must pay a fee for hosting an official event. Most clubs
recover the cost of volkssport events through a nominal fee (not to exceed
$5.00) attached to the awards it provides. Payment of this fee for the award
allows the participant to receive internationally-recognized "credit" in the
form of an official stamp for participating and completing an event. Many
volkssporters collect these stamps in logbooks and redeem them for
internationally-recognized pins, patches, and certificates recognizing
individual achievements in our sport. The achievements are milestone-levels of
the number of events that someone participates, and the total distance covered
over a lifetime of participation. There are awards for 10, 30, 50, 75 events
and beyond, and awards for 500, 1000, 1500 and more kilometers covered.
Neighborhoods and troops can earn the Participation Patch by earning IVV credit
in any AVA-sanctioned event during the year if there is no council-wide event
planned.
For
help finding a local club to help your council, please contact the AVA National
Youth Coordinator, Nancy Wittenberg, at nancyw@lynden.com.
AVA Master Program Medal and the GSUSA Master Program Patch
The
AVA sponsors a national youth medal for adults and youth teams that do 12
sanctioned AVA walks, bikes, skates, or skis during any 12 month period. GSUSA
has designed a patch for Girl Scouts to wear for completing the AVA Master
Program. While participation in Volkssporting's individual achievement program
is not required, all participants must walk for credit and therefore are
eligible for these awards as well as the Master Program's medal and GSUSA patch
(see the GSUSA patch).
This
is an activity that Girl Scouts must do with an adult leader or adult family
member.
Read about the AVA Master Program details and obtain
an application