18th AVA Biennial Convention - Orlando, FL, 29 April - 3 May 2013
To participate in pre and post-convention walk events, 27 April - 5 May.Locate Walking Events
Starting Point Changes
AVA Clubs Only:
American Volkssport Association®
Starting A New Walking Club
Step One: Contact the Regional Director for your region. They will guide you through the process.
State Associations are in these states: CA, FL, IL, IN, MD, NC, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA and WA. If your new club application falls within a state that has a State Association, approval must be made by the State Association first, then reviewed and approved by the Regional Director.
Visit AVA Policy Manual for walking club requirements and guidelines and rules for hosting Volkssport events.
Fill out the required Application for Club Membership form AVA Form 201 Application for Club Membership.
Step Two: Evaluation: Why do you want to form a club? Is there another club in your area you can join? AVA Clubs
Why form a club? There is no club in your area. There are few clubs in your area and many weekends there are no scheduled walks. You want to fill a niche that is unfilled by another club in your area: tougher walks, easier walks, weeknight walks, group walks, more social aspects of walking together, etc.
Advantages of forming an AVA club.
Only AVA clubs may host sanctioned volkssport events in the USA. A sanctioned event has event liability insurance, which can be difficult or expensive to get otherwise. Your events are listed in The American Wanderer newspaper and on the AVA website at no charge, see Locate Walking Events. AVA event rules and guidelines are good basics to hosting any walking event.
While you may form a non-AVA club and "just walk together," being part of a larger organization lends your club some status and stability. Your club members will enjoy walking OTHER CLUB's AVA sanctioned events, and sanctioned volkssport events around the world.
AVA clubs and IVV clubs around the world share the IVV Individual Achievement Award, so your club members and walkers can chart their walks and earn awards for walks and distance, both at your events and at events around the USA and the world.
AVA clubs may apply for tax exempt status under the AVA's 501(c)(3) group exemption, which means that club officer expenses and donations to the club may be tax deductible.
AVA clubs vote for AVA officers and Regional Directors and state officers.
An AVA club can ask for and expect advice and assistance from other clubs, the state organization, and the Regional Director.
The club receives:
The American Wanderer newspaper
AVA Checkpoint e-newsletter (news for clubs)
20% discount on AVA Merchandise
SPONSORS:
PARTNERS:
THE OFFICIAL PEDOMETER OF THE AVA
1001 Pat Booker Road, Suite 101, Universal City, TX 78148 / 210.659.2112 / AVAHQ@AVA.ORG
A member of the International Federation of
Popular
Sports
(IVV)