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 10, NUMBER 1 January 2002

From the Executive Director's Desk

On behalf of the National Headquarters staff, I want to wish all of you a very happy holiday season and a New Year filled with health and happiness. We are looking forward to the coming year, as a time in which our association will begin a strong recovery from a number of years of decline. We have enjoyed a wonderful twenty-five years of volkssporting in the United States. Now it is time for all of us to move our sport into the next twenty-five years with the same fervor and enthusiasm that motivated those dedicated people who brought volkssporting to Fredericksburg, Texas in 1976. Let's make 2002 the year that the American Volkssport Association becomes the foremost walking organization in the United States as we work to renew the true spirit of walking among the people in our neighborhoods.

2002 Starting Point: The 2002 Starting Point will be available after Christmas for $13.95. Please add $4.00 for shipping per copy ordered. The cut off date for direct shipments from the publisher has passed. All future orders will be shipped directly from Headquarters. Orders will not be ready until after Christmas. Please allow at least two weeks for orders under ten copies to be filled.

New Balance: In the December TAW readers can participate in a New Balance survey and receive a complimentary walking log valued at $12.95. Turn to page 7 of the December 2001 TAW, fill out the survey and send it in. Remember the offer expires February 1, 2002, so don't miss out!

Stamps: All year-round stamps will be in the mail on December 14. Also, remember that seasonal stamps are due back ten days after the last day of the event.

After Action Reports: When you receive the new After Action Reports please make sure the appropriate person receives them. Unfortunately, we do not have any extra forms.

Specialties: Please note that the price of pedometers will increase from $27.00 to $32.00 plus shipping. The special pricing made available during the convention will only be extended through January. The new price will take effect February 1, 2002. Any orders received after January 31, 2002 will be charged the new price. Also, all specialty invoices are included with orders. Please do not call AVA Headquarters for an invoice. All invoices are packaged with merchandise.

AVA Staff Profile: It has been five years since Candy Purcell assumed the position of Director of Finance for the AVA. You can always find her busy at work handling accounting and auditing as well as assisting David Stewart the Executive Director with financial matters. While she performs many tasks, Candy's main purpose is to provide sound accounting so that the Executive Council can make wise financial decisions and so that the AVA can maintain its non-profit status with the IRS. Would you believe that Candy's favorite part of the job is auditing! Well, with all that in mind, remember next time you have a question for Candy help her out by reviewing all your paperwork before contacting her. It definitely helps when you have a solid understanding of the problem.

We will be closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day. We will also close early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

See You Next Year!