MVA

MVA Officers

Minutes of Last Meeting

Minutes of Previous Meetings

MVA Clubs

MVA Committees

Download Forms

MVA Bylaws

C&O Canal Events - 2008

C&O Canal Events - 2009

Atlantic Region

Atlantic Region Weekend Events

Atlantic Region Short Calendar

Year Round Events
(See note to right)

YREs Via Metro

Atlantic Region Web Page

KSVA Homepage

VVA Homepage

AVA Homepage

American Authors and Literary Landmarks

American Revolution Program

College Campus Walk Program

Covered Bridges

Golden Heritage

Great Lakes, Great Walks, Great Fun

Lewis and Clark Trail

Lighthouses USA

National Heritage

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U. S. Presidents Program

Walking Courthouses in the USA

Walking Europe in the United States

Walk the USA A-Z

Walking USA State Parks

bikeWALK Homepage

Maryland AVA Vanity Tags

The Maryland Volkssport Association (MVA) is the official representative within Maryland of the national (AVA) and international (IVV) walking associations. The primary purpose of the MVA is to promote the continuation and expansion of volkssporting. Volkssporting involves sponsoring, promoting, conducting, and participating in primarily walking events which are non-competitive and family-oriented. Volkssporting means family-oriented walking, biking, and swimming events.

The MVA works closely with the AVA's Atlantic Region Director to ensure that the rules, regulations and policies of the IVV and AVA are followed by the MVA clubs.

The primary goal of the MVA is to promote the conduct of volksevents by its member clubs. Other goals include:

• increasing public awareness of volksevents through publicity;
• increasing the number of participants in events;
• encouraging and aiding the formation of volkssport clubs;
• increasing/maintaining/facilitating communcations among members and affiliate clubs;
• providing a conduit for member clubs to have "one voice" to address issues with the Atlantic Region Director and/or the national headquarters of the AVA, and with other state organizatons.

MVA Meetings

The MVA typically meets once each quarter, usually in conjunction with a scheduled weekend volksevent. The time and place for each meeting is established at the preceding meeting. The next meeting of the MVA will be held on Thursday, 31 December, 2009, in conjuction with Freestate's event, at 1:00 pm at the Owen Brown Community Center, 6800 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD, 21045.

Atlantic Region Year Round Events

Rather than maintain a separate list of Year Round Events for the Atlantic Region, we are now directing you to the AVA Walking Events web page. A great deal of time and effort went into creating and maintaining the AR YRE pages, and the AVA pages have more information, often more up to date. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, we will maintain the list of AR YREs that can be reached by DC Metro. (Of course, the accuracy of this information is dependent on the clubs providing additions/corrections.)

The following map of the state of Maryland has markers showing where the starting points for our YREs are located. Thanks to Google Maps for making this facility available.

Sanctions

When at all possible, Sanction Requests should be made through the AVA's on-line Electronic Sanction Request (ESR) process. Once that sanction request is submitted, the requestor should send an email message to President Bob Schmick to let him know there is a request awaiting his approval. In the event that your club is not able to use the ESR, you may submit a paper request. Such requests must be mailed to Bob at 824 Buckingham Dr. Severna Park, MD 21146. Email related to sanction requests should be addressed to MVA President, Bob Schmick, marktim@erols.com.

Trail Marking Hint

One very important thing that we often forget to tell novice volkswalkers is how to identify a turn on a trail marked by colored streamers. We all often miss turns, whether we are following written directions, a drawn map, or physical markers like streamers, ribbons, stakes, etc. But it is easier if you know that double ribbons or streamers of the same color indicate that a turn is coming at the next intersection. The direction of the turn is indicated by the next single ribbon or streamer. So, when you see two markers together, at the next intersection look to the left and right and continue in the direction of the single streamer.

Long Range Schedule

The Long Range Schedule has been combined with the Atlantic Region Weekend Events schedule, which now contains all events scheduled in the Atlantic Region.

Events in other countries:

For information about events in other countries, check the IVV web site, http://www.ivv-web.org. In addition, any English speaking volkssporter wishing to participate in IVV events may contact Hans Fuhr (Bunsenstr. 10; D-65203 Wiesbaden 12; Germany). Mr. Fuhr will be happy to provide what information may be available.

There is also an international calendar of events available from the AVA.

One last resource is The Stars and Stripes, a daily publication available to US Military and Government civilians stationed outside the United States. One of the great advantages of the European edition is the Thursday edition which contains a listing of all upcoming volksmarches for the weekend.

MVA Special Events

From time to time, the Maryland Volkssport Association sponsors special events, intended to increase the level of interest in volkssporting and to attract new participants to our activities. Those special events will be described fully on these web pages.

The Rediscover Maryland program is no longer accepting new participants. Those who are already participating but who have not yet finished walking in all 23 counties and Baltimore City have until 12/31/2008 to finish the program. Completed cards may be mailed to

The C&O Canal runs along the Potomac River from the mouth of Rock Creek in Georgetown to Cumberland, MD. Its 74 lift locks raise up from near sea level to an elevation of 605 feet at Cumberland. The towpath was originally built 12 feet wide as a path for mules that pulled canal boats. Today the towpath provides a nearly level byway for hikers and bicyclists. Its watered sections provide quiet waters for canoeists, boaters, and anglers.

The canal was proclaimed a national monument in 1961 and named a national historical park in 1971. Its 184.5- mile length preserves both history and nature. From tidewater at Georgetown in Washington, D.C., to Cumberland on the Allegheny Plateau, the C&O Canal winds through the Piedmont, past the Great Falls of the Potomac, and then through the ridge-and-valley section of the Appalachian Mountains. Its rich floodplain forests are gifts of the river's frequent floods.

Several years ago the MVA, under the leadership of Diane Ference and Steve Duex, then president and executive Vice President, conceived an idea for a series of one-time events that would span the entire Canal over a period of three years. After much planning, the dream seemed destined to become a reality. Mother Nature intervened with a series of floods the winter before the proposed start of the series and rendered the canal "unwalkable" for an entire year. Not to be discouraged, the walks were again planned to begin the following year. This time, they were successful. Each MD Club took the responsibility for planning a 5 or 10k out and back walk for at least one segment and the MVA coordinated the distance walks complete with shuttle busses back to the parking areas. Thanks to all the efforts of countless people, 1052 people completed all or parts of the C&O Canal. In addition, a sizeable donation was made to the National Park Service as a result of the series.

Recognizing that even more walkers want to either complete or walk parts of the Canal, the MVA now offers the series as Year Round events. Our thanks go to Diane and Steve for their vision and incredible commitment of time and effort that was necessary to make this a reality.

For a free list of maps, books, and other publications about the canal, write Parks and History Assn., 126 Raleigh St., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032.