MARYLAND VOLKSSPORT ASSOCIATION
Minutes of Meeting
16 Aug 2003 at Hagerstown, MD

OFFICERS PRESENT: President, Ron Looper; Secretary, Dennis Lynch; Treasurer, Ken Wilson

CLUB DELEGATES PRESENT: Jean Gibbs, Piedmont; Skip McGee, CBCW; Bill Simmons, Baltimore; Sandi Cahill, WDCAVC; Diane Messer, Annapolis; Sandra Lynch, Worldwide Volkssport and Diamond State; Kevin Shaw, Seneca Valley; Judy Lipski, Appalachian Trekkers; Salva Holloman, Greenbelt; Lynne Haffner, Freestate; Skip Coburn, Potomac River

GUESTS: Joan Lampert, Atlantic Region Director; Fran Looper, Coleen Kurson, Bob Schmick, Phill Wilder, John Holloman, Myrna Bowers

COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Ron Bowers, Jim Fons

OFFICERS REPORTS

• A quorum was present. There being no objections, the President accepted the old minutes as printed.
• Treasurer's report: $500 went to the AVA Convention expenses. Rich Long has revised the computer after-action report. Clubs must list free walkers in their after-action reports. Ken circulated financial statements for June and July, 2003. These were approved as reported.
• Sanctions POC: Jim Fons reported that all sanctions are O.K. at this time.
• The Secretary requested that anyone not receiving the copy of the Minutes about 3 weeks after the MVA meeting, should notify the secretary by email.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: Ron Bowers reported participation figures:

Ron stated again that there are free walkers missing from these figures. Also that some of the 2002 figures are not quite accurate and would actually be higher than those listed. There is also a need for regional statistics. Ron said that many brochures don't mention the shorter walk (5 KM). Why not put it on the cover? Maybe you can draw more people to your walk; that's the purpose of a brochure--to get the attention of the reader. Sandy Lynch added that some clubs still are calling the 5 km walk "for the handicapped or disabled". She said that this is not correct, it's offensive and is not the purpose of the 5 km walk. Handicapped distances have always been allowed since the inception of the IVV and clubs should change this wording in connection with the 5 km walks. The group agreed that no one should be questioning a walker's reasons for doing a 5km walk.

OLD BUSINESS

• Joan Lampart invited all to the Gettysburg Walking Conference [aka: the Mini Convention] to be held in March 2004. The AVA President and Vice President will attend. One of the workshop will be: 101 ways to improve your club. Joan encouraged the clubs to have one representative from each club attend the Conference, and to nominate someone for the award for contributions to volkssporting by 31 Dec.
• Tim Minor is still offering an information table at the start point for the IML Freedom Walk in Sept., which is again at the Reserve Officers Association. This is an excellent place to get the word out to non-volksmarchers.

NEW BUSINESS

• Adele Degnan says that we can return to the Howard County Expo on 17 Oct 2003, and the cost of a booth is down to $100.
• Phill Wilder would like to revive the "Walk Maryland" program. A motion was made and carried for MVA to consider reviving this program for 2004-2007. Walkers could continue to fill out their county stamps, although the awards are used up. Phill will be the contact point for this. The consensus was that it is really up to the clubs whether they will put on walks in the more remote counties.

COMMENTS

• Club reports were given.
• Judy Lipski's invited all walkers to the Appalachian Trekkers first walk on 11 Oct 2002 at Rocky Gap [Allegheny County]. Please attend and support this new club.
• Convention 2005 Meeting is 13 Sept at the Hilton in Cherry Hill, NJ
• Ron Looper thanked Chuck Merkle and Piedmont Pacers for the room at the Schmankelstube in Hagerstown, where all enjoyed a German lunch and an MVA meeting after the walk.
• The next MVA meeting is not yet scheduled. All clubs will be notified by the Secretary.
• "The walk is the reward"

Dennis Lynch, Secretary; 9/5/03