A Practical Guide to

THE IVV AWARDS PROGRAM

Prepared by the American Volkssport Association

Printing made possible through donations from: Walk 'n Mass Volkssport Club, Menehune

Marchers, Peninsula Pathfinders of Virginia, Placer Pacers, Wandering Wheels Volkssports Club and Treasure Valley Volkssports

RECORD BOOKS The IVV Award System is the backbone of the American Volkssport Association. How many of us would go to a walk if it were not sanctioned? We will travel MANY miles to make a sanctioned walk but won't walk across the street to do one that is not sanctioned. Our award books are jealously guarded. We are proud of each and every level that we attain! To support this award system, we ask the member clubs to explain and sell the award books. It is important that the new volkssporters understand how the award system works. It is also important for the clubs to realize that the more people are "educated" the more enthusiastic they become and the more likely it is that they will be repeat walkers. This helps the AVA and it helps the member clubs. It is the repeat walkers (addicts?) that make the AVA go. When setting up the work area for your walk, it is good to put the Award Book sales table in between the start and the finish table. If possible, have someone available just to talk to new walkers. This will allow walkers not familiar with the awards program to learn about it prior to getting their walk card. The person handling the stamp likewise should encourage those without books to talk to the person at the award book table. You might even set up a display of medals and patches that have been earned at previous walks. Curiosity is a great drawing card. Make sure the person handling the sale of the award books is fully briefed and can answer the questions a new walker may ask. Frequently Asked Questions: Why should I have a book? What's it going to do for me? The book will allow you to keep track of the events you have participated in and kilometers you have walked. You will receive awards for each level you complete. It is an incentive to get out to the walks. Which book should I buy? Do I really need both? There are two kinds of books. One for events and one for distance. Some Volkssporters are only concerned with the distance they cover and others only care about the number of events they attend. The majority prefer to keep track of both. Too many times, a new walker will buy only the event book thinking they will never walk 500 kilometers. After doing a few walks, they find it's not that hard after all and they purchase the distance book also. Unfortunately, they have lost the distance covered on those first few walks. It's a good feeling to be able to say "Hey! I've done 500 kilometers!" or "I've just finished my 30th event!" How much are the books? What do I get for the money? You can purchase a book from your local club for $5.00 each. This covers the cost of the IVV patch, pin, certificate and mailing for those items. New walkers can purchase a New Walker Packet which includes both books and some discount coupons. Are the books good for this state only? No. They are good anywhere there is a sanctioned IVV

event. We have over 314 clubs in the United States alone, and internationally there are events in over 42

countries. I'm handicapped. Do I have to walk the full distance to get credit? If you are unable to walk the full distance, you can walk to the first check point and back. You will receive event credit and credit for the actual distance you covered. Can my family walk using one set of books? Sorry, this is an individual sport. The award book is used to show what one person has accomplished. Can my child have event and distance books? Your child can have an event book because he/she is taking part in the event. However, until the child is able to walk the distance under his/her own power, the distance books will be withheld. Can my dog have books? No, this is a people sport. However, some clubs may have a special program book for pets. What is the registration number and how do I get it? It is the number of your IVV Record of Achievement book and will be assigned to you when you have completed your first award level. REMEMBER - - We get people to walk just for the HEALTH of it!

WHEN YOU COMPLETE AN AWARD BOOK

1. Check the front of your award book to make sure you have your name and current address on it.

2. Check inside your book to make sure you do not have any duplicate event stamps in your event book. For . If it is your kilometer book, you do not have to worry about it.

3. If this is your first award, a pass book is assigned when your books are received. All you need to do is send your award book to the address below. Make a copy for yourself first.

Our address is: AVA Headquarters 1001 Pat Booker Rd , Suite 101 Universal City, TX 78148

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write or call (210) 659-2112, or email avahq@ava.org

IVV STAMP POLICY

• There should be no handwritten entries over a very faint stamp. Writing can make it difficult to ensure the book was actually stamped.

• If a YRE stamp is being used for the second part of the year, be sure the "+" has been removed

• Avoid re-stamps. This sometimes makes it impossible to read what the stamp is. • Be sure the stamp pad is adequately inked to avoid a faint impression. • If a mistake is made, line through the mistake and then use an Insert Card or

stamping elsewhere in the book to make up the space. • Never paste cut-apart insert pages or stamps placed on directions, etc., into the

book. • If there is a Regular Event offered on more than one day (eg. Sat/Sun) with the same walk offered, you may stamp your book more than once if you pay the fee each day and walk each day. Does not include Year Round or Seasonal Events.

• Try to place the correct number of events and kilometers in each book. • Decide from the first whether both books will be recorded in since once the

decision is made it’s final.

A GUIDE TO EVENT AND DISTANCE BOOKS

Event Books: Green book - Used to record events through 50. First award level at 10; second level at 30 and third level at 50. When the green book is used for 10 events, the second page should not be filled out. For the 30 and 50 levels, all lines are used. Send in your book(s) when they are filled to the appropriate level and purchase a new one to continue to the next level. Purple book - When the green 50 event book has been completed, the participant graduates to the purple book. This book has lines for 25 events and is used for recording event number 51 through 600. It can also be used for lower levels of events if a club runs out of green books. Simply cross out the lines mat are not needed for your current level and mark on the front of the book the level for which it is being used. Rose book - Used after a participant has completed 600 events. Records 50 events and is used for event number 601 through 1,500. Gold book - Used after a participant has completed 1,500 events. Records 100 events and is the highest event book.

Distance Books: Blue book - Holds 500 km and is used at increments of 500 km through 8,000 km. If a person does only short walks (10km), it will take all the spaces to total 500 km. If an individual does medium or long walks, it will take only part of the book to make 500 km. All the lines in this book do not need to be used - only those lines needed to bring the total to 500 km. Any distance more than 500 kilometers will be carried over to the next distance book when you send the books in for processing. Persons having completed distances less than 10km may use the insert cards for additional lines to get the required distances for awards. Orange book - After a participant has completed 8,000 km, they move to the orange book. This book holds 1,000 km for each level and is used through 22,000 km. Yellow book - After a participant has completed 22,000 km, they graduate to the yellow book. This book holds 5,000 km for each award level and is the highest distance book.

Bicycling Distance Book Brown book - Used for recording distance credit for participation in bike events ONLY. This book records up to 5,000 km. Distance from a brown bike book cannot be transferred to another walking distance book. These books get bicycling distance awards, which are different from the walking distance awards.

SAMPLE BOOKS

NEW WALKER PACKET

IVV EVENT AWARD PINS

IVV DISTANCE AWARD PINS