AVA Walking Convention 1997

A week full of walking, meeting walkers from across the USA and around the world, workshops, socials, displays - that's the biennial American Volkssport Association convention, held last week in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
I've been the AVA vice-president for four years, and this year due to term limits sought and was elected to the position of secretary. President Lynn Clark passed the torch to Ted Ballman of Cincinnati, Ohio. But the AVA convention is far more than an election meeting, it is a week of walking fun and friendship.
Walks were held each day - 5 kilometer and 10 kilometer trails which walkers enjoyed at their own pace, earning colorful patches for each event. Three swimming events also allowed us to cool off and refresh. The first walk was held on Saturday, June 21 in Charlotte, NC. The trail passed by stately homes that had me composing a parody of a Jimmy Buffett song - "Wasting Away in Martha Stewart-ville." HW Bear, mascot of the Happy Wanderers, arrived, displaying the fact he had volksmarched in 50 states in the past two years. We joined with our friends Chuck and Elaine Samus (she was the chairwoman of the 1995 AVA Convention in our hometown of Portland, Oregon) to enjoy lunch, then returned to Winston-Salem for an evening of greeting friends as they checked into the hotel and enjoying a Mexican dinner.
Sunday morning we drove to Salisbury, North Carolina and out to Dan Nicholas Park, where we traipsed the forested trails. The checkpoint was serving bratwurst and the local Cheerwine soda. At the finish we enjoyed ham biscuits, hambugers and greeting our friends we hadn't seen since the last convention. This was also our chance for face-to-face meetings with our cyberspace friends from the Walklist email group.
On Monday I was trapped in the AVA Executive Council meeting until our evening walk and swim at Tanglewood. This woodsy estate and park made for a pleasant evening stroll, capped by the refreshing swim in the large outdoor pool. Our regular columnist, Kevin Shaw "the Walrus" was there with his daughter Robin and we enjoyed finally meeting live!
Tuesday morning we walked from the Winston-Salem convention center around the Winston portion of the city early in the morning. It was a great way to wake up and go looking for coffee. I hosted the state associations meeting. Following that, about 40 walkers participated in a community project to clean up a local park. The park employees were astounded at the enthusiasm the walkers exhibited in grabbing tools and going to work to clear out weeds and get the park in shape. In the evening we had the Welcome Social and at least 20 Walklist readers were there in their Walklist shirts. We toured the display hall and tried on NaturalSport shoes and SAS shoes and picked up info on walks throughout the USA and Canada. The Silent Auction began, with baskets representing many regions or clubs as well as other fun items being offered.
Wednesday we walked through Old Salem early in the morning. This quaint Moravian portion of town features artisan shops and delicious bakery smells. We saw the park improved in Tuesday's community project. Following the walk I presented a workshop on using the Internet to promote walking, which was attended by 100 eager folks. Other workshops told of how to improve club membership, develop community sponsors, publicity, foot care, nutrition, and the American Discovery Trail. At the General Session our keynote speaker was Paul Pritchard of the National Parks and Conservation Association, the leader in the March for Parks program. We capped the day with two more swims at Tanglewood, a barbecue and a "Meet the Candidates" night.
On Thursday I spent the early morning parking cars at the Wake Forest walk as a worker for the Northwest Region's event. I came back to the convention center to enjoy the workshops, especially that of keynote speaker Mark Fenton of Walking Magazine. I will be excerpting his talk next week. At the General Session he challenged us to spread the word to get Americans up off the couch and into regular physical activity. For entertainment, Larry Brown auctioned several items live. As a professional auctioneer, he managed to wheedle $550 out of the Southwest Region Director Leslie Forestier for a Texas-themed stained glass piece. Our evening social, a Night in Old Salem, was cut short by a thunderstorm.
Friday we walked through the forest in historic Bethabara where the early settlers in the area built their town. It was a misty morning and very refreshing. I gave a second Internet workshop by popular demand. We held elections and went on to the banquet and dance. It was great fun dancing to classic rock with our friends.
Saturday morning we traveled to the Guilford Courthouse National Historic Battlefied, the site of a Revolutionary War battle between Cornwallis and colonial forces. The British won but were weakened so much it led to their final surrender. The walk was very educational and pleasant along the wooded trails. With the business of the convention done, we were able to kick back and have a great time visiting with our friends. We heard gossip about the new romances kindled. It seems that each convention leads to love!
Sunday we traveled north to Fairystone Park in Bassett, Virginia. More lovely wooded trails. We didn't find any fairystones, which are cross-shaped iron crystals, but perhaps I was walking too fast! A final goodbye to friends until the next convention in Muncie, Indiana in 1999, then to Bellevue, Washington in 2001.

About.com Guide Wendy Bumgardner and outgoing AVA President Lynn Clark

Full Disclosure: At the time of this article, Wendy Bumgardner was serving as a national officer of the AVA and her accommodations were paid for by the AVA.

Related site: American Volkssport Association

Photos copyright 1997 Wendy Bumgardner, licensed to About.com