Involving Girl Scouts in Your Events

AVA clubs interested in involving Girl Scouts in their events, can contact their local Girl Scout Council to arrange for Girl Scouts to walk with you at one of your events. Click here to see the Girl Scout Walk-Together brochure in .pdf format for information helpful for you and the council. Print this brochure for your use and to give to the Girl Scout council(s) in your area.

There have been many articles in The American Wanderer in the past about AVA clubs and the walks they have done with Girl Scouts. These walks are not difficult to arrange, and walking with the AVA is encouraged in various Girl Scout publications put out by Girl Scouts of the USA and also on their web site. See the brochure for suggestions on how you and Girl Scout councils can work together. For instance, the council could pre-register Girl Scouts for the Walk-Together. A special area for Girl scouts to check in at will help, if you expecting a lot and a Girl Scout volunteer could help with check in.

Girl Scout councils may not wish to have awards or they may want to design their own patch for the walk. But you can suggest they use the AVA's annual Participation Patch for Girl Scout Walks, as the award for walking. The Participation Patch is different each year and is designed

by girls in a Girl Scout council that has participated in Walk-Togethers. The patch can be used as the award for everyone for your walk and can be ordered from AVA on consignment so you're not burdened with paying for patches you can't use. The AVA sends the patches with a Girl Scout Patches Consignment form. You return the form with the unused patches when you return the stamp for the event. The AVA will bill the club for patches used. The cost for patches you use is currently, $1 each.

To contact your local Girl Scout council, go to the website, www.girlscouts.org/councilfinder to find the name, address and website of the council or councils that serve your area. Call the council office and ask for the Program Director or Manager. Ask them if they might be interested in a program to get their girls walking. Many councils have initiatives related to healthy living and sports. There have been many inquiries from councils wanting to connect with AVA clubs in their area and direct girls to our walks.

If they are interested, ask if you can meet with them to tell them about volkssports. You can provide the brochure mentioned above, brochures on volkssports from the AVA, the AVA Youth Program brochure, and your own clubs information.

Contact the Girl Scout council as early as possible so they have a chance to publicize your walk and get registrations back from troops and girls in their area. Talk with the council on the walk you might use for a Walk-Together. Choose a walk that is easy to do and interesting for first-time walkers. It should have a shorter 5K distance and a distance that might be done for the physically challenged. You may also want to talk about how these events can be great events for family and friends as well. They might be combined with other activities the council might have to make a day of it.

Keep the price for Girl Scouts at $5 or less. The price for the Walk-Together award must include IVV credit. You need only charge girls the amount you need to cover the patch, the amount you need to give to the AVA (currently, $1.25) and any state association fees. But you also need to cover your costs. Discuss what would be a fair amount with the Girl Scout council.

You can provide a packet, prepared ahead of time with insert cards with the event stamp on them to hand out to those who finish, information about volkssporting and the award program, and club brochures for up-coming events. And, don't forget to have New Walker packets available. Girl Scouts already have insurance and require parent's permission for participation. If the Girl Scout council will register troops and girls, and give you that information, you don't need to have each girl sign waivers.

There are other ways to involve Girl Scouts in volkssporting. If you have any questions, please contact the AVA Youth Coordinator at avayouth@ava.org.

© January 2005, American Volkssport Association. All Rights Reserved.