A Practical Guide on How to Start a Volkssport Club
PART II Steps & Timeline
Prepared by The Canadian Volkssport Federation
Printed with the support of Imperial Oil
December 2004
Steps and Timeline to Forming a New Club
Preparation: At least a six (6) month period in advance of becoming a club. Preamble: A determined willingness to start such a club by supporting and promoting the goals and purposes of the IVV and CVF must exist among the founders. Step 1: Help Resources, strategies and information on running a walking club and program may be found through: 1. Consultation with your provincial Volkssport Association and/or CVF Regional Director as well as with the CVF Head Office 2. Exchanges with other Volkssport clubs 3. Twinning with other Volkssport clubs 4. Partnership with other Volkssport clubs 5. Mentorship by larger Volkssport clubs 6. Sponsorship by other Volkssport clubs, sports / recreation / fitness facilities, municipal agencies, commercial enterprises, local service clubs or other community organizations Step 2: Membership Build up your membership, as it is the backbone of your entire organization through: 1. Yourself, friends and family 2. An existing walking club, which might be interested to add Volkssporting to its activities 3. Community social groups such as senior groups, service clubs, church groups, youth groups, fitness clubs, etc 4. Employers such as governments, municipalities and the private sector with a fairly large number of employees and who are usually concerned with their health and wellness 5. Your general local population by using all kinds of appropriate / available community means of publicity at your disposal (usually free of charge) Step 3: Partnership Investigate the extension of the local support organizations such as: 1. Municipal Recreation Department 2. Municipal Health Department 3. Service clubs (such as Lions Club, Kinsmen, Rotary, Legion, YM / YWCA, etc…) 2
4. Access to community centres and possibly to other locally available benefits and programs Step 4: Start points for YRE(s) and scheduled events Scout out potential start points; you should consider the following: 1. At recreation / sporting / fitness facilities (municipal, commercial, etc…) or nearby (Open business days and hours for a YRE must be 7 days a week) 2. At commercial establishments with refreshments, food and / or lodging facilities for social activity after your walks, if feasible 3. Have a warm location for cold weather 4. Visibility, free parking and toilets are a plus Step 5: Site and route selection Choose the most appropriate site and route for your walks: 1. Some trails already exist in many localities (permission to use them may be required from municipal, provincial, federal, private, etc. authorities) 2. Select an interesting and pleasant route you would like to see as if you were visiting a new place 3. Scenic, historic and thematic walks are always well appreciated and remembered 4. Usually the walks are 10 km long with most often a 5 km Route available for scheduled events (not YREs or Seasonal/Medium/Short Seasonal events) 5. Measuring wheels, GPS units, odometers or pedometers are useful tools to adequately measure your distances 6. The following trail rating system is in effect to let the walkers know if the trail is an easy one or perhaps a more challenging one: (January 2006) Part 1 – INCLINE 1. very little hill or stair climbing 2. some moderate hill or stair climbing Part 2 - TERRAIN A. almost entirely on pavement, probably suitable for baby stroller B. a significant part of the walk takes place on well-groomed trails with very little more difficult terrain C. a significant part of the walk takes place on somewhat difficult terrain (rocky / rooted paths) D. a significant part of the walk takes place on very difficult terrain E. the majority of the walk takes place on very difficult terrain
3. some significant hill or stair climbing 4. a good deal of significant hill or stair climbing 5. many steep hills or high altitude trails
3
Step 6: Sponsorship Develop a plan to gain sponsors for your club. You should consider: 1. Each commercial start point 2. Any publicly-funded agency for economic development or public health promotion 3. Any sporting goods suppliers / stores 4. Major local commercial establishments 5. Any service establishments that you use 6. Any member-operated business A business card advertisement in your future event program, brochure and newsletter will be financially helpful. (January 2007) Step 7: Publicity Look for places / means to publicize your activities. You should consider: Recreation / fitness facilities Libraries Medical clinics of any type Travel agencies Publicity stands in commercial malls Sporting goods stores of any type (New Balance Shoes stores or stores which are selling their shoes should be willing to take your flyers and publicity pamphlets. The Running Room chain stores have their own walking clubs, but may be willing to allow adding your flyers to theirs) 7. Local tourism and / or economic development office, Chamber of Commerce, etc… (January 2007) Further down in the process 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Local media (Community papers, T.V., radio, usually free announcements) Mail E-Mail Website Club newsletter Telephone committee Regional Director / Provincial Association re: Annual Calendar of Events publication 8. CVF Volkssport Canada / Footpaths 9. IVV World Book 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
4
Step 8: Club Identity (As a non-profit entity) Shape the type of your organization and the size of its Executive Committee 1. Choose a club name and logo 2. Prepare a draft constitution (For beginners, simplicity is the rule). An example of a club constitution may be obtained through CVF Head Office 3. Think of the size and configuration of your club‟s Executive Committee: President provides general direction, acts as liaison with outside organizations and looks after the protocol matters assists the president, coordinates all aspects of club‟s events including publicity and replaces the president as necessary processes correspondence, receives and disburses funds as well as prepares an annual budget looks after all trail matters for club Events
Vice-President Minimal Configuration
Secretary / Treasurer Trail Director
Later on in the process
Publicity Coordinator Membership Coordinator Social Coordinator Splitting the Secretary / Treasurer function Etc… as locally required
4. Fixed terms of appointment and election periods are key to your survival and renewal Step 9: Walking Program Plan your first year walking program Note: New clubs or re-activated dormant clubs: two (2) YREs and ten (10) scheduled events per year free for the first two (2) years may be sanctioned at no cost to the club; however, the club will be required to pay the insurance fees for each sanctioned event. 1. What kinds of walks can be organized? All the walks are organized community walks, held in all weather, following planned trails, which are safe, scenic and circular: usually 10 km (5 km is often available as an optional route). The most popular kinds of walks are the following:
5
Annual Volksmarch Events, i.e. a marked trail with checkpoints Guided / Map Walks, i.e. a walk with a guide or with instructions and maps Short / Medium Seasonal / Seasonal / Year-Round Events, i.e. a self guided walk on every day with a map and / or instructions (January 2006) See also Annex 3 for different types of Volkssport events 2. Quantity vs. Quality? The goal should always be „Quality Walks‟ See Annex 4: the CVF paper on “What is a „Quality Walk‟”? 3. A Year-Round Event (YRE) is an excellent revenue generator 4. One annual Volksmarch (W) should be your most important event of the year, your priority day 5. One or two Guided or Map walks should complete your walking program and be carefully planned and scheduled to attract as many walkers as possible locally and from your immediate surroundings Step 10: Volunteer work Establish a list of volunteers, as your survival depends on them 1. Have a person or committee responsible for the volunteer work 2. Have a Volunteer Sign-Up Book for your volunteers to register their names as their availability permits under whatever volunteer work is required 3. Have an overall person responsible for each activity you are planning 4. Involve many people to share the responsibilities and rotate them as often as possible 5. Organize some appropriate recognition / appreciation of the volunteers, as locally decided Step 11: Financial How and where to raise some start-up funds: 1. Your membership 2. Your municipal recreation department 3. Any publicly funded agency for economic development and / or public health promotion 4. Local service clubs or other community organizations
6
5. Other local sports / recreations / fitness facilities and / or commercial enterprises 6. Other Volkssport clubs 7. Your Provincial Volkssport Association and / or CVF Regional Director Set yourself an operating budget (revenues and expenses) and open a bank account.
7
NOTES:
8