Newsletter of the Freestate Happy Wanderers (FHW) (American Volkssport Association (AVA)) Club 190

Volume 12 Issue 1 Jan-Feb 2017 President Bob Wolfe (301) 879-6898 Rwwolfe61@comcast.net VP Tom Mosely (301) 367-3654 Themose7999@verizon.net Treasurer Bill Reaves (443) 994-5370 wlreaves@aol.com Secretary/ Membership/ Publicity Linda Hassell (410) 437-2164 wahasse1798@verizon.net Brochures Bev DiMenna (443) 463-5512 bjdimenna@verizon.net 501(c)(3) Donations – POC Joyce Conway (301) 572-5574

Events Planning Committee Phill Wilder Chair: (301) 717-3604 Kindfellow1@comcast.net FHW Wanderings Newsletter Publisher- Anita J. Juskelis (410) 493-5195 ajjuske@yahoo.com News Asst Editor Linda Hassell (send News) Activities Asst Editor Phill Wilder (send Photos) FHW Website Webmaster, Darrell Neily, (301) 937-9659 dneily333@gmail.com. http://www.mdvolks.org/freestate/ Specialty Sales Joyce Conway, Club website, or call Bill at (410) 437-2164

Events Planning Committee - 1st Thursday of the month. Open to all! Contact Phill Wilder for the location and information. Club Meetings - 2nd Thursday of the month at Faith Ministry Center, 9050 Baltimore Street, Savage MD 20763. Doors open at 7PM for social time. Meetings begin at 7:30 PM. Meetings postponed when Howard County schools are closed for inclement weather. Specialty Sales Joyce Conway, Club website, or call Bill at (410) 437-2164 Cheaper by the Dozen Bill Reaves (443) 994-5370 Get discount for prepaying FHW YRE fees.

Useful links

FHW Current/Past Newsletters online: http://mdvolks.org/freestate/newsletters.html MD MEET-UP GROUP: http://www.meetup.com/Maryland-Walkers-Hikers-Volksmarchers/ AVA Website: www.ava.org Maryland Volkssport Association and local clubs: http://www.mdvolks.org/clubs.php

Freestate Wanderings

USA VOLKSWALKING

for 40 YEARS

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IMPORTANT – The Events Meetings are now scheduled on the same night as the Freestate Club Meeting, 2nd Thursday of the month. The Events meeting will start at approximately 6:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. (you can bring carry-in food) and the Club Meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. All welcome – come on out and enjoy. Always the 2nd Thursday of the month. FHW Events Planning Committee revamps format and meetings 2017 Authored by Phill Wilder We have a good core team who meet separately for the Events Planning Committee Meeting and then anchor the Club meeting on the Second Thursday of every month. In 2017 the Events Planning Committee will meet before the regular [Second Thursday of Every Month] club meeting at 6PM at the Faith Ministry Center in Savage, MD. (BYO brown bag dinner encouraged). Frankly it’s been the same people for both meetings, so we are exercising a little sanity here. The second topic of each meeting will be a brief “how-to” session on some aspect of how we plan. We will share all the details so anyone can feel confident participating. This is the time to step up and get into the swing of making this club continue its’ great tradition of excellence. (People may email me at: kindfellow1@comcast.net) Sincerely yours, Phill

FREESTATE FUTURE WANDERINGS DATES January 12 – Freestate Club Meeting – 7:30 PM –Faith Ministry, Savage January 15 – FHW Celebration Dinner – Romilos, Severna Park February 9 – Freestate Club Meeting – 7:30 PM – Faith Ministry, Savage March 9 – Freestate Club Meeting – 7:30 PM – Faith Ministry, Savage April 13 – Freestate Club Meeting – 7:30 PM – Faith Ministry, Savage April 29 – Freestate Walk Event at Montpelier Festival

SAVAGE NEW YEAR’S EVENTS

The New Year’s Events were a success and the weather sure did cooperate bringing out approximately 213 on the 31st and 169 on the 1st. We received many comments about how everyone enjoys coming to this event year-after-year as a tradition and loved it in Savage with the variety of 5-km trails. Thanks to Phill Wilder and several Freestate members who proofed the trails. We thank all the Freestate volunteers that volunteered both days. Over 34 volunteers were needed for the two-day event. These volunteers worked in 63 slots over the two-days for the walk events and food sales. Thanks to everyone that stepped up when we sent out a calls to fill slots. We appreciate the volunteers that arrived on time and worked where they were needed and thank you to the volunteers we asked to work in other areas where we were short staffed. The special thanks go to “Team Jackie Coco” for the good food we had both days. The donated baked goods and hot food were excellent. Our workers appreciated the good food for lunch both days. We sold 22 new walker packages, estimated 35 new walkers attended and 44 “AVA-New Walker Coupons” were used at registration. Thanks to Joyce Conway for working the Sales table both days. Thanks to Thom Perry for always being the first person in the

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morning, before we get there, helping unload our car and getting everything into the building. Thanks to everyone that helped unload and reload cars when we moved to the other building on 12/31. Thanks to Fred Pugh for manning the checkpoint both days. All our volunteers do their part to make this a “Quality Event.” We had a group of volunteers that went to the Faith Ministry and cleaned the building on 12/30. As the Points of Contact for this event we received many thanks and comments from walkers that they look forward to and enjoy our event every year. Thanks again to everyone for volunteering and attending and making this Freestate’s special event of the year. Bill and Linda POC’s MEMBERSHIP

Welcome to our new members, Wendy, Zoee and Margot Whitcomb from Columbia, MD. Wendy and the girls with Pumpkin have been attending our New Year’s walks for many years. Zoee and Margot, writing a book “Growing-up Volksmarching”.

SALES

Thank Joyce Conway for your help both days at the Sales Table. We collected $385.00. The sales included the 2017 Starting Point books and many IVV record books. Thank you for supporting Freestate Sales Table

CONGRATULATIONS - Celebrating their walking accomplishments our members appeared in The American Wanderer (TAW): Peter Esker 10 events; Claire Filemyr 650 events; Fred Pugh 950 events; Bob Lumbert 5400 events; Donald Smith 6500-km and friend Ellie Kuntz 31000-km. Keep sending in your books to the AVA- America’s Walking Club. Freestate’s next event is Saturday, April 29, 2017 at the Montpelier Festival of the

Tea, Herbs & Arts, on the grounds of Montpelier Mansion, and remembering our

dear friend Lynne Haffner Memorial Walk. Lynne’s last wish was a walk starting at the Montpelier Mansion, 9650 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708. Look for our tent. Start time is anytime between 9 AM & 1 PM and finish by 4 PM, 10-km and 5-km. TRAIL: The trail is on natural surfaces through the grounds of Montpelier and sidewalks of surrounding residential area and is rated 2A. The trail includes 1781 Montpelier Mansion; Montpelier Arts Center and Dinosaur Museum Park. Volunteer List will come to your inbox soon. Sad news that club member Ray Titus passed away on January 5th after a long illness. Ray and Bonnie have worked our Checkpoints at New Year’s and other walk events when needed. Sympathy cards can be sent to: Mrs. Bonnie Titus, PO Box 452, Millersville, MD 21108.

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Please let Phill know you are scheduling a group walk of one of Freestate’s YRE in 2017. You don’t have to be a POC of the walk. Contact Phill (kindfellow1@comcast.net) for good dates and we will help advertize the date and time. in the newsletter and email updates to members. Reminder that our “Cheaper by the Dozen” are sold at club events. Coupons this year are again 15 coupons for $36 or 12 for $30. You may purchase at all Freestate volksmarches or catch up with Linda Hassell. Three sets were sold at the New Year’s Walk Events. Smart to not deal with money at the walk boxes.

Calendar of Local Walks – Winter and Spring fun! February 2017

04/05W York White Rose Wanderers York, PA (Winter Walk) 717.891.1945

04/05S York White Rose Wanderers York, PA (Winter Swim) 717.891.1945

March 2017

18 W Great Greenbelt Volksmarchers Greenbelt, MD (Atlantic Regional Meeting

after walk ) 301.431.6668

25 W Gator Volksmarch Club Norfolk, VA (Walk) 757.576.0966

April 2017

01 W Virginia Vagabonds Gloucester, VA (Gloucester - Daffodil Festival) 703.766.3065

08 W Columbia Volksmarch Club Catonsville, MD (Walk) 443.612.9956

08 W Lee Lepus Volksverband Amelia, VA (James L. Hammer Public Library) 804.731.2863

09 W Cavalier Volkssporting Club Charlottesville, VA (Morven Farms) 434-924-3791

15 W Great Greenbelt Volksmarchers College Park, MD (College Park Airport) 301.431.6668

15 W Peninsula Pathfinders Williamsburg, VA (Kiwanis Municipal Park) 757.476.5789

22 W Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Rockville, MD 301.369.0040

29 W Freestate Happy Wanderers

Laurel, MD -Montpelier Herbs & Tea Festival,

9650 Muirkirk Rd

Memorial Walk for Lynne Haffner

301-362-0591

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FREESTATE HAPPY WANDERERS Are you taking advantage of the powers of your Smartphone?

You know already that you can check for directions to the start point at AVA.ORG

Use your phone’s web browser-probably Chrome http://clubs.ava.org/ava_search.asp

Did you know there are apps for both Android and iPhones that can enhance your walking?

Go to the Play Store on Android

Go to the App Store on iPhone

Alternatively it is possible to download apps through iTunes.

Walk with Map My Walk

.http://www.mapmywalk.com/

Without trading up from the free application, you can get steps, distance, time and a track of where you

walked. Your “workouts” will keep a record that you can use throughout the year.

Try typing in “sightseeing” in your applications installer.

One example of many possible choices: PocketGuideAudio Travel Guide

Works for over 150 major cities and gives a narrative of the sights using your phone’s GPS position.

PocketGuide offers “themed” tours . You can download your selected tour so that you can use it OFFLINE

and avoid data charges

Try “Visit Frederick” when walking Freestate’s YRE 1899 in Frederick, MD

This Visitor Guide with clickable links on visiting Frederick County.

The self-guided walking tour overlaps the core part of Freestate’s route clickable links and all sorts of info

about your dining, museums, arts, and shopping options while walking our YRE

Birders like “Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab”

Another Birder app is “World Bird Guide” The BBI Bird Guide is the only free World Bird Guide available on

Google Play TM

The nice thing about this app it selects data from only 50 mile around your GPS location.

Find Geocache’s and other adventures while walking our YRE’s

Geocaching reg

Groundspeak.com

The ultimate geocaching toolbox used by millions around the world 5

FREESTATE HAPPY WANDERERS Way back in August

L-R Sharon Brown, UMC of Savage Secretary;

Linda Hassell POC, Delores Tippett Kitchen

Team, Jackie Coco Kitchen Chef, Bill Hassell

POC, Tom Mosely FHW VP

FRIDAY December 30th

New Year’s

Walk

Savage, MD

Dec 31, 2016

Jan 1, 2017 If you stood here facing Bill

Hassells “all points” sign, you

would be ready to successfully start

any one of four 5 Km trails.

Sharon Brown awarded a

Freestate Polo Shirt

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FREESTATE HAPPY WANDERERS

These two, Zoee and Margot

Leckron with Pumpkin, have been

walking our New Year’s Event for

years. This year they joined the

Freestate Happy Wanderers

New Year’s Walk Savage, MD

Dec 31, 2016 Jan 1, 2017

Bill Hassell contributed photos and

Linda Hassell shared photos on

FaceBook and Bob Schmick

The Guerling Clan

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The Newsletter of Freestate Happy Wanderers (an American Volkssport Association Club AVA-190)

Anita Juskelis, Publisher 5502 Rockleigh Dr Arbutus, MD 21227

Mission Statement:

The American Volkssport

Association promotes FUN,

FITNESS, and FRIENDSHIP

through non-competitive walk-

ing and other sporting events

for everyone.

Freestate Happy Wanderers is a IRS 501 c (3) qualified organization EIN 52-1665322. Donations of money and volunteer expenses (with proper documentation)

are deductible to the full extent of the law.

Saturday FEB,21st 2015 Great walk event with family-friendly Geo-caching, historic Rossville, Muirkirk, Queens Chapel Church, commemorative souvenir and displays. 6k 10k warm S/F

We’ll be remembering Lynne Haffner our long-time friend 1950-2016 as part of this walk event. In this 2006 photo with L-R Jaimie Wilder, Don Conway, Lynne Haffner and Bill Brabant. This was just one of the many times Lynne was involved with a walk event at Montpelier.

SATURDAY April 29th 2017 Montpelier Mansion Festival of Herbs, Tea and the Arts

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FHW – President’s Remarks.

As we close out 2016, and look back on the past year, we are continuing along as an

active club although a year older. We just completed the New Year’s events and had 213

participants on 12/31 and 169 on 1/1. Even with the change in location, the events went

smoothly, and we did good food sales. Thanks to Bill and Linda for organizing the event,

Jackie for organizing the food sales and all who volunteered and contributed to the

success. We again collected food for a local food bank.

Last year we worked together with the other clubs in Maryland for a great Atlantic

Region conference in Hagerstown. Please note the 2018 Atlantic Region conference will

be in Sterling, VA on March 16-18, 2018. We held an event at Montpelier in April with

the Herb, Tea and Arts festival. In June we held a 40th

anniversary event in Laurel.

Throughout the summer we hosted the Road Scholars at our Frederick YRE, with a

historian that Phill arranged for. The Road Scholars contributed to Frederick being our

YRE of the year for participation again. We held our annual 9/11 commemorative event

as a group walk. We hosted 17 YRE events. Even a regular year is still busy. Thanks to

all who made these events happen.

With deep sadness we mourn the passing of Lynne Haffner in November. She was very

active as a past president of Freestate and held various other positions as well as an event

POC. I took over the Brookside Gardens YRE from her. She also supported other clubs

throughout the Atlantic Region, and was honored with a deserving meritorious service

award for her service to the AVA. We will have a memorial for Lynne at the April 29th

Montpelier event, an event that she originally organized for us.

On January 15th

we’re holding our celebration dinner to socialize and honor the hard

work of everyone’s volunteer efforts this past year. We are returning back to Romilos

restaurant in Severna Park, MD, where we were last year.

This year we have sanctioned events at the Montpelier Herb, Tea and Arts festival on

April 29 and Kinder Farm Park on June 3rd

. Then it’ll be on to the AVA convention in

Billings for some of you. This year Tom Mosely plans to attend and represent us as our

delegate. Thanks Tom.

On December 3, at the Alexandria Scottish Parade event, the Washington DC club

opened the event to all for free credit. It was very streamlined with registration, stamping

our books and then walking with no checkpoints and no need to return to the finish point.

That was refreshing. On May 6-7, they are planning a two day event at Great Falls that

will also be free for credit. One event will be on the Maryland side and the other on the

Virginia side. They desperately need volunteers and would like anyone interested to

contact Sandi Cahill.

Please mark down March 18, 2017 on your calendars for an event at Greenbelt and the

Atlantic Region meeting where we’ll elect a new Regional Director and deputy Regional

Director. We do need people interested in running for these positions.

Please join us for our Club Business meetings at 7:30pm the second Thursday of each

month at the Savage United Methodist Church, where you can have a say in what we do,

and enjoy some good refreshments. Please also attend our Events meeting where you can

help us with the direction of our events and activities. (NOTE: NEW LOCATION AND

DAY) The events meeting will be before the club business meeting at 6:00pm the second

Thursday of the month at the Savage United Methodist Church. FHW is always looking

for some new volunteers who would like to help the club with our various committees.

Most volunteers for the committees and YREs have been in their positions for years, and

some help with multiple jobs. These positions only take a couple hours a month if that

long, and we’d love some fresh ideas and talent to help support our club. Please contact

any POC or club officer if you can help us out. Thanks to all our many volunteers,

without whom we couldn’t do all that we do. Freestate is a little different in that we look

beyond just walking events, and actively promote the social aspect, whether it’s an

educational side trip or the chance to catch up with our walking friends over some good

food. FHW is committed to Fun, Fitness and Friendship and welcomes everyone.

Thank you, and see you on the trail.

Bob Wolfe