European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 29, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Poge 8 the stars and stripes april 1977 the vol Smarch fad Byrlea Larkin staff writer its a marching through the Woods for to Germany these its not just the boy scouts who suffer from this medal marching overweight housewives and their fit Ness conscious husbands kids and Knicke Clad grandpas and american Gas and come saturday and and they All arc seized with a passion to not just leisurely half hour these folks trek up through villages and in Snow and sometimes they drive for two or three hours just to get to the place where they will spend anywhere from two to five hours walking on designated they like the the scenery is usually but its the medals that motivate most of the determines the course at the end of the 10or 20or 36kilometer they get their usually its a medal in Silver or Gold with some kind of scene on the medals come in various with ribbons and the majority of the marchers decide where they will walk based on the medal they can walking for or Volks marching As its called in might just sur pass Tennis for popularity in some dont go to a vol Smarch and count the Green License plates and the military buses try out your Best German on fellow marchers and More than half of the time you Are Likely to get an answer in american began in 1968 there is nothing new about walking As a popular pastime for but until thai first vol Smarch Back in they walked Lor the Sake of some still of Bui Shore arc such As Manfred Dix who Are into medals in a big the second chairman of the Wiesbaden Volks marching club has walked some 500 of his medals decorate a Wall in his another 200 medals fill a Why does he like Volks marching i dont its just my he the Wiesbaden the largest Volks marching club in has about 800 of whom Are Ameri its the clubs that sponsor the walks and buy the medals that attract the among Competition is keen to gel the most participants on a Given on an average saturday and sunday in the summer there May be As Many As 40 Dif Ferent marches in so clubs try to outdo each other with some now offer plaques or plates instead of i think in past the medal James Wilkins after a recent Volks Ive got so Many of those Ras Wilkins and his friends from Hahn a were sitting in a enjoying the Beer and oomph music that seem to follow most two in a Day he and Bud Cunningham had run a 12k vol Smarch course that morning before walking this 10k course by the certain marches Are designed for in addition to the the Lon distance runners or hikers earn patches instead of but neither Cunningham nor Wilkins wore the jogging suits covered with patches that seem to be the uniform of the Marathon Raymond and Barbara Clark of Baum older were new to Germany and their 20monthold asleep in the harness on his fathers was obviously worn out from the Long i think its a Good family you get to Sec the German i figure the exercise is in three years f ought to be in fantastic you sit Down you feel you Nave accomplished said typical of the True vol Smarch addict is army Donald Taschner of the 563rd Ord co in a Bachelor from hits four or More marches a on the easter weekend a fou Day holi Day in Germany he completed eight marches and tried for a the ninth eluded Taschner started his weekend by taking leave on Good Friday and completing two he then drove to Osweiler in the where he stayed in a hotel room Friday night to be Able to Start Early Satur Day morning on the March after hurrying through the Countryside at he drove Tole nearby town of Frankc Ritholz for his second March of the then it was Back to the Desti nation for a night his third March of he never found Taschner i drove All Over the asking people where their vol Smarch but no one knew anything about the March is listed in the 1977iw but it must have been cancelled or so i finally gave it up and resumed to Ger the next morning Taschner hit the Trail even earlier than usual and completed three he added two More on easter monday for his Long weekend total of Taschner said the 563rd Ord co is strongly involved in with More than 100 members at some the popularity of Volks marching is spreading in epidemic there Are marches in Holland and the first american vol Smarch will take place in the Lone Star state this Mort than 100 germans Are paying Matte 11250 for the 10day trip to walk in the Texas March will take up just two Days of their and they will visit other there Are almost marches scheduled in Germany alone this there Are marches that go on for As Long As two weeks and total 600 and theres a mid night March by Moonlight High in the Alps of Switzerland in july and american vol Smarch clubs Are also sponsoring this weekend the american wandering club of Augsburg will be holding its fifth on May 7 and the Heidelberg and Darmstadt clubs will hold the third for Heidelberg continued on Page t club membership not needed rec confers can provide March information think you might like to try a Volks March your item ration Center should be Able to provide information about i Arches and vol Smarch clubs in your membership in a club is not required to participate in a vol Smarch do save Money on fees when their club is preregistered As a group for a the Csc who Are pre either through a club or on their receive their medals for Marks about if you wish Only the Ivy the fee is Iso Marks about late registration or registration the Day of the Anarch costs 8 do if you want the if they Are in sufficient you will get one upon completion of the bul usually they will be mailed to you sometimes this is a lot Laler five or six preregistration can be done through at the actual marches there Are opportunities to pay and preregister for future most marches offer Silver medals to those who walk 10 Gold medals for those who Complete a 20k Chil Dren under the disabled women Over 55 and men Over 60 can earn the higher Cate gory medals for comp cling the Shorter those who belong to a vol Smarch club affiliated with the internal Ionalee Volks sport Verlandes i Ivy also have a special Book to log the is they there Are More special prizes badges and the like awarded As certain goals Are 00 is or 500 for places where Volks marches Are held Are not usually in major metropolitan they arc in the definitely off the beaten bul the pamphlets that Tell about the marches include As you gel close to the Slart youll Sec Ivy signs to direct dont plan on smoking or picnicking while on a smoking is Verbo ten in the and so is bul you wont most marches offer grape sugar tablets for and there will be one or More control Points where your cards will be youll be offered free Lea and inc Opportunity to buy soft drinks and once youve completed the there is nothing better than a fat Juicy Wurst and a cold these goodies Are Avail Able at the finish and Start some times in a tent with an oomph dress for Wear comfortable if it Rains or dont expect a Volks March to be it wont As the pamphlets often say in the event will be held in every but dedicated hikers carry on no matter what us conditions a few tips for the new Marcher arrive Al the Start Early and collect the pamphlets brought by other clubs to announce their upcoming in Many it is possible to Purchase Start cards for future marches from the club officials who Are handing out the always ask at the Slart of the March if there is a Star Stempel Start Slamp thai most clubs have discontinued that relying on the control Points for the stamping of the but a few still re quire and if youve missed youll have trouble collecting that medal at the if its hit us Trail As Early As possible before thousands of pairs of feet have turned the March route into ankle deep if the March you want to join is a two or three hour drive and its the first the club has Ever it might be Worth while to inc so in a phone Call to the dub to make certain its still on rare marches Are cancelled or Post another Good is 30 pfennig for a copy of the monthly the official publication of the German Parent organization of it lists cancellations and postponements of and in Doest take much knowl Edge of German to read that also included in the Kurrier Are Adver list meals from the manufacturers of medals and they show their wares and list the marches where they will be providing another source of information on future the along with Ivy is on Sale at the in v Lable at most when registering the Day of the March be certain you buy your Start card atthe lat registration desk for that Days March Nachume Dungen in German not from someone Selling Start cards in future cards for june Volks marches wont get you a medal in
