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Judging for 2005 / newsletter question


novaman

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Got my judges newletter today.

In Fred Young's little blurb he states " it is most important that each judge understands, in order to maintain eligibility to serve as an AACA judge in 2005, you MUST have attended a judging school within the previous year of a Meet at which you plan to judge. For example, if you plan to judge at Roanoke in May 2005, you must have attended a school between May 2004 and May, 2005."

My understanding of this during the past year was that it was to be you had to attend a school prior to or the previous year. For this example used you would have had to attend a school in year 2004 or 2005 before the Roanoke meet. If it is to be the one-year exactly AACA is going to lose judges. Don't forget the members that have to work and can't attend several shows a year. And/or take the extra day off to make the judging school on Friday. Also, this means if you attend judging school at Philly or on May 1st [color:\\"red\\"]2004 (editted to include year) in Alabama, you can't judge without going to school again. (the Roanoke show is May 7th, 371 days since Alabama 365+6days since this isn't a leap year else it would have been 372 days) If you take his words at true value quote "between May 2004 and May, 2005". To be between May '04 and May '05 that means the school had to be held on or after June 1,2004 and before or on April 30, 2005. An 11-month span.

I feel this needs a little better explanation. Are we talking the school must be taken in '04 (or '05 prior to show) to judge in '05, or within 12 months of the month of the show or finally, within 365 days of the show?

confused.gifconfused.gifconfused.gif

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David, In my case, you and I both judged at Hagerstown last year, and you sat next to me during the judge's CJE. Due to job situations, I may not be able to make it down to the Judges school on Friday at the meet in PA the end of May. I know without a doubt that I will be at the show on Saturday, but I can't make it down there to be on time on Friday for school. If the rule is 365 days, I could (and would) judge, and attend a CJE, but I would be within three weeks of being within the 365 days.

....I'm not trying to "stir the pot" but does anyone know if any progress has been made with the online judging schools and CJE's that I proposed last year? I know in my case, I can make it to the show, but without this, you'll lose me as a judge due to my work schedule. This isn't something that is within my control, but here is a case where I have been to judging schools, and CJE's in 2003 & 2004, I've completed my apprenticeship, and I've started to build up a few credits. I definately would like to judge, but with the current rules, I may have to stop. I'm sure someone, somewhere out there, another person is in the same spot that I am.

With David's question pertaining to the 365 days, and with online recertification, this question could be eliminated, the risks of losing judges might be reduced. With some of the judges driving their old cars to these shows, you have a chance of losing a judge because their car broke down and they couldn't make it on time to judging school. I'm not questioning the mechanical ability of anyone, but old cars do quit from time to time. There seems to be at least one at every meet that does.

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What a great suggestion. smile.gif Before I retired we used to take our yearly safety exam on line. If you got an answer wrong it took you back to the area of the text where the information was so it could be re-read. Then it took you back to the question that was incorrectly answered to be redone. And you proceeded through the information and testing until you were done. That would be better than what we have now. Sit in a room, look at slides, fill out a card and get our chip. Who says anyone learned anything???? crazy.gif

Not everyone has access to the internet, but as this forum proves, lots of people do.

I feel that I helped get the CJE's going. I still have the letter that I mailed to Bob Laidlein, God rest his soul, when he was in charge of judges training suggesting classes that went into more depth in each of the areas. More information than just the same old, same old that we were going to.

So keep pounding them about the on-line classes.

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Novaman, thanks for taking the time to post the link on this. Everyone should read it, especially judges or people are thinking of judging. It is an excellent idea.

If companies like Verizon can do their safety program teaching and tests on-line with hundreds of thousands of employees, then the AACA should be able to do the same. It would make travel plans so much easier for a lot of people and maybe even allow them to judge at more shows by saving them that extra day of travel.

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Guest imported_Brenda Shore

novaman - I have put out an inquiry directly to Rick Lay to see if we can get a response. Rick will be the best person to answer your question.

Keep watching - I am sure he will respond soon.

Thanks, Brenda

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Thank you Brenda. smile.gif

One other thing I thought of is, someone is going to have to go through all the judging school cards the night before. So to determine which judges did, actually show up at the school, and who didn't of those who signed up to judge needing the school to fullfill the rule requirement.

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It is my understanding that the rule is, as Fred stated in his article, based on attending a school within the previous 12 months. I think Fred is out of town and I am sure he may post a response when he returns. Both Novaman and ex98thdrill make good points. As with all of our judging matters, all are subject to review by the Class Judging Committee. Having come on the committee last year, I do not know the history/reasoning behind the rule as stated. The committee will meet in Philadelphia and pending comment by Fred, I will be happy to bring the item up for discussion/clarification.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Art Griffin

I'll put my 2 cents worth in to say that I think a reasonable rule would be to have attended a Judging School within the current calendar year. For instance, if I attend the Judging School at Philly, I'm good for the rest of the year. Or if I plan to judge at Roanoke in May, I could go to school at Philly, Gainesville, or Roanoke. I'm sure this subject will get considerable discussion at Philly.

Art Griffin

Cape Canaveral Region

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Art, making a judging school in a current calendar year is a whole lot easier when you have a couple weeks vacation. I get 5 days a year! No sick days. The vaction days are spent at Hershey. That makes it impossible to get to a show either on Thurs or Friday morning to take a judging school on Friday afternoon. If there is a show resonably close by as was Asheboro,NC last year or Ronaoke, VA this year the judging school is more doable as long as I don't get tied up in traffic, have an accident or breakdown in the way.

With 3 of us that have reply this thread inculding our family members that judge, there would be a loss of 10 or 11 judges. Those of us that work can't bring along spouses or in my case my dad. We aren't talking about something that might just effect 1 member. If 1 judge can't make it, the rest of the judges that travel with him/her will be lost as judges too.

This is one of the resaons the younger folks in AACA get a little frustrated sometimes. The average in AACA i think is about retirement age and the younger working folks sometimes get forgotten.

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I'm with Bob 100% on this one. Around 10 years ago, I decided that this hobby, due to my involvement in a Region and its politics had become work and not fun. The result - a new perspective on the hobby. I have explained my participation as a judge in some other posts on this forum; however there is a point of diminishing returns where it just isn't worth it. We've all put up with a fair amount of inconvenience to judge because we like to do it - I hope National considers this when they make some of these policy decisions and keeps in mind that this is supposed to be a HOBBY. If I need aggrivation I can just show up at work- at least they pay me for it.

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