Local Region Judging

[Guest ktm858]

After a lot of talk my local region (NEPR) divided that we are going to change the judging for our local show. Our region used to have participation judging but that seems to have several flas. We are now going to go with a point system giving each car 100 points and dividing it into 4 sections. We will have a team for each class and will deduct for major changes from stock and poor workmanship. I understand that it is not a national event and that the local shows count for nothing but basically fund raising for the regions. Are there any other systems that regions use for their shows?

[Shop Rat]

The one caution I would offer is, have judges rather than "popular" voting.

At least with judges the votes do get stacked/ballot box stuffed by the people there with vehicles and their friends. That only creates hard feelings especially if someone in the club wins the major awards.

Our club tried the "popular" vote and one woman, a member of our Region, went around asking people for their ballots and filled in her name and her husband's name and their car. When confronted about what she had done she acted like we were the ones that were wrong.

We did have a few special awards like "Mayor's Choice", "Show Sponsor's Choice", etc. But only one person was voting for those.

We used judges at our local shows from that time on.

[Guest ktm858]

Very true, We have several special awards also. I have seen the unfairness of participation judging first hand and I am glad that we are changing. I can really care less about a piece of plastic or a block of wood but I was in a class and there was a car that would always beat me at the participant judging shows, I could see that the owner was friends with many people at the show. I along with some of the people I knew said that he would not have a chance at a National show. I had taken my car to Hershey and received a 1st Jr and the other gentleman then took his car and got a 3rd junior.

[Jim Bollman]

Our club does the participation judging a little different, still not as good as full judging but it helps eliminate some of the favoritism. First off, club members are not eligible to win. It took a few years to get this approved but we feel we are the hosts and should not be getting awards at our party. Each car entered, gets one ballot to judge one other class anyway they want. They are given out randomly accept modified classes judge other modified classes and original classes only judge other original classes.

We also have a bunch of special classes and a best of show, that are judged by members or the mayor, president, etc.

Doing full judging correctly will take a large number of members to pull off.

[DAVE A]

I have been doing a local show here for about 10 years and have tried about everything. The first year I had classes and judges but after trying to judge 20 classes with 5 judges and get it done in a reasonable time, that was abandoned. I then tried peer judging with random class judging assignments and that seemed to work but doing the paperwork quickly (and keeping people honest) proved to be a task. I next went to peoples choice judging of classes and was faced with the ballot box stuffing problem along with the paperwork problems. I finally took the lazy man's way out and and eliminated classes all together and went to a "top 20 " type system and gave each car owner a ballot with 3 choices. This allows for each owner to vote for his car (I have found this to be almost inevitable), a friend's car, and the car he thinks is really the best. Yes we still get some "club voting" but I have decided that, after all, if a club brings 15 cars to my show, they can win a few of the awards that way and that's ok with me. The vote tally is kept simple as we just do an excel sheet and sort by car number. The top vote getter here wins best of show (and goes on next year's dash plaque). We also added a "people's choice" where every person who comes in to look at the cars gets a vote also. That is an out and out ballot box stuff, but it allows the non car owners (who patronize our vendors) to also have a vote. I also went away from trophies and went to canvas chairs for the awards. This also advertises your show at every other show the winner goes to!!!

[61polara]

A few years ago a friend and I decided to think out of the box about a car show/display. Your car is your trophy, so bringing it out is your award. We sought funding from the local tourism board and they liked the concept. The show was held on Main Street whcih is lined with resturants and antique stores. Preregisteration was required, but there was no registration fee. Our intent was for all owner to be rewarded for bringing out their car. All entrants received "Ten Down Town Dollars" to spend at any store in the downtown area. Merchants were notified where to redeam the "Dollars". There was no judging. Your car is your throphy! The first show brought in 150 cars. They were placed by club, if the club desired and if not by year. Primier display cars were brought in and displayed in front of the Courthouse and included over the years a '35 Duesenburg, '48 Tucker, '12 Cadillac and others. This worked well for five years until the Downtown Merchants Association decided they could make money on this because "all old car owners would pay to show their car". They took control of the show, started charging to display cars and I have not been back since.

Look at this original concept for small town, downtown events. It will bring out possible new members to make your region stronger.

Edited May 15, 2012 by 61polara (see edit history)

[Guest ktm858]

I would say no matter what you do or dont do someone will complain but we are going to try it under the leadership of our Chief Judge Jerry Weber. I dont see any problems as again it will be much different then what the people who usually attend our show are used to. Basically we are trying to be as fair as possible to all who attend our show.

[Guest ktm858]

Well were ready we have the judging forms all printed out and with the show a few weeks away were ready to get things going. Our Chief Judge has been working hard getting the members list who will team up to help out.

[Guest Tarheel]

I entered a AACA local show in a neighboring town recently and observed a good idea practised by many of the members. They, like many of us, have a shelf full of plastic trophies and a wall full of mounted wood plaques so they have developed a "Patron" class. These members do not get judged, and do not take trophies, instead they donate what the trophies would have cost to the Community college automobile program. They do have trophies for members that still want them, and for visitors. This program helps in the number of cars to be judged; helps in the club member internal competition department; and helps the college program. I plan to ask to be entered as a "Patron" next year.

Our local club has had it's trials and tribulations with judging, especially "Best of Show", which normally is expected to be the last club member which had a paint job. I think they have adopted the best practice- just buy 95% first class trophies, and only give a 2nd to a real dog of a car :^)

Edited May 20, 2012 by Tarheel (see edit history)