Judging School

[novaman]

I would hope so. Like has been said there are "experts" on brass that we're losing but could perserve some of the knowledge in a online CJE.

One other thing with CJEs is when you're at a show and say the was a class on 1962-1965 Chevy II, how many cars are at the show you could look at. There are different interior colors plus different seat cover/door panels depending on which series Chevy II it is. With it online, there could be pictures of ALL the correct interiors plus what are the right colors for the exterior. Becuase of differences in monitors there might be some slight shade veriations but would still be close. At least the judge that would the class, then not get his choice of class to judge, would know that the Chevy II did not come in purple.

Right now if I got stuck judging a Keller, I have no knowledge of them so I don't know if anything is wrong other than education guesses. A CJE class could help.

There will be details to be worked out if the judging comittee approves the project. I'd like to see them at least make a commitment to look into to it farther and not as a committee just say no. I commend Fred for his involvement to try to move judging forward.

[Steve Moskowitz]

Novaman, the committee never justs says no!! If you have the impression that AACA is unwilling to look at new ideas, wait a couple of days and see your new magazine. Every meeting and every day the club is looking at modernizing as best as we can. Every meeting and every day we are looking at making the club experience better.

Both Fred and I are members of the committee. Fred has expressed excitement over these ideas as well as myself. This thread has been sent to our board to review. Peter Gariepy, our resident expert on internet technology has already responded to some questions and we have already determined how this could possibly work. Naturally, the committee does have to make sure we can do this properly and we want to make sure that if approved, it is right.

This idea will take a little work especially since we are looking at some major changes within our in-house software and will be reviewing the budgets and concepts in February. It may take some time but everyone so far seems very, very intrigued with the idea.

[novaman]

Sorry Steve. I think I came across more bluntly and negative than intended. I'm sure you know how some people don't like change. I'm just hoping that the committee isn't like that. I'm encouraged with the responses from you and Fred. I hope the rest of the committee embraces the idea too. From your comments there has been a lot more going on behind the scenes than I had figured there would be, at this time. Very commendable on the committee?s part. I figured this really wouldn't get discussed until Philly.

I also apologize to the judging committee for my comment that wasn?t worded very well.

I like the changes I?ve seen in the club over the past year. Looking forward to the newest version of the magazine.

Now, I?ll shut up before I get myself in more trouble today.

[Rich Niezabitowski]

Without doubt, setting up an online judging school is one of the best ideas to come out of AACA in a long time. However, this ruling regarding judging schools is truly another animal.

There has been a lot of discussion about the "comittment" one must make to be an AACA judge. Here is the basis of my anger and the insinuation about "lack of comittment". I have judged in AACA since 1978. I started judging for two reasons. I felt it was an excellent way to learn about the cars and how they were judged for the time I would enter a car of my own in a National meet. Also, I felt that we all owe it to the hobby to judge other people's cars as they will do the same and judge ours. I "took last year" off from judging so that I could show my Sprite nationally. This was the first car I have ever shown in AACA. (I finally got in done - had it since 1992).The schedule last year didn't allow me to go to the school at Philadelphia ( had to finish the car - it gone done in the trailer enroute to Hagerstown), and the event schedules at Hagerstown and Hershey (I have a race car and had to run it at Hagerstown at the same time as the judging school - the Hershey school was not feasible due to other comittments on those days plus getting the car ready to run on Friday) so I didn't do my "school requirement". So you might imagine my discontent at finding that I can't judge at Hershey this year becuase of this rule after I have done so for every year since 1978. I don't feel that in any case there was a lack of commitment or dedication on my part (all of you who have done the packing lots deals and bus rides at Hershey may agree) and as far as my judging premise stated above ( the thing about how we're all in this together) may have been optomistic on my part.

And all I can hope for is to do a school this year so I can judge next year?

Oh well, I guess I'll have time this year to look at all of the cars in the show since I'll have plenty of free time on show day and since I won't have the time again this year to make a school a Catch-22 will now develop.

Bottom line: We have all judged with good and bad team captains and field judges over the years. I really don't beleive that attendance at a school every other year will change that significantly. The fact that the instuctions at Hershey have to have a note that states "MUST READ" tells you something about some of our judges. I have not lost my skill and judgment built over the years because I didn't go to a school in the last two years. I ordered a judges manual last year (as any exibitor or judge should) and read it and will do so this year. The changes to the manual have been published and the info is available. Give me the test without the school and i will ace it. And as Bob quite correctly noted above, knowledge about specific cars or antiques in general comes from person research and study, not from a judging school. Most of us in the New England area need to go a fair distance for any AACA event. Where an individuals' life schedules preclude making every meet shouild not be construed to be a lack of dedication on anyone's part. I for one beleive that is a very unfair assumption and one that will ultimately hurt - not help- the judging program.

[ex98thdrill]

Thank you for your words Rich. For a while I was beginning to think that David (Novaman) and I were the only ones in this situation. Now with any luck more people will step forward and bring this to light, and perhaps we may be able to get some judges back that we have lost to the system. With your 25+ years of judging experience, I'd hate to lose you as a judge as long as you're still willing to participate.

Being that I didn't come into the judging program until 2003, I have very few judging credits, but what few I have, I continue to pick new things up every time that I judge. As a judge, this makes me a better judge, as a car owner, it gives me more knowledge to put a better product on the show field.

I have tried to judge a class in which my dad and I have a car that we're building. If I know how they're judging the class that I will one day have a vehicle in, I know how they're looking at things, and it helps me learn how our vehicles need to be.

Steve, please keep up the good work. It is a very good thing from my vantage point that the committee is willing to look at things and at least consider it. Being fairly new to the picture, I'm not trying to thumb my nose at the past, but looking at ways to steer the future in a way that can be positive and keep the club going strong.

As AACA celebrates 70 years of promoting the hobby, the day will one day come where there will have to be a changing of the guard. In the meantime, preparations should be made so that when the changing of the guard takes place, the club will be strong enough so that we can last another 70 years.

[Steve Moskowitz]

Ok Pat but as you spend more time around AACA you will realize that the board is <span style="font-weight: bold">always</span> looking at advancing the state of AACA. Earl started many new focus groups this past year to get input from around the country and from younger people. It was a thoughtful and great first step. There always is a changing of the guard, every year there are elections and new committee members. However, people need to get active in order to be a part of these groups. Don't be so quick to count out those "old guard" people, they have a lot of wisdom! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Again, keep the eyes open, there are so many new things coming out of AACA I believe you will all understand the direction theat the board is taking the club. I am happy to be doing my small part along with so many others in this endeavor.

[ex98thdrill]

I understand. When I was talking about changing of the guard I was referring more to the generation of leadership (age). As for Earl, you're right on the money with that too. Earl has definately tried to do more for AACA in 2004.