Judges Training Program

REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME AN AIS STUDENT JUDGE

A. American Iris Society members in Region 11 who wish to enroll in the Judges Training Program should notify the Judges Training Chair or RVP.

B. The Judges Training Chair or the RVP will provide an application for Student Judge, which, when completed should be returned to the Judges Training Chair or the RVP.

C. The period of candidacy will begin on the date the application is received by the Judges Training Chair or RVP.

D. Candidates for Student Judge must be AIS members for three consecutive years before they can advance to Apprentice Judge. However, training to become an Apprentice Judge may start at any time.

E. Anyone interested in becoming an AIS judge must have a copy of the latest edition of the AIS Handbook for Judges and Show officials.

REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME AN APPRENTICE JUDGE

A. A Student Judge must be a member of the AIS for at least three consecutive years before she/he may become an Apprentice Judge.

B. A Student Judge must attend AIS-approved judges training courses, consisting of two or more sessions, for a total training of at least 10 hours completed within the three year period immediately preceding recommendation for appointment as an Apprentice Judge.

C. A Student Judge must obtain the signatures of five AIS Accredited Judges, who have been the Student’s tutors or who are familiar with the Student’s training and qualifications, and are willing to recommend the Student for advancement.

D. A judge needs to keep his own records of activity reports that is being sent in to the RVP.

E. A judge needs to get an extra test or test taken being dated and signed by the Judges trainer for his or her records. This is the only way to prove you have been to a judging session.

REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME AN ACCREDITED AIS GARDEN/EXHIBITION JUDGE

To advance and become accredited as a Garden Judge, an Apprentice Judge must, within three years of becoming an Apprentice, successfully perform the following minimum.

A. Observe judging of two seedlings or named varieties in bloom in the garden on two separate occasions under the tutorship of two different fully accredited AIS judges. Each tutoring session must be minimum of two hours.

B. Observe judging of two AIS accredited shows, under the specific tutelage of an AIS Judge. The same Judge will not tutor the Apprentice on both occasions.

C. A training session on Awards and Balloting may be counted towards apprenticeship credit if taken within the three years immediately prior to appointment as an apprentice judge and provided ten hours of traning requirements have been completed.

D. The AIS Chairman of Awards will send each apprentice judge a copy of the Official Ballot of AIS, which will be marked “Void”. The apprentice should use it as a study guide as she/he visit gardens for garden training. The ballot is not to be returned.

E. After completing twenty hours of training (ten hours are required prior to application for apprenticeship and ten hours are required for accreditation), the apprentice judge is eligible for appointment as an accredited judge.

F. Complete the annual Activity Report.

REQUIREMENTS TO RETAIN STATUS AS A GARDEN/EXHIBITION JUDGE

A. Garden/Exhibition judges must complete courses and tutoring sessions that total five hours (two hours must be in-garden) during each three year period.

B. Failure to vote the official ballot for two consecutive years and submit a timely Activity Report for two years results in automatic disqualification as a judge.

C. The judge may attend additional Judges Training sessions, tutor Apprentice or Student Judges, or serve as an Instructor.

D. Complete an annual Activity Report.

MASTER JUDGE

A. Master Judges are required to earn credit totaling three hours (one hour must be in garden training) during each three-year period. This credit must be earned by attending or teaching an approved judging school.

B. When a Master Judge tutors an Apprentice Judge, the Apprentice receives training credit, the Master Judge does not.

C. Complete the annual Activity Report. Failure to do so for two consecutive years results in automatic disqualification.

EMERITUS JUDGE

A. Emeritus Judges maintain their status as judges by maintaining continuous membership in The American Iris Society.