Subject: Digest for the period 3/7/2004 - 3/8/2004 Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 01:01:35 -0500 Table of contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. RE: Digest for the period 3/5/2004 - 3/6/2004 (Jeff & Ellen) 2. Alternate Path to Master Judge (Mark McAndrews) 3. Re: Alternate Path to Master Judge (Mike Dixon) 4. Alternate Path to Master Judge (Jeffrey Pinhey) 5. 11th Annual BUZZ Off Home Brew Competition (Christopher Clair) 6. Paying judges (Pete) 7. alternate path (Jeff & Ellen) 8. Re: Paying Judges (Travis Dahl KE4VYZ) 9. Re: Paying Judges (Gordon Strong) 10. NHC First Round - CA Region, Judges and Stewards Needed (Jamil Zainasheff) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeff & Ellen Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 18:30:26 -0500 Subject: RE: Digest for the period 3/5/2004 - 3/6/2004 Don Van Valkenburg writes about paying judges to improve his competition. I don't see how that will improve the credibility. If offering a monetary incentive is the best way to get judges, it really doesn't present the best judges available, only the judges that are most in need of compensation. It should be an honor to be selected as a judge. Trying to invite the most respected people in the brewing industry would a be better criteria. Publicizing their names would be an added incentive. Jeff Gladish, Tampa ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mark McAndrews Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 01:18:24 -0600 Subject: Alternate Path to Master Judge Great idea. If we examine the BJCP's mission to enhance beer literacy and compare that to the exam there are some significant short comings. There are judges w/ excellent palates who know beer and can talk styles w/ anyone, but just aren't so great at memorizing tables of numbers. These judges clearly fulfill the mission of the BJCP, probably better than some judges who have the og/fg numbers committed to memory. I'll have to ruminate about the actual proposal put forward a bit to determine if this is an equitable alternative, but the concept is one I whole-heartedly support and want the board to explore and implement in some form. ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mike Dixon Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 06:39:00 -0500 Subject: Re: Alternate Path to Master Judge > Questions: > > Should there be an alternate path to Master judge at all? Does > this idea have merit? Yes, there should be an alternate path albeit not an overly easy one. > > If so, what should it involve? Hmmm, excellent question. First and foremost dedication to the program. I like the idea of experience points adding to exam score for anyone scoring less than 90 (no need to add to the score if you made 90 or above). Let's say you made an 80. You need 10 pts on the exam to bring the score to a 90 and 40 experience points to be a Master judge. I think a requirement of an increase in exam score by 1 point for every 10 experience points, but half of those points must come from judging. In my example a judge who made an 80 on the exam would be come Master after gaining 100 experience points. I do not think they should have the opportunity to be Grand Master without a 90 on the exam. Of course in this example they would immediately be GM with a retake and score above 90. Now if the judge made a 70 on the exam, they would require 200 experience points to become a Master judge without a retake. I think the minimum score to advance exam scores by using experience points should be 70. Similarly the judge who made a 70 would be Recognized till they earn 5 points, then Certified, and would become a National judge when they earned 100 judging points (or retook the exam for a higher score). Where my idea is flawed is the judge who made an 88 on the exam. 20 points later they are National and Master using the ideas I set forth. It should be that they acheive National with 20 points, Master after the required number of points (40) and the additional exam increase. Where the idea is really flawed and needs work is in the 80 point range. > > How should the higher ranks of Grand Master (GM) be affected? GM should remain the same. I do not believe those ranks should be given lightly. It will be very interesting to read what others have to say. Someone has probably already thought up an excellent solution. Cheers, Mike Dixon Wake Forest, NC ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeffrey Pinhey Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 08:38:26 -0400 Subject: Alternate Path to Master Judge I, for one would be positively affected by such a proposal. In thinking about it, this might revitalize my involvement with homebrewing and judging in general. Not that I care too much one way or another about it - I decided long ago that my first take 82 was enough. But it might trigger an effort to do more competition organizing and more judging, simply because keeping track mattered again. I suspect that if there were others in this same boat, the cumulative effect on the hobby would be positive. I actually am pretty good at writing tests, but it is a lot of work just to write the exam here - I am 1000 miles from the nearest group of other judges. I flew from Halifax to Toronto to write the exam my first time. The preparation time just does not seem worth it to me, and as I sell my time for my living, I would just as soon use the part of my life I assign to beer and homebrewing to going to events and having fun (I have fun judging) rather than studying for an exam.. I have met a lot of judges over the years who seem to really know their stuff but who will "never write that exam again". And these are not just National level. I find it hard to believe that there is not a way for the BJCP to recognize people who have been judging for 10 years, with a lot of activity, for "body of work" (or is that "belly of work"?). Jeff Pinhey in Nova Scotia Jeffrey A. Pinhey, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. Land Design Engineering Services 2325 Clifton Street Halifax, Nova Scotia CANADA B3K 4T9 p. (902) 221-2368 f. (902) 425-0906 ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Christopher Clair Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 08:30:55 -0500 Subject: 11th Annual BUZZ Off Home Brew Competition Brewers Unlimited Zany Zymurgists (BUZZ) is proud to announce that the 2004 BUZZ Off home brew competition will be held on Saturday, May 22nd at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in West Chester, PA. For another year we will be a qualifying event for the prestigious Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing (MCAB) as well as the Delaware Valley Homebrewer of the Year. All BJCP recognized styles including meads and ciders are eligible for entry. For complete details and forms, please visit the BUZZ web site at http://hbd.org/buzz. Entries will be accepted between April 26th and May 16th. For drop off and mail in locations please refer to the BUZZ web site. Please, do not send entries to Iron Hill. BJCP Judges and stewards will be needed. If you are interested please contact me or another committee member (contact information can be found on the web site). All judges must be BJCP certified. Good luck and cheers! Christopher Clair buzz`at`netreach.net http://hbd.org/buzz "The mouth of a perfectly happy man is filled with beer." - Ancient Egyptian Wisdom, 2200 B.C. ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Pete Date: Fri, 08 Mar 2002 10:06:34 -0500 Subject: Paying judges Agreed, it's a slippery slope. Agreed, I've never yet been offended by being offered $$ for something I was going to do anyway. Certainly, spending a few of the $50 on food would be a bonus. But the key here is "what is the point?" Again, perhaps it's just a geography thing, but living in Michigan I get invited to judge a LOT of comps - NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN as well as several "local" ones. Point slut that I am, driving 2-3 hours for a competition is no big deal, but further than that starts to be. Gas and food are always expenses, and they go up with distance. Add in finding a place to spend the night, and we've gone from a fun day to a pricy weekend. Yes, many people organize 'crash space' for judges, many people live in areas where there are enough judges w/in a few hour's drive that it's not an issue. Some events have sufficient reknown that they have no problem finding people to come long distances anyway. And some people just love to judge. However, when I'm looking at a overnight road trip, and trying to make up my mind whether to go or not, a little cash will definately affect the decision. It also occurs to me that the size of the comp might be relevant - I suspect that the 'fixed' costs of an event go up only slightly with the size of the event, whereas the revenue tends to go up linearly with the number of entrants - so that the bigger comps, w/ more entries have more $$ to spend to 'compensate' the judges. I think, too, the amount is significant - $5 or 10 might be almost insulting - at that point, I'd say yes - upgrade the lunch, or sponsor a dinner, or some non-monitary thing. But if you have a big comp in a more remote area, I can see where you might need to offer to defray travel costs to get enough judges to show up. Which opens another ugly can 'o worms - do you pay ALL the judges, or just the ones who travelled X distance? ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeff & Ellen Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 12:42:22 -0500 Subject: alternate path Michael Hall asks for opinions on the alternate path to Master. I would be one of those whose rank would go from National to Master by the new criteria recently suggested and posted on this forum. I am also one of those who thinks this would cheapen the rank. I would prefer that a different title be created for those advancing to the Master rank by an alternate path, perhaps Honorary Master. Currently I understand that this title is voted on and awarded by the board. Perhaps the board would use the new criteria suggested by the NE region in awarding this rank. Once Honorary Master rank is achieved, then subsequent Honorary Grand Master would be achieved by similar steps, ultimately voted on and approved by the board after the appropriate points and service duties have been earned. On the other hand, this makes the rank of Master a little diminished. It would then indicate that a Master is a judge who takes tests well while an Honorary Master is a judge who has been recognized for advancement by his peers. Which would be better? Jeff Gladish, Tampa ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Travis Dahl KE4VYZ Date: Sun, 07 Mar 2004 12:45:16 -0500 Subject: Re: Paying Judges Don Valkenburg asked about paying judges: >The Los Angeles Co. Fair competition (commercial, not homebrew) is going >into its third year and we are constantly looking for ways we can >improve our competition. We want to get the best judges available and >we are thinking about paying the judges this year. I have to say that I don't think this idea will necessarily have the desired effect. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with some people showing up to judge for the money _instead of_ their love of beer and helping homebrewers. As it stands now, a lot of competitions give out tasting glasses, hats, etc. to people that help out as a thank you. Those thank yous are then around for quite a while and probably help to encourage those volunteers the next year. ("Hey, there's my tasting glass from that LA Competition last year. I wonder when they're holding that again?") I doubt anyone's going to frame that $50 and hang it on a wall. Kevin Pratt posted a pretty good list of things to spend that $50 on that would keep bringing judges back year after year. I'd recommend looking into some of those options. -Travis Dahl A2, MI ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gordon Strong Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 14:28:37 -0500 Subject: Re: Paying Judges In the 3/6/04-3/7/04 digest, Drew Beechum said "... I didn't make last year because I was too damn busty..." Must... Bite... Tongue... The BJCP bylaws talk about not accepting money for service, but that's only for officers and directors. Individual judges can obviously accept any kind of fees that are reasonable and customary. I've judged in a few state fairs (Indiana and Colorado) where the practice was to pay all judges, not just beer judges. Turning down the money was a bigger hassle than just taking it. Several other state fairs (Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky) don't pay judges (at least not beer judges). So it's likely to vary by competition. Of the 100+ competitions where I've judged, I haven't seen a fee offered as a normal practice. I don't see a problem accepting it. Sure, it's getting money for something you'd otherwise be doing for free. Why not put it to good use? Use it to buy some beers that you otherwise wouldn't, and practice with other judges. Donate it to your local club. Take out your significant other who puts up with you going to competitions. Or just give it to charity. Regards, Gordon ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jamil Zainasheff Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 15:23:36 -0800 Subject: NHC First Round - CA Region, Judges and Stewards Needed American Homebrewers Association First Round National Homebrew Competition California Region 2004 It is nearly time to judge the first round of the 26th Annual National Homebrew Competition once again. We need your help as judges and stewards to ensure a high quality competition. This year the first round judging duties are being shared between two locations, one in Canoga Park, CA and the other in San Diego, CA. You are welcome to judge at either location, whichever is most convenient for you. If you are interested in judging or stewarding in SAN DIEGO, please register online at http://www.brewingcompetition.com If you are interested in judging or stewarding in CANOGA PARK, please register online at http://www.maltosefalcons.com -------------------------------------------------- SAN DIEGO, CA: -------------------------------------------------- When: Judging starts Friday April 23 at 7:00 pm and Saturday April 24th at 10:00 am. Please arrive at least 30 minutes early to check in, have a bite to eat, and chat with your fellow judges. Where: St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church 6556 Park Ridge Blvd. San Diego, CA 92120 Register: http://www.brewingcompetition.com You'll also find directions to St. Dunstan's on the web site. Peter Zien, Judge Coordinator pz`at`alesmith.com Jamil Zainasheff, Technical Support jamilz`at`citlink.net -------------------------------------------------- CANOGA PARK, CA: -------------------------------------------------- When: Judging Saturday April 24th at 9:00 am. Please make certain you arrive on time to ensure a prompt start. Where: St Martins 7136 Winnetka Canoga Park, CA Register: http://www.maltosefalcons.com/ Martin Carman, Judge Coordinator carman1`at`attglobal.net ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** Subject: Digest for the period 3/7/2004 - 3/8/2004 Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 01:01:35 -0500 Table of contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. RE: Digest for the period 3/5/2004 - 3/6/2004 (Jeff & Ellen) 2. Alternate Path to Master Judge (Mark McAndrews) 3. Re: Alternate Path to Master Judge (Mike Dixon) 4. Alternate Path to Master Judge (Jeffrey Pinhey) 5. 11th Annual BUZZ Off Home Brew Competition (Christopher Clair) 6. Paying judges (Pete) 7. alternate path (Jeff & Ellen) 8. Re: Paying Judges (Travis Dahl KE4VYZ) 9. Re: Paying Judges (Gordon Strong) 10. NHC First Round - CA Region, Judges and Stewards Needed (Jamil Zainasheff) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeff & Ellen Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 18:30:26 -0500 Subject: RE: Digest for the period 3/5/2004 - 3/6/2004 Don Van Valkenburg writes about paying judges to improve his competition. I don't see how that will improve the credibility. If offering a monetary incentive is the best way to get judges, it really doesn't present the best judges available, only the judges that are most in need of compensation. It should be an honor to be selected as a judge. Trying to invite the most respected people in the brewing industry would a be better criteria. Publicizing their names would be an added incentive. Jeff Gladish, Tampa ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mark McAndrews Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 01:18:24 -0600 Subject: Alternate Path to Master Judge Great idea. If we examine the BJCP's mission to enhance beer literacy and compare that to the exam there are some significant short comings. There are judges w/ excellent palates who know beer and can talk styles w/ anyone, but just aren't so great at memorizing tables of numbers. These judges clearly fulfill the mission of the BJCP, probably better than some judges who have the og/fg numbers committed to memory. I'll have to ruminate about the actual proposal put forward a bit to determine if this is an equitable alternative, but the concept is one I whole-heartedly support and want the board to explore and implement in some form. ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mike Dixon Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 06:39:00 -0500 Subject: Re: Alternate Path to Master Judge > Questions: > > Should there be an alternate path to Master judge at all? Does > this idea have merit? Yes, there should be an alternate path albeit not an overly easy one. > > If so, what should it involve? Hmmm, excellent question. First and foremost dedication to the program. I like the idea of experience points adding to exam score for anyone scoring less than 90 (no need to add to the score if you made 90 or above). Let's say you made an 80. You need 10 pts on the exam to bring the score to a 90 and 40 experience points to be a Master judge. I think a requirement of an increase in exam score by 1 point for every 10 experience points, but half of those points must come from judging. In my example a judge who made an 80 on the exam would be come Master after gaining 100 experience points. I do not think they should have the opportunity to be Grand Master without a 90 on the exam. Of course in this example they would immediately be GM with a retake and score above 90. Now if the judge made a 70 on the exam, they would require 200 experience points to become a Master judge without a retake. I think the minimum score to advance exam scores by using experience points should be 70. Similarly the judge who made a 70 would be Recognized till they earn 5 points, then Certified, and would become a National judge when they earned 100 judging points (or retook the exam for a higher score). Where my idea is flawed is the judge who made an 88 on the exam. 20 points later they are National and Master using the ideas I set forth. It should be that they acheive National with 20 points, Master after the required number of points (40) and the additional exam increase. Where the idea is really flawed and needs work is in the 80 point range. > > How should the higher ranks of Grand Master (GM) be affected? GM should remain the same. I do not believe those ranks should be given lightly. It will be very interesting to read what others have to say. Someone has probably already thought up an excellent solution. Cheers, Mike Dixon Wake Forest, NC ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeffrey Pinhey Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 08:38:26 -0400 Subject: Alternate Path to Master Judge I, for one would be positively affected by such a proposal. In thinking about it, this might revitalize my involvement with homebrewing and judging in general. Not that I care too much one way or another about it - I decided long ago that my first take 82 was enough. But it might trigger an effort to do more competition organizing and more judging, simply because keeping track mattered again. I suspect that if there were others in this same boat, the cumulative effect on the hobby would be positive. I actually am pretty good at writing tests, but it is a lot of work just to write the exam here - I am 1000 miles from the nearest group of other judges. I flew from Halifax to Toronto to write the exam my first time. The preparation time just does not seem worth it to me, and as I sell my time for my living, I would just as soon use the part of my life I assign to beer and homebrewing to going to events and having fun (I have fun judging) rather than studying for an exam.. I have met a lot of judges over the years who seem to really know their stuff but who will "never write that exam again". And these are not just National level. I find it hard to believe that there is not a way for the BJCP to recognize people who have been judging for 10 years, with a lot of activity, for "body of work" (or is that "belly of work"?). Jeff Pinhey in Nova Scotia Jeffrey A. Pinhey, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. Land Design Engineering Services 2325 Clifton Street Halifax, Nova Scotia CANADA B3K 4T9 p. (902) 221-2368 f. (902) 425-0906 ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Christopher Clair Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 08:30:55 -0500 Subject: 11th Annual BUZZ Off Home Brew Competition Brewers Unlimited Zany Zymurgists (BUZZ) is proud to announce that the 2004 BUZZ Off home brew competition will be held on Saturday, May 22nd at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in West Chester, PA. For another year we will be a qualifying event for the prestigious Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing (MCAB) as well as the Delaware Valley Homebrewer of the Year. All BJCP recognized styles including meads and ciders are eligible for entry. For complete details and forms, please visit the BUZZ web site at http://hbd.org/buzz. Entries will be accepted between April 26th and May 16th. For drop off and mail in locations please refer to the BUZZ web site. Please, do not send entries to Iron Hill. BJCP Judges and stewards will be needed. If you are interested please contact me or another committee member (contact information can be found on the web site). All judges must be BJCP certified. Good luck and cheers! Christopher Clair buzz`at`netreach.net http://hbd.org/buzz "The mouth of a perfectly happy man is filled with beer." - Ancient Egyptian Wisdom, 2200 B.C. ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Pete Date: Fri, 08 Mar 2002 10:06:34 -0500 Subject: Paying judges Agreed, it's a slippery slope. Agreed, I've never yet been offended by being offered $$ for something I was going to do anyway. Certainly, spending a few of the $50 on food would be a bonus. But the key here is "what is the point?" Again, perhaps it's just a geography thing, but living in Michigan I get invited to judge a LOT of comps - NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN as well as several "local" ones. Point slut that I am, driving 2-3 hours for a competition is no big deal, but further than that starts to be. Gas and food are always expenses, and they go up with distance. Add in finding a place to spend the night, and we've gone from a fun day to a pricy weekend. Yes, many people organize 'crash space' for judges, many people live in areas where there are enough judges w/in a few hour's drive that it's not an issue. Some events have sufficient reknown that they have no problem finding people to come long distances anyway. And some people just love to judge. However, when I'm looking at a overnight road trip, and trying to make up my mind whether to go or not, a little cash will definately affect the decision. It also occurs to me that the size of the comp might be relevant - I suspect that the 'fixed' costs of an event go up only slightly with the size of the event, whereas the revenue tends to go up linearly with the number of entrants - so that the bigger comps, w/ more entries have more $$ to spend to 'compensate' the judges. I think, too, the amount is significant - $5 or 10 might be almost insulting - at that point, I'd say yes - upgrade the lunch, or sponsor a dinner, or some non-monitary thing. But if you have a big comp in a more remote area, I can see where you might need to offer to defray travel costs to get enough judges to show up. Which opens another ugly can 'o worms - do you pay ALL the judges, or just the ones who travelled X distance? ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeff & Ellen Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 12:42:22 -0500 Subject: alternate path Michael Hall asks for opinions on the alternate path to Master. I would be one of those whose rank would go from National to Master by the new criteria recently suggested and posted on this forum. I am also one of those who thinks this would cheapen the rank. I would prefer that a different title be created for those advancing to the Master rank by an alternate path, perhaps Honorary Master. Currently I understand that this title is voted on and awarded by the board. Perhaps the board would use the new criteria suggested by the NE region in awarding this rank. Once Honorary Master rank is achieved, then subsequent Honorary Grand Master would be achieved by similar steps, ultimately voted on and approved by the board after the appropriate points and service duties have been earned. On the other hand, this makes the rank of Master a little diminished. It would then indicate that a Master is a judge who takes tests well while an Honorary Master is a judge who has been recognized for advancement by his peers. Which would be better? Jeff Gladish, Tampa ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Travis Dahl KE4VYZ Date: Sun, 07 Mar 2004 12:45:16 -0500 Subject: Re: Paying Judges Don Valkenburg asked about paying judges: >The Los Angeles Co. Fair competition (commercial, not homebrew) is going >into its third year and we are constantly looking for ways we can >improve our competition. We want to get the best judges available and >we are thinking about paying the judges this year. I have to say that I don't think this idea will necessarily have the desired effect. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with some people showing up to judge for the money _instead of_ their love of beer and helping homebrewers. As it stands now, a lot of competitions give out tasting glasses, hats, etc. to people that help out as a thank you. Those thank yous are then around for quite a while and probably help to encourage those volunteers the next year. ("Hey, there's my tasting glass from that LA Competition last year. I wonder when they're holding that again?") I doubt anyone's going to frame that $50 and hang it on a wall. Kevin Pratt posted a pretty good list of things to spend that $50 on that would keep bringing judges back year after year. I'd recommend looking into some of those options. -Travis Dahl A2, MI ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gordon Strong Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 14:28:37 -0500 Subject: Re: Paying Judges In the 3/6/04-3/7/04 digest, Drew Beechum said "... I didn't make last year because I was too damn busty..." Must... Bite... Tongue... The BJCP bylaws talk about not accepting money for service, but that's only for officers and directors. Individual judges can obviously accept any kind of fees that are reasonable and customary. I've judged in a few state fairs (Indiana and Colorado) where the practice was to pay all judges, not just beer judges. Turning down the money was a bigger hassle than just taking it. Several other state fairs (Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky) don't pay judges (at least not beer judges). So it's likely to vary by competition. Of the 100+ competitions where I've judged, I haven't seen a fee offered as a normal practice. I don't see a problem accepting it. Sure, it's getting money for something you'd otherwise be doing for free. Why not put it to good use? Use it to buy some beers that you otherwise wouldn't, and practice with other judges. Donate it to your local club. Take out your significant other who puts up with you going to competitions. Or just give it to charity. Regards, Gordon ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jamil Zainasheff Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 15:23:36 -0800 Subject: NHC First Round - CA Region, Judges and Stewards Needed American Homebrewers Association First Round National Homebrew Competition California Region 2004 It is nearly time to judge the first round of the 26th Annual National Homebrew Competition once again. We need your help as judges and stewards to ensure a high quality competition. This year the first round judging duties are being shared between two locations, one in Canoga Park, CA and the other in San Diego, CA. You are welcome to judge at either location, whichever is most convenient for you. If you are interested in judging or stewarding in SAN DIEGO, please register online at http://www.brewingcompetition.com If you are interested in judging or stewarding in CANOGA PARK, please register online at http://www.maltosefalcons.com -------------------------------------------------- SAN DIEGO, CA: -------------------------------------------------- When: Judging starts Friday April 23 at 7:00 pm and Saturday April 24th at 10:00 am. Please arrive at least 30 minutes early to check in, have a bite to eat, and chat with your fellow judges. Where: St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church 6556 Park Ridge Blvd. San Diego, CA 92120 Register: http://www.brewingcompetition.com You'll also find directions to St. Dunstan's on the web site. Peter Zien, Judge Coordinator pz`at`alesmith.com Jamil Zainasheff, Technical Support jamilz`at`citlink.net -------------------------------------------------- CANOGA PARK, CA: -------------------------------------------------- When: Judging Saturday April 24th at 9:00 am. Please make certain you arrive on time to ensure a prompt start. Where: St Martins 7136 Winnetka Canoga Park, CA Register: http://www.maltosefalcons.com/ Martin Carman, Judge Coordinator carman1`at`attglobal.net ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * **********************************************************************