[Ansteorra] Some Thoughts on Judges and Kingdom A&S

[C.L. Ward]

With Kingdom A&S fast approaching, I have several items that I thought I
would share with everyone. I will post a couple of things separately after
this note.

Firstly, to judge by the words I hear from my local artisans, students, and
correspondents across the kingdom, this years KA&S looks as though it will
be a magnificent showing by our kingdoms many wondrously talented artisans.
I think this is wonderful - what makes our pasttime more than a series of
modern baquets and sporting events are the works from the hands of our
artisans, which create around us the world of the Middle Ages and add flavor
and sumptiousness to our game.

For those of you who plan on entering KA&S who may never have participated
in such an event, I welcome you!  And I advise that all the artisans try to
take a moment to look around you at the work of other craftsmen, not just
your own, because the ability to find inspiration and learn new things from
the other displays is one of the best parts of an A&S event.

To make the experience better for all, I'd like to say a few words about
judging.  The Laurels have the responsibility to serve as judges at Kingdom
A&S, as a part of our duty to teach, and to encourage the arts.  It's a big
job!  We have so many talented artisans and wonderful displays!  If you
yourself have never been asked to help judge a scored A&S competition, what
the Laurels are doing and how your scores are arrived at can seem a great
mystery, and I'd like to try and say a few words that may help make the
process clearer.  I would also encourage all of our artisans who have never
themselves served as judges to consider asking a Laurel if you can come with
them when then judge one item, so you can see the process for yourself and
learn more about it - as those who have judged know, it's a much different
view from the other side of the table!

First off, despite the infamous myths, the Laurels serving you as your
judges for this competition are not there to slam your entry or make you
feel bad.  We're all artisans ourselves, and we have participated in these
competitions with our own displays before.  And all the Laurels I know are
genuinely interested in helping artisans learn more about their arts, and to
help show them ways in which they can grow in those arts and improve their
work.

In a judged competition, we have judging forms divided into several areas,
each with its own score.  Some people make the mistake of looking at the
final score and equating it to a grade such as one might receive in school,
and sometimes find themselves in dismay over having not made a "passing
grade."  The judging forms don't work the same way as an exam in school -
you are not being marked off for what you did wrong.  Instead, think of it
as starting blank, then points being added to it for all the good things you
have done - this is much more accurate in terms of how the judging is done.
It is rare (but not unknown, Ansteorra has some amazing artisans!) to get
every point possible on an entry - and as an artisan, I personally don't
want a form given back to me that says "100%, no improvement needed,"
because I am always interested in how I can grow and learn and improve the
arts I practice.  And that's what your score means - it is looking overall
at your entry and should show you cool things you may try on your next
project!

Usually the judges will leave some commentary on your sheet as well.  We all
make a concerted effort to point out the best things about your project as
well as areas in which you may wish to experiment and try something
different.  This isn't criticism of you as an individual, nor is it there to
tell you that your work sucks mightily.  It's a communication with a judge
who wishes that they had hours to spend on each piece so they could chat
with the artisan over a drink!  Sometimes comments are not provided, or
sometimes they are brief or even terse -- this is a function of human
limitations, count up all the items entered in KA&S, and divide that by the
number of judges, and note how many of the judges have a sheaf of a dozen
judging forms at the start of the day representing all the items that they
have to go out and try and write meaningful comments for!

So, what do you do if you are unhappy with the comments or score you
received?  Well, first you shouldn't fling yourself over the parapets, nor
sit in the floor wailing and weeping!  It's *hard* to communicate well in
writing because we miss so much of what is being said in tone of voice, body
language, and so forth, and harder yet when we are pressed for time in
writings omething down.  Before you react, ACT!  Take a look at the judging
form and see who judged your item -- and take a minute to go and speak to
your judge.  We don't bite, really.  Many times a short chat with the judge
will clear up misunderstandings, and leave both of you feeling better.
Sometimes it happens, pressed for time as we are, that a judge may miss
something crucial in your documentation -- I have corrected scores even
after the day's judging was done when an artisan brough this to my
attention, but this can only happen if you address the issue before everyone
goes home!

But what if you are afraid to actually speak to a Laurel?  Well, we're all
artisans, just like you, first and foremost.  And aside from crusty old
reprobates like me, most of the Laurels are really fun people who know lots
of interesting things and are a whole lot of un to visit with and discuss
arts and research with -- try talking to one or two of us, take a friend if
you like, and see!  And another tip -- we go to events where there are not
A&S competitions, so if you want a chunk of time talking to a Laurel,
consider inviting them over to your camp at one of these to talk and enjoy a
beer (or whatever beverage) together, or just ask for a few minutes when
they have time at an event, and you'll find that talking with Laurels isn't
as scarey as it may seem.

I look forward to seeing you all at Kingdom A&S!

::GUNNORA::

Artisan who happens to also be a Laurel