The Judges Application Process

by Peri Norman

Earlier this summer, some fairly harsh commentary about the current Judges Approval Process was published. While there are always parts of any system that could be improved, the current application process has significant merit. One reason the current system is working well is because all the stakeholders were given not one, but two opportuni- ties to comment on perceived strengths and weak- nesses before implementation. We know from the companies that we work for, the governments that guide our society at various levels, and from our vast experience in clubs that a significant opportunity to contribute thoughts and suggestions increases “buy- in” to any program or process. To quote Ron Menaker’s announcement of the policy implemented September 2015, “For almost 12 months the Board, staff, and you have been engaged in a process to de- termine the direction the approval of judges should take. This is the most vetted effort in the history of the American Kennel Club. Your thoughts have been used to help guide the development in setting the process for approval of judges which, next to the dogs and you, is a cornerstone of the conformation sport.”

The return to a component system has played a cru- cial role in the success of this approval process. The downfall of the previous essay system was that the expectations of the evaluators were never effectively communicated to the applicants. The use of Compo- nent Educational Units (CEU) is clear and quantifi- able. Much like completing a college degree, the number of units required and what activities can be used to meet those requirements are easily under- standable by both the applicant and the staff. Addi- tionally, the committee is to be commended for including a wide variety of educational opportunities for potential applicants to choose from. People learn differently and a wide variety of choices allows po- tential applicants to maximize their strengths.

Attending the parent club National Specialty de serves to be at the top of the list of CEUs. There i nothing quite like a national to aid an applicant in de veloping an eye for the breed. The National Specialt gathers together truly dedicated breeders and fancier from all over the country. This provides a plethora o resources for potential judges. Seminars and work shops at a National Specialty are generally of hig quality. Excellent dogs are more readily available fo teaching purposes. A variety of opinions and interpre tations of a standard enhance the learning experienc and understanding of a breed.

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Posted by Alex on Nov 22 2016. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.