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[tassie48]

Some time ago I was asked to judge at a model boat show not big deal local club not mine so I got my mate Steve to take my Whale Chaser Kyo Maru 27 ten years in the build to show off total scratch  build other than LED and Anchor chain so we rock up the other judge gave me best in show my turn to judge it was between two boats both had faults one had the deck planks  about 5 feet wide in scale and the other had blacked out light boards instead of the Red and Green painted light boards both in 1/48 scale as built in 1944 so I called to the two guys together explained to them and the crowd what the faults were and picked the one with the lights as the better  model as the winner the other bloke wanted to flip a coin to guess the winner the loser still will not talk to me however he has redone the deck to be correct and the winner well after a refit his model now sports correct lights.
I said it was like picking your favourite child to pick a winner I gave my winning prize a gift voucher $100.00  for a local model shop to a young kid with a first build model tug he was over the moon to win he still sails to this day some thirty years later and now he judges at the local show he even tells people he bet the old bloke with the whaler so judging is not easy out of the 100 points both guys were 95 points out of the 100 such was the quality of each of their builds.
I still judge for clubs just do not tell the builders their faults  when judging tassie48

[ballastanksian]

If you put a model up for judging then you have to accept that your model will be set against other models and any issues will be noticed. A judge can only observe and critique a model based upon what the builder has given the judge to study.

[Klunk]

few years back at an IPMS show i was asked to judge a catogary.  this time it was model boats. unusual as i normally got kids or busts. anyway there was a magnificent little corvette diarama about 1/700 scale completely scratchbuilt . the other class judge and i spent several minutes rejudging the the models as things didnt add up tge aay we had neen asked to judge. the corvette  should be marked down as it was scratchbuilt. in the end the corvette won best in class, we then had the best in show of all the class winners. now anyone who has done judging at IPMS shows know that 99% of the time either an aircraft or armour win. anyway all the judges conviened with the class models on the center table. we were given 10  mins to look at all the winners. the head judge then narrowed the vote by asking to show hads for various model's. in tge end it eas a tie between a tank diorama and an aeroplane. he had totally ignored the corvette. he went on and the other 2 items until someone said what about the corvette. he want happy about being asked and so asked for a show of hands the the corvette. more people voted for the corvette than the other 2 models. to say him and the owners of the other 2 models were not happy is an understatement. the head judge went on for a few minutes about the detailing etc etc on the aeroplane and tank, and to this day I think he hated the fact that the corvette won.  that was the last year i judged at an IPMS show. never again. I hadn't realised till then how bigoted plastic modeller could be

[roycv]

Hi we used to have a big annual competition with about a dozen categories in engineering and marine and a lot of things in between with trophies and shields, but we always called in outside judges to do the work of judging. This was part of our Model Show each year.  We have not got many new models being built now and the competition side has almost ceased, but the Model Show goes on, it is different now but none the worse for it.

Going back a few years one of our judges was ill and Vic Smeed kindly stepped in to take his place.  When you see photos of him in the magazine occasionally they were all taken at our exhibition.  I took a nice one of him alongside a small fleet of Panache yachts that he designed back in 1980.

All the judges we have had have been true gentlemen, well up in their knowledge and generous in their remarks.  I used to accompany them to find various models and then retire for them to be able to be frank about what they were looking at.  I only had one member of the club I had problems with, he wanted to discuss everything with them.  I dragged him away protesting.
I think standards are still good and our suppliers are more numerous and this has led to better modelling be it kits or accessories and now 3D printing.  I don't think this harms the hobby I think maybe modellers are willing to make and construct models at a greater age than before, mainly as the time taken can be much shorter. 
I think I would challenge the first contributor saying a model took 10 years in the building, I add up the hours taken not the elapsed time. On the other hand bringing in ones own work is great, the other guys know where you are coming from!
Our oldest modeller who is 99 next month has just bought castings to machine and construct a Stuart launch engine and he is part way through.
I have great respect for the judges apart from sticking their heads over the parapet the knowledge they have is incredible.
Long may they be with us but also get the respect they deserve.
regards Roy

[Liverbudgie2]

A consensus  judge's life is not necessarily an 'appy one; The same could be said for any writer or photo contributing to model boat mags, mess with people's egos at your peril.

LB

[roycv]

  phot?
Roy

[Liverbudgie2]

RN abbreviation for "photographer"

[longshanks]

  tassie48           "the other had blacked out light boards instead of the Red and Green painted light boards"

I think you'll find that prior to the early 70's the red/green light boards were in fact painted black

[tigertiger]

Because some points are always arguable, I think it is better if judging is discussed among the judges only, and then the smaller points/value judgments are not discussed with competitors. As pointed out, egos get in the way and arguments follow. The exception perhaps being the big factors like scratch built vs kit.
Just my 2C