Criteria for becoming an F.S.A.S.Judge

Criteria for becoming an F.S.A.S. Judge

At the first ever meeting of the FSAS, it was suggested that the Federation should start a training scheme for judges. It took a couple of years to fruition and since then there have been regular classes taking place at East Kilbride, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Hamilton, Edinburgh, Livingston and Kirkcaldy.

The main criteria for applying to become a B/Trainee judge are:

a) Only aquarists with a minimum of five years experience in the hobby should be nominated.
b) Applicants must have won Place Cards consistently at Federation Society Open Shows and other similar shows like the Scottish Aquarist Festival.
c) Applicants must be nominated by their respective societies for consideration by the Judges and Show Standards Committee.

Classes of lectures usually start in October/November over 10/12 weeks ending with a written test. The following year starts the successful applicants training on the Show Floor with Specialist Judges. At the end of each days training a written report - by the Specialist Judge - is submitted to our Training Officer.
Once our Training Officer receives a number of favourable reports the Training Officer recommends to the Judges and Show Standards Committee, that this trainee be upgraded in his/her particular class/classes, which is subsequently ratified at a Council meeting. They are then qualified to start judging in these classes.

The Class B Judge/trainee is then encouraged to train and get upgraded in as many classes as he/her so wish.

All judges are scheduled to judge by our Judges Panel Secretary, after respective judges have told him/her their availability to judge.