Applying for membership of the Guild of Judges is the same thing as saying that you either want to become a judge in one of the scoring categories or you want to play an active support role in the Contest Administration category. All Guild members are one or the other. There are no other kinds of members.
Both kinds of members take on committments which are sometimes not easy to fulfill. They attend, at the moment, two weekend seminars a year to continue their training, to maintain their consistency and to retain their certification. Scoring judges are expected to judge at least two competitions a year, either on the official panel or as a member of the shadow panel. Members of the Contest Administration category are expected to serve on the Secretary’s table twice a year. Judges are often asked to coach choruses and quartets. There is also a certain amount of homework to be done.
As a scoring judge you will likely fit most, if not all of the following:-
- You will have been a barbershopper for at least five years.
- You will have been active in your club’s music team as possibly a Section Leader, Coach, Assistant Director or Director.
- You may have been a member of an active quartet.
- You will have competed several times in either chorus or quartet.
- You will have some experience coaching choruses and/or quartets.
- You may have some previous musical or dramatic experience or qualification.
As a member of the Contest Administration Category you will probably:-
- Have good numeracy and literacy skills
- Have good computer skills
- Have some management experience either in business or in a club or society.
In addition to all this and because BABS will be investing a significant sum of money in your training as a judge, you should be expecting to commit to serving as a Guild member for a reasonable period of time, a few years at least.If you have read this and it still sounds like the sort of thing for you, click Here to continue.