AIS JUDGES - YOU GOTTA LOVE 'EM BABY!
Brad Kasperek*
YOUR'E GOING TO "IMPROVE" JUDGING BY TELLING THE JUDGES THEY'RE LAZY, INCOMPETENT, LACKING IN INTEGRITY, AND THEIR FEET SMELL LIKE SOFT ROT?
I have a lot of respect for our unrepentantly, individualistic judges. They represent well the authority, heart and soul of the AIS. Their unpredictability alone has prevented the "death by boredom" of the AIS.
Lately, section technocrats, hybridizers, and even experienced judges have offered us "constructive criticism" on the competency and integrity of AIS judges. I guess they don't trust the other judges to vote just like they do. Maybe they're forgetting the subjective side of judging. It takes more to assess beauty than a tape measure and a count of buds and branches. They may believe uniformity in judging will improve the AIS, but actually it may cause harm. If hybridizers can predict how judges will vote, some will be tempted to hybridize "for the judges" and give up developing new iris lines. Hybridizing could degenerate into a competition to produce the "same" iris better than anyone else! We need more variety - not less!
Enough philosophizing, let's take a "light hearted" look at our lovable judges. (I know they're lovable because I'm one). Although they come from diverse backgrounds and have widely varying levels of training, many of them can be grouped by their judging "attitudes". I've identified three which I call the Parent, the Social Director, and the Artist. Frequently, judges assume more than one of these attitudes during the voting process.
The Parent is the authority of the AIS. They show up at your garden with comfortable shoes, judge's manual, notebook, three pens or pencils, and a well used tape measure. They spend hours measuring, counting buds, and noting every deficiency of an iris. These judges are essential to the awards process. They protect the validity of the classification system and usually represent the deciding votes for Medals. The meanest thing you can do to this judge is to ask them if they "like" an iris. They get the strangest looks on their faces as they try to reduce their notes to such a simplistic concept.
The Social Director is the heart of the AIS. When a judge assumes this attitude, they are showing respect for deceased hybridizers and people who have done outstanding services for the AIS. Personally, I'll die easier just knowing some judges will remember me. This show of respect should be limited to only a few votes, but what harm is done by casting a vote or two from the heart.
The Artist is the soul of the AIS. They are my favorites because they use the "I like it" holistic approach to judging. The Artist bounces all over the garden as they look at iris catching their eye. They examine an iris carefully before deciding if it's worthy of their vote, but they concentrate on iris they like. They are the soul of the AIS because they recognize that garden appeal is the single most important characteristic of a good iris.
THREE CHEERS FOR OUR JUDGES!!!
MAY THEIR DIVERSITY OUT-LIVE THEIR DETRACTORS!
*Commentary reprinted, with the permission of the author, from Zebra Gardens' 1996 catalog, from the section entitled "The Zebra Muse".