INSTRUCTIONS FOR NATIONAL HISTORY CONTEST JUDGES

Before you start judging any entry, take the time to read and digest the national outline for that particular contest and especially the Judging Standards (score sheet). If you have any questions, or in doubt, ask the National Historian for assistance.

Judging is an individual task. No discussion should be made between judges of the same judging contest category, before or during, the judging process.

IDENTIFICATION OF JUDGES

For the contest period, you will be assigned a pre-arranged judges number as an identification code for the entry(s) that you will judge. The National Historian and/or Library Director will be custodian for the list of judges and their ID number.

NUMBER OF JUDGES

There will be three (3) judges to score each contest entry. Score sheets have been prepared so that the judges may work independently of one another in all contests. Your judges ID number will be displayed on the judges contest folder and the score sheets therein.

CONTEST CATEGORY

The four (4) types of national contest entries have been identified by a color code including the supporting material and score sheets. This was necessary to eliminate confusion.

BLUE - Post Narrative History GOLD - Department Narrative History

GREEN - Post Yearbook YELLOW - Department Yearbook

For example, the NUMBER displayed on the entry BINDER TAG corresponds to the NUMBER shown on the SCORE SHEET for that entry in your JUDGES CONTEST FOLDER of the same color.

SCORE POINTS

Each score item includes the total points in parentheses, such as (10) and indicates from "0" to "10" points and so on. The "etc" listed after several of the scoring elements on the score sheet shows that there are requirements to attain that total of points.

The total of points that any entry can receive is 90 points per Judge. However, you will be scoring the entries based on 80 points. The other 10 points ("0" to "10") is the JUDGES OPTION to be used at your discretion as indicated on the score sheet. Page 2 of 2

TIED SCORE

There should be no tied score entries. No two entries are the same. You will have to re-judge the entry and/or utilize the JUDGES OPTION to resolve this situation.

MINIMUM SCORE

Any entry with a combined judges score less than 70 percent of the maximum allowable points will not be eligible for the First, Second or Third Place plaque awards.

COMPLETION OF JUDGING

Leave the score sheets in the judges contest folder. All entries should be considered and judged no later than 12:00 pm on Tuesday in order to tally the three judges scores into one score for each entry.

Do not leave the library at the completion of judging without signing the Certification of Contest Winners. Your judging is not complete until this form is signed.

During the final Judges Committee meeting, the National Historian will make out the Judges Report listing the First, Second, Third Place and Honorable Mention winners.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS

The National Historian will present the Judges Report to the Library Director, who serves as staff liaison to the National Historian.

The Library Director will prepare the announcement of the winners for the National Historian to report to the National Executive Committee on Thursday morning.

Following the announcement of the winners to the National Executive Committee, a letter will be forwarded to each winner and to their respective Department Adjutant.

DEPARTMENT CERTIFICATION

The National Historian verifies that each of the entries in the annual national contests has been certified by the department official as an entry in the contests being conducted this year.

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The National Historian appreciates your assistance and expertise in serving as a judge in the National Narrative and Yearbook contests this year.