Gold/Silver/Bronze

STEVE HUSTAD (SHUSTAD@EMAIL.USPS.GOV)
21 Sep 1995 09:21:09 GMT

I've been following the discourse on scale model contest judging/award
systems with great interest. There seems to be many different versions
of the gold/silver/bronze judging - each with it's own merits and
faults.

Our local club has used it now for our last two contests and we think
it's working well, fine tuning it each year, and a few more minor
improvements(?) again this year.

The major benefit as Shane pointed out is that you don't end up with
poorly built models getting awards simply because there happened to be
few, or only poor entries in a somewhat narrow catagory. Conversely,
in a really popular catagory with many superb entries, you don't have
deserving models go home empty handed.

Our contests here (The annual "KC-Con") have few, but *broad*
catagories - and award *multiple* Gold, Silver & Bronze trophies in
each broad catagory. The numbers awarded depend upon the quantities of
models entered in each broad catagory. The same numbers of each G/S/B
awards are given out, example; 3 Golds, 3 Silvers, 3 Bronzes, etc.
This could just have easily been 5/5/5, or 1/1/1, etc. depending on
numbers.

There are typically 3 judges per catagory who are told to "go out and
pick the top 10", or top 15, or top 20 (etc.) models in the
catagory(s) they're judging (numbers again depend on quantities
entered). This way too, there is no arguing among the judges as to
which model should get the first, second, etc. because they are
"voting" - agreement between them is unnecessary. If your giving out,
say, 3/3/3, then the top three vote getters get the Golds, second
three vote getters get the Silvers, and so on. Sometimes a tie in
votes will occur between the G/S split in votes, then the three
judges will have to concur on which gets the G, vs. S etc.

A broad catagory may be, say "1/72 scale aircraft". If you get 48
entries, you may give out (for example) 4G/4S/4B, or, 5G/5S/5B.

The "Ships & Sailing Vessals" catagory may get 10 entries, and the
awards may go; 1G/1S/1B.

If numbers justify it, for KC-Con '96 we may add a
"Biplanes/predominately fabric" catagory. We average 260 models
entered each year and give out *about* 1/3rd as many awards (on
average).

I'd like to hear of other judging/organizational contest methods -
always willing to learn!

Steve H. (The Mad Norseman!)