5.1 Purpose of Judging

The purpose of AOS judging whether at the judging centers or at AOS-sanctioned shows and events, is to provide a service to members of the AOS, its Affiliated Societies and to orchid growers in general, by which their orchids may be evaluated and judged for AOS awards at any time of the year. This is a volunteer activity, for which there is no remuneration. Any grower of orchids is invited to participate and there shall be no entry fee charged. Dates and details of monthly judgings and of AOS-sanctioned orchid shows and events are published regularly on the AOS website, www.aos.org, and in ORCHIDS, The Bulletin of the American Orchid Society. Any certified AOS judge must be allowed to participate in AOS award judging at any AOS-sanctioned judging activity. No payment shall be charged for this privilege. This shall not necessarily exempt a judge from payment of other registration fees at shows, seminars, or other functions.

5.2 Judging Materials

The judging center committee shall maintain a permanent supply of judging materials necessary for its use. These include:

1. Access to the current version of OrchidPro, either via the web-based or computer-based program.

2. Any reference texts that the center committee may be able to secure.

3. A copy of the latest edition of the Handbook on Orchid Nomenclature and Registration published by the International Orchid Commission.

4. Entry forms, score sheets, award stickers, etc., and storage in which to keep them.

5. An eight - or 10-power lens (loupe) for examining small flowers.

5.3 Submission of Plants for Judging

1. Except where the exhibitor has clearly indicated before the judging that the entry is not to be AOS judged, submission of plant material (either blooming plants or cut flowers) shall be considered valid evidence of the exhibitor's acceptance of the rules pertaining to the judging. All plants or flowers submitted at a monthly judging session or exhibited at an AOS-sanctioned show/event shall be considered as candidates for an award. The exhibitor is obligated to accept and pay the fee for any award granted. An exhibitor may not specify what award will be accepted.

2. Plants may be entered by the owner in person, by someone else on their behalf, or submitted by mail. Plants and flowers must be accompanied by sufficient information for them to be properly judged, i.e.

   • complete species or hybrid name,
   • the cross (if a hybrid),
   • the cultivar names of the parents (if known),
   • the variety (if a species),
   • the proposed cultivar name,
   • the name, full address, phone number and email of the exhibitor, and
   • other pertinent data such as previous awards. Lack of such information may constitute cause for the elimination of the entry from consideration.

3. The plant or flower must bear no grower or owner identification since anonymity in terms of ownership provides greater objectivity. All entries shall be submitted at the expense of the exhibitor. International exhibitors must arrange in advance for customs declaration and delivery from port of entry.

4. Plants should be entered in the most presentable condition possible. Pots should be clean or covered, and dead pseudobulbs and leaves removed. Leaves should be clean but not treated to produce an artificial shine. Inflorescences may be staked to permit them to appear to best advantage, but staking should be as unobtrusive as possible and may be removed temporarily during judging if the judging team feels this is necessary to evaluate the inflorescence. Additional staking or artificial supports needed while a plant is being transported should be removed before the plant is entered.

5. Cotton, Styrofoam wedges or other material may be used on a developing inflorescence to encourage the buds to develop naturally. Attempts to manipulate flower parts after the flower has opened are usually self-defeating because of damage to the flower. An inflorescence may be disqualified by judges if it is evident that an attempt has been made to force a flower mechanically to a more desirable conformation.

6. All plants and cut flowers will be judged as individuals unless agreement is made in advance for judging them as a group. At the time of judging, flowers shall be in perfect condition unless the judges are unanimous in deciding that the unfavorable condition is an unavoidable accident of shipping or handling and is in no way confusing to their conception of its quality. Plants showing signs of obvious disease or infestation by pests shall not be judged; however, the presence of a few insects on a plant or in its potting medium, not adversely affecting flower quality, is not sufficient reason to disqualify a plant from receiving a quality award.

7. At any time before judging has started, the chair of judging may advise an exhibitor that the flowers they propose to submit are not in proper condition to warrant judging at this time. The inflorescence may be withdrawn, will not be considered to have been judged, and may be submitted for consideration at a subsequent judging session or show. Once an inflorescence has been judged, it cannot be judged again on the same flowering; however, successive flowering or branching inflorescences may be resubmitted for judging consideration if previously considered flowers are no longer present. When cut flowers are submitted the entire inflorescence, in one piece, must be available to the judges.

5.4 Care and Disposition of Plants

1. All possible care shall be given entries unaccompanied by the owner, but neither the AOS nor any judging center committee shall be liable for loss. All entries, personal property, etc., shall be at the risk of the exhibitor, and the AOS shall not be liable for loss and damage by theft, fire, water, accident, or any cause whatsoever. Should a meeting not be held for any cause, no exhibitor shall have any claim on the AOS or its officers for loss, damage, interest, or compensation; nor does the AOS have responsibility for flowers delayed in delivery past the time of judging.

2. Flowers sent in or not accompanied by the owners shall be disposed of by the chair of judging. They shall not be sold or otherwise disposed of for profit nor given to those present except with the express permission of the owner. Flowers that receive awards must be made available immediately for photographic records.

3. Cut flowers will not be reshipped to the owner. When plants are shipped it shall be the responsibility of the owner and/or shipper to arrange for their return. The chair of judging is not responsible either for the mechanics or the expense of returning plants or flowers. No judging center committee shall be held responsible if plants are returned with flowers in damaged condition or with pollen missing.

5.5 Judging Practice

5.5.1 Definitions

1. "Entry" is the means by which an inflorescence, plant, or other form of exhibit is brought to the attention of the judges for their consideration. Within a show two forms of entry exist - show entry forms and official AOS judging entry forms. The two should not be confused. Unless the exhibitor has purposefully posted the entry as "not for AOS judging", any entry in an AOS judged show will be deemed to have been presented for nomination for AOS judging:

   • whether or not it possesses an official AOS judging entry form or
   • whether or not it is entered via a show entry form for show ribbon or show trophy consideration.

2. "Nomination" is the initial phase in the judging process in which one or more judges request that an entry on display at an AOS-sanction judging event be set aside for more thorough evaluation by an assigned team of judges.

3. "Screening" is the phase in the judging process in which, through verbal discussion or written ballot by an assigned judging team, an entry is considered for scoring by the team. Screening out, or elimination from consideration for scoring, must be by unanimous agreement of the judges on the team. A single request to score shall require that the team judge the entry. An entry that has been screened out has been judged and may not be submitted to another team.

4. "Scoring" is the final phase of judging in which an entry, not screened out, is considered for a specific type of award through the use of the appropriate method as described in this Handbook. Once scored and granted an award, or scored and rejected for an award, an entry may not be submitted to a second team for further consideration except as provided in paragraph 5.5.2.1 (5).

5.5.2 Judging - General Rules

1. AOS awards are to be granted only in accordance with the rules in this Handbook or as amended from time to time. All participating judges must be certified AOS judges in good standing.

2. One or more clerks may be appointed to assist the judges.

3. Only judges, student judges, and essential clerical assistants may actively participate in the judging process; however, the public shall be allowed to be present in the room to witness the process. The chair of judging may require any visitor to leave if they disrupt the normal process of judging.

4. Smoking is prohibited during the judging process.

5. No sales transactions shall be conducted in the judging area during AOS judging.

6. No judge shall judge their own entry or that of any establishment with which they may be connected in any way, except that membership in an orchid society shall not in itself constitute a conflict of interest. A judge may disqualify himself/herself at any time.

7. An entry which is misrepresented, which is not in conformity with the rules, or which is accompanied by inaccurate or inadequate information (including notices of previous awards) may be disqualified by the judges. Reasons for disqualification shall be recorded on the entry form or in other official records of the show.

8. If any team of judges disqualifies itself, the chair may appoint a new team.

9. Each individual plant that receives an award shall bear a cultivar name to identify the specific clone, except when an award is made to a cross, such as the Award of Quality or the Award of Distinction. Newly assigned cultivar names shall not exceed a total length of 24 characters. After the owner of the awarded plant has corroborated the cultivar name when remitting payment of the fee for the award to AOS, the cultivar name may not be changed by the owner or any subsequent owner of the plant or any division thereof. Plants bearing cultivar names prior to being granted an award shall not be given different cultivar names after receiving an award.

10. After judging closes at a show or judging session, any plant in flower or cut flower shall be ineligible for consideration of the same inflorescence at any subsequent show or judging session except as provided in paragraph 5.3 (7) with respect to an immature or successively flowering inflorescence.

11. The awarded plant or flower must be made available for photography immediately after the judging while it is still in prime condition. Top quality digital photography is the goal. The AOS is not required to use inferior or improperly identified images.

5.5.2.1 Judging - Procedure

1. A plant or exhibit nominated for further evaluation shall be assigned by the chair of judging to a team of at least three certified judges, no more than 50% of which shall be associate judges. However, when practicable, judging teams should comprise five or more members. The captain of the judging team may be any certified judge. From the standpoint of validity of awards, there is no distinction between associate and accredited judges.

2. An alternate method, judging by committee of the whole, may be used whereby all judges present, except those disqualifying themselves and a properly constituted reserve team, may screen and score an entry; all rules regarding judging procedure must be observed. The reserve team may listen to but not participate in the discussion and judging of the entry.

3. Whenever feasible, two or more members of the same family, household or of the same commercial establishment should not be assigned to the same team, unless when judging by committee as a whole.

4. Each judge shall independently score the entry.

5. When scoring is completed, the captain of the team shall calculate the average score based on all scores submitted; no scores shall be deleted.

   • If any score is unduly out of line the judges may discuss the factors involved, and any judge may adjust their score in the light of further reflection.
   • If the difference between individual scores exceeds six points (e.g., the difference between 75 and 81 points equals six points; the difference between 75 and 82 points exceeds six points), each judge shall be asked to rescore the entry.
   • If the individual scores still exceed a difference of six points, the chair of judging shall appoint a new team, which, at the discretion of the chair of judging, may consult with the original team.
   • Where judging is by committee of the whole, the entry shall be referred to the reserve team; then, if they elect to do so, they may score the entry independently.
   • If the difference of scores again exceeds six points after consideration by the second team, the entry shall be considered judged and eliminated.
   • Scores from the two teams may not be averaged to produce a common score.

6. Taxonomic verification is required for all previously unawarded species and natural hybrids, and all first awards to taxonomically described varietal forms of otherwise recognized species, no matter what award is granted. Taxonomic verification need not be presented prior to an award's being granted; if previously obtained and presented by the exhibitor, it may be used as reference when the plant is judged. Awards will be held in a provisional status until formal identification/confirmation by the Species Identification Task Force (SITF) is complete. Once an award has been cleared it will be allowed to stand, regardless of subsequent name changes resulting from taxonomic changes or award challenges.

7. If any certified judge on the judging floor questions the identity of a species or natural hybrid considered for any award, then the award will be held in a provisional status until identification is complete.

8. An entry must be judged as it is when the judge sees it, not what it was the day before or what it may be tomorrow.

9. A new plant or flower should not be considered to have extra value because it is a novelty but should be judged on its merits.

10. The point scales in paragraphs 7.2 and 7.3 must be used when scoring, and no award for which scoring is required shall be made for less than 75 points. The official score shall be the average of the scores of the members of the judging team with fractions being adjusted to the nearest whole number. The benefit of one-half point goes to the next highest number.

11. No quality award, excluding a cultural award which goes to the grower, shall be granted to a previously awarded cultivar unless the new flowering is notably superior to that under any previous award.

12. More than one award may be given to a plant or flower by the same judging team, e.g., if a particularly well-grown plant possesses flowers of outstanding quality, an Award of Merit could be awarded to the plant and a Certificate of Cultural Excellence or Certificate of Cultural Merit to its owner.

13. A species or natural hybrid shall not receive a CBR and a CHM at the same judging.

14. In essence, the AOS Trustees accepted the position of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that it is not the responsibility of the AOS to enforce USFWS regulations; hence, our judges may judge plants presented to them without seeking documentation. However, this does not absolve exhibitors of the responsibility of following current restrictions, having appropriate documentation for their plants, or obeying the law. The AOS neither promotes nor condones the illegal importation of plants or the importation of plants on protected lists.

15. The decisions of the judges shall be final.

5.5.2.2 Taxonomic Verification and the Species Identification Task Force (SITF)

1. Under the responsibility of the JC, the SITF is a team of volunteers with an interest in species and taxonomy committed to correctly identifying species awarded by the AOS judging system in a timely manner. The team consists of a chair and selected members who as a group research and reach a consensus on the correct names of specimens submitted. They will use their own resources but if necessary, will contact others in the orchid community who can assist with correct identification.

2. The hope of the SITF is to do the identifications based on photographs and information obtained from the specimen, eliminating the need to ship plant material. Doing identifications this way requires more information than provided by one award slide and one short description. The SITF asks that whoever submits a specimen to the SITF for identification provide extra photographs and measurements, using the forms and guidelines the SITF provides, and using the Descriptive Terminology found under ‘Resources’ in OrchidPro if the terms are unfamiliar.

5.5.3 Recording the Results of Judging

1. For each award made, the following steps are necessary:

   • An entry form in triplicate shall be prepared in proper English, providing a description of the flower with exact measurements and other data as required, including the cultivar name, and the owner's name, address, phone number and email address.
   • The original entry form with sticker indicating the nature of the award shall be given to the exhibitor and one copy shall be submitted to the chair of judging or designated administrative chair; the additional copy may be used to support the judging center’s processes.
   • In the case of previously unawarded species or natural hybrids, or unregistered hybrids, the exhibitor shall be notified by the chair of judging at that event of the procedure for obtaining taxonomic verification through the SITF or hybrid registration information of the awarded plant.
   • All score sheets must be signed by the judges and retained by the judging center committee or designated administrative chair until the award is published in OrchidPro.

2. All information from the judging session, including date, place, judges present, photographer information, number of plant entries, and all pertinent information on the awarded plant(s), including full description, measurements, cultivar name(s), names of judges who awarded the plant, and exhibitor information shall be entered into the online JC Program and submitted for review and approval by the Director of Awards and Special Projects.

3. The required digital images, properly labeled with the judging entry number of each awarded entry, shall be submitted to the appropriate center chair or designee, preferably within 14 days from the date of judging.

   • By so doing, each photographer who agrees to take the official images of awarded orchid flowers, plants, and other entries gives permission to the AOS to use the submitted images for the Society's purposes and programs.
   • In the event that images are lost or inadvertently destroyed and are not received by AOS, the chair of the JC may waive the image requirement to avoid nullifying the award. In such an instance, a comment shall be added to the award description concerning the absence of the images.
   • Images of poor quality or incorrect images will not be published and will not affect the status of the award.

4. Awards will be processed only after both the award's data and images are received by AOS.

5.5.3.1 Provisional Awards

1. All AOS awards which cannot be certified for publication pending:

   • Registration of awarded hybrid grex,
   • Taxonomic verification of previously unawarded species, subspecies, variety, or natural hybrid; or
   • Hybrid identification shall be classified as provisional awards. In addition, species or hybrids not identified to the satisfaction of the judging team may also be given provisional awards. In the case of a contested hybrid grex, the identification process described in paragraph 5.5.4(7)(c)(1) will be followed.

2. If more than one award is granted to a plant or flower at the same judging session, and one of the awards requires taxonomic verification, then all awards are provisional awards.

3. The records of all provisional awards given at AOS-sanctioned shows and judging centers shall be forwarded to and maintained by the chair or designated administrative chair of the judging center in which the award was granted.

4. All awards, including those of provisional status, will be entered into the JC program within 60 days of granting the award.

5. The status of the provisional award will be tracked by the chair or designated administrative chair of the judging center in which the award was granted until:

   • the exhibitor fulfills all conditions of the pending provisional award, or
   • the award is nullified.

6. The conditions for clearing pending provisional awards are as follows:

   • Registration of a hybrid grex with the International Orchid Register of the Royal Horticultural Society must occur within six months of the date the award was granted. Proof of registration must be provided to the chair of the judging center in which the award was granted.
   • Submission of a previously unawarded species, subspecies, variety, or natural hybrid, or of a species or natural hybrid whose identity is being questioned, to the SITF must occur within sixty days of the date the award was granted.
     • Once the plant’s identity has been confirmed by the SITF the award record will be updated to reflect the confirmation.
     • If the confirmation agrees with the original submission the award will continue for further processing.
     • If the confirmation is not in agreement with the original submission, the SITF’s determination will be referred to the team who originally granted the award. The team will then determine whether the plant may be considered for another award or if the award must be nullified.

7. When an exhibitor has fully met the conditions for clearing a pending provisional award, the chair of the center holding the records of the award will remove the provisional status and complete the entry for the AOS to process and bill for the required award fee(s). Provisional awards shall not be published in OrchidPro or be represented in trade as AOS awarded plants until certified for publication by the AOS.

8. After a provisional award is six months old, the chair or designated administrative chair of the judging center granting the award shall contact the exhibitor(s) receiving the award to determine what is being done to clear the award. If no reasonable effort is being made, the award shall be nullified, the Director of Awards and Special Projects notified, and a fee based on the current AOS award fee schedule assessed to cover the costs incurred in processing the provisional award. Plants and cut flowers entered for judging by the exhibitor shall not be accepted in any AOS sanctioned show or judging center until the fee is paid in full to the AOS.

5.5.4 Action by the American Orchid Society

1. A fee will be charged by the AOS to each exhibitor who is granted an award to be applied against the administrative costs of processing the award. No certificate shall be issued until the award fee is paid.

2. The Director of Awards and Special Projects shall bill each exhibitor for award fees after it has been determined that all requirements for certification are met. The invoice shall include notice that award fees are due and payable within 30 days from the date of billing.

3. A second invoice shall be made to each exhibitor who fails to pay a required award fee within 30 days from the original billing date. In addition to the information contained in the original invoice, the second invoice shall include a notice that:

   • The pending award will be nullified if the fee payment is not received within 30 calendar days of the date of the second invoice.
   • Plants and cut flowers entered for judging by any exhibitors in arrears for failure to pay award fees shall not be accepted for AOS judging at any AOS-sanctioned show, event, or judging center until the award fee and any other administrative costs incurred are paid to the AOS.
   • A judge who is delinquent in payment of award fees shall not be permitted to judge until the delinquent award fee and any other administrative costs incurred are paid in full, and they shall be subject to automatic suspension or termination as described in paragraph 4.9.4.2(1) and (2).

4. A list of delinquent exhibitors will be periodically distributed to the center chairs by the Director of Awards and Special Projects. If an exhibitor on the list chooses to exhibit plants at an AOS- sanctioned event/show, each plant or group of plants so exhibited must be marked "Not for AOS judging".

5. In the event that the judge has an ownership interest in a commercial company that is deficient in payment of an award fee or not compliant with the requirements for clearing a provisional award, an identical process will be followed as described in paragraphs 4.9.4.2(1) and (2).

6. An award which, either through error or lack of knowledge, is granted in violation of the rules, may be nullified by the AOS, or rescinded by the JC.

7. Procedure for contested identifications of awarded hybrids and cultivars:

   • The grex, species or cultivar identification of an awarded plant can be contested by an accredited judge in writing to the Director of Awards and Special Projects. The challenge shall disclose fully the judge's rationale and sources and divulge any interest in either the plant or the outcome of the challenge.
   • An award may be challenged for up to five (5) years following the award's appearance in the Awards Quarterly, AQ Plus, OrchidsPlus, or OrchidPro. A challenge to an award older than five (5) years will be considered at the discretion of the Chair of the JC.
   • Challenged awards will be referred to the Species Identification Task Force (SITF) which shall do the following:
     • For a contested hybrid grex or any cultivar, select and survey a panel of specialists in the genus for opinion as to the accuracy of identification.
     • For a contested species identification, review the award's background:
     • if taxonomic identification had been by the SITF or a recognized specialist in that genus, the identification shall stand.
     • If identification had been by a generalist, or the plant had not been formally identified by the SITF, the SITF can require that a flower specimen or award slide, if sufficiently diagnostic, of the contested plant be sent to the SITF. If the identification by the SITF is different, it shall supersede that of a generalist and the award record shall be corrected or the award rescinded.
     • Survey results and SITF recommendation shall be reported to the JC which shall independently render a decision to let stand, correct, or rescind an award to a contested plant. A CBR shall be rescinded when a prior CBR has been given to the taxon as corrected. A CHM shall be rescinded when the cultivar cannot be distinguished as different in character from a cultivar with a prior CHM.
   • A paid award fee shall be refunded in the event of rescission.

8. A flower award made to a cultivar which has previously received a higher award shall be nullified by the Director of Awards and Special Projects.

9. An award which is not accompanied by an adequate description of the flower and plant may be nullified by the Director of Awards and Special Projects.

5.6 Judging at Orchid Shows

1. AOS judging at orchid shows refers only to judging by certified, senior, and emeritus judges for AOS awards according to the same rules that apply at monthly judging sessions. AOS award judging is independent of general judging of the show. Any certified, senior, or emeritus judge must be permitted to judge even if an invitation has not been extended to the judge. An organization must be affiliated with AOS to request AOS judging.

2. Occasionally an orchid show receives major support from two AOS judging centers, either of which could be the center of jurisdiction. In such instances the host society can obtain co-center judging support. This requires that the host society:

   • Provide financial and administrative support for operation of both centers.
   • Include both centers in its application for AOS judging of the specific show in question. The chairs of both centers must agree that significant support from each center is anticipated and should attest to this by signing the show application.
   • Designate which center would handle the administrative responsibilities of the show including submitting the show data and awards to AOS and following up any provisional awards. The show statistics would also be credited to this center. Generally, the center that traditionally had been responsible for the show would be so designated.
   • Judges from both centers of a co-center supported AOS show shall receive full credit for participating in a show within the area served by the judges’ own center ("in-center judging").

5.6.1 American Orchid Society Sanction of a Show or Event

An Affiliated Society wishing AOS judging at a show or event must, in this order:

1. Appoint an accredited judge, not necessarily from the center of jurisdiction, or a senior or emeritus judge from the center of jurisdiction, to be approved by the chair of the center of jurisdiction to serve as chair of AOS judging of the show (See paragraph 3.9). The judge should be asked to serve and consulted well in advance of six months before the show. Associate judges and judges on leave may not serve as an AOS judging chair at AOS-sanctioned orchid shows.

2. Secure commitments to judge from at least four other certified judges, of which at least three are accredited. A master list of American Orchid Society judges is maintained by the AOS; a copy of that list may be obtained from the center chair. Judges need not be from the center of jurisdiction. All proposed judges must be in good standing with the AOS; at minimum, good standing requires of a judge that all AOS membership fees be paid and current through the proposed date of the show or event.

3. Having secured a proposed chair of AOS judging and at least four other judges, submit a request for a show date to the local center chair or designated administrative chair, in writing or via email, at least four months prior to the proposed show date. When an affiliate requests approval with less than 4 months advance notice, the center chair may grant approval if the show papers are in order and the required fees have been paid.

4. If the date is approved, the center chair, or designated administrative chair, will send either hard copy or electronic show approval packet, which includes application form, photographic requirements, and other essential information to the show chair, including a declaration that the society has access to the current version of OrchidPro available for the use of its show committee and agrees to abide by the rules for AOS judging as set forth in the Handbook.

5. Once the application form is completed, it must be forwarded to the center chair or designated administrative chair.

6. The approved application, signed by the center chair or designated administrative chair, will then be forwarded to the AOS by the Center Chair or designated administrative chair.

7. The required fees, for the judging supplies and the show trophy, if desired, must be submitted either to the center chair or designated administrative chair, or directly to the AOS, as directed by the center chair or designated administrative chair. When all applications have been submitted and all fees paid, the AOS will notify the center chair or designated administrative chair and the Show Chair of completion.

8. Ribbon Judging: Neither the AOS Judging Committee nor AOS judges regulate ribbon judging at Shows. AOS judging centers can offer support at AOS-sanctioned shows with general (ribbon) judging. As with AOS award judging, it is part of their ongoing effort to engage AOS-affiliated orchid societies and the orchid growing public with orchid judging. This support, both practical and educational, is only available with the understanding of the following conditions:

   • Ribbon judgings are in addition to the regularly scheduled and published monthly judgings and AOS-sanctioned orchid shows/events occurring within the judging center and may not be used to replace said judgings.
   • No application process and requirements as described throughout section 5.6 (Judging at Orchid Shows or Events) apply. No quorum of accredited judges is required.
   • Judges may accept leadership of a team of other accredited judges, students, and society volunteers in ribbon judging, and should use the occasion as a teaching opportunity. Judges must be respectful, supportive, and educational in their interactions with team members. This is an excellent opportunity to briefly present the AOS judging program and to invite interested individuals to consider joining.
   • Ribbon judgings will not be publicized either in ORCHIDS magazine or online at www.aos.org. The publicizing of these events is the sole responsibility of the sponsoring orchid society.
   • Participation by AOS judges in general (ribbon) judging is intended to use their experience and expertise to guide orchid society members in conducting a less formal judging process. This support includes but is not limited to assessing the accuracy of the Show Schedule and plant entries, discussion of qualities that determine the granting of ribbons, and answering questions that arise from the public during the judging process.
   • AOS judges should encourage members of the society and public to express their opinions and must refrain from dominating the judging process.
   • General (ribbon) judging does not apply nor contribute to any show statistics or AOS award recognition.

5.6.1.1 Requirements

1. For a show to qualify it must be open to the public (not necessarily without charge) and open to all exhibitors who agree to comply with the rules established by the show committee and insofar as space allows. If ribbon judging is to be performed by specifically invited persons, scheduling must allow reasonable access time to the show, prior to AOS judging, for AOS judges to consider their selection for the AOS show trophy and plant nominations for further evaluation.

2. In requesting AOS judging, the show committee obligates itself to have available at least one computer with the latest edition of OrchidPro. It would be best if there were a computer to support each judging team. This may be the Society's own computer, or they may arrange for one or more judges to bring a computer with the latest edition of OrchidPro.

3. In requesting AOS judging, the show committee obligates itself to assume responsibility for engaging the services of a competent photographer at the show's expense to provide the required digital images and to inform the photographer who takes the official award images that, by so doing, permission is given to the AOS to use the submitted images for its purposes and programs. The show committee may not charge the exhibitor of an awarded plant a fee to recoup photography or other expenses, nor shall donations for such be implied as mandatory or expected.

4. The show committee is not required to arrange its show-dates to avoid conflict with other shows, local or distant, although it may be a worthwhile consideration. The primary responsibility for securing adequate AOS personnel to serve the show's AOS-judging needs on any date rests with the show committee.

5. International Affiliated Societies wishing AOS judging at a show must follow the same rules and regulations as USA affiliated societies. The show committee is required to appoint an accredited judge approved by the chair of the center of jurisdiction to serve as chair of AOS judging of the show. An AOS accredited national judge may serve in his country as chair of AOS judging if the chair of the center of jurisdiction approves. All paperwork shall go through the center of jurisdiction (See paragraph 3.9).

5.6.2 Judging Supplies for an AOS-Sanctioned Orchid Show or Event

The judging supplies for AOS-sanctioned orchid shows and events include the following:

1. Entry forms.

2. Ballots for the AOS show trophy.

3. Score sheets for all point scales.

4. Award seals for all types of awards.

5. Awards photography guidelines, SITF measurement forms and information sheets and other ancillary material.

5.6.3 Chair of Judging Activities

It is necessary for the show to have a chair of judging activities. As a member of the show committee, they are responsible for seeing that the committee takes timely action with regard to securing AOS sanction of the show.

5.6.4 Chair of AOS Judging

The chair of AOS judging has the following responsibilities:

1. Organize and assign the teams of judges, designating one member as captain of each team.

2. Provide an attendance sheet for all judges, student judges, and show photographer to sign. Signatures must be legible to assure attendance credit.

3. Make sure that all awarded flowers and plants have been thoroughly researched, measured, described, and photographed as required.

4. Complete, sign, and return all judging data and forms to the approving judging center chair for review and tracking.

5. Require all judges to perform in a professional and collegial manner.

5.6.4.1 Decision of AOS Judging Chair is Final

Any questions about the judging process or the decisions of the judging teams shall be raised with the show chair and the chair of AOS judging before the termination of the judging session. The decision of the chair of AOS judging shall be final.

5.7 Outreach Judging

Beginning in 2013, AOS judging centers began offering AOS-sanctioned outreach judgings as part of their ongoing commitment to engaging the AOS-affiliated orchid societies and the orchid growing public with the process of orchid judging. This service, both practical and educational, is only available to 1) AOS- affiliated orchid societies or 2) orchid societies looking to be affiliated with the AOS. Outreach judgings are provided with the understanding of the following conditions:

1. Outreach judgings are in addition to the regularly scheduled and published monthly judgings and AOS-sanctioned orchid shows/events occurring within the judging center and cannot be used to replace, or supplement said judgings. An Affiliated Society may sponsor up to four outreach judgings per year.

2. The application process and requirements are identical to the ones described throughout section 5.6 (Judging at Orchid Shows or Events) with the following exceptions:

   • The ‘Application for an AOS-Sanctioned Outreach Judging’ may be submitted up to 2 months prior to the event date
   • No application fee shall be charged for outreach judgings.

3. No AOS Show Trophy may be requested or awarded at outreach judgings.

4. Outreach judgings will not be publicized either in Orchids or online at www.aos.org. The publicizing of these events is the sole responsibility of the sponsoring orchid society.