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Pacific Southwest District
of the American Rose Society


Southern California, Southern Nevada,
Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas

 Horticulture Judge Qualifications

1st Ribbon

How to Become a Judge

Qualifications and Procedure to Become an Apprentice Rose Judge

Any person applying for an Apprentice Rose Judge Certification must have the
following qualifications:

  1. Must be a member, either regular or joint for 36 consecutive months immediately preceding application.
  2. Must have personally grown garden roses or been involved in their culture for five years.
  3. Must know intimately the characteristics and range of variability of at least 100 varieties, of largely grandifloras, hybrid teas, floribundas, miniatures, Mini-Floras, climbers and Old Garden Roses and be able to verify labeling.
  4. Know and follow ARS show rules and be aware of standards of judging; know the technical requirements concerning disbudding, bud vs. bloom, ideal form, substance, color, size, etc.
  5. Must be observant and careful in all details. 6. Must be able to substantiate decisions with concrete and specific reasons.
  6. Must be a person of high integrity who is able to subjugate all personal likes, dislikes and biases.
  7. Must be diplomatic, constructive, definite in adhering to rules and passing judgment.
  8. Must have successfully exhibited (by winning two ARS certificates and five blue ribbons) for at least three years in at least five rose shows.
  9. Must have worked as a show clerk in at least three rose shows, in this way familiarizing himself with proper show procedures.
  10. Must have completed an accredited judging school, (which need not be in the district where the applicant resides) and passed the written and practical test.
  11. If an applicant is not successful in passing the test, one year must elapse before a member may reapply.

Procedure

Prospective apprentice judges must make application at least six weeks prior to attending a District Judging School to allow for membership verification. Apprentice applications to apply to become an Apprentice Judge are available from the District Chairman of Judges. Applications should be distributed to instructors before or at the beginning of a District Judging School. These must be completed and submitted with examination papers at the close of the school with the registration fee. An ARS member may take an examination at any District or area school; he/she need not be a resident of the District in which the school is held.

Apprentice Judging

Once an applicant has met all the above qualifications and successfully completed a judging school, they become an Apprentice Judge. As such, the apprentice is required to judge at least five shows and receive favorable evaluations from the Accredited Judges they judged with. Once this is successfully accomplished, the Apprentice may apply to the National Chairman of Judges to become an Accredited Judge.