To All,

Last year I was overwhelmed by the response of volunteers to judge at the 2009 AMPS International Convention. Over 100 modelers offered their time to help judge. Again this year, I am looking for volunteers to participate as judges at the AMPS 2010 International Convention, located at the World War II Victory Museum, Auburn, Indiana 22-24 April 2010. This show brings out the best armor models and modelers and offers an armor focused vendor room that is the best of its kind in the United States.

It's no secret the AMPS judging system needs a large numbers of judges to evaluate the entries as the show is occurring. So, if you are visiting the convention for the first time or the sixteenth, I personally invite you to “donate” some of your time to be a judge. Your experiences at judging models ranging from beginner to advanced level will make you a better modeler. You will also leave the convention with a highly coveted AMPS Crew T-shirt, suitable for creating jealousy among your modeling buddies.

In order to participate as a volunteer judge, all you need to do is attend a judge’s training session at the War II Victory Museum on Friday, 23 April at 8:30AM. The purpose of this training is to help judges become familiar with the AMPS judging process, sign up for shifts and perhaps the best of all, after the training session, get access to the vendor room an hour before the show opens to the public.

The AMPS judging system is a process that provides each modeler with a score as well as feedback from the four judges who evaluate your model. We try to make sure the comments are pertinent and valid in order to help modelers get better at their hobby. For those that are not able to attend the Friday meeting, let me know via e-mail and we can work out different arrangements.

This is a quick reminder that the 2010 International Show Pre-registration ends on 14 April 2010. Pre-registration allows you to enter your models on Thursday night, 22 April 2010. This will free you up to wander the museum, go to seminars and shop the vendors instead of standing in line on Friday or Saturday. Our first judging shift will start Thursday evening to support pre-registration. I’ll need at least 16 volunteer judges for this shift so please let me know if you can help us on 22 April 2010. To pre-register, check out registration link on the AMPS web-site today!

Also, for those who have judged before and want to take the next step towards the administrative side of judging, we will be conducting Judges Certification prior to the convention. The certification process will offer you an opportunity to take a closer look at the AMPS contest rules, the conduct of judging, and finish up with a critiqued judging session. We have a few slots left in this certification class, so if you are interested in becoming a certified AMPS judge, contact me with your AMPS experience level to secure a seat.

Please contact me at: [email protected] if you have any questions about judging.

Mike Petty
AMPS
Chief Judge