AVSA Shows and Judges

AVSA Standard Shows are governed by the AVSA Shows and Judges Committee.

This is a complex task and divided here into three tabs: Shows, Judges, and Judging Schools

SHOWSJUDGESJUDGING SCHOOLS
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AVSA STANDARD SHOW

Registering the Show

The local show chair registers the show and requests approval of the local show schedule from the AVSA Schedule Approver at least two months before the show. 

Register Show and Pay Download SSA Packet Contact Schedule Approver Contact AVSA Shows & Judges Chair

After the Show

At the completion of AVSA Standard Shows, the Affiliate Show Awards Report should be submitted by Show Chairs. This form is used to compile both the “And the Winners Are…” and “Tally Time” reports for the African Violet Magazine.

Affiliate Show Awards Report

Show Chairs who prefer to mail a paper copy of their affiliate show award winners should download and print this form Affiliate Show Awards Report.

An AVSA Standard Show…

is a show sponsored by one or more AVSA Affiliate clubs which conforms to the requirements as set forth in the AVSA Handbook for Growers Exhibitors and Judges and is judged by AVSA Judges.

An AVSA Standard Show is not an African violet section of a show sponsored by a garden club, horticultural society, or any other fair or exhibition.

The complete procedures and rules for sponsoring an AVSA Standard Show are found in the

AVSA Handbook for Growers, Exhibitors and Judges

The purpose of African violet shows is to challenge and encourage club members to grow better plants and to stimulate the general public to cultivate the hobby.

The value of African violet shows is to educate club members and the public in propagation, general culture, and the decorative uses of African violets.

  1. Sponsors of the show must be AVSA Affiliates.
  2. One or more affiliates may sponsor a show, either singly or jointly, and may apply once during the calendar year for the AVSA Awards Packet which includes the AVSA Collection Awards and the AVSA Standard Show Awards forms, plus other items discussed under “Procedures for an AVSA Standard Show.”
  3. AVSA State, Council, and Regional groups may also request AVSA Standard Show Awards and AVSA Collection Awards once during the calendar year.
  4. A show scoring 90-94 points will receive the AVSA Standard Show Award (SSA); a show scoring 95-100 points will receive the AVSA Standard Show Achievement Award (SSAA.)
  5. All AVSA Standard Shows should be judged for the AVSA Standard Show Award by the AVSA Standard Show Scale of Points by all judges if there are two panels or less, or by a special panel of five judges, if there are three panels or more, appointed by the Judges’ Chair.

The reason for judging a show, even if there seems little chance of earning a Standard Show Award, is to improve the quality of African violet shows. By using the AVSA Standard Show point-score sheet as a guide, African violet shows will become more satisfying for the members and more interesting to the public.

An AVSA Affiliate may apply for either the AVSA Collection Awards or the Standard Show Award and the AVSA Collection Awards together. The affiliate must inform the Schedule Approver, when applying for the awards, if they want one award or both awards at the same time the two copies of the show schedules are sent. The name and address of the Show Approver is published in the African Violet Magazine.

  1. The local show chair must register the show by contacting the Schedule Approver showschedule@avsa.org for instructions and may now pay the cost to register the show (and to order rosettes) here on the website.
  2. The Schedule Approver sends the show chair the AVSA Standard Show Awards Packet and complete instructions on what to do with each form. The packet contains two point score sheets for the AVSA Collection Awards, a gold rosette for best collection, a purple rosette for the second best collection, a Tally Time form, the AVSA Standard Show Award point score sheet, a green AVSA Standard Show Award card, a blue AVSA Standard Show Achievement Award card, and an envelope in which the judges must enclose the forms. Also included is a form for the publicity chair to fill out and send directly to the “And the Winners Are” columnist of the African Violet Magazine. The information may also be submitted on the AVSA website, https://africanvioletsocietyofamerica.org, under the Member Content section. An email address is included to notify the Schedule Approver, acknowledging the receipt of the packet and a critique sheet to be given to the show chair.
  3. At the time of the show, the show chair fills out the top of the AVSA Collection Awards form and gives it to the entries chair. If more than two entries are anticipated, extra copies of the AVSA Collection Awards form should be made before the show.
  4. The show chair gives the envelope into which the judges will place the AVSA Collection forms when finished, to the panel of judges.
  5. All plants in the AVSA Collection classes shall be point scored, by a panel of three Judges, according to the appropriate AVSA scale of points.
  6. After judging the AVSA Collections one member of the panel places the AVSA Collection Award forms into the appropriate envelope and returns them to the show chair.
  7. After the judging of all sections in the schedule has been completed, the entries chair reports to the show chair the number of blue, red, and white ribbons awarded, the number of members exhibiting, and the total number of entries in horticulture and design.
  8. The show chair enters this information on the AVSA Standard Show Award form. The form and the envelope which contains the AVSA Collections Award forms is then handed to the panel of judges who will be judging for the AVSA Standard Show Award.
  9. When the judges finish all judging, they place all the forms in the envelope and give the sealed envelope to the show chairman. They then tell the show chair which exhibits won the AVSA Collection Awards and if the show received the green or blue certificate. The appropriate awards and cards may then be displayed.
  10. The show chair promptly returns the sealed envelope to the Schedule Approver within one week after the close of the show so the Schedule Approver can complete the records.

The local show chair requests approval of the local show schedule from the AVSA Schedule Approver at least two months before the show.  An email request should be sent to the AVSA Show Schedule Approver showschedule@avsa.org.  The message should include the following: (1) request for review and approval of the show schedule, (2) attach an electronic copy of the show schedule as a document file, (3) denote the AVSA collection class rosettes that are needed, and (4) payment for review and rosette ribbons, as appropriate.

  • Include the full contact information of your show chair (or whomever is working on the schedule, accessing the SSA packet, and ordering rosettes) – name, mailing address, phone, and email, please.
  • When preparing the show schedule, include the date, time, location, and theme info on the cover page.  The schedule should also include all three AVSA collection classes (Standard, Mini/Semi, and Species) and the required AVSA horticulture and design division rules.  It is advisable that within the rules, an appropriate contact person be identified with phone and email, so participants in the show would know whom to contact with questions.
  • Include in the email message a note on which AVSA collection class rosettes are needed and being ordered.  The options are: Gold Standard, Purple Standard, Gold Mini/Semi, Purple Mini/Semi, Gold Species, and Purple Species.  A full set would include one of each AVSA rosette for a total of six rosettes.
  • Payment should be made via cash or check, payable to “AVSA” to cover the fees for the schedule review and AVSA collection rosettes.  The fees are noted in the African Violet Magazine.  Payments should be mailed to the AVSA Show Schedule Approver at the address provided in the African Violet Magazine on the AVSA information page.  Show schedules will not be approved nor rosettes shipped until payment is received.
  • Once payment is received rosettes will be mailed from the AVSA Office.
  • SSA Packets are no longer mailed, but available for download (see link below).

Download AVSA SSA Packet

AVSA JUDGES

Judges are important representatives of AVSA and great effort is made to standardize African violet judging. Until they reach the level of AVSA Master Judge, judges take a renewal examination at least every three years.

Three African violet judges evaluating miniature plants
Bookmarks Bookmarks CURRENT LIST OF AVSA JUDGES

Clicking the button above will take you to a webpage where you can download the file. You will be asked to enter your AVSA Username and Password.

Requirements for AVSA Judges

Briefly, AVSA judges should have the following 6 qualities:

  1. Knowledge – familiar with growing and with the standards described in the AVSA Handbook for Growers, Exhibitors, and Judges
  2. Judgement – based on personal experience, knowledge, training, study, practice, and common sense
  3. Experience – growing African violets of many types and sizes, both old and new
  4. Fairness – prejudice and personal opinion should not influence decisions
  5. Courage – making decisions and sticking with them
  6. Tact and Kindness – judges must respect fellow judges, as well as the exhibitors and various show chairmen
  1. All judges shall be members of AVSA. A judging certificate automatically expires when AVSA membership expires. If, however, membership is renewed within three months, the certificate will be reinstated. If AVSA membership remains lapsed for more than three months and is then renewed, a renewal examination that meets all the requirements for the category of judge involved, will have to be taken and passed.
  2. All judges shall keep informed of new rules pertaining to shows and judging as they are published in the AVSA Judges Handbook and in the African Violet Magazine under “New Rules” in the Shows and Judges columns.
  3. Judges shall not charge a fee for judging. When judging AVSA Affiliate shows, they may be reimbursed for travel and lodging expenses. Judges are not reimbursed for any expenses in judging AVSA Convention shows.
  4. Judges who do not take a renewal examination before the expiration of their certificate, or fail a renewal examination (regardless of when it is taken,) will no longer be allowed to judge until they have taken and passed a renewal examination and are reinstated at the same judging level.
  5. Three blue ribbons shall have been earned in AVSA approved (affiliate or convention) shows before taking any judges’ examination. These blue ribbons must have been earned between the previous examination and the one to be taken. At least two of the blue ribbons must have been won for specimen African violet plants, in the horticulture divisions. The third blue ribbon may be earned in the design division, or from the “other gesneriad” classes.
  6. Show or judges’ chairmen shall not sign their own entry tags or proof-of-blue-ribbon cards.
  1. For judges’ examinations taken at judging schools, three blue ribbons with attached entry tags, signed by the show or judges’ chairman must be presented to the teacher.
  2. For judges’ examinations taken by mail, proof of each blue ribbon earned is recorded on a 3″ x 5″ card, giving the:
  • date and theme of the show,
  • name of the affiliate sponsor,
  • name of the variety (or title of the design class,)
  • and signed by the show or judges’ chairman.

If the awards are from one show, the information may be entered on one card.

EXCEPTION: Many shows now use the AVSA Entries Program which generates a check out sheet for each exhibitor, listing all awards earned for each entry. This sheet, if signed by the show or judges’ chairman, may be used in lieu of the methods listed above.

Student Judge – considered to be inexperienced or apprentice judges. When invited to judge, they serve on a panel with two experienced judges. They must serve three years before progressing.

Advanced Judge – considered to be experienced judges but must meet specific requirements described in the AVSA Judges Handbook

Senior Judge – experienced judges who have met a required course of study over six or more years. They are entitled to take their examinations by mail and meet other specific requirements described in the AVSA Judges Handbook

Master Judge – advanced through all the other previous categories and served as a senior judge for a minimum of 12 years.

First Step – become an

AVSA Student Judge

Requirements to Become a Student Judge

  1. Shall attend an AVSA Judging School and pass the examination with a grade of 75 or above. This includes individually point-scoring two African violet plants.
  2. Shall present a current AVSA membership card and three blue ribbons to the teacher before taking the exam. One of the blue ribbons may be from design or the “other gesneriad” classes.
  3. Shall grow at least 25 different varieties of African violets, of which at least 15 must be registered varieties.
  4. A student judge may take a renewal examination anytime after the first year his or her student judge certificate is in effect. Proof of three blue ribbons, will be required for the examination. If the student judge passes the examination, that grade shall be applied toward his or her Advanced Judge certificate at the end of the three year student judge period. A student judge who fails the renewal examination will not be allowed to judge until another renewal examination is taken and passed.
  5. After completing the three-year student judge apprenticeship, a student judge must progress to Advance Judge by taking and passing a renewal examination in order to continue to judge.
  6. A student judge certificate is not renewable unless AVSA membership has lapsed.

Buy the

AVSA Judges Handbook

PRINT VERSION

2022 05 Handbook Cover B W

PRINT VERSION

PDF VERSION

Senior Judges

Advanced Judges Applying for First Senior Judges Exam

  1. Applicant must meet all requirements as listed on page 85 in the Handbook for Growers, Exhibitors and Judges.
  2. The application for the first Senior Judges exam must be mailed to the Senior Judges Exam Chair between May 1 and September 1.
  3. All requests must include a $5 payment or proof thereof. 
  4. Mail application, and required documents to the Senior Judges Exam Chair at address published in the May/June issue of the African Violet Magazine. Questions may be addressed to the Senior Judges Exam Chair seniorjudges@avsa.org.

Senior Judges are experienced judges who have met a required course of study over a period of six or more years. They are entitled to take their examinations, which must be taken for three consecutive years, by mail. After passing three senior judges examinations, a senior judge is awarded a permanent gold card.

Requirements:

  1. Shall be a member of AVSA and shall have served as an advanced judge for at least six years.
  2. Shall have attended at least three AVSA judging schools and shall have received a grade of 90 or above on three out of any previous examinations.
  3. Shall have judged five affiliate or convention African violet shows approved by AVSA.
  4. Shall present proof of three blue ribbons for the 1st, 3rd, and subsequent senior judges examinations.
  5. Shall grow at least 50 different varieties of African violets, of which at least 25 shall be registered varieties.
  6. When senior judges’ certificates lapse, or when senior judges fail to make the required grade of 93 points before their certificates lapse, they will no longer be allowed to judge. However, they may take senior judges examinations the following year, and upon receiving passing grades, be reinstated as senior judges.

Application for the Senior Judges Exam must be made between May and September 1 of each year.

APPLICATION FOR SENIOR JUDGES EXAM
Pay for Senior Judges Exam

Useful links for

Current Judges

Book Book UPDATES TO AVSA Handbook for Growers, Exhibitors, and Judges - 14th Edition (2022)

Send self-addressed, stamped envelope to Shows and Judges Chairman:

Mary Corondan
judges@avsa.org

434 Plumwood Way, Fairview TX 75069

Rules for Judging Schools

Sponsored by one or more AVSA affiliates, may be held anywhere a qualified teacher can be obtained, providing there is an enrollment of at least five AVSA members. At least three of the members must take the exam for the school to be processed.

When one or more AVSA affiliate(s) have decided to sponsor a judging school, they will appoint a local chairman.

The chair’s duties include:

  1. Complete supervision of the school, regarding date, time, location, registration fee, and any other necessary arrangements.
  2. Reminding the prospective students:
    1. to study the latest edition of the AVSA Handbook for Growers, Exhibitors and Judges.
    2. to bring to the school the appropriate evidence of AVSA membership, and documentation of blue ribbons, if required.
  3. Applying for registration blanks at least three months before the judging school, so that it may be registered by the AVSA Shows and Judges Committee member at least two months before the school is held.
    1. A registration fee must be included with the application.
    2. Applications received after the two month deadline will be returned to the local chair and the judging school will have to be rescheduled.
    3. See African Violet Magazine inside cover under “Judging School” for the address to the appropriate committee member and the registration fee.

The AVSA Shows and Judges Committee member will notify the local chair and the teacher when the school has been approved.

  1. Schools will be one or two days in length with at least a four hour lecture course and a demonstration of point score judging of African violets. Students must attend all sessions.
  2. When the two African violet plants are point scored as part of the examination, they are not judged by panels but are point scored by each student individually.
  3. Teachers shall proctor the examination and take the completed examination papers with them when they leave.
  4. The expenses of the school are paid by the sponsoring affiliate. These include the teacher’s fee, travel and hotel expenses, cost of point score sheets, duplicating of examination papers, and mailing costs for sending graded papers to the AVSA Shows and Judges Chair and then returning the examinations to the students with their new judging certificates.
  5. If the school is postponed or cancelled, it is the duty of the local chair to notify the AVSA Shows and Judges Committee member with whom the school was registered.
  6. Students are not required to evaluate the teacher. However, if they choose to do so, they should write the evaluation in their own words and pass to the local chairman. The local chair will mail all evaluations to the Shows and Judges Chair.
REGISTER JUDGING SCHOOL
Judging School teacher holding a violet in front of a class

AVSA Teachers

Are knowledgeable and dedicated AVSA Senior and Master Judges who, in addition to serving as judges, conduct schools for prospective judges and judges who are renewing their certificates. They write examinations, provide instruction, and conduct the examinations.

  1. Teachers are permitted to charge a fee for each school taught. They are also reimbursed for travel and other expenses (such as photocopying and mailing) involved in teaching a judging school.
  2. A teacher’s certificate shall be revoked by the AVSA Shows and Judges Committee Chair for failure to observe AVSA rules and procedures.
  1. Shall maintain AVSA membership and a senior judge certificate.
  2. Shall be a senior judge having completed at least the first three exams, and shall have received the permanent gold card.
  3. Shall have served as a judge for at least three AVSA shows during the three years before applying.
  4. Shall have won three blue ribbons during the three years before applying.

AVSA members who meet the requirements above, shall submit a letter of application to the AVSA Shows and Judges Chair mcorondan@yahoo.com which shall include:

  1. Three affiliate or convention show schedules signed by the show or judges’ chairman (for convention shows a card signed by the AVSA Shows and Judges Chairman may be submitted in lieu of the schedule.) The schedules will be returned if a self-addressed stamped envelope is included.
  2. Proof of having won three blue ribbons
  3. A set of 25 questions with answers based on information in the latest edition of the AVSA Handbook and any corrections appearing in the African Violet Magazine. The answers shall be given in the applicant’s own words except for AVSA rules, which shall be quoted verbatim. Page numbers from the AVSA Handbook shall be placed by the answers to indicate where these answers are found.

Mail letter of application to:  Mary Corondan, 434 Plumwood Way, Fairview TX 75069

When requirements have been met and the application is approved, a teacher’s certificate will be issued.

AVSA Teachers

The list of AVSA Teachers are found in the Current List of Judges available on the Judges page.

AVSA Teaching Tools 2019

Guide and Resources for AVSA Judging School Teachers (password required)