The following are the requirements of becoming a philatelic judge – the process beings with:
- Must apply to the Council Judges Coordinator.
- Must be an active philatelic exhibitor.
- Must satisfactorily complete three Apprenticeship assignments as a judge at Council philatelic shows.
To prepare for your role as a philatelic judge:
- Read the APS Manual of Philatelic Judging and Exhibiting (see www.stamps.org for a copy).
- Attend several philatelic shows (local and national) and practice judging exhibits by scoring the exhibits on display, writing the medal levels down before the ribbons are put up, and comparing your results with the official judge’s team.
- Attend and observe as many feedback sessions as you can.
- Ask questions.
No one can know as much about a subject as the exhibitor, but a philatelic judge should absorb philatelic knowledge as much as possible:
- Join specialist societies and read their journals.
- Attend lectures and presentations outside of your own collecting interests to broaden your knowledge.
- Read widely — the Western Philatelic Library is an excellent resource.
- Ask questions.
It is a great way to give back to the hobby, and you will learn a great deal about other aspects of philately and ways to improve your own exhibits.