CONTROVERSY VS. APATHY

I'll take controversy, every time! Don't let the talk about "declining interest in the concours program" fool you. Take the last two Jaguar Journals for example. They were full of discussion about the programs, albeit, not very positive. It shows however, that members are justifiably proud of their Jaguars, want a venue to display and compare them to others of a similar design and quality, expect a level playing field, expert judging, and timely, accurate recording and posting of concours results! As a longtime member of the protest committee, I have witnessed the degree of accuracy expected from our judging.

What does the JCNA provide in pursuit of these objectives, and/or further improvement?

• · "Pride of ownership and a place to show it": The JCNA Concours d'Elegance competition program provides this, and is normally an affiliate's major annual event.
  
  
• · "A venue for comparison of similar Jaguars": Multiple classes for Champion & Driven, a "Preservation" class for the unrestored, and an unofficial "Washed & Displayed" class for Jaguars not wishing to compete, seems to provide a spot on the field for every Jaguar capable on moving under its own power.
  
  
• · "A level playing field": The JCNA concours rules, our Judge's Manual, is now under constant review for fairness by the JCRC, a committee chartered by AGM vote, and creating judging guides to provide appropriate standards. They are working hard refining classes and reviewing and proposing rule changes for AGM delegate approval.
  
  
• · "Expert Judging": This is a tough one, because the JCNA has so little control over judge's training, other than to require the affiliates to do a training session once per year. We need to establish a constant dialogue among judges, chief judges, and the JCRC, to ensure that rule changes are adequately promulgated. A giant step here would be concours head judges properly reporting "Js" & CJs" as required on "Forms, page-7" of the judge's manual! It would also be nice if judges and competitors were to read the judge's manual! Beyond this, I will recommend to the BOD, funding a program to develop a library of DVDs of sample judging of each model Jaguar's judgeable components, providing a great training tool for a "session", or individual viewing prior to a concours. Can you imagine the increment of judging improvement if a judge had prior knowledge of the model and component he were to be judging, and could watch an expert do it on tape/DVD shortly before the concours? Another colossal benefit would be the capturing of the expert knowledge of experienced, but aging judges.
  
  
• · "Timely, accurate, reporting & posting of competition results": Here, I think that we can really take a "bow"! Webmaster Gademer has refined the reporting and archiving system to its present excellent state, providing timely updates of results, and the opportunity to correct errors due to miss-posting or miss-application of competition rules, before results become finalized in the Jaguar Journal. Here again, future success will depend on your input.

The JCNA's success is totally dependent on you as volunteers. Help the JCNA further improve this major competition program by becoming your club's permanent head judge, conducting judging tech sessions, pre-planning your concours' judging assignments, communicating with the JCRC, and promptly reporting results on www.jcna.com.

On the National level, we need a Chair who will head the Judge's Training Committee.

Will YOU be our volunteer?

Gary Hagopian