COMPETITION

RULES

RULES, JUDGING CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES FOR COMPETITIVE EXHIBITS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. ANNUAL CONVENTION - COMPETITIVE EXHIBITS

1. Competitions

2. Rules for competitive entries

3. Judging

4. Awards

5. Insurance

6. Entry procedure

7. Amendment to competition rules

II. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF EXHIBITS

1. Traditional, postal history & aerophilatelic

2. Thematic exhibits

3. Youth exhibits

III. GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING EXHIBITS

1. Traditional [stamps]

2. Postal history

3. Aerophilately

4. Thematic

5. Youth exhibits

6. Guidelines for introductory statements

I ANNUAL CONVENTION - COMPETITIVE EXHIBITS

1 COMPETITIONS

Competitions are held each year at the time of the annual convention. They are: -

1.1 Inter-society 9 sheet competitive exhibit for: -

a) Traditional (One Country)

b) Postal History

c) Thematic

1.2 Inter-Society Overall (Millenium Shield) competition for the society gaining the most overall marks in all of the three Inter-Society 9 sheet competitions above.

1.3 Individual 16 sheet competitive exhibit for Aerophilately.

1.4 Individual 16 sheet competitive exhibit in respect of one of the following classes on an annual rotational basis: -

Year 1 - Traditional (One Country)

Year 2 - Postal History

Year 3 - Thematic

Year 4 - Traditional (One Country) etc. etc.

1.5 Individual Youth competitive exhibits

a) Under 14 years (4-9 sheets)

b) 14 to 17 years ( 9 sheets)

1.6 Best overall competitive exhibit at the convention from any of the classes in competitions (1.1), (1.3), (1.4) or (1.5) above.

2 RULES FOR COMPETITIVE ENTRIES

[Note all references to EM&EA PF refer to East Midlands & East Anglian Philatelic Federation]

2.1 Inter-society competitions are only open to societies affiliated to the EM&EA PF. The exhibit may be either the property of an individual member of the affiliated society or a composite entry belonging to a number of members of an affiliated society.

2.2 Individual competitions are only open to members of a society affiliated to EM&EA PF.

2.3 The material on display must be the bona fide property of the person or persons submitting the entry for judging.

2.4 Societies may enter each of the classes in the Inter-society competitions but may only make one entry in each of the classes.

2.5 Individuals may enter both of the Individual competitions but may not submit more than two entries in each of those competitions.

2.6 All entries in both the Inter-society and the Individual competitions will be automatically entered into the competition for the Best Overall Competitive Exhibit at the Convention.

2.7 Exhibits which have received a Silver Award or better at a National or International Competition may not enter any EM&EA PF competition.

2.8 Exhibits which have previously entered any of the EM&EA PF competitions may not re-enter any EM&EA PF competition in the same format.

2.9 Exhibits which win their competition or class may not be re-submitted for judging in any future EM&EA PF competition.

2.10 All entries in the Traditional class must contain material relating to one country only.

2.11 All exhibits must be enclosed in protective covers not exceeding 245 mm wide x 300 mm high.

2.12 All exhibits must have the sheet number for order of display and the entrants name, address and society entered lightly on the reverse of each sheet.

2.13 Each entry must contain an introductory statement setting out the plan or concept of the exhibit. (See section III.6)

2.14 The writing up of the exhibit must be the work of the entrants.

2.15 All exhibits in the adult classes must be on cream or white display sheets. Entries on coloured sheets are only permitted in the junior classes.

2.16 Entries on double width display sheets will be permitted, such sheets counting as two towards the number allowed in the class entered. However due regard must be paid to the 3 x 3 sheet format and the position the double sheet will occupy in the 9 sheet competitions.

2.17 Competitors in the Youth classes must be either under 18 years of age. The age to be taken will be that as at the 1st of January of the year of the Competition.

2.18 No exhibits may be removed from the display frames other than by persons authorised by the competition organiser.

2.19 Exhibits which do not comply with the rules in Section I of this document will not be accepted for judging.

2.20 Entering a competition will be taken as acceptance of these rules.

3 JUDGING

3.1 All competition entries will be judged in full by a panel of judges appointed by the executive committee of the EM&EA PF.

3.2 The judges will not be members of the EM&EA PF.

3.3 The decision of the judges will be final.

3.4 Entries will be judged entirely on their merits, without regard to the value of the material on display. The judges will consider the exhibit against the Criteria for Evaluation of Exhibits (Section II of this document), giving due regard to the competitors interpretation of the Guidelines for Preparation of Exhibits (Section III of this document).

3.5 The judges shall have the right to refuse to judge an exhibit which in their opinion does not relate to the competition or class entered when referring to the Guidelines for Exhibits (Section III of this document).

3.6 In judging the winning society of the Millenium Shield, the award will go to the society achieving the highest aggregate number of marks in all three of the inter-society 9 sheet competitions. In the event of competing societies obtaining an equal number of marks in the Millenium Shield competition the winner will be determined by the society having the highest number of marks in the Traditional Class. If there is still a tie then reference will be made to the number of marks obtained in the Postal History Class.

3.7 In judging the "Best Overall Competitive Exhibit" at the Convention the judges having given due regard to the award gained in the class entered, may determine the winning entry by using whatever criteria they may decide amongst themselves.

3.8 Individual marking sheets will be completed by the judges for each entry in every competition and class. These will be returned to the competition organiser as the judging of each class is concluded. The marking sheet for the best exhibit in each class will then be returned to the judges for their evaluation of the "Best Overall Competitive Exhibit".

3.9 The judges will be available to give a general talk on the exhibits at the time of the awards ceremony.

3.10 Time permitting; the judges will be available after the awards ceremony to discuss exhibits with the competitors.

4 AWARDS

4.1 Subject to the following minimum marks being attained, a certificate of the appropriate grade will be awarded as follows: -

Gold - 85

Silver Gilt - 80

Silver - 70

Silver Bronze - 60

Bronze - 50

Diploma - 40

Certificate of - <39

Participation

4.2 Special awards in the form of trophies are awarded for the best exhibits in the following classes: -

a) Inter-society competition

Traditional (One Country) - Federation Large Shield

Postal History - Stitt Dibden Cup

Thematic - Williams Rose Bowl

b) Inter-Society Overall Competition - Millenium Shield

c) Individual competition

Aerophilately - Jack Simmonds Trophy

Rotational Subject - Kings Lynn Jubilee Trophy

Youth (under 14) - Junior Shield

Youth (14 - 17) - Junior Cup

N.B. The winning entries in each of the 6 to 8, 9 to 11, 12 to 13 and 14 to 17 age groups will be presented with Morley Awards in memory of the late Eric Morley.

d) Best Overall Competitive Exhibit - Kay Goodman Trophy

4.3 Trophies (excepting Morley Awards) are to be held by the winning competitors for one year only.

4.4 It is the responsibility of the winning society in the inter-society competitions and the winning competitor in the individual competitions to ensure that the trophies are returned clean to the Executive Committee of the EM&EA PF prior to the commencement of the following Convention.

4.5 It is the responsibility of the winning society in the inter-society competitions and the winning competitor in the individual competitions to have the trophies engraved. Such engraving should be in a similar style to any already on the trophy. Reasonable engraving costs may be reclaimed from the Treasurer of the EM&EA PF.

4.6 Winners of trophies are responsible for the safekeeping of trophies whilst in their possession.

5 INSURANCE

5.1 While all reasonable steps will be taken by the EM&EA PF to safeguard the property of exhibitors, neither the EM&EA PF or the host society can accept any responsibility whatsoever for the loss of or damage to competition entries howsoever caused.

5.2 It is the responsibility, therefore, of exhibitors to insure their property against loss or damage both whilst in the care of the competition organiser and whilst being transported to and from the competition.

6 ENTRY PROCEDURE

6.1 All entries will be notified to the competition organiser at least 28 days in advance of the competition.

6.2 Advance notification of an entry will be given by means of the completion of an entry form appropriate to the class being entered as provided for in the appendices of this document.

6.3 The entry notification will be accompanied by any entry fee that may determined by the Executive Committee of the EM&EA PF from time to time.

6.4 The competition entry will be accompanied by a form as per appendix B of this document.

6.5 Entries will be handed to the competition organiser by 10.00am on the day of the Competition, or be forwarded to the organiser by registered post to be received at least one week prior to the Competition.

6.6 Competitors requiring their entries to be returned to them by post will forward with their entry an amount appropriate to cover the return of their

entry by registered post.

6.7 Any person wishing a copy of the Judges marking will only be supplied one if a, Stamped S.A.E. is supplied, this will be sent after the Competition.

7 AMENDMENT TO COMPETITION RULES

7.1 The Executive Committee of the EM&EA PF have absolute authority to amend, repeal or add to these competition rules.

7.2 Not withstanding rule 7.1 there will be no amendments made to the competition rules within 3 months of the Competition.

II CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF EXHIBITS

With the opportunity for exhibitors to progress from Society through Federation to National and International level, the EM&EA PF criteria for evaluating exhibits has been revised to facilitate the competitors progression through the various stages of competition.

1. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF TRADITIONAL (STAMPS), POSTAL HISTORY AND AEROPHILATELIC EXHIBITS

CRITERIA	MARKS	ATTRIBUTES OF EXHIBITS
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT		Title, and plan or concept of exhibit showing period covered and sequence of development.
1.1 TREATMENT OF SUBJECT AND IMPORTANCE	(25)
a) Treatment of subject	20	Material strictly relevant to title and plan of chosen subject. Comprehensive coverage of subject without major gaps or unnecessary duplication within scope of the exhibit.
b) Importance	5	The importance of an exhibit will be gauged by it's relationship to the general philatelic study of the chosen subject.
1.2 KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH	(35)
a) Knowledge of subject	20	Full and accurate appreciation of chosen subject.
b) Philatelic knowledge	10	In depth study of existing information.
c) Personal research	5	Development of subject in a new way. Presentation of new information.