A note from the Chief Judge....

01-19-2010

Please read the following from the Chief Judge in regards to our Premiere Show and Promotions.....

Greetings everyone!

I know all of us are anxious to get the season started at Hagerty this weekend, as our Cadet, B, and AAA groups debut their 2010 programs.  I wanted to share a few things with all of you before we head into our two weekends of Color Guard Premiere Shows, followed by our Percussion Premiere Weekend the first weekend of February.

Please enter these events with an understanding the scoring will be much more variable now, then later in the season when your programs are more complete.  Incomplete segments of your show are expected at this time of the year, however those incomplete moments are valued differently by each judge and each caption.  Quite simply, expect things to be scattered in regards to your numbers and caption placements at these early season events.  And, of course, don't assume that a score you receive at premiere means anything more then a judge's rating of your unit on that particular day.  Finish your show and ideas first before overreacting to an early season read of an incomplete program.  When you critique at Premiere shows, use this opportunity to get the affirmation or critical evaluation you need at this point in your program to feel comfortable in the direction you will go to finish it.  A judge will be able to give you an honest first read, but it is up to you to decipher what concerns and commentary are actually issues related to an inherent design problem, or simply a byproduct of your show being incomplete.  Your vision and design process is understood most completely and thoroughly by you and you alone.  Hear the commentary, listen to the feedback, but then, in the end, decide what you alone believe is the best way to proceed in finishing your art.

As all of you recall, FFCC units were allowed to enter into the class of their choice this season, as long as that did not conflict with a classification choice they have made for Winter Guard International events.  Also recall, there were no off-season promotions this past summer, as our membership requested that they be allowed to make classification decisions on their own, based on the personnel their program will have in 2010 specifically.  It is important for the competitive balance of our circuit that myself, and my promotion committee, thoroughly evaluate the classification choices you have made this season as we view your units over the next few weeks.  Creating an equitable distribution of color guards and percussion units in each class, based on their skill set presented, is paramount to the success of our circuit and creating challenges for our members that will lead them to improve through competition. 

For Color Guard units, all units will be reviewed in regards to their classification choice at their Premiere performance.  Our Cadet guards will be split into their two classes of competition at retreat of the Hagerty premiere.  All other classification changes for color guards will be announced on Sunday, January 31st...once all color guard units in all classes have performed.  From that point forward, classification will be reviewed each weekend for all units who perform and promotions announced on the Sunday or Monday following the performance that warranted the promotion.  Directors will be informed via email shortly before the promotions are announced on the website.  In additions, units that I feel are not serving their students by competing in a class of competition higher then they should, will be contacted and informed of my concern by their Class Representative.  From there, the unit director will make the decision whether to move down or remain where they are.  No unit will be forced to move down.

For Percussion units, the Percussion Scholastic A class will be split in PSA and PSAA after the Seminole and Fleming Island Premiere events.  I will provide the Chief Judges of each event a specific set of criteria I would like the panels to consider as they formulate this class split and submit their recommendation to me.  The results of this split will be posted on the FFCC website as quickly after the event as is possible, with an absolute deadline of Monday, February 8th at 5pm.  Then, at each subsequent weekly event, units in PSAA will be reviewed for possible promotion to PSA, with the process for informing those units promoted in-season being the same as what is described for the color guards above.  All other classification issues for Percussion units in the FFCC will defer to the classification our units compete in within Winter Guard International.

If you have any questions regarding these issues specific to our Premiere shows and Promotions in the FFCC, please feel free to email me directly at ffja@ffcc.org.  We look forward to another great season of performances by all of our units and I know that I, along with all members of the FFJA, can't wait to see what all of you have created this year.  Good luck everyone!

Tom

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