American Working Malinois Association

December 9, 2002

1. Mandatory qualifications for apprenticeship
   1. The candidate must be an AWMA member in good standing for at least two (2) years.
   2. The candidate must have trained at least two (2) dogs to SchH3/IPO3 or at the discretion of the DOJ at least (1) dog to SchH3/IPO 3 and an additional dog to the highest levels of different disciplines may be acceptable. At least one of these dogs must have been a Malinois.
   3. The candidate must have trialed one of the dogs from 1.b in a national level event at the SchH3/IPO3 level and obtained a 260 point or higher score.
   4. The candidate must have been actively involved with promoting the Malinois and the AWMA at the club level.
   5. The age requirement for entering the AWMA judges program shall be a minimum of twenty-five (25) years of age and not older than sixty-five (65) years.
2. Application to apprentice program
   1. The applicant should be recommended to the AWMA executive board by their local club. A written resume of the applicants qualifications must accompany this recommendation.
   2. The AWMA director of judges will be responsible for confirming the forthrightness of the applicant's resume, and shall acquaint themselves with the applicant to ensure the applicant will represent the AWMA to the highest standard. Only persons who demonstrate high standards of personal conduct, good sportsmanship, and a mastery of the basics of schutzhund along with the willingness to work well with people and to intelligently promote the sport of schutzhund should be considered.
   3. The applicant's name will be posted on the website for four (4) months. Any challenges or objections regarding the applicant should be sent to the AWMA director of judges within this four (4) month period.
   4. Challenges or objections will be reviewed by the executive board. After the four month posting of the applicant's name on the website the executive board will approve the applicant to start the apprentice program. This approval will require an 80% vote by the executive board.
   5. After approval by the executive board the applicant will be placed on the AWMA apprentice judge list, and is authorized to judge practice or affiliation trials.
   6. Any letters received about the applicant will be sent to the applicant without the name of the sender.
3. The apprenticeship procedure.
   1. To apprentice, the apprentice judge will send a request for permission to apprentice to the teaching judge, the trial secretary of the trial-giving club and the AWMA director of judges. All of this must be done in written form no less than thirty (30) days prior to the trial. E-mail communication is acceptable.
   2. Upon completion of the trial the apprentice's report should be sent to the presiding judge not later than fourteen (14) days after the trial.
   3. After the completion of an apprenticeship (i.e. all copies graded and mailed back) there will be a waiting period of thirty (30) days before the next assignment. This will give the apprentice judge time to study the results and the presiding judge's remarks from the preceding event.
   4. Within fourteen (14) days of apprenticing the apprentice judge must send three copies of the trial report with the proper postage to the teaching judge. One (1) copy with corrections and remarks will be returned to the apprentice judge and another corrected copy with cover letter from the teaching judge will be sent to the AWMA director of judges.
   5. Only after receiving the corrected copy of the previous trial and a time period of thirty (30) days will the apprentice be able to apprentice at another trial. All copies of the previous assignments must be sent to, and received by the teaching judge at least seven (7) days prior to the next apprenticeship. This will give the teaching judge time to evaluate the apprentice's prior progress.
   6. There will be a required minimum of eight (8) apprenticeship trials. The last apprenticeship will be under the AWMA director of judges or his/her designee. The AWMA director of judges may require the apprentice to complete more apprenticeships at his/her discretion.
   7. During the course of the apprenticeship a minimum of sixty (60) dogs must have been evaluated. The minimum breakdown will be as follows;
      • Five (5) BH
      • Five (5) FH
      • Fifteen (15) SchH 1
      • Five (5) SchH 2
      • Thirty (30) SchH 3
   8. After completion of all requirements the AWMA director of judges will make a recommendation to the AWMA executive board for licensing. The AWMA executive board must confirm all new AWMA judges with a minimum eighty (80) percent vote.
   9. The initial license will be for a probationary period of three (3) years. At the end of the three (3) year probationary period, the probationary judge and his work will be reviewed by the AWMA director of judges and make his/her recommendation to the AWMA executive board for permanent judges license.
   10. Licensed judges from AWDF and FCI recognized programs may be granted AWMA judges license with 100% approval of the AWMA executive board, after having being listed for a period of four (4) months on the AWMA web site.
4. Removal of apprentice
   1. An apprentice that does not apprentice at least two (2) times in one (1) year or finish the program in three (3) years will be removed from the apprentice judge program.
   2. The AWMA director of judges may remove an apprentice from the program if the apprentice fails to show a marked improvement in procedure and quality of trial reports as they progress through the program.
   3. Any apprentice who exhibits behavior that is not in the best interest of AWMA or the judges program may be removed from the program. Removal for this reason will require approval by the AWMA director of judges and majority vote by the executive board.
5. Judges conduct
   1. A judge is a representative of AWMA on and off the field at all times.
   2. A judge must always be fair and unbiased in their work.
   3. A judge should always conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner.
   4. A judge should abide and judge by the rules accepted by AWMA.
   5. A judge should at all time be concerned for the welfare of our dogs as well as the safety and conduct of trial participants and spectators.
   6. Judges are required to keep the director of judges informed of correct contact information and any circumstance that could interfere with their ability to fulfill judging requirements.
   7. A judge may not judge their member club's trial or household members. This may be waived for championship trials.
6. Required judges activities.
   1. A judge should continue to expand his/her knowledge by studying under visiting judges and attending workshops and seminars.
   2. A judge must remain actively involved with the training of SchH/IPO dogs.
   3. Judges will be required to judge a minimum of three (3) trials within each calendar year.
7. Judges fees.
   1. A judge is entitled to all reasonable expenses relating to judging assignments.
   2. Current government mileage reimbursements.
   3. Round trip airfare where required.
   4. $50.00 per day judges fee for each day judging and for travel.
   5. Meals taken while in transit to and from the event.
8. Removal of judges.
   1. Automatic removal.
      1. Termination of AWMA membership.
      2. Voluntary request for removal.
      3. Judges who do not judge the required three (3) trials per year, without excused cause. (This will not be enforced until such time as there are sufficient AWMA trials to support this).
   2. Punitive
      1. Judges may be removed by 80% vote of the executive board.
   3. Inactive status.
      1. At any time, the AWMA director of judges may place any AWMA judge on inactive status until a meeting or decision of the executive board.
      2. The AWMA director of judges may place a judge on inactive status until specified requirements are met, not to exceed six (6) months without executive board involvement.
      3. A judge may request inactive status for personal or health reasons, if the judge remains inactive for a period of more than eighteen (18) months, he/she will be required to do a minimum of one apprentice under the AWMA director of judges or his/her designee to be reinstated as a fully licensed AWMA judge.