The accredited Judge is the backbone of the AIS judging program and is responsible for the selection of award-winning irises. It is the judges’ votes that determine which irises receive awards and thus are recommended to the public. Serving as a judge is a privilege, and duties should be fulfilled with dedication. Judges are representatives of The American Iris Society and should conduct themselves in a manner which will bring credit to the organization.

The most visible aspects of being a judge are voting for irises as they perform in the garden on the official, yearly AIS Ballot, and judging iris shows. Supporting these activities requires continued education and practical experience.

Judging Forms and Applications

Guidelines and requirements for becoming an accredited AIS judge are detailed on the AIS website here.  The requirements for maintaining continued accreditation as an AIS judge can be found in Chapter 1 of the current Handbook for Judges and Show Officials (see links below).  American Iris Society members residing in Region 1 who wish to become a candidate for Judgeship should contact Stephanie Markham, the Region 1 Judges’ Training Chair. The application for applying to become a judge is below, along with other forms Region 1 judges might need.

Application for becoming a Candidate for Judgeship (fill out and return to the JT chair if you wish to become a candidate for judgeship)

Yearly Activity Report (all active judges must fill this out and return it to the JT chair by July 31st. Note: The "judging" year runs from August 1 to July 31 of the following year.)

Garden Tutoring form (Fill out and return to the JT Chair if you tutor an Apprentice judge)

Show Tutoring form (Fill out and return to the JT Chair if you tutor an Apprentice judge at an accredited iris show)

Handbook for Judges and Show Officials

All judges are required to have a copy of the Handbook for Judges and Show Officials

Newly revised as of September, 2022, it is available for purchase on the AIS Storefront as a hardcopy version, with or without a binder.

It also available online (free) in PDF format:

Online Judges' Training Sessions

AIS hosts online Judges' Training sessions via Zoom on a regular basis as part of their Webinar program. If you can't attend live, you can view the sessions, as well as non-training webinars, on the AIS YouTube channel. If you want credit for a particular training session, the tests are located in the comments below the video itself. You will have the option of filling out the test online, or downloading it and filling it in manually. The online tests are sent to the JT chair. If you fill it in manually, please send it to Stephanie Markham (via email or snail mail to 22 Lawrence St., Norfolk, MA 02056).