National Shows - Rules & Regulations

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SHOW REGULATIONS
These Regulations apply to the Early and Late N.C.S. Shows and should be read in conjunction with the Show Regulations and Rules for Judging which are set out in the current N.C.S. publication 'Chrysanthemum Judging and Exhibiting' and apply to all Shows judged under N.C.S. Rules. 

1. Entry Forms. Persons wishing to exhibit at the Society's Shows must complete and send the entry form enclosed to the Show Manager not later than Sunday 6th September, in respect of the Early Show and not later than Sunday 1st November for the Late show. All exhibits must have been grown by the exhibitor for three months previous to the date of the show, and a certificate to that effect must be signed on the entry form. No exhibitor may make more than one entry in any one class, with the exception of classes 12 to 14, 60, 61, 64 and 65 in the Early show, and classes 10 to 12, 62, 63, 85 and 86 in the Late show. 

2. Entry Fees: NONE. Persons not members of the Society must become members in order to exhibit. 

3. Withdrawals. Exhibitors wishing to withdraw from any class or classes are requested to notify the Show Manager by 9 am on the day previous to the Show. This is most important. 

4. Conditions of Acceptance of Entries. Entries are accepted on the distinct understanding that the exhibits remain staged during the whole time the exhibition is open. Any removal before that time can be carried out only with the consent of the Show Manager and in the presence of the Show Manager or of a person deputed to act on his behalf. The Show Manager or Show Secretary (if appointed) shall have the power to reject any exhibits considered not worthy of exhibition. 

5. Non-Competitive Exhibits are invited and discretionary awards may be made to non-competitive exhibits. 

6. Staging: Only one base per vase is permitted - more than one and the exhibit will be disqualified. A selection of staging blocks are available from the Show Manager. Only Large/Medium Exhibition or Fantasies are to be staged in single bloom Vases. 

Time for Staging of Exhibits. 
The Exhibition Hall will be open from 2.00 pm on the day prior to the Shows and will remain open all night for staging of exhibits. Staging of competitive exhibits must be completed by 10.00 am on the first day of both the Early and Late Shows. Vases will be provided. All possible care will be taken of exhibits, but any remaining after the advertised time of closing of the show must be at the owner's risk. No flowers shall have their position altered or be removed from the stands after having been staged, except with the sanction of the Show Manager or Show Secretary. Exhibitors must leave the Exhibition Hall at 10.00 am on the first day of both the Early and Late Shows, unless officially retained by the Show Manager. No vases are to be moved after this time.

7. Exhibitors' Entry Cards and Name Cards. Cards will be available in the staging area. Cards to be placed (reversed) in front of their exhibits before judging. Any exhibits left without a card will be considered as not for competition. Every cultivar should be correctly labelled - groups and exhibits arranged for decorative effect are excepted. Name cards, upon which the names of the blooms must be legibly written, are provided, and should be placed in front of each vase. Seedling entries must show only classification and colour until after judging when the name can be displayed 

8. Judging will be conducted under the current N.C.S. Code of Rules for Judging. The Shows Committee may award extra prizes at their discretion. 

9. Protests and objections. The decision of the Judges as regards the relative merits of Chrysanthemum exhibits is final; and no protest on those grounds can be entertained. Any protests on other grounds regarding the awards of the Judges (e.g. the interpretation of the schedule, or the qualification of an exhibitor) should be made to the Show Manager within 1 hour of the official opening of the show. Protests will be dealt with by the Shows Committee, which shall have power to declare any exhibit in any class disqualified on protest, and this decision shall be final. Disputed questions of nomenclature which the Show Committee is unable to decide shall be referred to the Floral Committee, and its decisions shall be final. 

10. Liability for Loss. All exhibits, personal property, etc., shall be at the risk of the exhibitors, and the Society shall not be liable for compensation for loss or damage by theft, fire, water, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. Should a show not be held from any cause, no exhibitor shall have any claim on the Society or its Officers for loss, damage, interest, or compensation. Exhibitors shall be wholly responsible for any claim made by their employees under the Employer's Liability Acts or the Workmen's Compensation Act, and amending and supplementary Acts. The Society shall not be responsible for any accident arising from any cause whatsoever to any person visiting the Shows, or for any damage or loss, how ever caused, to the property of any such person. 

11. SPECIAL NOTICE TO JUDGES, SECRETARIES OF AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND PERSONS CONCERNED WITH THE ADJUDICATION OF SPECIAL AWARDS AT CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. Once a vase of blooms has been staged by an exhibitor under a section other than that in which the cultivar concerned is classified, such blooms must remain in the classification section in which they are staged for the duration of the show. An intermediate shown in two forms in an entry constitutes only one cultivar. For example, where intermediates are exhibited in a class for Incurved blooms, or in a class for Reflexed blooms, they will be judged as Incurved or Reflexed, as the case may be, for the purposes of the class in which they are staged and for such consideration as Best Vase of Incurved or Reflexed. They will not be eligible for such awards as Best Vase of Intermediates. AFFILIATED SOCIETY EXHIBITS. When considering an award for the Best Vase of blooms in the show, exhibits staged by a member or members of an Affiliated Society are eligible. 

12. Trophies will be awarded only to the first prize exhibits, except where otherwise stated. All Cups, Trophies, etc. are to be held by the winner for one year and must be returned to the Show Manager prior to the following year's Show. 

13. Cultivars classified as Pompons in Sections 8, 18 and 28 may be exhibited in spray form where classes call for sprays, as follows: cultivars in Section 8 may be exhibited in classes for Section 9; cultivars in Section 18 in classes for Sections 19 and 29, cultivars in Section 28 in classes for Section 29. 

14. The following conditions apply to Affiliated Chrysanthemum and Horticultural Societies only in the following classes. - 
At the Early Show: 
(i) Affiliated Societies Championship of Great Britain, Class 1 
(ii) Affiliated Societies Roy Calladine Memorial Trophy, Class 2. 
(iii) The 'Amateur Gardening' Challenge Shield, Classes, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. 
(iv) Class 10. The Stoke Festival Trophy 

At the Late show: 
(i) Classes 1 to 9 

1. The entry is made in the name of the Society through one of its officers, thus. Exhibited by "………………………………………………………………" Society. 

2. Societies competing must guarantee that the blooms have been cut from the collections of its members only. 

Silver medals are now to be awarded to winning Societies in classes 1 and 2 at both the Early and Late Shows.. In class 1 the winning Society will be awarded two silver medals to be awarded to contributing members. The winning Society will have the opportunity, if they wish, to purchase additional silver medals, at cost, so that all contributors to the winning exhibit may receive a medal. It will be a similar situation for class 2, where the winning Society will receive one silver medal, with the option of purchasing additional medals. 

15. AFFILIATED SOCIETY LEAGUE CLASS This class will be judged under the following rules. 
1) The BEST bloom is selected from a row, e.g. the front row, this bloom is pointed out of a 100. 
2) The other blooms on the row are put in order 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc and points given accordingly. 
3) The BEST bloom on the middle row is pointed bearing in mind the points allocated to the best bloom and other blooms on the first row. The remainder in this row are pointed accordingly. 
4) The BEST bloom on the remaining row is pointed, bearing in mind the points allocated to the blooms on the other two rows. The remaining blooms in this row are then pointed. 

The points will be recorded by the judges on the specially designed exhibitors cards and transferred to the front of the cards by the steward to correspond with the details of cultivars and growers, supplied by the exhibiting society. 

16. Deceit/Malpractice - Where a person is found to be in breach of Show Regulations by deliberate deception or/and malpractice at National Shows, all his/her exhibits will be excluded from the Show. Such deception/malpractice will render the exhibitor banned from National Shows for a minimum period of two subsequent years. A quorum of the Management Committee will make the decision on the day of the Show; the exhibitor will have a right of appeal to the Executive Committee. 

17. Fourth Prize Awards. Fourth Prizes will be awarded in all Medal and Trophy classes. EARLY SHOW CLASSES 
1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 45, 46, 51, 63 
LATE SHOW CLASSES 
1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 74 

18. Fantasies. Unobtrusive supports and rings may be used when exhibiting fantasies, they should not exceed 7" diameter. 

19. Best vases will be placed  back in their exhibits until  10.30 am on the second   morning of the show so that pictures can be taken

Hot water for drinks is available during staging, but Food may not be available all night.

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