With A&S champs now on the East Kingdom Event Calendar, I wanted to take a moment to address some common questions that come up often concerning this competition. If you have a question that isn’t addressed below, please feel free to email me at moas@eastkingdom.org.
-Amalie
Q: When and where is A&S champs this year?
A: The A&S Championship Competition will be held on March 1st, 2025, in the Barony of Settmour Swamp (Washington, NJ). You can find the event listing here: https://www.eastkingdom.org/event-details/?eid=4362
Q: How do I sign up to compete, judge, or display?
A: Registration for competitors, judges, and display entrants opens on December 1st, 2024. On December 1st, the registration links for all three of those options will go live on the MoAS website, which can be found here: https://moas.eastkingdom.org/crowns-as-champions/. Please note that the registration deadlines differ based on your project. Research projects and projects that will be judged remotely have an earlier registration AND documentation deadline.
Q: Who can enter the competition?
A: Anyone! You do not need to have reached a certain “level” in the A&S awards system.That being said, this is a high level competition, so beginners may want to try out more local competitions before entering the Kingdom Championship competition.
Q: Who can be a judge? Do I need to have a certain level of A&S award to be a champs judge?
A: You do not need to have any A&S awards to serve as a judge. However, this year, we *will* be prioritizing judges who have completed our Judge Certification Program. To become a certified judge, you need to attend an A&S rubric training session and a Consent in A&S class, which can be done online or in person. If you are interested in judging and are not yet a certified judge, there’s still plenty of time to complete that process! For more information on Judge Certification, visit https://moas.eastkingdom.org/judge-certification-program/
Q: Will you be holding rubric training classes for artisans and judges prior to the competition?
A: Yes! Be on the lookout for upcoming classes. Live classes will be held at St. Eligius and Birka, with additional live classes possible at other events. There will also be two online classes held in early 2025.
Q: Will there be a remote option for competitors who cannot attend the event due to accessibility concerns?
A: Yes, there is a remote option to accommodate accessibility needs. Artisans who request to be judged online will meet with their judges via video conferencing the week before the live event. They also have earlier registration and documentation deadlines.
Q: This is a dry site. Does this mean brewers can’t enter?
A: Brewers can still enter! We are working on several potential workarounds, and will have more information on the brewing situation in the coming weeks. In the meantime, anyone interested in competing with an alcoholic brewing entry should contact the KMoAS at moas@eastkingdom.org.
Q: How recent does my entry need to be? Can I enter a project I made several years ago? Can I enter a project that I’ve used before for A&S champs?
A: Projects to be judged should have been completed within four years of the competition. But note that it could’ve been started years earlier! Entries may have been entered into (and even won) local/regional A&S competitions. However, no item should have won a previous Kingdom Championship competition. If a project has been entered in a previous year’s East Kingdom A&S Championship, it must have substantial revision and new material in order to be submitted again.
Q: What is the role of the A&S Champion?
A: The duties of the A&S champions include representing the Crown at events, participating in and/or assisting with the Pennsic A&S War Point, and assisting the MoAS office in running next year’s Crown’s A&S. Please note that attendance at Pennsic, while strongly encouraged, is not required.