This article is authored by Lee Fisher, L2, Area Captain of Idaho!

 

Greetings fellow Judges!

I would like to provide an update on the amazing recent Judge Conferences in the Idaho area.

We held our very first Idaho Judge Conference in October 2017 at Game Pulse in Rexburg. This was a great event and approximately 20 attendees were able to come from Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming!

Topics included opportunities for newer judges, such as Recruiting & Developing New Judges, Progressing to L2, and Customer Service. We also worked on improving rules knowledge with Replacement Effects vs ETB Triggers and Turn Based Interactions & Combat Shortcuts. After the conference, a friendly booster draft was held where players had the opportunity to meet and play with local judges.

 

The second Idaho Judge Conference was held at Enclave in Boise in April 2018. The location was selected to provide a better opportunity for judges in the western part of the state, as it is about a 4+ hour drive away from the eastern cities. Nearly 30 judges showed up from Idaho, Oregon, and Utah for a wide variety of including: Path to L2, Layers, 2-Headed Giant, Counterfeits, and Investigations.

The Counterfeits class provided physical examples that we were able to pass around and get a better idea of what to look for and learn about the methods used to identify them. While it is hard to try to catch them at large events, it is a great skill to be able to share with our local communities.

My personal favorite was Investigations, as it provided techniques used in the US legal system. It discussed how the human brain works with memory and chronology, which can be helpful when we perform investigations from small issues up to Disqualification situations.

 

After receiving feedback from the first two conferences, the general consensus was that it would be preferred to have one on each side of the state annually.

The next conference was held at Quests and Legends in Pocatello in September 2018, with approximately 25 people attending from Idaho, Montana, and Utah. Due to the larger venue, we were able to have a dual presentation track for attendees to select from. There were a wide variety of topics including rules and mechanics (Steps to Casting a Spell, Layers, and Hidden Card Error), application of skills at events (Customer Service , Deck Checking, Live Judge Calls, and High End Scorekeeping), and community development (Recruiting and Developing New Judges).

 

The plan for 2019 is to have two Idaho Judge Conferences, with one in Pocatello (Spring) and a later one in Twin Falls (Fall). I hope to see you there!