FORESTERS CAMERA CLUB
COMPETITION RULES FOR FILM & DIGITAL IMAGING
Revised & amended: September 1, 2009
GENERAL INFORMATION
Competition will be conducted during the first meeting of the month from October through April. Only
dues paying members may compete in the monthly competitions.
If we work together, our competition nights will run smoothly. Out of consideration for the judges,
meetings must start on time. To ensure promptness, all entries must be submitted by 7:15 PM. No
entries will be accepted after this deadline. In addition, the President will attempt to keep the business
meetings short.
Food and beverages will be served before the meeting is called to order.
COMPETITOR CLASSES
Club members will be assigned to a competitor class based on their expertise and competition scores:
• Class A will consist of the most proficient club members.
• Class B will consist of members with intermediate photographic skills.
• Class C will consist of new members with novice skills.
Class assignments are permanent for the current club season. Advancement to a higher class will be based
on the member’s average point total and will be announced at our end of year awards banquet by the
Foresters Scorekeeper. A club member will be moved to the next higher class if the member’s average
point total for the year is equal to, or greater than, the lowest average point total in the next highest class.
If a member wishes to move down in class, such request must be made in writing to the Executive Board,
which will review the request and render a decision. Averages will be based on no less than six (6) entries
in the Small Color Print class. Since the other competition categories are already open to all classes (A,
B, and C), only Small Color Prints will be considered when compiling averages.
COMPETITION CATEGORIES
Images may be entered in the following classes:
• LARGE COLOR PRINTS: This is a general category open to all classes. All entries in this
category are judged together with no differentiation between Class A, B, or C. Large Color Prints
will be judged at all competitions. The maximum number of entries per member, per competition
is two (2), with a maximum for the club season of twelve (12).
• SMALL COLOR PRINTS: Small Color Prints will be judged in Classes A, B, & C during all
competitions. Each class will be judged separately on its own merit. Awards and Honorable
Mentions will be granted in each class. The maximum number of entries per member, per
competition is two (2), with a maximum for the club season of twelve (12). 1 of 8
• LARGE MONOCHROME PRINTS: This is a general category open to all classes. All entries
in this category are judged together with no differentiation between Class A, B, or C. Large
Monochrome Prints will be judged at all competitions. The maximum number of entries per
member, per competition is two (2), with a maximum for the club season of twelve (12).
• SMALL MONOCHROME PRINTS: This is a general category open to all classes. All entries
in this category are judged together with no differentiation between Class A, B, or C.
Monochrome Prints will be judged at all competitions. The maximum number of entries per
member, per competition is two (2), with a maximum for the club season of twelve (12).
• SPECIALS: This is a special category of Small Color Prints open to all classes. The prints
entered into this competitive category must conform to the special topic of the month with a
minimum of 70% of the image representing the special topic. All entries in this category are
judged together with no differentiation between Class A, B, or C. Specials will be judged at all
competitions. The maximum number of entries per member, per competition is two (2), with a
maximum for the club season of twelve (12).
• DIGITAL PROJECTED IMAGES (DPI):
This is a general category open to all classes. All entries in this category are judged together with
no differentiation between A, B, or C. DPI will be judged at all competitions. The maximum
number of entries per member, per competition, is two (2), with a maximum number of twelve
(12) for the club season. On Tuesday prior to the competition, images must be electronically
submitted to the appropriate club e-mail address. Submission criteria will be consistent with the
CACCA competition rules.
In all print categories, images obtained by different methods will be combined. Prints produced by
traditional film or digital sensors will be grouped together without regard to darkroom or computer
enhancements or alterations. For the sake of the CACCA delegates who must choose print entries,
entrants must indicate any special methods used to create, enhance, or alter the image. This information
must be recorded on the back of the board so that the image can be placed in the correct CACCA
competition.
ENTRIES IN ABSENTIA
If a member is unable to attend a competition but would like to enter images in absentia, it is that
member’s responsibility to arrange for another member to enter those images. The member entering
images for the absent member must notify the Image Coordinator prior to the competition.
MAKE-UP ENTRIES
Two (2) make-up entries for each category are allowed per month from November through April,
provided that the entrant participates in a minimum of four competitions. These entries must be clearly
marked and announced to the judges as “make-ups for point scoring only, not for honors.” If the Image
Coordinator or one of the Image Assistants fails to make this announcement, the entrant must do so from
the floor.
Due to unusual circumstances, qualified members of the club may need to fill in for competition judges.
Since judges may not submit work to a competition they are judging, they must withdraw their entries
prior to competition and enter them as make-ups in the subsequent competition. Unlike other make-ups,
judge’s make-ups shall be eligible for honors. 2 of 8
RE-ENTRY
There are two (2) conditions under which an image may be judged more than once.
• If a member believes that a non-winning entry has special merit, it may be re-entered one other
time in the same category in a subsequent competition, providing that the initial score was
twenty (20) or below.
• Once an image has competed, even if it has won an honor, it may be entered in one other category
during the current or any subsequent season.
SAME SUBJECT MATTER
A print similar to a previously submitted print and judged in the same category is ineligible. Similar is
defined as almost identical in subject, composition, props, lighting, or technique whereas anyone
viewing the entries together would decide that they are nearly the same, except for very minor changes.
SPECIFICATIONS FOR PRINTS
Prints are classified as either SMALL or LARGE.
• A small print is any print mounted on an 11” x 14” board.
• A large print is any print mounted on a 16” x 20” board.
All prints must be identified by affixing a completed Foresters Camera Club label in the upper left corner
on the reverse side of the board. The entrant must record the following information on the label: name,
date, and title of the image.
Prints may be maker-made or commercially made.
SPECIFICATIONS FOR DIGITAL PROJECTED IMAGES
All digital projected images must follow the rules set forth on the CACCA website.
PRINT ENTRY FORMS
Both parts of the form must be filled out completely, correctly, and legibly, or the entries on that form
will be disqualified. The form includes the entrant’s name, date, title for each entry, and appropriate
check marks indicating the proper category. There can be only one form submitted per competition
category. The form must be whole, not cut in half. A separate form must be filled out for make ups, and
the word “MAKE UP” must be stamped on both halves of the form. Make-ups submitted by judges
must be marked “JUDGE’S MAKE UP” and placed with the regular entries, except Specials must be
placed with other make ups.
The Image Coordinator will enter scores on both the upper and lower half of the form and record Awards
and Honorable Mentions in the appropriate spaces. Following the competition, one half of the form will
be returned to the competitor for his/her records. The other half of the form will be given to the
Scorekeeper. It is the responsibility of the entrant to verify the accuracy of the scores and bring any
discrepancies to the attention of the Scorekeeper within 72 hours of the competition. Otherwise, the
score will stand. 3 of 8
REQUIREMENTS FOR HONORS
For honors to be given, there must be a minimum of three (3) entrants and five (5) entries in the
category. Otherwise, only points will be awarded.
MONTHLY WINNERS
The club will acknowledge with honors a minimum of 20% of the entries in each category, provided
that the minimum number requirements have been reached. Acknowledgements will be divided into
two groups–Awards and Honorable Mentions (HMs). A Print-of-the-Month (POM) shall be
selected from the Awards group.
Judges will select approximately 10% of the total entries in each category for Awards and
approximately 10% of the total entries in each category for Honorable Mentions. Variances from
these percentages may occur at the discretion of the judges. For instance, in the event of multiple high
scores, judges may give more Awards than the stipulated 10%. As long as the minimum is reached,
the club allows the judges leeway.
JUDGING METHOD
Three (3) judges, usually CACCA members from other clubs, will view, judge, and award the entries.
The judging will be conducted as follows:
Judges will use scoring machines equipped with a number display. Each of the three (3) judges will
assign a number score of “0” to “9” for each image as it is displayed. The three (3) individual scores
are totaled and assigned to the image. Total points for an image range between “0” and “27,” most
images scoring in the range of “16” to “23.”
The 20% receiving the highest scores will return for a second round of judging. However, oftentimes
the number receiving the highest scores will be less than 20% of the entries. In those instances,
another round will be conducted from entries with lower scores. These will be passed through for
review by the judges to increase the number of entries and achieve the target 20%. If the number of
entries receiving the highest scores is more than 20%, an elimination round will be conducted to
achieve the target 20%.
Once an acceptable percentage of images have been selected, a process called “IN and OUT” is used.
The judges are shown each entry again to determine if it should remain in the competition or be
eliminated. As the entry is presented, the judges vote with a “1” to keep the image in the competition or
a “0” to eliminate the image.
• If all three judges select “1,” the Scorer will call “three in” and the image is accepted for the
next round.
• If two judges vote “1” and one judge votes “0,” the Scorer will call “two in” and the image
is accepted for the next round.
• If one judge votes “1” and two judges vote “0,” the Scorer will call “one in” and the image is
eliminated.
• If all three judges vote “0,” the Scorer will call “out” and the image is eliminated.
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After a review of the remaining entries, further rounds of “IN and OUT” may be necessary to attain the
10% for Awards and 10% for Honorable Mentions.
PRINTS OF THE MONTH
After the regular judging of the entries, all Award winning entries will be shown to the judges again so
that they may award Print of the Month (POM). The “IN and OUT” process will be used to determine
the POM from each competition category.
PRINTS OF THE YEAR
This competition will be conducted on the first Tuesday in May using an outside panel of judges. All
club members may submit up to four (4) images that were previously judged during the current club
season. These images need not have earned Awards or Honorable Mentions. There will be one winner in
each competition category. Print of the Year (POY) will be presented at the annual awards banquet or
other suitable occasion.
END OF YEAR HONORS
Cumulative scores will be kept by the Scorekeeper, who will tally and publish the standings periodically
throughout the year. After the April competition, the cumulative scores will determine the top two (2)
competitors in each category. However, in order to be eligible for one of the top two (2) positions, a
member must have submitted the maximum allowable number of images for that category, which is
twelve (12).
COMPETITION COMMITTEE
The Executive Board will serve as the Competition Committee.
CHALLENGES
An entry may be challenged orally during the competition. It also may be challenged in writing. The
written challenge must be presented to a member of the Competition Committee within seven (7) days
of the competition. The committee member receiving the written challenge will meet with the rest of the
Competition Committee to review the facts and render a decision. The entrant and the challenger will be
notified of the Committee’s decision. In the event that a member of the Competition Committee has
entered the challenged image, the entrant shall not be allowed to vote on the final resolution of the
challenge.
ENTRIES HELD FOR PSA AND CACCA COMPETITIONS
Suitable print and DPI entries may be selected and held for PSA & CACCA Interclub Competition.
Permission from the entrant is implicit, unless otherwise stated.
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EXCEPTIONS FOR ENTRY
A competitor may submit an image that has been judged at another camera club to a monthly
competition at Foresters Camera Club, unless that image has been entered at CACCA Interclub
Competition.
ALTERATIONS AND AMENDMENTS
Any of the foregoing rules of competition may be altered and amended by a majority vote of the
membership present.
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FORESTERS CAMERA CLUB
CONSTITUTION
Adopted: June 1976 – Revised & Amended: September 2009
ARTICLE I – NAME
This organization shall be known as the Foresters Camera Club.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
The goal of the Foresters Camera Club shall be to further the enjoyment and study of photography.
ARTICLE III – MEETINGS
Meetings will be held at 7:00 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, from September through
May, at the Palos United Methodist Church in Palos Heights, unless otherwise stipulated by the
Executive Board. The business portion of the meeting will begin at 7:15 p.m. Refreshments will be
served prior.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to any person over the age of sixteen (16) who is seriously interested in
photography. A member in good standing for the club season is one whose dues have been paid in full.
All members are entitled to participate in club activities. A prospective member may attend two (2)
meetings prior to joining the Foresters Camera Club.
The membership of any person may be suspended by action of the Executive Board when sufficient
reason exists. The suspended member shall have the right to appeal the suspension, in which case the
action of the Executive Board shall be upheld or rescinded by majority vote of the members present.
ARTICLE V – OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD
The following officers shall be elected by the membership and will make up the Executive Board:
President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. In addition, the Immediate Past President shall be a
member of the Executive Board.
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ARTICLE VI – AFFILIATIONS
The Foresters Camera Club shall have no affiliations with other organizations other than those primarily
concerned with photography, such as the Chicago Area Camera Club Association (CACCA) and the
Photographic Society of America (PSA).
ARTICLE VII – APPOINTED POSITIONS
The following positions shall be established to conduct club activities: Program Coordinator, Field Trip
Coordinator, CACCA Delegate & Alternate, PSA Delegate, Membership Coordinator, Mentor
Coordinator, Publicity Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Refreshment Coordinator, Image Coordinator
(including Assistants), Banquet Coordinator, Judge Procurer, Scorekeeper, and Webmaster.
BY-LAWS
Adopted: June 1976 – Revised & Amended: September 2009
ARTICLE 1 – EXECUTIVE BOARD & RESPONSIBILITIES
The following officers will be elected, as per Article II of the By-Laws, and will serve on the Executive
Board:
The President shall preside at all business and Executive Board meetings, appoint members to fill vacant
positions, act as the club spokesperson, and generally supervise all club activities.
The Vice President shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence, and act as liaison
between the general membership and the Executive Board.
The Treasurer shall collect dues, maintain custody and control of all club funds and financial records,
and prepare interim and annual reports on the club’s financial condition.
The Secretary shall record, and make available to the membership, the official minutes of business and
Board meetings, send get well and/or condolence cards as necessary, and conduct all other club
correspondence.
The immediate Past President shall serve in an advisory capacity to the President and other executive
officers, provide guidance and insights born of experience, and help to insure continuity within the
organization.
The responsibilities of the Executive Board shall be to make policy, resolve competition challenges and
other disputes, take disciplinary action as necessary, and approve nominees to vacated elected positions.
ARTICLE II – ELECTIONS
Election of club officers shall be held annually in May. No officer shall be elected to the same office for
more than two (2) consecutive terms.
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The President shall appoint a Nomination Committee of three (3) members. One of the three (3)
members shall be from the Executive Board and serve as the Chairperson of the committee. The
committee will prepare a slate of officers, as well as obtain their agreement and willingness to serve if
elected. The Chairperson shall present the slate of nominees to the general membership at the last
meeting in April, at which time additional nominations may be made from the floor. The election will
take place at the May business meeting.
Nominees for vacated offices shall be selected by the President and submitted to the Executive Board for
approval. In the event that the President’s office is vacated, the Vice President will be elevated to the
Presidency and will serve in that capacity until the next annual election. Should that occur, the partial
term as President will not count as a full term. The Vice President that was elevated to the Presidency
shall be eligible to serve an additional two (2) consecutive terms as President, if elected.
In the event that the Past President is unable to serve, the President shall consider previous retired
Presidents in chronological order, the most recently retired considered first. If there are no Past
Presidents available to serve, the President will nominate a qualified replacement, a choice that requires
approval of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE III – EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS
The Executive Board shall meet periodically. The President shall call meetings over the summer in
order to plan for the year. During the season, meetings shall be called as needed. Others may be invited
to the meetings to provide necessary feedback, research, advice, or other assistance.
At board meetings, a quorum shall consist of a majority of the Executive Board members.
ARTICLE IV – FINANCE
The annual membership dues, set by the Executive Board, are $50.00, payable in September. Dues for
new members joining in January or later will be prorated.
A club bank account shall be established with three authorized signatories from the Executive Board,
including the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall sign checks for approved expenses. In the absence of the
Treasurer, an authorized signatory shall sign. The Treasurer shall disseminate annual reports to the
general membership.
ARTICLE V – COMPETITION RULES
The Competition Rules shall determine the competition categories and procedures.
ARTICLE VI – AMENDMENTS
Any member may propose amendments to the Constitution or By-Laws. If approved by a two-thirds
(2/3) majority vote of the members present, the amendments shall be adopted.
ARTICLE VII – ADVERTISING IN THE FORESTERS NEWSLETTER
Anyone who wishes to advertise in the Foresters Focus and who is not a CACCA member will be
charged $10.00 per ad.
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