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The WDCB Chapter is a proud member of the STC Alliance.

Information for Entrants and Judges

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Competition Committee Roles and Responsibilities

Running the chapter competition is a large project. Several people are needed to share the responsibilities. At the minimum, these include the Competition Committee Manager, Judging Manager, and Entries Manager.

The current competition volunteer positions are listed below. If you are interested in volunteering, review the vacant positions available on the Competition Contacts page, and the descriptions below. If you are interested in filling one of the positions, or just to help on the committee, submit the Chapter Volunteer Signup Form.

Position Descriptions

STC Alliance Competition Chapter Representative

The STC Alliance Competition Chapter Representative's responsibilities are

• Oversee all aspects of the chapter's participation in the STC Alliance Competition.
• Liaison with the chapter that is leading the STC Alliance Competition.
• May act as a co-chair of the competition.
• May recruit local judges to participate in the competition.
• Help maintain the competition mailing list subscribers and publicize the competition.

Time commitment: Approximately 8-10 hours per month between July / August through mid-April.

Awards Celebration Manager

The Awards Celebration Manager's responsibilities are to coordinate the speaker and/or workshops, hotel logistics, equipment, handouts, and catering.

You will receive instructions on how to handle each of these components, and will work with a team to make the event successful. All to-do items are outlined in the Basecamp project plan.

• Duties may be combined with those of the Meeting Locations Manager.
• Scout and locate a facility for the awards celebration and negotiate the menu and cost of the celebration (request the president's signature on the contract) and displaying winning entries.
• Locate individuals and organizations willing to donate services such as design, printing, mailing, and facilities.
• Work with the competition manager to determine whether a speaker or workshop will be included:
  • Coordinate the speaker and/or workshop, housing logistics, speaker honorarium, and handouts.
• Make room arrangements and catering needs for the awards celebration
  • Work with the judging manager to determine how many tables are needed to display the winning entries.
  • Have a table for the sign-in desk, badges, award ribbons, and handouts.
  • Work with the judging manager to determine how many computers are needed for displaying the online winners.
  • Determine what equipment is needed for the presentation of slides, if needed, and for a microphone for the speakers.
  • Arrange for equipment to be on site and working when required.
  • Arrange to have internet connection if needed.
  • Work with the competition judging manager for installing or setting up online entries.
  • Ensure easels or stands are available for displaying winning entries and signage.
  • Prepare name badges, sign-in sheets, award ribbons, and signage as needed.
  • Be responsible for the return of equipment and the condition of the awards location after the event.
  • Coordinate “Who Brings What” and “Who Takes Home What” lists for the committee members.
• Arrange for and post Eventbrite reservation information and provide information to the communications and/ or social media manager for posting to the website, Facebook, Twitter, and STC Slack.
• Receive RSVPs for the awards celebration

Time commitment: About 6-8 hours for scouting / locating facilities and preparing for the event. Plus about 3 hours attending the awards celebration (March/April) plus ½ hour clean-up after the event.

Awards Celebration Photographer

The Awards Celebration Photographer's responsibilities are to take photos of each person as they receive their award at our competition awards celebration. Make these photos available on our Flicker account with captions / identification so that award winners can purchase copies. Also take casual photos of the entry displays, speaker, and attendees at the event.

In exchange for your services, we will reimburse you for your film cost and will give you a free meal at the luncheon. Please contact the Competition manager at competition manager and the Awards Celebration manager at awards celebration manager to let them know you are interested. Register online [not taking registrations yet] so that we know which entrée to order for you).

Time commitment: Two and a half hours on the day of the awards celebration. One hour to upload and identify photos for our Flicker account.

Competition Committee Manager

The Competition Committee Manager's responsibilities are

• Oversee all aspects of the competitions.
• Guide and assist committee managers.
• Organizes a committee of other volunteers to solicit and organize entries, recruit judges, manage the judging process, and celebrate the winners.
• Develop and distribute a contact list of committee members and their roles.
• Set the schedule: dates for the entry submission deadline, sorting day, the judging training / pickup, and the celebration, allowing time to mail eligible winning entries to the international competition before its deadline (if applicable).
• Submit information to the Society office about the competition entry deadline and website.
• Ensure competition information is communicated to the chapter's email list, competition announcement lists, other email lists, and the STC office.
• Serve as liaison to the STC office and the international competition managers (if applicable).
• Use the Basecamp project planning tool to monitor to-do tasks and the schedule.
• Establish and monitor the competition budget.
• Distribute meeting minutes to committee members to ensure to-do items and decisions are recorded.
• Solicit corporate support.
• In September / October, prepare a budget of expenses and income for the year ahead (a sample budget is available).
• Guide members of the committee so that all committee duties are fulfilled.
• Assume the responsibilities of any leadership roles that aren't filled.
• Attend monthly board meetings to provide updates on the competition.
• Write and send out letters (with the judges evaluation sheets) to all submitters notifying them if their entry won an award or not.
• Work with the Locations Manager on how award certificates will be distributed at the Awards Celebration.
• Send qualifying entries to the international competition entries manager along with an inventory and proper entry fee by the necessary deadline (if applicable).
• Find and purchase gifts for judges and volunteers-or designate this task to the recognitions manager.
• Preside over judging and awards events.
• Resolve any issues that arise during the competition process.
• Submit a monthly status report by email to the President and Vice-President (or post to the Admin Council Group's monthly status reports files) regarding all current and upcoming committee activities.
• Prepare a final report for the records.
• Find a judging exchange partner and serve as liaison to the partner (if chapter decides to participate in judging exchanges for the year).
• Assemble and relay all pertinent information, records, and recommendations to the next Competition Committee Manager.

Time commitment: Approximately 8-10 hours per month between July / August through mid-April. Approximately 8 to 10 hours to scout and interview prospective employers and news media to promote and support the competition.

Judging Manager

The Judging Manager's responsibilities are

• Develop a schedule for judging (in conjunction with the Competition Committee Manager).
• Recruit judges.
• Follow up with a letter confirming the schedule and their commitment.
• Develop judging teams from the judging volunteers.
• Assemble judging packets for each judging team.
• Maintain identification badges for meetings.
• Plan the consensus judging (work with the Locations Manager for facilities and any necessary equipment).
• Hold training session for judges.
• Coordinate the distribution of entries to the judges (in conjunction with the Entries Manager).
• During the period of private evaluations, work with team leaders in monitoring the progress of judges.
• Preside over consensus judging.
• Help collect and box entries at the Consensus meeting.
• Evaluate judge performance and maintain database of judges.
• Send thank you letters or other acknowledgments or gifts to the judges (coordinate certificates or awards with the recognitions manager).
• Prepare a final report for the Competition Committee Manager.
• Assist the Competition Manager and other managers to help complete tasks, if needed.

Time commitment: Approximately 10-12 hours.

Judge

The Judge's responsibilities are

Judges for the competition are needed: Online Communication and Technical Publications.

Judges must be available to meet according to the time commitment cited below to receive entries and instructions, evaluate the entries, turn in scoring materials to the Lead Judges, attend the Consensus meeting to discuss the scores for each entry in your category, and concur on the awards determined by the team. Meetings will occur in the Washington, DC metropolitan area in a location convenient for the majority of judges.

For more information, see the Call for Judges. (Please note that you must use the Google Chrome browser to complete and submit the judging application form.)

Time commitment: Approximately 12-20 hours.

Entries Manager

The Entries Manager's responsibilities are

• Field questions from submitters after the Call for Entries is mailed.
• Develop spreadsheet to record all entries.
• Receive and log the entries.
• Inspect submittals for complete information, correct entry fees, and correct category.
• Verify that entries meet the criteria for submission and are in the appropriate category.
• Acknowledge receipt of entries.
• Record information in the database or spreadsheet as it becomes available; provide appropriate reports.
• Coordinate the sort days (unboxing entries and preparing judging packages).
• Work with the Judging Manager in distributing entries to judges for their evaluations.
• Receive the chapter entries after they are judged by the exchange chapter (if applicable).
• At judging consensus meetings, keep track of entries and retrieve all of them when judging is complete.
• Handle chapter entries after they are judged.
• Provide award information for the Awards Celebration and for announcements on the websites.
• Collect, prepare, and ship packages for sending DTC winners to the international competition (if applicable).
• Distribute entries to submitters after the Awards Celebration if prearranged to do so.
• Handle disposition of remaining entries.
• Mail letters and award certificates not picked up at the awards celebration as needed.
• Prepare a final report for the Competition Committee Manager.
• Assist the Competition Manager and other managers to help complete tasks, if needed.

Time commitment: Approximately 8-10 hours or less per month between the Call for entries and the consensus meeting.

Finance Manager (Chapter Treasurer, ex officio)

The Financial Manager's responsibilities are

• Work with the Competition Committee Manager in preparing a budget.
• Monitor income and expenditures.
• Review any contracts before they are signed.
• Handle reimbursements to competition volunteers, payments to vendors, and STC.
• Prepare a final financial report for the Competition Committee Manager.

Time commitment: Approximately 10 hours.

Meeting Locations Manager

The Meeting Locations Manager's responsibilities are to coordinate invited speakers and/or workshops, hotel logistics, equipment, handouts, and catering. You will receive instructions on how to handle each of these components and will work with a team to make the event successful. This is a great way to ease into event management while also qualifying for free attendance at the awards celebration you are managing.

• Scout and locate facilities for two events: judge training and pickup day and the consensus meeting day.
• Locate individuals and organizations willing to donate services such as design, printing, mailing, and facilities.
• Make room arrangements and catering needs for the judge training and pickup meeting and the consensus meeting.
  • Work with the judging manager to ensure food and refreshments are provided for the judging events.
  • Work with the judging manager to determine how many tables will be needed for the judging teams and tables for collecting entries and judging materials.
  • Work with the judging manager to determine how many computers are needed for the consensus judging of online entries.
  • For online communication entries that require computer equipment, find equipment for judges to use to review the entries, if needed. Judges should br encouraged to bring their own equipment to the consensus meeting.
• Arrange for equipment to be on site and working when required.
• Coordinate notices to attendees about the locations, food, parking, and any other considerations.
• Prepare name badges, sign-in sheets, and signage as needed.
• Work with the competition judging and the entries managers for installing the entries to be reviewed.
• Be responsible for return of the equipment and the condition of the consensus judging site.
• Provide information to the competition manager about costs and logistics.

Time commitment: About 10 hours for scouting / locating facilities and preparing for each event: estimate 2 hours for the pickup meeting (November/December), 2 hours for the consensus meeting (December/January) plus attendance at each event.

Competition Publications Manager / Publicity Coordinator

The Competition Publications Manager's responsibilities are

The Basecamp project planning tool lists all the steps to do as well as the full chapter job description.

• Develop a theme for the competition (in conjunction with the Competition Committee Manager).
• Work with the competition manager to populate the Basecamp to-do tasks with people on the committee
• Obtain ISA competition information from STC office (if applicable).
• Create the Call for Entries, application forms, theme artwork, receipt response postcards, and awards celebration program and agenda.
• Get the roster lists for the active chapter members, the lapsed members, the left-STC former members, all unaffiliated STC members, all local SIG-only members.
• Maintain mailing lists for the Call for Entries: check email addresses in the mailing list database for changes in the rosters.
• Recruit individuals and organizations for donated services (such as graphic design, printing, and mailing).
• Locate printer, if needed.
• Organize physical mailing and distribution, if needed.
• Prepare input about the competition for the chapter's website, the Events & News website, and other social media.
• Post lists of winners in the competition and which ones won in the STC International Summit Awards (ISA) competition (if applicable).
• Create or revise local competition guidelines to reflect current procedures.
• Assist the Competition Manager and other managers to help complete tasks, if needed.

Time commitment: Twenty hours per month preparing for the competition starting in July or August until the Calls are mailed and the website is updated in September/October. Then about 20 hours after the consensus judging preparing the awards celebration program information.

Corporate Outreach Manager

The Corporate Outreach Manager's responsibilities are

• Contact documentation groups to let them know about the competition.
• Prepare a final report for the Competition Committee Manager.

Time commitment: Approximately 8 to 10 hours to scout and interview prospective employers and news media to promote and support the competition.

Publicity & Social Media Publicist

The Publicity & Social Media Publicist's responsibilities are

• Prepare material to publicize the opening of the competition for the STC presidents list, STC SIG managers list, chapter social media outlets, and the media.
• Receive list of winners from the Competition Committee Manager.
• Publicize the awards event.
• Send notices about the winners of the competition to the media.
• Prepare a final report for the Competition Committee Manager.
• Assist the Competition Manager and other managers to help complete tasks, if needed.

Time commitment: 10 hours before the entry deadline and about 4 hours after the entry deadline for promoting the awards celebration.

Recognitions Manager

The Recognitions Manager's responsibilities are

• Work with the Competition Manager in deciding what kinds of awards will be presented to winners (certificates, engraved mementos, and so forth).
• Print blank certificates if needed or purchase preprinted certificates and frames (for Best of Show).
• Receive list of winners from the Competition Committee Manager / Competition Entries Manager.
• Coordinate production of all award certificates and framed Best of Show awards.
• Send thank you certificates to all judges.
• Produce and mail duplicate certificates when additional copies are requested.
• Assist the Competition Manager and other managers to help complete tasks, if needed.

Time commitment: Approximately 8-10 hours.

Past Competition Committee Manager

The Past Competition Committee Manager's responsibilities are

• Stand by to give advice to the Competition Committee when needed.
• Be available to answer questions relating to entries and winners.
• Assist the current Competition Manager and other managers to help complete tasks, if needed.

STC Alliance Competition Past Chapter Representative

The STC Alliance Competition Past Chapter Representative's responsibilities are

• Stand by to give advice to the Competition Committee when needed.
• Be available to answer questions relating to entries and winners.
• Assist the current STC Alliance Competition Chapter Representative and other managers to help complete tasks, if needed.

Time commitment: Approximately 2-3 hours per month between July / August or November through January depending on the schedule for the competition and about 4 hours per month through mid-May.

Competition Committee Advisor

The Competition Committee Advisor's responsibilities are

• Stand by to give advice to the Competition Committee when needed.

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