ORIGINAL: vellum2
. . .<snip>. . .When the move was made to shift away from USPJA judges to contestant judges, it was understood that it was your responsibility as a pilot to learn the rules and sit in the chair and fairly judge folks in other classes either above or below the class you fly. . . .<snip>. . .
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If that is what is expected, then it needs to be put in writing and communicated to the masses on a regular basis because some of us weren't around in the Grand Old Glory Days of pattern. You also need to have a means to ensure that the masses actually "got the message". Honestly, how many guys would tell the CD "Sorry, I was too lazy to study the Advanced schedule so I can't judge it." No, most will silently nod their head, sit in the chair and give out a string of 7's, 8's, 9's, and an occasional 10 for takeoff or landing. Most of what people know about judging is hand-me-down information that they managed to accumulate over the years. No wonder we have "regional biases" in flying styles.
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Someone has to set up a comprehensive judges training program and have a way to track who has completed it if you want the dudes in the chairs to have any credibility. If you get credibility and fairness in the system, people will want to come back and play.
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