No Cell Phones
While you are actively judging the Miss Prodigious Pageant, your cell phone should be off. As a judge, you need to have all your attention on the contestants while they are competing. If distracted, you cannot fully assess a contestant’s ability which could result in unfair judging.
Interacting with Contestants
Interacting with contestants during the pageant is prohibited. It will appear biased and leave a negative impression on the rest of the contestants. To ensure contestants and judges do not interact with each other, the two are kept away from each other during the competition.
Own Your “NOW” Foundation reserves the right not to announce the judges ahead of time and instead reveal them the day of the competition.
If announced ahead of time, as a judge you need to be cautious of contestants contacting you through social media. If you receive a message from a contestant, do not respond, and immediately notify the director. Such inappropriate behavior will be handled accordingly.
Once the winner is crowned and photos have been taken, you are welcome to professionally interact with contestants. Keep in mind you should only discuss your opinions about that contestant’s performance. Allow the other judges to explain their own if they choose. As a rule, keep any discussion following the pageant to a minimum. Simply offer constructive criticism while focusing on what they did well.
Discussions with Other Judges
Do not discuss your scores with other judges. After all, the point of having a panel of judges is to have a diverse set of opinions to help prevent bias.
Dress Code
Judges are expected to dress in a professional and tasteful manner. For women, a nice suit or interview dress is perfect. The goal is to look professional and classy. As a judge, you want to blend into the audience. Since judges tend to be close to the stage, wearing something bright will draw attention away from the contestants to you. Sticking to neutral or themed colors is recommended. Men have it much easier. A crisp suit is always professional and classy. Again, keep it neutral, and when in doubt, choose themed colors.
Wearing Your Crown and Sash
If you are already a titleholder and are asked to judge a pageant during your reign, you may wear your sash but please leave your crown at home. Remember, you are to blend in as a judge and not take away from another queen’s crowning moment.
Judging a pageant is an exciting and rewarding experience. You get the chance to make a contestant's dream come true while helping choose a positive role model for the community and largely, helping them pay for college. With such an important role, it is important to follow the highest standards of etiquette to ensure the best contestant is chosen.
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