There is a big push on requiring color codes at National Convention shows and all other shows as well. When I first joined ADS most shows required color codes, however, that lasted only a few years.
I say this from the prospective that I am one of the very few people in ADS that has started a show and a daffodil society from scratch, maybe Joe Hamm also. There are many that have taken over a show, but that is different when one takes over a going operation, instead of having to build from scratch. The locals will be entering single stem flowers and an occasional three stem collection, and color codes are standing in their way. If you are starting a new show from scratch, and inviting ADS certified judges, what do you want the judges to do, compete with the single stem entries of the novice showers? If no, put in intermediates, the red-white-and-blue, the Bozievich and other collections of five. The judges will love you and compete for those ribbons leaving the single stems for all the newcomer locals.
Some say the general public wants to know the color code. That’s ridiculous as the general public has no idea as to what a color code is and they really don’t care. Your Pink cup they call almond, and your W-O flower they just call it white and yellow is yellow. The public has no idea as to what 2W-GOO, or 3W-GYR means. I know as I had a terrible time teaching color codes to our 39 member. I finally got it across to them when I had Richard Ezell come to a spring meeting and did nothing but teach color code with media help showing actual daffodils and color codes. He had them verbalizing the color code and it finally sunk in.
The only people that really care about color codes are the show committee that has to report the show results to ADS because the ADS form asks for color codes. The others that care about color codes are the ADS showers and growers. Not the Public.
Color Codes are to judges what Republican election of a speaker is in the Congress. There are too many opinions by too many judges. I have had a number of flower judge judges explain to me that names and color codes have to be reviewed for correctness on each exhibit. The flower is not the important thing they say, the labeling correctness is most important they would say. I was even told by a former President of a flower judge organization that if after the judging, if a mistake is found, the entire show has to be re-judged.
Hey! It’s just a flower. It does not mean life of death. Come on! Let’s have some fun out there on the show hall floor. I do agree that we have to be consistent and fair in our judging, but do we have to be so strict that we DQ to best flower in the show that would have won the Gold Ribbon just because the color code is slightly incorrect. I know of shows that require color codes end up with no collection winning a ribbon, twice, and I was at one where it was decided by their show committee to allow the clerks to correct the spelling of names and color codes and had a rejudging.
Most of the ADS mature judges will tell you that it’s the flower that counts, and immediately DQ a daffodil that has an incorrect color code. How can we judge a flower and award a blue ribbon to the most beautiful flower in the show that has a wrong color code.
Color codes create an automatic response to the human condition, it makes judges institutional have to check the spelling of every name and color code of every daffodil in the show. Color coding every exhibit at a daffodil show will also add another hour to the judging. I, as a diabetic, will have to either stop judging, or call a halt and have lunch and then go back to judging. As a diabetic, I cannot overrun lunch for two hours. I have to eat on a regular scheduled basic, about ever 4 hours. I find it hard enough to go over an hour at lunch time as it is. By the end of judging now, I’m about ready for a collapse.