The Joint Committee for Solo Piping Competitions (JCSPC) has issued the following: ‘The JCSPC agreed at its AGM on Sunday 27th November to support the Solo Piping Judges’ Association’s (SPJA) recent change to its Code of Conduct.
‘The matter was debated at length and in detail at the meeting. It was ultimately agreed that The Argyllshire Gathering, The Northern Meeting, The Scottish Piping Society of London and Competing Pipers’ Association fully endorse the principle that judges should not judge their pupils.
‘1) The Joint Committee for Solo Piping Competitions comprises representatives of the following organisations: (i) The Northern Meeting (ii) The Argyllshire Gathering (iii) Isle of Skye Highland Games (iv) Scottish Piping Society of London (v) Scottish Pipers’ Association (vi) Inveraray Highland Games (vii) Glenfiddich Piping & Fiddle (viii) Piping Live Masters Solo Competition (ix) The National Mod (x) The Competing Pipers’ Association (xi) The Solo Piping Judges’ Association
‘2) The Solo Piping Judges’ Association agreed at its AGM on 20th November 2016 to amend its Code of Conduct to say: ‘A member of the Solo Piping Judges’ Association will not judge a pupil or relative at The Argyllshire Gathering, The Northern Meeting or Scottish Piping Society of London competitions. Association members should avoid judging pupils and relatives at other events if at all possible.’
This is ultimately a good choice. There will be fallout, and much of it may be unintended. But the right thing to do is to remove any question or doubt of outcomes that linger when a competitor is awarded (or not) by his or her teacher.