to have a reminder that midnight, December 31st, 2002 will mark the closing time for 2002 Chip of the Year eligibility. Chips (as well as slot machine tokens, Silver Strikes and slot cards) that are to be considered for nomination to the 2002 COTY, TOTY, SSOTY and SCOTY competitions must have been released prior to that deadline.

They must also have been released after midnight, December 31st of 2001 in order to be eligible for consideration.

The Winter Issue of CCTN (January, February and March 2003) will include an insert calling for COTY, TOTY, SSOTY and SCOTY candidate nominations. All Club members can nominate up to 5 candidates in each category. Those nominations will be sent to me (as the COTY, TOTY, SSOTY and SCOTY Awards Chairman) by a to-be-established deadline. After the close of the deadline, I will tabulate all the nominations. The top ten nominees in each category will then be the Finalist for each category.

I will then create and publish an Official Ballot, which will be sent to each and every Club member WHO ALSO SENT IN A NOMINATION FORM that identified at least one nominee for any of the four Award categories. If you want to participate in the voting/judging on the Official Ballot, then you MUST be part of the nomination process.

Once the Official Ballots are returned (again, to me) I will tabulate the tallies. Remember, voting is based on a weighted system. For each category, a voter/judge can identify a 1st place vote, a second place vote and a third place vote. First place votes will award 5 points to the selected nominee. A secind place vote will equate to 3 points and a third place votes yields 2 points.

Based on total points awarded a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finisher will be identified and kept secret until the 2003 Convention Banquet. When the placements are announced, they are identified as the Gold, Silver and Bronze place finishers for each category.

Well, I hope this answers your question.

Jim Follis
C/T/SS/SC ...OTY Awards Chairman