Here's another one.  When you get your JW points, can you start filling in entry forms with JW on, or do you have to wait until the KC award it to you?  Does it take about 3 weeks for the confirmation comes through?

At this time of year it is slightly slower probably due to the show season being so busy.  I personally never write it down until it is awarded just in case you have made a error.  It is not the most straight forward of things.  I havent yet made a mistake but you never can be sure until it is in black and white.

They were very quick with my ShCM - I'd sent off a couple of entry forms and had to contact the secretaries begging them to add the letters as I got the confirmation much quicker than expected! :-)

LOL I know of an obedience dog who has an Obedience Warrant & when her owner applied for it she got a Sh CM-lol she had never been to a breed show either When she told the KC she then got the OW with the ShCM after her dogs name(I think)

How do you get a ShCM?  Is this about winning at open shows?

Yes, a Show Certificate of Merit has no time limit on it and you have to get 25 points at open shows only. You get 1 point for BOB or Best AVNSC, 1 point for Group 4, 2 for Group 3, 3 for Group 2, and 4 for Group 1. You also get points for BIS and RBIS but I forget how many. You need a certain number of points at Group level, to stop dogs getting BOB out of only one or two dogs in small breeds! Then you can add ShCM after the dogs name.

Get nothing for RBIS at an all breeds show, but of course the group points if it is a group show (have had both so checked).  There are 5 extra points for an all breeds Open show, or if it is not on a Group system then you will ahve just the one point for BOB/BAVNSC and 5 for BIS.

If you go BOS and an all breeds show on Group system you would get 1 point for BOB, 4 Points for the group and 5 points for BIS giving you 10 points.

So the fastest way to get a ShCN would be to go BIS at two Open shows on the Group system, plus BOB and the Group at another.

There was a GSP I think who got his within weeks of the award being introduced.