In another thread, Thorn expressed an interest in learning more about how the International Master/slave competition works--what goes into running for the titles, and the selection process that takes place.

Master Jim & slave marsha, could you tell us all a little about your experience? What made you decide to run for the contest? What kind of people make the best candidates to run for these titles? What were some of the challenges you faced? Can you describe the various competitive events (scenes, speeches, interviews)? What's the judging process like?

The membership here for the most part is unfamiliar with the title/contest scene so any insights and information you can share would be lovely. And if you'd like to share bits from your speeches (or even the entire speeches, if you can cut and paste them here) that would be delightful!

hugs,

Glory

The International Master/slave contest is an unusual one in the leather community -- it's the only title contest in which two people must run together and win together. For example, there is a contest called International LeatherSIR and International Leatherboy -- but the two men who win these titles run separately for them, and do not (and almost never are) in a Daddy/boy or Master/slave relationship.

If you run for International Master and slave, you run as a Master/slave pairing. There is a panel of 7-9 judges, people well known in the leather community, many of them former titleholders themselves. Both the Master and the slave are interviewed by the judging panel for anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, are required to give a speech, and answer a "pop question" on stage. You also are judged on "leather image," which in the International Master/slave contest means the judges watch you all weekend to see how you interact with each other and with those around you. Unlike many of the other leather titles, the holders of the International Master and slave titles are expected to do a lot of speaking during their title year on Master/slave relationships.

Glory, you ask what made us decide to run for the contest. *laughing* Actually, Master Jim was absolutely dead set against running -- He's never been a big fan of the title system in the leather community, and we already were doing a lot of speaking on M/s relationships at various events. But He and Master Steve Sampson are good friends -- Master Steve and his slave, kirk, were International Master and slave 2000. Master Steve was pretty persuasive about the need for a voice to speak to the leather community about M/s relationships. Master Steve convinced Master Jim that we should run.

i do a lot of public speaking, and always have -- my first career was in television, and my second is as a trial lawyer -- but i did not like at all the "fishbowl" feeling of running for the title. Being under a microscope for an entire weekend is not my idea of fun! But winning the title was such an honor... and Master Jim and i appreciated the opportunity to travel all over the country talking about M/s relationships. We averaged a trip about every other weekend to speak at an event or a group.

Since we stepped down from the title in June, nothing has really changed -- Master Jim and i still travel on average 2-3 times a month to speak on M/s relationships. (And yes, if any of you are part of a group that would be interested in a presentation on M/s relationships, please contact us. Master Jim and i are happy to tailor a weekend to fit your needs -- from a one hour presentation to a full weekend of M/s topics.)

In my opinion, the International Master/slave contest needs Master/slave pairings who, first of all, identify as Master (a gender neutral term to me) and slave. That might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people want to run for the title who don't identify in that way. Second, in my opinion, you need to have been in your M/s relationship for a while before running -- holding the title will put a strain on your M/s relationship, and having been together for a while helps a great deal. Third, the titleholders need to be comfortable speaking about M/s relationships to all parts of the community. You don't have to be centerfold models -- lord knows i'm not! You don't have to be "high protocol." (Master Jim and i happen to have a relationship that incorporates a lot of protocol, but that certainly isn't required for the title.) You don't have to be any particular gender or sexual orientation. But you do need a passion for sharing about M/s relationships -- and a thick skin, because people will be critical.

i don't have text from the speeches Master Jim and i did at the contest, since we both simply made outlines of our speeches and spoke somewhat extemporaneously. But i'll post the text of a speech i made a few months after we won the title, called "Let the Community Hear Our Voice."

As promised, here's the text of a speech i gave called "Let the Community Hear Our Voice":

It is an honor and a privilege to stand before you tonight, and i thank Master Jim for allowing me this opportunity.

As some of you may know, Master Jim is a reserved man, a man who does not often share His personal life with people. But a few weeks ago, Master Jim and i had a public ceremony to celebrate a change in our Master/slave relationship, and i would like to begin my remarks tonight by sharing a part of that ceremony with you.

Master Jim and i have had a formal, written Master/slave contract for most of the four and one-half years i have been in service to Him. Over the years, though, our relationship has changed, and for a number of reasons, He decided it was time to set the contract aside. Master Jim is a great believer in the power of ritual and ceremony, and so He decided that the appropriate way to set aside the contract was to burn it. Even more importantly, He decided that because of the path that He intended to follow as a Master to a slave, it was necessary that the burning ceremony be done publicly, in front of our community, and that it be made absolutely clear that i was consenting to follow Him on this path. And so, one night just a few weeks ago, in our home dungeon called Inquisition Dallas, Master Jim gathered our leather community around us.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Master Jim removed my collar. He removed it so that i could choose – so that i could once again consent to enter into slavery with Him, this time knowing more fully what that slavery would mean. And Master Jim made it absolutely clear to me and to the community that on that night, i could choose to walk away from slavery, with honor. That night, for the first time, i stood in a dungeon, before my community, as a free woman with the right to choose. That night, for the first time, i spoke to my community as a free woman.

i said a number of things to my community that night, but this is the one i want to share with you – that night, i looked into the eyes of the members of my community and i said, “My name is Marsha, and I stand before you as a free woman. Let the community hear my voice. I am a free woman who chooses slavery. I consent to His ownership. Let the community hear my voice.”

Ever since that night, i’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of using my voice to speak to my community. As International slave, i have the opportunity to speak to many people this year about Master/slave relationships. And i have come to believe, strongly, that it is vitally important that as boys, girls, submissives and slaves, we not lose our voices. We cannot afford to lose our voices. We have too much to share with our community.

So that is what i would like to do tonight – to share with all of you a voice. Tonight, i have the honor of serving as the voice of the boys, the girls, the submissives, and the slaves of our community.

Tonight, let the community hear our voice – the voice of the boys, the girls, the submissives and the slaves.

Let me tell you first who we are, let me tell you whose voice you are hearing tonight:

We are male and female and transgendered;
We are young, not so young, and really, really not so young;
We are gay and lesbian, heterosexual and bisexual;
We are able bodied and we are differently abled;
Some of us are masochists… and some of us are not.

We stand before you, our community. We kneel before you. But most of all, we stand by each other.

Hear us, community, as we tell you what we are not:

We are not weak.
We are not helpless.
We are not desperate.
We are not filled with self-hatred.
We are not mindless.

Let the community hear our voice tonight.

Hear us, community, as we tell you what we are:

We are strong.
We are courageous.
We are intelligent.
We are talented.
We are capable of incredible loyalty.
We can be filled with great love.
And we long to serve, with all of our hearts.

We are not perfect, no. We make mistakes. We rebel. Sometimes our faith in you falters. Sometimes our faith in ourselves falters. Sometimes… we simply fail.

Let the community hear our voice tonight.

We, the boys, the girls, the submissives and the slaves of this community, are on a journey, just like all of you. Like you, we don’t always see the path clearly.

Tonight, some of us are serving, with pride. Tonight, some of us are looking, with pride, for someone to serve.

Are you out there, Daddies and Masters, Mistresses and Dominants? Do you hear us? Hear our voice tonight. For tonight, we speak to you from the very heart of who we are. Tonight, we tell you that we long to serve you with honor.

Let the community hear our voice tonight.

And now, i’d like to take a moment to speak directly to the boys, girls, submissives and slaves who are here. The weekend you are about to experience has the potential to change your life. Does that sound dramatic? Well, i’ve been known to be a little dramatic from time to time – but it’s true.

Let me tell you about your history, for as a part of this Camp, you are a part of leather history. You are a part of a family of boys, girls, submissives and slaves who have gone before you in The boys’ Training Camp and The boys’ and girls’ Training Academy. You have brothers and sisters all over the country. Like them, when this weekend is over, you will have learned that it doesn’t matter what gender you are, or who you sleep with – the ties that bind us as boys, girls, submissives and slaves are far stronger than the differences that divide us.

This weekend, you have a chance to find yourself; you have a chance to find your voice. This weekend will be what you make of it. Are you ready? Do you have the courage? i believe – no, i know – you do.

Community, watch these boys, these girls, these submissives and slaves. Listen to them. They will speak to you in their silence, they will speak to you in their words. Most of all, they will speak to you in their actions. Their voices will speak to you of honor and service and respect and pride.

Listen.

Do you hear us?

We are the boys, the girls, the submissives and the slaves of the leather community.

Let the community hear our voice.

To: slave marsha

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. You truly honor your master.

Be safe,
Thorn

slave marsha,

I had the distinct pleasure of hearing you give this speech at Boy's Camp in Atlanta. I was impressed by your "voice" and your choice of words to express your life. You are, indeed, a powerful voice for the submissive in our community. Thank you for posting the text on this board.

Knyghtflyher