What is a Steward?
For a mass participation record (i.e. any record based on the number of participants) it is essential that the final total is the exact number of people successfully completing the activity that is the subject of the record attempt, not simply the number of people attending the event. For this reason, we require Stewards to supervise groups of 50 or fewer participants, in order to disqualify any attendees who do not successfully take part in the record attempt.
Stewards are required for all mass participation records that require active participation by those involved or which take place at ticketed stadium events. Your record guidelines will indicate if stewards are required for the record you are attempting.
Please note that stewards must be independent of the attempt organizers.
What must the statement include?
Templates for Steward Statements are provided in the templates document which was provided along with this guide. These templates will need to have the following information added:
• Full contact details of each steward, should Guinness World Records need to contact them to verify any details
• Dates/times the steward was present at the attempt
• Counting method for organising participants into groups
• Number of participants in his/her group
• Number of participants disqualified and reasons for disqualification
• Confirmation that guidelines were provided and understood
What happens to the Steward Statement?
Steward Statements must be provided to the independent witnesses once the attempt is completed. The independent witnesses are responsible for calculating the final total based on the total number of attendees, less the number of participants disqualified by Stewards.
If you are unsure whether you are required to submit Steward Statements, please contact your Records Manager.