The rules governing the award of the medal were as follows:

     "To be awarded during the Annual Exhibition of B.C. Artists of pictures painted during the previous 12 months.

     To the exhibitor whose picture, in colours, is judged as being of the highest standard of art exhibited.

     Except that this medal will be awarded only once in five years to the same artist.

     Open to those having resided and still reside within the Province for two consecutive years.

     Judges will be appointed annually by the Council of the Art Gallery Association."

These rules were approved by the Gallery's Exhibition Committee on January 3, 1933. Despite the apparent simplicity of the rules, there was a bit of an uproar when the first year's prize was awarded to a watercolour painting. Stone had apparently only intended for oil paintings to win, and protested the award. The rules were amended slightly to make only oil paintings eligible for the prize. Somewhat ironically the 1940 prize was awarded to a watercolour.

Vera Weatherbie's Beatrice Stone medal, courtesy Vancouver Art Gallery Library.