September 19, 2019 Secretary Minutes

6:30 President, Doug Galloway, gave the invocation and started the meeting.  New members and visitors introduced themselves briefly and were welcomed.

Officer’s Reports

Secretary, Sara Kennedy:

            Minutes for the July meeting were emailed last week, with a few paper copies available at the meeting.  Minutes were not recorded at the August picnic.  July minutes were approved.

Treasurer, Julia Brown:

            Treasurer’s reports for May, June (amended), July (amended), August, and September were all presented and approved.

Program Chair, Mickey Hollar

            Our next meeting on October 17 will feature Robert Smith speaking about building affordable woodenware.

            Reservations have been made at the Captains Galley in Granite Falls for our holiday party on December 19th.

Vice President, Tracey Carriker:

            Tracey was not present at the meeting.

President, Doug Galloway:

            H.S. Greene is having arm surgery tomorrow.  Please keep him in your thoughts.

            Dee Hicks (Eddie’s wife) is resting at home after having a mass removed from her stomach.  Please keep her in your thoughts.

            Please support your local bee businesses.  In addition to Linda and H.S., there is a new bee store, King Bee, open in Morganton, owned by a member of the Burke County Beekeepers.

Old Business:

            If you have recommendations for speakers or requests for topics for next year, please share them with Mickey, Ron Cifu, or Doug.

New Business:

            It is time to start planning next year’s beginning beekeepers class.  Danny Jaynes has run the class for many years, but while he will continue to do some of the teaching he is stepping aside from running it.  We appreciate all the effort he has put in over the years.  A committee was formed to take over running the school.  Tracey Carriker will chair; members include Sara Kennedy, Sharon Monday, Liz Cifu, and Mitch Mast.  Please let Tracey or Sara know if you want to join the committee.

            The Caldwell County Schools will be participating in a “Farm Expo”, March 27 and 28, 2020. On Friday March 27, all Caldwell County 7th graders will be taken to the Fair Grounds and in small groups, introduced to the myriad of Agriculture career opportunities. This will run from about 8:00 AM till 2:00 PM. On Saturday, March 28, all students and parents will be invited to attend the booths from the previous day and ask questions, buy agriculture products, etc. This event will also serve as a fundraiser to support needed renovations at the fairground.  We have been invited to staff a booth both days and contribute to the education of our school students and parents. Likely a total of 10 folks would be needed to staff the booth both days.  A committee was formed to coordinate this and other fairs and events throughout the year.  Members include Amy Sholar, Travis Sholar, Doug Galloway, and Mitch Mast.  Sara and Tracey will discuss the possibility of one of them chairing this committee.

            Both the Caldwell County Library and East Harper Elementary School have approached us about supporting their efforts to install and maintain an observation hive.  The logistics and level of commitment required were discussed briefly, but as no volunteers were forthcoming the matter was tabled until a future meeting.

7:00 — Guest Speaker:  Debbie Mitchell, “Planting for the Three B’s—Bees, Butterflies, and Birds.”

            Debbie is an ASU graduate with a BS and MS, with additional studies at Wilkes Community College, University of Georgia and Clemson University.  She is currently the Director of the department of Landscape and Gardening and an instructor of Biology at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute.   Debbie identified herself as a “plant person” who didn’t originally intend to keep bees; she initially attended a beginners beekeeping school to learn about bee nutrition.

            Debbie walked us through a list of 41 species of plants that are useful for bees, butterflies, and birds, including species that bloom at all seasons, annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs.  (If you were not present and want a copy of the list, please let Sara know.)  She included a few general tips:

  • Trees are a rich, long term nectar source in a small footprint.
  • Summer annuals can be a big bang for your buck, as they bloom all summer.
  • Single flowers (those with a single set of petals; think daisy as opposed to florist’s rose) provide better access for bees and other pollinators.
  • Flowers with deep throats are better for bumblebees and hummingbirds than for honey bees.
  • If you can, leave a portion of your yard unmowed; you may get asters, plaintains, and other species that are good for pollinators but may be considered weeds by some people.
  • If you have trouble with voles or other below-ground pests eating your bulbs, you can enclose each one in hardware cloth before planting it.

Debbie is happy to answer questions or help you locate a source for a particular plant.  She can be reached at [email protected].

Meeting adjourned at 8:00

27 people in attendance, including visitors and children.

Minutes submitted by Sara Kennedy, Secretary

Upcoming Events:

Future Chapter Meetings at 6:30 pm:  

2019 Chapter Meetings/Tentative Schedule of Speakers

Oct 17:  Robert Smith / How to Build Affordable Woodenware/Sizes

Nov 21:  Emily Trescott / Commercial Wax Cleaning and Candlemaking

Dec 19:  Annual Christmas Dinner at Captains Galley in Granite Falls

Caldwell County Beekeepers Class 2020

Feb 15, 20, 22