To be presented at the March 20, 2025, Members Meeting
*MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY:
Luba Skibo at 6:30 p.m. in the Greenway Presbyterian Church.
Luba introduced motion for abbreviated agenda to allow more time for Bee
School presentations. The Motion was approved
++OFFICER’S REPORTS++
*President’s:
Luba Skibo provided update about the ongoing Bee School and that we have 28 students signed up.
She encouraged members to go to the State Conference and announced the dates.
*Vice President’s:
Not presented, following the abbreviated agenda motion.
*Secretary’s:
David Coomer, read the Minutes from the January Meeting, and they were accepted.
*Treasurer’s Report:
Justin Crawford presented the report and he said the balance in our account, as of January, was $4,469 and the current balance, with the funds from the bee school fees, is $6,442.14. Justins report was accepted as read.
The President, Luba Skibo, requested that 2024 Annual Treasurer Report to be ready and routed for review in a week. Justin agreed to the timeline.
++NEW BUSINESS++
Lia Sweeney, proposed the club reimburse Robert Smith for the Nuc he is donating as a Bee School Raffle Prize. The Motion was approved.
David Coomer suggested the club reimburse Lia for the projector she bought. Lia refused the proposal. The decision was tabled until further discussion.
++OLD BUSINESS++
The 2024 Annual Report Update was to go to the Audit Committee within a week.
++SPEAKER PRESENTATION++
The speaker for February was Terry Triplett a club member. He presented to the club members and to the 2025 Beekeepers School Students on the subject of, ‘Management for Honey Production’.
Topics included: Bee Starvation, Sugar Syrup Ratios, Pollen Patties, checking in the Hive during cold weather, Bees Swarming, Queen Cells, Making Splits, Nurse bees, Walk-away Splits, Ordering Queens, Replacing Queens, Pests, Plants for bees, Pollen and Nectar, the Color Spectrum of bee’s sight and Types of Honey.
Luba Presented a PowerPoint on the topic of Label requirements and guidelines for The State Honey Producers Program, Federal Requirements as well as State Regulations. Requirements to sell at Farmer’s Markets from the NCDA. She included examples from her own products and labels provided by Robert Smith to show students what is needed and examples for ideas to spur student thoughts about how to do their own product labels.
There was a Q&A session after the presentation. Topics were: Laying Workers, Queen Excluders, Walk-away Splits and Multiple Queen Cells. Several members engaged in these discussions.
++OTHER MEETING ACTIVITIES++
Announcements were made concerning the upcoming Saturday Bee School and the March Meeting.
Luba spoke about the current School and that we have 28 students. She encouraged us to go to the State Conference and announced the dates.
The Club Secretary, David Coomer, talked about a zoom call he was on about Western North Carolina assistance for bee colony losses. Toe Cain in Ashe County is the model for replacing losses. Robert Smith our Club Vice President introduced Mr. Willie Pascal, The Senior Mountain Region Director, who spoke briefly on the Hive Recovery Assistance for the mountain counties. Mr. Pascal said the real need will be in the spring for packaged bees and Nucs. He promised to share feedback after his planned visit to Ashe County. This topic was tabled.
++What’s Going on In the Hive++
It was not discussed, following abbreviated agenda motion.
The 50/50 raffle for February gave a winning member $60 and a half dozen members won door prizes.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Members in attendance: 43
*** Minutes recorded by the Secretary, David Coomer and amended by Luba Skibo***