March 2019 Meeting Minutes

Wannabee Hobby Beekeepers Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, 20 MAR 2019
Location: Game, Fish, and Parks, Outdoor Campus, Rapid City SD

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Meeting Opened: Tim called the meeting to order at 6pm

Tim changed agenda to start with Kia’s Treasurers Report:

• We received plenty of money during the conference
• In Checking: $4,958.15
• In Savings: $662.53
• Total of in accounts: $5,620.60

Conference numbers:

• Good Will Giving for Refreshments: $140
• Silent Auction: $100
• 140 in attendance
• 3 venders brought in: $75
• Armory gave a great deal on the venue

Old Business

Review of 16 Feb 2019 Workshop

What went right?

• • Great publicity before event
  • Good coordination before the event
  • Had people from all over at the event so word got out very well
  • Gate fee seemed to at the right price

What can we improve?

• • Will need a larger venue next year
  • Check In at the event will need more people next year. Had four this year and it was just enough.
  • No post event publicity/marketing afterward to tell the story
  • Heating and cooling was up and down

2020 Club Workshop – 15 February 2020 – Western Dakota VoTech will host us

• • Will not charge us anything for use of the event

Review Submitted Scholarships

President needs to assign a chair for the committee

Dean Pelican? Will put a committee together.

$200 to $250 scholarship might needs to be raised

Tim requested a motion to increase the scholarship amount.

Discussion: How many scholarships should we give?

We have three candidate applications for scholarships.

Jerry spoke to Tom Allen having equipment ready to donate to scholarships. Having this equipment will allow us to broaden the program. Believes there about four hives that could be donated.

Some discussion on if we want to write a check to candidates and how do know if they use the money for bee keeping and what is their responsibility back to the club?

Discussion about exactly how much we should give towards the scholarship and if we should combine donated equipment.

Some members just want to give equipment. President reminded the group that the agreement this year was the club would give a monetary scholarship and we should not change mid-stream on those that put applications in.

Motion that we give $200 this year’s applicants for the scholarship.

2^nd Dan.

Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.

Club Polo Shirts Available

President showed the table where the shirts and sign up roster is at.

New Business

Treasurer Report – by Kia: completed at the beginning of the meeting.

Discussion Topics:

Setting up your Apiary Considerations

• • All beekeeping is local. Even a few miles apart each beekeeper does it different.
  • Tim described his experience setting up his first hives
  • Discussion of the group:
    • New bees need to be close to check often
    • Hives should be where you can get to them
    • Out of site – keep from prying eyes
    • Spread them out so you have room to work
    • Don’t keep bee to close to each other
    • Level ground clear of clutter is best as hives get heavy
    • Get them where you want them the first time – not that easy to move
    • Think about winter, wind, direction of sun in summer and winter
    • Distance between hives is location specific to each beekeeper
    • Consider your neighbors and know your local rules and regulations
    • Pennington County may consider rules on animals and bees have come up in those discussions.
    • Fence around your hives if you can
    • Have to have a water supply nearby
    • Watch out for dragonflies…they love eating bees

ANTS – how to stop them:

• • • Cinnamon – sprinkle it around the hive
    • Cinnamon sticks under the legs of your bench on the blocks

Importance of Journaling

• • If you don’t do it…you should. You have to know what you have done that works and what does not work. Don’t make the same mistakes twice.
  • Group had some limited but good discussion on keeping journals
    • Phone apps
    • Take pictures
    • Get journals from bee courses, online, bee magazines

Update on Field Trips

• • No real updates on them. Still locking them in.
  • First trip in May to Tim Moran’s Apiary

Any other business?

Discussion on a DEADOUT hive and diagnosing what may have happened.

Tim told a story about a beekeeper that kept having his hives die out. After two years he is getting out of the business. Tim showed that the guys inner covers and not one of them had a notch cut out. Thus, he most likely baked his bees in the summer and in the winter…no moisture was able to get out. Tar paper he had on the lid may have given off fumes and it again, had no ventilation.

Tim brought up that there is a location that someone wants bees – get with him

Dan mentioned that there is another area that someone wants bees – get with him

Tim mentioned the workshop in Wyoming this weekend – costs $99 to pre-register $1,000 dollar to just show up but we have a free registration available for someone tonight.

Next Meeting: 10 April 2019 GF&P Open Campus West

Scheduled topics:

• • March Cheyenne Workshop Report
  • New NUC Demonstration
  • Summer to do list

 

Motion to approve all three scholarships: Motion from – Paul

                                                                        Colleen

                                                                        Motion carried by voice vote unanimously

Meeting Closed: Tim called the meeting closed at 7:40pm

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Minutes are respectfully submitted by Allen Godsell, Club Secretary, on 17APR19 at 1100hrs