December Agenda
Dear Members,
As we move through the Thanksgiving holiday and enter the final month of 2020, I think we can all give thanks that this year is about to be put behind us. I hope all is well and that you have had a successful bee season, which for many, it seems, has been a very positive note to an otherwise troublesome year. I've heard reports of tremendous growth in hive populations, number of colonies, possibly a record swarm season. Many this season were scrambling to find enough hardware to accommodate their growth. Hopefully you were among them and have strong, healthy hives going into the winter.
We have a couple things to share with you. First, since we are still unable to meet in person, we will be holding a virtual meeting using the Zoom platform on December 14th, from 6:30 to 8:00. This will be our first endeavor with this internet format, and I hope you can join us. It is possible to join the audio portion of the meeting via phone, so even if you do not use the internet you can still join in the conversation. Details follow below.
Our guest speaker will be Julia McGuire. Julia teaches a Beekeeping 101 course for which students can earn credit for the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program. She is also the creator of BeeLaws.org and coordinates for her local club, Des Moines Backyard Beekeepers. Julia has kept honey bees in rural and urban settings since 2011. She plans to talk about varroa and this past summer's swarm season.
We will also be introducing a young person who
wishes to be a Honey Princess, representing East Central Iowa
Beekeepers.
Rachel Vakulich is a student at Kirkwood Community College. She sends us this brief bio:
"I am Rachel Vakulich, the 2021 East Central Iowa Honey Queen. I am studying nursing at Kirkwood Community College. My hobbies are baking, cooking, video editing, playing violin, singing, going to church, and beekeeping. As the East Central Iowa Honey Queen, I (plan to) travel around Johnson County and the surrounding areas educating the public about bees, honey, beekeeping, and pollination. I (will) educate the public at farmers markets, schools, fairs, and festivals. I would love to come to an event or school to raise awareness about honey and bees."
Rachel is seeking a volunteer to help
coordinate her attendance at events in the coming year. If you
are interested in helping Rachel, please contact her at:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81436857463?pwd=SDR2ZW0zK1RkN25VeXpoTSszWHdWZz09
Meeting ID: 814 3685 7463 Passcode: 054813
To join the audio portion of the meeting, you can dial in from a phone if your phone plan allows unlimited long distance calling, as there are no toll-free numbers for this. Select any of the numbers listed below and follow prompts to enter the meeting ID and Passcode.
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
One additional note to pass along: Boyd Palmer, 82, of Central City, passed away suddenly recently. Older club members may recall Boyd as a longtime bee inspector for the state. Our condolences go out to Boyd's wife and family.
Hope to see you on the 14th!
Jim Davis
Secretary, ECIBA
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Looking for a class for 2021? Please check our Classes and Events page. Also while there, consider taking a brief survey to help some students at Brown University who want to learn about your beekeeping practices.
