Wilson County Beekeepers

Meeting Minutes – Monday, 12 September 2022

Wilson County Beekeepers Association President Carey Mitchell called the September 12, 2022 meeting to order with fifty-nine members and guests in attendance.  The minutes of the July 25 meeting were approved.   The reported checkbook balance is $__________.
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Old Business Discussed:

• If you attended the Wilson County—Tennessee State Fair, you were among the 776,195 that attended the hugely successful event.
• A big thank you to everyone *that attended the Honey Show and made it a great show, *that spent time at the booth (391 volunteer hours)   *that donated honey and frames  *that donated items for the raffle basket (our own Jennifer Ferguson was the big winner out of 624 tickets)
• Lucy Freeman won the ham drawing! WCBA was well represented.
• Congrats to all of the Honey Show Winners. The Blues of the Blues winner this year was Carey Mitchell with Maple Bend providing a $50.00 gift certificate.
• Wilson County had three entries that went to the Best of Tennessee from the 2021 Fair…Evan Saddler won 2^nd in Light Amber and Petra won 3^rd in Dark Amber. This competition was for those that won at the County fairs last year.
• TBA Fall Mini-Conference for the North Middle Region is scheduled for October 8 at the Dayspring Academy in Greenbrier. Online registration is open through the TBA website.  Thomas Seeley will be the featured speaker, via zoom.  Cost will be $25 per person/$19 for seniors, and 16 and under are free.
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New Business Discussed:   

• The Short Course is scheduled for October 24-26 (Monday-Wednesday)…6:00 – 9:00 nightly.   Fifty-six folks signed up for the Short Course at the Fair.  If you are planning on attending, please let Petra know.  We will be capping at 50 seats.  The cost is $25.00 per person or $45.00 per couple.  The cost will include a copy of Beekeeping in TN, a one-year membership in WCBA, and dinner each night.
• The book we are putting in the public libraries (and our association library) is ‘The Dadant System of Beekeeping—1920. Carey gave a brief review of this well-written book.  Petra already delivered the copy to the Watertown Library.  Allen Ferguson volunteered to deliver the one to Lebanon and Dale McCleskey will deliver the Mt. Juliet copy.
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Leonard’s Monthly To-Do

• Continue checking for mites
• Need a good treatment so the bees can raise healthy fat bees for the winter. We are about to run out of time
• Replace hive parts that need repairing…repairs are easier to make in the shop than out in the bee yard
• Remember your bee year starts in August and September (We have hear Al Taylor, Kent Williams and John Benham all state this_.
• Get your equipment for next year ready. Nucs and/or packages you might need for next year
• Doesn’t hurt to be early, when you’re late, you are behind the 8 ball.
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What’s blooming (at our house) that the bees are working:

• Boneset
• Bosc Elm
• Catnip
• Crepe myrtle
• Crownbeard
• English Ivy
• Garlic Chives
• Golden rod
• Horseweed
• Ironweed
• Leaf Cup
• Mexican Bamboo
• Partridge Pea
• Ragweed
• Smartweed
• Virginia Copperleaf
• Vitex
• Yellow wingstem
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Tracy Finegan, the TBA North Middle Regional VP was present to discuss the upcoming TBA mini-conference.  Each club will have a table and Wilson County’s table theme will be ‘Treating for Mites’.    Tim Lankford (our liaison) had fliers available for anyone willing to advertise. Our club’s committee besides Tim Lankford includes Jenny Lamb and Jamie Irons.   Anyone wishing to help with the event, please let Petra know and your admission will be paid for.
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Program:  Al Taylor had an excellent PowerPoint on ‘How, When & Why to Feed your Bees’.  (We always appreciate Al sharing his knowledge on short notice)
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Announcements:

• October 3—Barry Richards—Observation Hives
• October 8—TBA Mini-Conference (Greenbrier, TN)
• October 24-26—Short Course
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Door Prizes:

• Smoker—Ed Schwark
• Cookbook—Caryn Boles
• Honey Candy—Doug Bowes
• Vitex—Holly Davis and Laurie Karr
• Honeybee Tennessee long sleeve shirt—Dale McCleskey
• Entrance reducer/mouse guard—Jack Erdley
• 2023 Wounded Warrior calendar—Grayson Herron
• Lighter—Freddie Stroupe
• Hive Tool—Ciara Sowell
• Dishtowel (donated by Norma Jean Stroupe)—Les Burton
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The meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm for refreshments.
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The Club’s current checkbook balance is $_______________

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Respectfully submitted:  Petra Mitchell, Secretary/Treasurer
Wilson County Beekeepers Association
September 12, 2022

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