SCBA Executive Committee Meeting

September 6, 2019 Minutes

Call to Order: President-Elect Danny Cannon at 10:00 am.

John Gardner

• Opened the meeting with prayer.

Secretary Report – Bryan Owens

• Total Members: 1315
  • Group Memberships
    • Aiken – 73
    • Anderson County – 44
    • Blackwater – 87
    • Charleston Association – 114
    • Charleston Community Bee Garden – 31
    • Chester – 29
    • Edisto – 18
    • Lancaster – 40
    • Lowcountry – 24
    • Oconee – 88
    • Piedmont – 39
    • Ridge – 25
    • SCBA Only – 348
    • Spartanburg – 106
    • USC Student Association – 13
    • Wateree – 102
    • York – 134
• Home Association

• • Aiken – 74
  • Anderson – 49
  • Annual Membership Only – 54
  • Beaufort Jasper – 10
  • Blackwater – 84
  • Charleston – 128
  • Charleston Community Bee Club – 31
  • Cherokee – 2
  • Chester – 33
  • Dacusville – 5
  • Edisto – 19
  • Fort Mill – 6
  • Lake Wylie – 5
  • Lakelands – 30
  • Lancaster – 49
  • Laurens – 11
  • Lowcountry – 25
  • Midstate – 83
  • Oconee – 92
  • Peedee – 22
  • Pickens – 29
  • Piedmont – 48
  • Ridge – 25
  • Spartanburg – 108
  • State Only – 22
  • Union – 9
  • USC Students – 14
  • Wateree- 104
  • York – 143
• EAS Attendees $50 Gift Card Program
  • 29 people that registered and attended EAS 2019 received $50 Gift Cards.
    • Total Amount Spent: $1622.55
      • 29 Gift Cards x $50 = $1400.00
      • Gift Card fees = $172.55

President-Elect Report – Danny Cannon

• Jeff Blackwell is stepping down as chair for the Youth Education program. Will need a new person to volunteer for this position by November meeting.
• Spring 2020 Meeting Update
  • Feb 29, 2020
  • GBA Building – Columbia
  • Speaker lined up so far:
    • Keith Delaplane
  • Steve suggested we look at Baxter and Chester for possible locations for the spring venue.
• Summer 2020 Meeting Update
  • July 23-25, 2020
  • Anderson Sports and Entertainment Complex
  • Speakers lined up so far:
    • Bill Hesbach
    • Allie Macafee
  • Steve Genta – Welsch honey judging
  • Danny wants to enlarge honey judging program
  • May have decorated Bee Hives competition
  • Photography contest
  • Danny and Ben Powell working on inviting outside beekeeping groups to attend our Spring and Summer meetings.
  • Maybe offer a discount for certain groups to attend.
  • Rosalind asked about the status of SCBA tax-exempt status. Susan said we are waiting to hear back from the IRS.

Treasurer Report – Wendy Gray

• Master Beekeeping:  $7089.31
• Research Fund:      $7010.66
• Steve Tabor Fund:  $556.28
• Operating Acct:    $59917.38
• PayPal Acct:        $1680.86
• I have not received the CC statement so the SCBA reimbursements, etc, has not been deducted. There is over $2000.00 worth of transactions on the CC and I have only 2 receipts: Bryan’s and Susan’s.

Master Beekeeper Program Report – Susan Jones

• SCBA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT – September 6, 2019

  BRIEF ACTIVITY SUMMARY:

  MBP Activity has been fairly quiet over the summer.  We are actively working with two clubs in the Coastal Region to schedule a Journeyman Course.  We are current with all complete records that have been submitted.

  REMINDERS:

  • Current SCBA Membership is required for MBP records to be recorded and certifications issued. This is the single most common problem that we encounter.
  • Local Clubs need to maintain Certified Level testing records and submit them in a timely fashion.
  • The MBP Manual is now posted in entirety on the SCBA website under the MBP tab. All forms needed are available for download in the Appendix section.
  • We have been actively reviewing and updating MBP Please submit any questions or documents via email to scmasterbeekeeper@gmail.com. Please contact us prior to mailing anything – most records can now be digitally scanned and emailed. We are trying to go digital!

Director Reports

• Mid-State – Rosalind Severt
  • Sumter club wants to join SCBA.
  • St. Matthews formed a club.
  • USC club will start first classes soon.
  • Working with Youth Beekeepers.
  • Rick Reems, a lawyer in her club, says as long. As we have a group that handles money we should have Liability Insurance.
  • American National provides Liability Insurance for beekeeping associations in TN, OH, GA and others.
  • Do we have event insurance for the State Fair? Steve said no, the event covers this.
  • There was a discussion about whether or not local associations are in compliance with SCBA Bylaws that require local associations to have 50% plus 1 in order to be recognized by SCBA.
  • Susan suggested we send a form to clubs annually asking for compliance.
  • Danny suggested that we want clubs to participate with the state and if they don’t have the current requirements, maybe we have an “associate SCBA membership” level.
  • Steve suggested Danny form a committee with Regional Directors and come back with a recommendation.
  • There was a discussion about the benefits of being a member of the SCBA. Susan said she would look for a flyer that has these benefits on it. We need to promote the benefits.
  • There was some discussion about Lifetime Memberships. According to Susan and others, Cynthia Robinson, Ed Miller, and Dr. Hood should have a lifetime membership in the SCBA system. Bryan said there was no information in the old Wild Apricot system that designated Lifetime members.

Association Reports

• Charleston Community Bee Gardens – Jim Strohm
  • Dorchester County sprayed for mosquitoes in 2016 that killed 3,000,000 bees. Up until 8/1/19, the county would notify when spraying will occur. They no longer do this. They only post the information on their website.
  • Law requires notification by “mass media”, they are following law. Jim wants Clemson to clarify and tell them they must change and make it consistent statewide. Danny said Brad and Ben will be utilized to help drive discussion like this issue.
• Charleston Association – Jim Strohm
  • Natural Beekeeping Symposium Nov 16, 2019.
  • Jr. Beekeeping Camp for 8-14 years old. Had 15 people. They provided 85 scholarships.
  • Working with Palmetto Scholars Academy once a month on Leap Day – beekeeping hive.
• Spartanburg Association – Karry Edmonds
  • Thursday 9/12/19 at our monthly meeting our speaker is talking about making Mead.
  • We will have a booth at Piedmont Interstate Fair in October.
  • We should be having a Beginners Beekeeping class in Jan/Feb 2010.
• Laurens Association – Tom Dailey
  • Farm Bureau Apiculture advisory committee meeting in 2 weeks. We will be discussing the notification for mosquito spraying during that meeting.
  • Clemson has a website where Beekeepers can self-register they have bees. Brad Cavin has a website and he will send this out to all members.
• USC Students Association – Victoria Hill
  • This is their first year and they have 25 members. 80 others are interested.
• Lakelands Association – Chuck Marrion
  • Farm City Day in Abbeville, 4^th graders, 14 groups, at the county extension office, sheep, cars, horse, bees, live demonstrations on Sept 19.
  • He spoke to Anderson School District 2
  • Intends to speak at McCormick County schools as well.

• Anderson Association – Dave Miller

• • They conducted a bee demo last spring at the Clemson Botanical Gardens.
• Chester Association – Adelma Gregory-Bunnell
  • Jim Benware, the founder of their club, passed away 2 weeks ago. Now have 27 members.
  • Received a grant of $600 from OMNOVA
• Lancaster Association – Gary Moore
  • They are nominating Jim Benware as beekeeper of the year for their club.
  • Someone stole Jim Benware’s trailer and his nuc boxes during the funeral. They later found the nu boxes on side of the road.
  • Oct 5-6 Indian Land Fall Festival
  • Honey tasting competition in October.
  • Had a mead making class.
• Aiken Association – John Coons
  • Held their 2^nd annual National Honeybee Day festival at the Aiken Farmers Market on Aug 17, had observation hives.
• York Association – John Gardner
  • Lowrey parade Dec 21.
    • Can enter tractors and animals.
    • The parade route is 5 miles long
  • Christmas Dinner
    • Auction – Raises money for their club.
    • Jim Benware taught John Gardner beekeeping in 2001.

Congaree Report – David McFawn

• 4 Traps in the park.
• 8 or 9 outside of the park
• 8-12 bees per sample
• Sent to the University of Delaware. We will find out if outside the park are genetically different than inside the park.

Meeting Adjourned at 11:58 am