Board Meeting Minutes May 19,2025

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In attendance: Mary Dempsey, Katie Marler, Kathleen LeClerc, Bryce Landrud, Brooke Stegmeier, Nathan Chambers, Chris Camper

 

6:10 call to order

 

Treasurer Report

Fawn Casey

Reviewed expense report

Need to confirm membership dues are paid

Need to confirm class attendees are paid for

Print out lists for both to have at check in next full meeting

Insurance still needs needs to get paid ($1700)

Insurance company agreed to include swarm insurance at no extra cost

 

Honey House

Mary Dempsey

WSU maintenance still needs to install lights, coming soon!

Need to store Auction donations at Honey House temporarily

Batteries and charger went missing from Honey House, maintenance guys grabbed them? Ben from WSU is investigating.

Awnings still need to be painted and installed

Need to do a dump run for old stuff behind honey house

Need to make and install screens for the awning windows

Make signage 

 

Apiary Update

Mary Dempsey & Kathleen Clerc

7 Education at club apiary (6 langstrom, 1 long lang)

6 Production at club apiary

8 Production across the street

All seem to be doing fine

No mite drops yet? Really wondering what is going on? 

3 more treatments to complete cycle

Need to install OA pads after complete

Test for mites, mite wash after treatment

Continue treatment as needed, FDA certified it’s ok to treat during honey flow

Need ground maintenance at apiary - buy a weedeater? Costco battery powered on sale

Schedule ground maintenance day with team. 

Decide whether or not to buy our own equipment or let volunteers bring?

Are there liability issues? 

Publish a maintenance team guidelines (eye protection, ear safety)

Need to organize a donation pick up of equipment, truck

Next apiary day prep honey supers at 9am, 10am start inspections and add boxes

 

AUCTION

Mary Dempsey

List left over fair honey at Auction with reserve bid

Photographer studio wants to donate 5 photo packages to auction w/ $99 reserve

Start pre listing auction items on Facebook to build some excitement 

Rebecca Cameron is taking the lead for the silent auction. Kristen Colette, Mary Beth, and Sue Canfield all volunteered. 

Chris Camper has an air conditioner to donate to the club for honey house or auction.

 

STATE FAIR

Mary D.

Application is turned in, need to confirm with Lincoln the honey show details. If Lincoln falls through than Mary D will run the honey show. 

Honey Show belongs to the fair but PCBA hosts the honey show in our booth

August 29 - Sept 21

Get volunteer push started now, get sign up genius working

 

EDUCATION

Katie Marler

Next event June 3rd

Caught up on responses to requests

Katie reaching out to volunteers to find people to do outreach dates

HIve host lists are up to date

Can we add powerpoint slides in the members only section of YouTube? 

Nicole Cassler (?) wants to help with zoom video for meetings and possibly do videography at apiary days. 

Need camera operator to film inspections live

Can we do classes online this month so we don’t miss a month? Planning on recording using Zoom and sending out link to people taking the class

City of Puyallup wants us to create a display for Bee City USA

They also want us to do an educational day for their staff etc. 

 

• Can we change some of our events to happen in the Fall or Winter? Maybe move the Silent Auction? Look at doing it in March next year. Before people start buying equipment and the season starts. Motion passed un-opposed. 

 

SWARMS

City of Dupont is listing us as resource

 

Other Business:

• Key Penn Club is trying to set up satellite apiaries for beekeepers to use. Key Penn has set up their first satellite apiary 4 miles from PCBA. David Ledger, president of Key Penn reached out to Kathleen Clerc to discuss opportunities available. Meeting with Key Penn President, David Ledger on 5/20 via Zoom has been arranged to discuss his ideas and proposal. 

  • Follow up form Zoom meeting: in attendance was David Ledger, Mary Dempsey, Kathleen Clerc.

    • Clarifying questions were asked and his intent was to share ideas on how we could increase our revenue for PCBA  by following their business template to start our own satellite apiaries for the convenience of our members and increase revenue. We will discuss options at the next board meeting.​

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WEBSITE

Kathleen Clerc/Mary Dempsey

Members need to update payment info

Need to update class info to see calendar for upcoming classes

 

SAY YES CAMPAIGN

Need volunteer sign up cards with QR code so people can scan and sign up for events

Spotlight volunteers who have helped out at previous events during meetings

 

NEWSLETTER

Brook

Ready to send just needs executive approval to list

Justin Martin is our buzz worthy bee keeper this month

 

• BRYCE - Good of the Order Item. Possibility of bringing back Senior members like Andy as teacher or presenter for the club. Per Andy’s conversations with members, Andy feels like he was sidelined by the association and it would be good to get him involved again. He was earmarked to teach a journeyman level class but we haven’t gotten any journey level candidates to get a class up and running yet. It was discussed to offer to have Andy be a presenter next winter for the club- possible topics: “Turn from Hobby to Profit” or a “Mead Workshop”.

• It would also be great to get senior beekeepers involved in doing presentations for the club in general to pass on knowledge. Maybe ask the older members to recount how beekeeping has changed over the course of their lives? Larry Gregory might be another good candidate to do a presentation for the club? Many beekeepers feel like perennial novices but have a ton of experience to offer.  

 

5 YEAR PLAN

Keep an eye on progress

Hive host program is a great opportunity to connect with the community and spread more bees into local spaces. 

Original 5 year plan was created 2 years ago by Mary and kathleen, need to recreate list

 

Motion to close 7:55, carried