Successful first-ever meeting of Somerset beekeepers

It was originally scheduled to meet last Wednesday night, the 12th of January, but because of a messy Nor’easter last week I had to postpone the first meeting of Somerset Beekeepers to Monday, the 17th. So Monday night we all gathered at the Somerset County University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Skowhegan to establish the newest chapter of the Maine State Beekeeper’s Association.

There were nine of us, including myself, my sister in-law who is my partner in beekeeping, and my beekeeping mentor. A couple of the participants had been involved in other chapters because there either was not a group established in our area, or because another chapter was closer. One of the individuals was interested in getting started with bees this year–I call these folks “wanna-be-beekeepers” (with absolutely no negative connotation implied-we like wannabees!!).

We introduced ourselves and I explained that I had decided to take the initiative in forming the group because of the lack of resources in the area for new beekeepers. After all, how can we combat the decline of our most important pollinators by encouraging our neighbors to keep backyard hives if there is no support here to help them get started?

The discussion veered toward the direction we’d like to see the group take and I explained to those who had not participated at other chapters some of the activities that the groups got involved with. The most common events being monthly meetings, annual picnics, open-hive sessions, bee-schools, and winter-workshops. I also mentioned some of my own ideas, like my desire to create a “Junior Beekeeper’s” program for children in the area. We decided that setting up a bee-school in Somerset County was our top priority, and everyone seemed enthusiastic about the idea of reaching out to children and the community to promote beekeeping.

We talked about dues and membership to the Maine State Beekeeper’s Association, and decided upon $10 annual fee for club-member dues.  And we talked about how to earn money and what other chapters use their funds for, namely club-libraries, and a club-honey extractor–I think we will certainly work toward these goals, but at this point it is not top priority.

Finally, we elected officers for the new chapter. I was elected President, the vice president and secretary were volunteers, and since no one wanted to volunteer to be treasurer and since we don’t have any monies yet, I decided I would just handle that responsibility until such a time as the position could be filled.

All in all I’m very pleased with the way the meeting went.  Having never actively involved myself in anything like this before I was understandably anxious about my role, nevertheless I was very pleased to be nominated and elected President of the group (just call me “Madame President”-ha!).

My focus for next month’s meeting is to find a speaker who will come talk to our small group, and I’ve got to put together a brochure for the Somerset Beekeepers in order to spread the word to the community and grow our numbers.  I don’t yet know how to make a brochure, but in the name of beekeepers everywhere I will endeavor to find out!  Google here I come!