On November 21 2022, we held our Annual Meeting at The Swantown Inn’s Grand Victorian Ballroom. There were 20 people physically present and 4 people via Google Meet.
Membership Report
As of today, we stand at 126 members (paid annually) and 5 lifetime members. The membership year is January through December. Anyone who signs up in November or December 2022 is paid through December 2023.
Treasurer’s Report
Checking – $2,834.63
Savings – $4,578.80
Librarian’s Report
Lynn reported that she purchased four books as motioned at our last meeting, all on the topic of Mead. Lynn encouraged members to let her know if there is a bee book they are interested in reading because she may be able to purchase it for the library.
An updated list of the Association’s library inventory is available in the library section of the web site.
Outreach Report
Steven noted that currently due to the season there really has not been any active outreach.
Education Report
Gail reported that the online Apprenticeship class recently graduated 18 people. It was well received and a few of the new apprentice beekeepers attended the meeting. There will be another Apprenticeship class starting in early April. We do not know yet if it will be in person or online.
There was interest in Beginner (one day) and Journeyman level classes. The board will discuss and formalize these options at the first board meeting of 2023.
Mentor Report
George was not present, but Nathan had seen him and Jessica earlier (they dropped off the membership box). George is stepping down and knows there is demand for mentors from potential mentees.
Elections
David presented the nominations for board positions. Nathan discussed his nomination as Vice President. He mentioned that he wanted a more experienced beekeeper to take the President role, but with no one stepping up he realizes he will be Acting President. He really hopes with the almost full slate of board members, that regular board meetings will return.
Gail proposed a motion to except the slate of nominations. Nicholas Peters seconded. After limited discussion the members agreed unanimously.
The following members were elected:
- President
- Vice President Nathan Allan (Acting President)
- Secretary Camy Naasz
- Treasurer David Bruun
- Membership Catie Holstein
- Education Chair Gail Booth
- Outreach Chair Steve Walker
- Librarian Lynn Phillipi
- Mentor Chair Brian Henn
New board members can reach out to Nathan to get set up with OBA email address. We ask that board members regularly check their OBA email accounts and use them for Association business.
The board will resume regular monthly meetings, starting January 21, 2023. All members are welcome to attend the board meeting. If you do and you are not a board member, you will be put to work on a subcommittee or the like. Nathan discussed plans for moving the Association forward, advancing our education mission, and increasing membership. In 2023, the board will bring back some of the formalities and a lot of the social interactions that have made our Association great. The agenda for the first board meeting of 2023 includes:
- Set a budget
- Create a master calendar
- Form an education subcommittee to create and present to the board an education plan, including, beginner, apprentice, and journeyman classes, and mentor opportunities
- Discuss and plan membership meeting topics and source presenters
It was also mentioned that Alan Woods of Woods Bee Co. has offered his services, particularly in education. There was also mention of potential grants from the state association.
Presentation – Website upgrades – Nathan Allan
Nathan presented the changes to the website, most notably the membership plugin that now manages our membership. Members can now log in to manage their member profile, pay their annual membership fee, and see a directory of members. He pointed out the new “I want to be Beekeeper” page and the News and Updates.
We are looking for members who are interested in helping build out the content of the website, specifically on the educational content. We also need help managing our private Facebook members group and Association Facebook page. These are important education and engagement channels that can reach a lot of people.
We discussed ways to improve the accessibility of the colors used for the new member menu on the website for people who are color blind.
Social Hour
After the formal meeting, we briefly went over the basics of official honey judging. We hope to encourage and empower members to enter their honey in the Thurston County Fair. We then sampled at least 10 different honeys brought by members!
The host also provided some delicious honey-based pastries and cocktails.
Next Meeting
The December Holiday Potluck will be held at Heritage Hall at the Fairgrounds and include a white elephant gift exchange ($20 max per gift). The meeting date is Monday December 12th at 6pm. Heritage Hall does provide access to a kitchen area.