MONADNOCK BEEKEEPER'S ASSOCIATION
February 4, 2010 @ 7:00 pm


Minutes

* Welcome - Club President Steve Weber called the meeting to order. 
* Secretary's Report - The minutes of the December meeting were distributed and accepted. 
* Treasurer's Report  - The treasurer was not present and his report was passed over until next meeting.
* Beekeeping Discussion - The first half hour of the meeting was dedicated to talking about bees. Some of the topics that were discussed were:   
o Failure to install mouse guards in the fall resulted in two hives being chewed out.
o The pros and cons of top bar hives were debated.
o Al Nadeau reported that foundationless frames work. He installed two in brood chambers and they were well drawn out.
o Wellcroft Fence in Harrisville supplies electric fencing for bear protection. The fence should be baited with bacon or peanut butter to train the bears to the fence.
* Beginner Beekeeping Class for 2010 - John Snowden and Steve Webber have planned the course. The class schedule was handed out and has been posted on the web. Volunteers are needed to help teach the classes. Will and Jodi have done it all in the past, but now other members are needed to take over for them. If you are willing to assist with one or more of the classes, please contact John or Steve.                                                                                                                
*  Recognition Awards - In recognition of the many years and many hours of service that they have given to the club, Steve made the motion that Jody Forcier and Will Vogeley be given lifetime memberships. The motion was seconded and unanimously carried. Thank you Jody and Will from all of us          
* Liability Insurance - The club voted to forward $200.00 to the New Hampshire Beekeepers Association to pay our assessment for the 2010 liability insurance policy they carry that covers our club activities.         
*  Dues - This meeting was the last day of our $10.00 "early bird" annual dues rate special. The regular rate of $15.00 will apply for the rest of the year.    
* Speaker Topics - The following topics were suggested by members for future meeting speakers.
Natural (Holistic) Beekeeping
Honey Extraction for Backyard Beekeepers
Building a Solar Wax Extractor
* Jars for Sale - Jeanne Usereau has 1 lb. octagon jars for sale. Email her at jusereau@aol.com and you can arrange pickup from her at the Edward Jones office next to the Keene post office.
* Meeting Adjourned



NEXT MEETING
Thursday, March 4, 2010, Dublin Library, Dublin, NH