President’s Message – October 2013

Krista Conner 2013 PSBA President
Krista Conner,   2013 PSBA President

I’ve heard it said that a beekeeper’s job is never done and October is no exception. It’s a busy month with a variety of tasks – finishing winterizing tasks (when it isn’t raining); bottling and labeling honey in prep for holiday gifts or honey sales, and reviewing the year’s results and making plans for next year’s beekeeping season.

For PSBA,  the planning for 2014 is already beginning too!  A few PSBA board members and members attended the Washington State Beekeeper’s Conference earlier this month, where we heard speakers from WSU Apiary Research program and many others so we can be ready for 2014 beekeeping. (I’m compiling some notes from the conference which I’ll post here soon).   I and board member Mark Hohn also got involved in committees and workgroups at the state level -stay tuned for more updates on these activities.

In addition, later on this month, the PSBA board will meet to brainstorm ideas and strategies for PSBA’s programs and events in 2014. We’ll then be able to spend the next few months getting everything ready for the spring.

You can help with PSBA’s 2014 readiness and planning by attending our meeting on November 19th, where everyone is invited to our annual business meeting and potluck dinner. I always look forward to November’s meeting because we get to relax and enjoy some downtime with each other over delicious food. We’ll also have elections – PSBA members get to nominate and vote on candidates for Officers (these positions are elected annually) and 4 Trustee positions which are vacating in 2013 (by design).

Without a full and engaged board, PSBA can’t achieve success with our plans for next year.  So, if you have skills and talents that will benefit PSBA and want to grow your leadership skills, I suggest you consider running for a board position or volunteering to lead a major initiative for PSBA in 2014.    Before the November elections, we’ll post some details on roles and responsibilities of board members, and other leadership roles for 2014. If you have any questions before then, please contact me or another board member.

I hope to see you at both October and November Meetings!

signature