WASBA

WASHINGTON STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

Keeping the Bee in Business

President’s Message

Greetings BEEKS,

I pray this message finds everyone in good health and spirit. First, I want to thank each of you for your support this past season. However, we plan to take the upcoming season to a new level. Let me give you a quick glimpse of what I’m talking we are planning.
 
Club of the Year – Next year, we will select a big and small club of the year. The big club will receive $1000, while the small club will receive $500. Every member club of WASBA is eligible to enter, with the winning clubs being honored at next year’s conference. Rules will be published soon.
 
Beekeeper of the Year – Each member club will be eligible to select a beekeeper to compete for beekeeper of the year. The beekeeper of the year will be honored at next year’s annual conference, receiving $250 and a lifetime membership in WASBA. Learn more here.
 
Outreach Committee – WASBA voted on and approved that all club Presidents would, by default, be ADHOC members of the WASBA’s outreach committee. The purpose of this committee is to help one another reach their local communities while assisting in building stronger clubs. Presidents, please contact me at president@wasba.org
 
Community involvement – We will support all member clubs in reaching their communities and building membership. However, we are no longer listing nonmember clubs on our website, and we will no longer refer beekeepers to them for membership.
 
Statewide honey-tasting competition – WASBA plans to host its first-ever honey-tasting competition at the State fair next year. The reason we are only planning is that it is going to require the local clubs to help us achieve this goal. We plan to allow local clubs to host a honey-tasting competition at their county fairs, each using the same standards. We will take the winning honey from each fair and judge them at the State fair to determine who has the best honey in the State. We will honor and provide a $250 award at next’s annual conference.   
 
Education – WASBA and WSU are currently working on a Master level beekeeping certification that will be top-notch and update our current certifications. We will only allow member clubs and affiliate organizations to teach certification courses or use our educational material. We will verify all instructors’ membership when purchasing educational material. All educational material must be taught and used correctly, and all changes must go through the education board. Read Ellen’s Education Update below!
 
Speakers – WASBA is collecting a list of speakers from local beekeepers willing to share valuable information about beekeeping. There is a very knowledgeable pool of speakers in the local clubs, and I would like to use them to teach other clubs and beekeepers. If you are interested in sharing your knowledge by speaking at our local clubs, please get in touch with me at president@wasba.org. You can view our current Speakers List as a Resource on the Speakers & Presentations page of website here.
 
WASBA Family Fun Day – We are having a party for all beekeepers in Washington to attend. There will be music, games, food, and a great time with other beekeepers. Vendors are welcome to sell their bee products. So, please mark this day on your calendar at Medicine Creek Winery in Olympia on July 22, 2023, from 12:00 to 5:00 pm. More information to follow!
 
2023 WASBA Conference – The 2023 WASBA conference will be held in Western Washington next year. While we haven’t finalized a place to hold the conference yet, we are eagerly working on our list of speakers. Please plan to attend the annual conference next year on October 7th and 8th on the west side of the mountains.
 
Personalized Beekeeping License Plates – We are getting customized license plates signatures. These plates will generate a continual income stream for WASBA, allowing us to invest more in the local associations. If you have not signed this document, please ask your local association or read more and get a PDF copy for yourself below
 
Club membership – It’s that time again when you can help us do everything I have listed above by joining WASBA. While we know it won’t be easy, we are willing to work hard to accomplish them all, but we will need the support of the local clubs and beekeepers. In other words, we are working hard to support you, but we need your help to do it. Please join today at https://wasba.org/membership.
 
Healing Through Hives – Every day, 22 veterans take their own lives as they try and re-engage with the community they serve. WASBA has partnered with a few different organizations to provide a means of support to our veterans. It is proven that beekeeping helps with PTSD and other brain injuries. So while we train veterans in beekeeping, our partners provide additional services. Therefore, if you have served or know someone who has, Healing to Hives can help provide the resources needed for relief. If you have any questions, please email bees@veterans-etc.org.
 
Thank You, and God Bless

Alan Woods,
WASBA President