(Founded 1887 - Scotland’s
oldest Local Association?) (www.eastlothianbeekeepers.org.uk)
Newsletter 137 January
2006
Minutes of Annual
General Meeting held 12th January
1. Apologies: none.
Thirteen members attended.
2. Minutes of the previous
AGM 24th Feb. 2005 were approved.
3. Accounts. Rosemary
Carthy presented provisional accounts for the period
Initial balance £580.62
Income £505.24
Expenditure £360.80
Purchase of Extractor £275.00
Cash balance £477.56
Fixed assets £247.50
Total £725.06
Despite the
Association’s purchase of a honey extractor, our funds remain healthy.
4. The meeting voted
to maintain the membership fee at £5.00
5. The amendments to
the Association constitution proposed in the last newsletter were all adopted
unanimously (see below).
6. The office bearers
(George Barton, President, Donald Smith, Secretary and Rosemary Carthy Treasurer)
were all re-elected without opposition.
7. Presdents report. George
Barton surveyed the year’s events, commenting in particular on the large number
of new members.
8. Correspondence. Leaflets
from DEFRA on Varroa and Tropilaelaps are available at meetings or from the
secretary.
9. AOCB. Efforts will
be made to re-site the Association Apiary at Alderston for the forthcoming
season.
Revised Constitution
adopted at AGM
1. The name of the Association shall be “The East Lothian Beekeepers Association”
2. The object of the association shall be the encouragement and advancement of beekeeping and the promotion of co-operation between local beekeepers.
3. The office bearers shall be three in number:- President, Secretary and Treasurer, these officers to be elected annually at the AGM.
4. A committee shall be made up of the office bearers and up to six further members to be elected at the AGM., five to form a quorum.
5. Membership is open to all upon payment of an annual subscription, the sum to be fixed for each calendar year at the AGM. Members who are under the age of 18 or are vulnerable adults must be accompanied at meetings by a parent or nominated parental guardian. Members may be nominated for Honorary Life Membership at the AGM for services rendered to the Association.
6. The Financial year shall end on 31st December each year and the AGM shall be arranged not later than 30th April.
7. At the AGM reports and audited accounts of the previous year shall be submitted to the members for adoption. The officers shall be elected & questions as to the government of the Association and any other competent business shall be discussed. A special General meeting may be called by the Secretary within 14 days upon a requisition signed by six members, the notice calling the meeting also stating the business for which the meeting was arranged. The President or chairman shall have a casting vote in the event of equal voting.
8. These rules shall not be altered except by a two thirds majority of the members present at the AGM, or at a special meeting called for the purpose. Any proposed alteration shall be stated on the notice calling the meeting.
“The uniqueness of
the honey bee dance language”
Following the AGM, Dr
Peter Wright of the
Forthcoming events
(all on Thursdays at
9th
February: George Hood, Ormiston: “How I keep my bees”
9th March:
Talk and slide show from John Hoskin, Capstone Valley Apiaries,
6th
April: Talk by Graham White on “The Dartington Long
Deep Hive” (to be confirmed)
Beginners classes
Mike Bain’s beginners class is now 10 strong! Anyone who is interested
in joining this group should get in touch with Mike Bain (01875 341226). We
hope to follow the theoretical lessons with practical sessions at the
Association hives in the spring.
Bee Boles
The International Bee
Research Association has made its UK register of bee boles available on-line: (http://www.ibra.org.uk/beeboles/home.asp)
There are photographs and information about the boles at Luffness (0343),
Garvald (0342), Pilmuir (0433), Beech Hill (0595), Fountainhall (0782) and Byres Tower (1009).
The latter appears to be unique in
Varroa
Free Apistan strips
for Varroa testing are still available from me.
Library
We now have 25 books
in our modest lending library, as well as back issues of the SBA magazine,
Beecraft and Beekeepers Quarterly. A full listing is on our website. I bring
the books along to the meetings, or you can collect them from me.
Thanks to all members
who donated samples for this project. Preliminary results are that oil seed
rape pollen is everywhere!
Annual Membership
Please complete the
attached membership form and return it to Rosemary Carthy or bring it along to
the next meeting. If we reach 50 members this year it will be the record since
1985!
Donald Smith (Secretary)
Garden Cottage
Clerkington
Haddington EH41 4NJ
01620 822441 gardencottage@ntlworld.com