A clarification:

Colorado Beekeepers are putting on a joint Colorado Beekeepers State meeting and the WAS annual meeting.  They wanted to run their own  program, and the approach and content was very different from a typical WAS conference.

After much discussion, it was decided that WAS would participate by providing a fixed amount of the costs to cover the WAS annual meeting - and the Colorado Beekeepers would do what Colorado wanted to do.  One of the issues to emerge over past year - who really represents the CO beekeepers and who are the CO beekeepers?  Is it the large numbers of small scale and relatively new beekeepers that belong to the group that is hosting the CO meeting?  Is it the commercial beekeepers, most of whom clearly aren't part of the group that is putting on the State Meeting?

Obviously, the WAS Annual Meeting in MT last year was a very different program.  In its by-laws, WAS discourages joint  programs (WAS + STATE) - whenever these have occurred, there have often been disagreements, bad feelings, problems with splitting costs, etc.  But CO was determined to do a joint meeting, so  the WAS Executive Committee decided to let them do what they were going to do as the Host State, and WAS agreed to provide a fixed amount towards the costs - WAS is required by its by-laws to have an annual meeting.

One of the things I discovered as last year's WAS President (2014) - WAS does not have any real continuity of officers or programs.  The By-Laws are clear that the intent of WAS is to distribute science and fact based information.  WAS is prohibited from taking political action or advocacy positions.  But then things get very loose.

Typically, the state that agrees to host the WAS annual meeting and conference has been responsible for the Conference Program.  The WAS President changes every year, since WAS has typically elected the host state's representative, President, for the coming year.

Personally, I see this as an impediment to any long-term plan or vision for the WAS association.  I'd like to see the President of WAS uncoupled from the host state.  There should be some sort of established terms for officers, continuity of leadership.  It's hard to have a vision, when the leadership changes each year, depending on which state or province hosts the Annual Meeting.

I also think that there should be someone in charge of the WAS Annual Programs (not a luck of the draw choice that changes every year).  That person should have the background, knowledge, experience, and contacts to develop a viable, engaging, relevant, and factual slate of presentations.  That doesn't mean one can't show two sides of an issue - but there should be a balance.

WAS has been coasting for years on the guidance of Eric Mussen, helped by a hand-full of loyal members, with a dash of EAS experience from Dewey Caron.  Btw the two, they usually managed to help a state put on a realistic meeting - one that didn't break the bank and that also had a reasoned program.  But, Dewey and Eric are now both retired (Eric officially retired last year) and Dewey has been retired for some time.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about CO.  They have a VERY ambitious program, and I'll be the first to congratulate them if they pull it off, both in terms of the Program and the Finances (the challenge is to make money, or at least break even).

But I think WAS has to grow up and decide what it is, where its going, and how its going to get there.  It's membership is graying, has been for some time.  Folks like Sarah Red-Laird and Zac Browning started last year to engage younger beekeepers.  WAS now has a Facebook page, courtesy of Sarah.  I broke the ice with on-line  registration, and Beth has continued along that line with a new WEB Page and Registration.

From my perspective the question is, without Eric, will WAS boot-strap itself up and grow, or will it stagnate and eventually end?  If the latter, will it be a Collapse or a Dwindle.









             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html