One of these days I am going to learn how to cut and paste. Until then ...

Yes, ESHPA has a mast head that says "Promoting the Interests of New York State Beekeepers Since 1867". Why people read into that any more than it says is beyond me. But, maybe it is a broad enough statement that it allows everyone to see in it what they wish.

I think we have found out what the members want. At least what enough of the members who feel showing up is worthwhile. 

All Board Members and Officer's contact information is Posted on the ESHPA website @ eshpa.org. I have been quite present on bee-L lately and on beesource.com since 2006. So, if anyone want to contact me, personally, they should have no trouble figuring out how to do that. So far, three people on bee-L who are also ESHPA members have voiced their point of view here and no ESHPA members on beesource.com have voiced their opinions there. Only people who aren't ESHPA members. I am glad to read what you and they have to say.

I have called every Board Member and Officer and some ESHPA members who are not Officers or Board members to find out directly from them how they feel they fit into the organization, how they would like to participate in the organization and how they would like to see the organization move forward into tomorrow. I will be doing more of this over the next few months reaching out to members I don't know and those I do but don't regularly talk to. I find mass e-mail communications don't generally garner much response, though announcements have been and will be made via Mail Chimp and other internet media.

Other outreach methods have been in the works and will be developed and employed over the course of the year to reach out to people who aren't ESHPA members too. Things have been done in the past w/ varying degrees of success. We need to do better and try more.

I believe that at the rudimentary level what NYS Beekeepers want from ESHPA are well run Beekeeping Conferences w/ good speakers presenting talks of value and interest to them at whatever stage of growth as a beekeeper they are. As past Beekeeper of the Year, and Peter Borst mentor, has often said to me about what keeps him coming back to ESHPA meetings "If I can get one good idea from attending a meeting then it's well worth the price of admission."

The second most important thing that beekeepers of NYS want when they come to an ESHPA meeting is to socialize w/ other beekeepers and the vendors we get to come to our meetings. Some of us get to meet people we haven't met yet and to rekindle old friendships w/ those we haven't seen since the previous year or even longer. To share a drink, a meal, and conversation. To share knowledge and experience and perspective. ESHPA meetings give us all a chance to learn about something new, a new trend, or to reinforce what was already learned before and to have that reinforced. We get stimulated and inspired by the lectures and the examples we see in the halls at the bar, and in the banquet halls.

Lastly it's to do the business of ESHPA. The General Meeting. The politics. Certainly there are people who are quite passionate and interested in using the backing of the Statewide Beekeeping Association to influence the State Legislature, the NYS Dept of Ag&Mkts, and/or Cornell University for whatever reasons they may have, personal or professional.

If ESHPA isn't Promoting the Interests of New York Beekeepers, maybe it does need to change its logo, letterhead, masthead. This will be taken up in discussion at Board Meetings and General Meetings over this year as it unfolds. We will see where it leads. Changing something like that is not w/in my power as ESHPA President, nor should it be. Such a thing is in the hands of the membership.

What ESHPA is and what it will be is always changing. Whether it appears to be or appears not to be is in the eyes of the beholder. ESHPA is and will be what it is and will be, if that isn't too obtuse.

 How ESHPA looks to those outside of the Association may well be the way it is, an association of Commercial Beekeepers. But that is a gross oversimplification from my point of view. Most of our members aren't Commercial Beekeepers. Not as the sole source of income anyway. The membership includes Sideline and Small Scale Beekeepers as well. Our current Board is heavily weighted towards Commercial Beekeepers. My hopes are that we can fill three vacant seats w/ Sideline and Small Scale Beekeepers. One vacancy which I can appoint at my pleasure.

We have much to do to figure out who and what ESHPA is and how best to be to fulfill as best we can what is found in our By Laws. I look forward to seeing what the next two years brings.

Thank you for your constructive critisism.

             ***********************************************
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