>The problem with Master Beekeeper is the title. Beekeeping is a trade... a
Master in a trade
>
> signifies that the person has mastered the trade.


I'm in complete agreement Bill.  To be considered as a Master in a trade or
competitive sport requires a minimum of 10-15 years of CONSTANT
work/practice, and an extremely high expectation that you can handle
anything thrown at you with an elegant demonstration of your mastery of the
craft.

That said, how many commercial beekeepers would be willing to hand the
running of their operation over to a Master Beekeeper for a few months?

A true Master beekeeper can tell at a glance what takes others detailed
explanation to discern.  This comes from observant practice--such as that
of Langstroth, Doolittle, Miller, etc.

And then there is the practical aspect--the ability to run a bee business
profitably, being able to quickly recover from disaster, and thinking three
steps ahead of others.  These attributes take experience--especially
rebuilding.

A Master makes things look nearly effortless, because he's already seen it
all, and practiced how to deal with any situation.

I myself have considerable experience with bees, a good grasp of bee
science, and have made my living from consistently producing healthy hives
for many years, yet would hardly consider myself to be a Master.

The title of Master implies mastery of a trade, or in academia, the step
between a Bachelor's degree and a PhD.  A PhD means that you have
demonstrated a required proficiency at the trade of scientific research.
Similarly, earning a black belt in martial arts (to the surprise of many
who do) means that you have demonstrated that you are a student to finally
be taken seriously on the path to mastery.

When professional beekeepers hear of beginners enrolling in courses to
become Masters, it cheapens the title. No one could possibly master
beekeeping without many years of hard experience, recovery from several
decimation events, and a history of consistently successful exhibition
beekeeping husbandry.

Now don't get me wrong--I fully support the educational programs.  I just
think that the title name above journeyman should be different.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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