Michael Francis intends to place a bowl of sugar syrup in his hive to feed the
bees.  Michael, this is a very efficient way of drowning them.  As a beginner
I suggest you go to your appliance dealer and ask for a feeder.   There are
several patterns on the market and most are relatively cheap.  Their common
feature is that they allow the bees only tongue contact with the syrup.
 If you are a do it yourselfer get a plastic or metal container of a capacity
of about half a gallon (US or Imperial, it doesn't matter).  Punch or drill a
number of holes of the diameter of a sewing needle or thereabouts in an area
that could be encircled by your thumb and middle finger in the centre of the
lid.  As many holes as you can before they overlap or you get bored.
Almost fill the can with dry cane sugar.  Add hot water and stir until the
sugar is dissolved and the container is full of fluid.  Replace the lid
securely.  Go to your hive in the evening and invert the feeder over the hole
in the crown board.  Add an empty super to surround it and replace the roof.
Initially a small amount of syrup will leak out and fall on the bees to tell
them that the bee equivalent of manna is falling from heaven.  Then a vacuum
will form and the remaining syrup will defy gravity until the bees suck it out
at their own pace.
Tom Barrett has given the text book answer for beginners and for people who
want to pass their exams or who have only 2 or 3 hives.  What the text books
don't tell you is that by routinely feeding your bees you are artificially
selecting in favour of bees which NEED routine feeding.  I gave up routine
feeding years ago and have seldom lost a colony through winter starvation.
Inevitably as part of the selection process in favour of  winter efficient
bees some colonies will be lost from time to time especially at first.
However, death is a pretty steep learning curve and the survivors will pass on
their their know - how through their genes spread around the neighbourhood via
their drones.
 Pretty soon the swarms you pick up in the area will also be winter efficient
unless you have a neighbour who is in the habit of buying in queens.  If so,
find out who he is and give him some of yours.  Explain that he is
contaminating your selective breeding programme and he will be impressed as
well as grateful.
The corollary to not feeding the bees routinely is that you must not be too
greedy.  The honey you steal from them must be truly surplus to their needs.
Bearing in mind the difference in price between  honey in the jar and sugar in
the bag there is commercial pressure to squeeze every ounce of honey from the
bees in the short term.  Think long term and consider the value of selecting
for bees that are natural survivors in your climate rather than existing  on
the edge of their range, able to survive unaided only in the most benevolent
of winters.
Notice I have not said "do not feed" but do not feed ROUTINELY.  If you have a
special reason to feed, then by all means do so - the feeder is one of the
tools of your trade.  Use it circumspectly.
Chris Slade