What are you a member of?

[Neils]

Purely out of interest, you can vote for more than one.

SBA - Really?
BBKA - British [English] Beekeepers Association
UBKA - Ulster Beekeeping association
WBKA - Welsh Beekeeping association
BIBBA - Bee Improvement and Bee Breeder's Association
IBRA - International Bee Research Association
BFA - Bee Farmers Association

[prakel]

Presently, none of the above.

I will be renewing my Individual BBKA membership which I've let slip for the time being. Ideally I'd like to join the BBKA through the local association but they have a rather odd attitude of not replying when prospective members contact them with questions! So I pay the extra £8 and deal with people that DO reply to my emails.

Bee Farmers, never been a member but did enquire. Two years later still not received a reply. Absolutely no intention of chasing them.

BIBBA, I've had an on/off relationship with them since the mid eighties. Some years I just can't be bothered to join, other years I think 'let's see how they're progressing' silly question really. The highlight of my most recent membership was a single article on the Tasmanian bees by Andrew Abrahams...

IBRA, again, one of those that I join some years and not others. No faulting the quality but maybe not worth the price.

A new one which I'm in the process of joining for 2013 is DARG. Might be worth adding to your list.

[Poly Hive]

And DARG stands for?

SBA, Polar Bear Assoc.

Ex BFA, and BBKA. Interesting experience the BBKA. I was an "Individual Membership" member and for paying top dollar I got the least. When I queried this, as in I had no vote, I got what I can only call a bloody cheeky letter back from the Gen Sec. I did not re-join. What to my mind is worse is in that body seems to exist what I can only describe as institutional arrogance. I first met it at the National honey show many years ago and thought ... hmm interesting, as the little mannies in their white coats strutted around but blow me they are still there at the Spring Convention, and still puffed up and strutting, and they are all like that it seems. So no, not for me, I'd rather carry the financial cost of disease myself than be a member of that lot.

If you have the numbers then you should be in the BFA. Mail does get lost you know!

PH

[Jimbo]

Just read some of the negative comments of other associations. As mentioned in in another thread the recent SBA meeting in Perth was one of the best in recent years and there was good positive signs of the SBA developing new ideas and moving forward ie developing their new 5 year plan, reviewing membership types, redrawing the constitution, developing new practical training for intermediate beekeepers and bee improvement through training courses on nuc production etc

[prakel]

Hello PH,


And DARG stands for?

Devon Apicultural Research Group. Small group, some active ongoing research into different areas. Within sensible travelling distance to attend at least some of the monthly meetings. Good communication. No need to add to the list as it's already there, at the bottom, 'other'.


Interesting experience the BBKA. I was an "Individual Membership" member and for paying top dollar I got the least.......So no, not for me, I'd rather carry the financial cost of disease myself than be a member of that lot.

Agree (to greater or lesser extent) with everything you wrote about BBKA AND Individual membership. Perhaps I should have been a little more open in my initial post -although it was the early hours after a long day. I actually need membership to the BBKA as a condition of having a yearly renewal on on a set of apiaries that belong to a local farming consortium. 4 different farmers all working from the same sheet. I could let the sites go but I have no issues whatsoever with the farmers or their business practices so I happily pay the money and get the liability insurance which is one of the main motivators for the requirement.

Please be sure, I'm personally under no illusion as to how easy it might be to actually make use of that scheme....not even sure if anyone has actually benefitted to be honest. Something at the back of my mind tells me that claiming assistance to fight a case would be anything but simple.

Disease insurance is of no interest to me either as in reality it actually covers very little -a point which seems not to register with a lot of people.


If you have the numbers then you should be in the BFA. Mail does get lost you know!

So true, and I'm the first to admit to my failings, one of which is a disinterest in chasing up letters/emails/phone calls etc. In total two emails were sent to BFA through their dedicated server, with a very clear question which I needed help with before filling out the forms and writing cheques. I do think that when a dedicated mailing system is being used there shouldn't be room for two messages to get lost. I admit these things can happen, but really to date I've not found their lack of response has caused me any problems. So things continue as they are....for now. Maybe I will try again in the New Year.

EDIT: So, never say never!

[Black Comb]

I was thinking about joining BIBBA and ventured to their stand at the honey show.
As usual Kevin (whom i,ve met several times in the past) was manning it, along with RP.
As Iapproached they both glowered at me, looked me up and down as if to say "you're not worthy" and completely ignored me.
I paused in case they were in the middle of some long conversation, but no to avail, completely ignored. At that point I decided it was arrogance and moved on.

[gavin]

Another interesting issue is the distribution of SBA and Scottish Local Association members, accepting of course that this is an SBA owned site and may not be representative. You get the feeling that the proportion of SBA members amongst the entirety of the Scottish beekeeping fraternity is quite low. Ask at most local association meetings and you will find that the proportion of SBA members is variable and sometimes quite low. Add to that the fact that many local associations see quite a few beekeepers, including beginners going through their classes, and that few of them stick with the association even though a fair proportion stay in beekeeping. There is a lot of work to do to encourage people to stay connected. I hope that this forum helps that.

So maybe on another occasion we could have a poll tackling this SBA-LA comparison. Not now though, this is an excellent poll (thanks Neil) and I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.

The SBA. Let me heartily endorse Jimbo's comments. This *is* an organisation that is responsive to its membership and is finding several new ways of making things better. The use of Skype to involve outlying groups at its meetings is one example. The insurance and compensation members get with membership makes it all worthwhile - even if the compenstion is only part of the value of lost colonies. The magazine has improved too (in my view!).

Let me put in a word for the BFA too. I'm not a member, but I'm friends with the UK Chair (he posts on another forum ... ) and this is clearly an organisation that is taking seriously its role in building services and generally making itself indispensible for those trying to make significant income from beekeeping. It now has a paid secretary and she is a very effective lady. Also a second employee I hear. They are developing a scheme to help people into bee farming and are well-represented on Scottish and UK fora which influence beekeeping. If you weren't impressed with the organisation some years ago, give them another try now. Maybe someone from the BFA would like to add to that?

[gavin]

As I approached they both glowered at me, looked me up and down as if to say "you're not worthy" and completely ignored me.

Bear in mind that some people just always look as if they're glowering ..... though Kevin doesn't as as far as I can recall maybe not Roger either!

There is definitely a problem with cliques and them-and-us attitudes here and there. Needs overcome somehow. Perhaps BIBBA is particularly affected.

[Poly Hive]

I cold tell you all about the first visit of BIBBA to Scotland but I have posted it many times so time to let it lie but they were so insular it was shocking and both I and Teh Stokeleys (who hosted them) were well taken aback. We proved their theories and off they went never to be heard from again!

I so agree Gavin that the BFA is a vastly enhanced organisation with Murray in the chair and with his drive I have hopes for great things from them including a third avenue for insurance.

There has long been this gap between being a LA member and an SBA member. Why I have no idea but we should all be beating the drum for it as it is a great asset to Scottish Beekeeping, and I for one have left money in my will for them.

PH

[Black Comb]

The glowering doesn't bother me. It was the fact that I stood there in front of them and was ignored. They were in conversation and didn't want me to interrupt it. As I said, arrogance, when they have paid for a stand to promote themselves.

[prakel]

If you weren't impressed with the organisation some years ago, give them another try now.

That's good enough for me. Another go in the New Year is in order.

As for your friend, I've already said where I'd like to see him posting! Maybe there's just not enough traffic to entice him yet?

[Ruary]

Why is there no FIBKA category,
GBBG?
and the new Irish group?

[Neils]

Because I'd had a few shandies and you can only have 10 entries ;)

I did arbitrarily decide to only include UK associations though that might have been a little shortsighted.

[Jon]

Why is there no FIBKA category,
GBBG?
and the new Irish group?

I put 'other' to cover the New Irish group as well as ticking UBKA. They had 20 Euro off me so I am a fully paid up member.
Were you at the meeting Ruary? I didn't spot you.

[Ruary]

Were you at the meeting Ruary? I didn't spot you. No, I was not there an earlier engagement meant that I could not travel. I had asked that my aplogies be made to the meeting.

[Jon]

There were a lot of apologies read out, probably more than 30 names.
I don't remember hearing yours but I likely just missed it.
The room was packed.

[Adam]

I'm a member of IBRA to get the magazine and access to publications.

I am also a member of the BBKA through my local association. Without getting personal, the BBKA does seem to have to constitution from the Victorian era with representatives from the associations traveling to meetings etc and I am sure that this stifles responsiveness. If I have a particular point of view, I have to first ensure that my association shares it and then sends someone to Stoneleigh and makes the point or votes appropriately. Very unlikely to happen.
There are many able and well-meaning people there but as an organization, it's been slow to recognise the interest in top bar hives and the 'sustainability' stuff of newer beekeepers for example.

Some associations are good, others less so. The response from the BBKA with regard to pesticide endorsements was poor and probably put many people off. Possibly they lost more revenue in membership income than they gained in endoresement fees. That's in the past and there's a new leadership.

[Linco49]

You must have completely misread me at the NHS, we do not ignore or make assumptions about people, usually they are dragged in and made to tell me about their improvements to their stocks. At present I am at a disadvantage to actually who you are. But I wish you had come back and made yourself known at the time. Please email me if you are still upset about this.
I have only just registered on here because I need to have an input on the forum although I do read some of the articles from time to time. Debate always gets good results.

[HJBee]

I'm in SBA & LA. started with LA & SBA shortly after. SBA membership is promoted well at my LA.

[Neils]

Linco49, welcome to the forum but I think you have us all at a disadvantage. Are you replying to Black Comb?

If so, are you able to answer to questions as a representative of BIBBA?

[Poly Hive]

Now a member of the Polar Bear Club. :)

From what I heard last year at Penrith from the President I think it was, and I freely admit I didn't hear all of it, it seems BIBBA has rather given up on the ideal of AMM.

[Mellifera Crofter]

... they are stuck in a bygone era and have little to do with the modern plight of beekeepers. ...

What is the 'modern plight' of beekeepers, GG? Varroa? If so, what should the various committees be doing that they're not doing?
Kitta

[greengumbo]

Hey Kitta, Didn'e mean that to come across as thinking they were useless or anything ! It was just a general feeling I got from talking to other members I have met at the honey show, spring convention and a few other meetings. Many seemed to think that much of the BBKA committee meetings were point of orders on who can vote for what and minor adjustments to subsection 3 paragraphs 2 and such like and not really focused on the big issues. I like the approach of some of the breakaway associations in forming EARS, who I think were feeling a bit shackled at the umming and aahhhing of the BBKA. I'm relatively new to all this so I can't make any definitive comments on what they should be doing more of though ! I dont have any personal issue with BBKA, I was just making a wee point from what I hear and the fact that I can't really afford 3 memberships made me reconsider !

[The Drone Ranger]

hope I'm not messing up the poll
Because I'm not a member of any organisation I voted other ?

[gavin]

Wow! Thanks for giving this thread a nudge DR. Thirty folk have responded. I'm impressed. Really interesting to see the spread across the national associations. Also surprising (to me) to see three BFA members here. I was aware of one, and am pleased that he's not alone.

There are probably others here who have not voted yet (some people don't like polls, that's OK) - for example I'm pretty sure that there will be a couple of WBKA members. One anyway.

Great to have it confirmed that this forum does have a Scottish beekeeper slant, that it draws in folk from other national associations too, and that it also reaches a fair number of beekeepers who are not (yet anyway) members of one of the national associations.