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.