I hope you were able to attend our 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Art House Theater last month. What a great evening! It was wonderful to see some of the club’s original founders and many of our long-time members come together to celebrate LCBA’s first 50 years. I

Dr. Caron also gave us a fascinating look at beekeeping practices from five decades ago. We have certainly come a long way since then, but as we all know, there are plenty of new challenges ahead!

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the evening was seeing just how much LCBA members have contributed over the past 50 years to the welfare of honey bees and the success of beekeepers throughout Lane County. For five decades, we have shared the “how-to” information that helps new beekeepers get started, provided more advanced information for experienced beekeepers, and explored the technical details of specific beekeeping topics. But LCBA has always been about more than exchanging information. Our members share their enthusiasm and joy for beekeeping with one another and with our community.

.Looking Ahead — We Need Your Help!                                  Our club year is winding down, with a few fun activities still ahead. This month we will have a round-table discussion about our successes and challenges during the past season.

Next month brings our annual elections and honey tasting, followed by our year-end seasonal party in December. At the same time, we are beginning to plan LCBA’s activities for the coming year—and this is where we would really like your help. A club like ours doesn't run on the efforts of just a handful of people. The reason LCBA has been successful for 50 years is because members have been willing to share their time, ideas, knowledge, and enthusiasm. We need that same spirit of participation to carry us into our next 50 years.

There are many ways to help, and they don't all require a major commitment. We need members who are willing to help with club administration, plan or assist with activities, participate in educational programs, help with community outreach, or simply bring an idea for something you'd like to see LCBA do. If you have an idea, a skill, or even just a little time to share, please let us know. You don't have to take on a big job, and you don't have to know exactly what you can do. Come talk with me or any of the board members. We'd love to find a way for you to become more involved. Let's keep the spirit of our 50th anniversary celebration going by building an LCBA that is just as active, welcoming, and enthusiastic for the next generation of beekeepers. 

Happy Beekeeping!   Norm