After our foray into the world of Zoom video meetings in place of the monthly pub meeting last month, and our successful Beginning Beekeeping weekly sessions, we’ll be meeting up again this month by video at our usual date and time – the first Wednesday of the month – 6th May at 7.30pm.
The format will be the usual mix of association business, news from the association apiary, beekeeping advice (given and received), gossip and general chit chat.
Beginners, regulars and anyone else are very welcome.
A meeting invitation will be sent by email. Please contact Peter if you need the details.
The current restrictions mean that our usual beginners day event has had to be cancelled. However we would still like to offer training, help and advice to new beekeepers as best we can. So we will be running live online interactive lessons instead.
1. We will use video conferencing service Zoom https://zoom.us/.
The sessions will be password protected so you must contact Peter Stevenson at least 1 hour before the start of the session with your contact email address or mobile phone number so that you can be sent the password.
2. There will be a 1 hour session each week on a different aspect of beekeeping. This will be interactive so participants can ask questions via audio or text chat. It may be possible to share documents, photos etc as well.
Initially we will schedule 4 sessions but we will consider adding additional sessions if there is a demand.
3. Lessons will be free of charge but participants could make an optional donation to the association.
Suggested donation is £10 per household for non PBKA members. Anyone who pays the full amount will become a full member of the Peeblesshire Beekeepers Association on completion of a membership form.
4. If current restrictions are lightened or lifted we will continue the course on site at the association apiary.
It would be really good if we can keep the Peeblesshire Beekeepers Association operating in some form during the current crisis.
The latest advice that I circulated recently says that:- “You should continue to work and care for your animals in the normal manner, as far as possible. You should not take measures that compromise the welfare of the animals in your care.”
With that in mind, I have a suggestion on using video conferencing to hold meetings where we can share help and advice, and also importantly, to still keep some social contact.
If video conferencing sounds scary then let me assure you that it needn’t be. Just this week in our house we have done video pilates, video guitar lesson, video dance class, video tea breaks and so on.
(It is free of charge). Wait for an email invitation from the meeting organiser and follow the instructions in the invitation. That’s it!
To try this out, I’m aiming to host a virtual meeting that would work in much the same way as we would do for our monthly pub meetings. In fact I’m planning on having the meeting at our usual time on the first Wednesday of the month – 1st April at 7.30pm
It’s really straightforward to use Zoom on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC – just follow the instructions. So I hope you’ll be able to join me next week.
If you do plan on meeting up, maybe drop me an email or text beforehand so I can look out for you when the meeting starts.
If you need more help with getting Zoom running I’m very happy to act as technical support – you can get me ">at this email or on my mobile 07977 563545.
Shortly before the meeting I’ll send out an invitation and it will have instructions on how to join.
The
AGM and the forthcoming pub meeting will be cancelled, but Peter
Stevenson is investigating the feasibility of an online pub meeting on
1st April. .
We
hope it may even be possible to set up an online beginners course. If
any members have expertise in setting up and using conferencing
software, please contact either Peter or Mandy.
Mandy
and Peter will send out the AGM documents shortly, and we’ll ask for
your feedback in advance of the 1st April online meet.
We
hope members will send us feedback on these proposals, and hope to make
arrangements so that the business of the association can continue in
some form.
