ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



151 



the largest number of total awards, the 

 three medals were given out, to remain 

 In the custody of these bee-keepers 

 for a period of one year. 



This is the first time the medals 

 were given, and really it had a remark- 

 able effect on the members. They 

 realized they wanted to get these med- 

 als, and they brought their exhibits, 

 and excitement ran very high when 

 they were given. 



The object of the exhibit was pri- 

 marily educational, educational to the 

 bee-keepers themselves because the 

 exhibits were very carefully judged by 

 three excellent men — Mr. Holterman 

 and Mr. Woodman of Grand Rapids, 

 and another. 



The bee-keeper could see from the 

 awards how he ought to fix up his 

 honey for exhibition purposes and for 

 grading purposes, in order to put it 

 into the highest class. 



I don't know how many men went 

 away from the Michigan meeting de- 

 termined to get that gold medal next 

 year. 



The exhibits were arranged primar- 

 ily for educational purposes — that of 

 the education of the bee-keepers there. 



In regard to the cost: I cannot tell 

 exactly what those medals cost. I be- 

 lieve the cost to the Association and 

 those who helped with that was about 

 $80.00. That seems like, perhaps, a 

 considerable sum; however, that $80.00 

 is going to last quite a while before 

 somebody takes those medals away. 



Perhaps it would be interesting to 

 say something about the medals. They 

 were hexagon in shape, and the face 

 of the medal had a bust bar relief of 

 Langstroth; and it was very excellent, 

 beautifully executed; on the reverse 

 side engraving; and, when some one 

 takes the medal three times in suc- 

 cession, his name goes on. 



Think of the advertising value in 

 having that medal in your possession 

 for one year! 



Let it be known you took the gold 

 medal at the Convention for the best 

 honey, or the best something, or the 

 be.st total exhibit; it is a fine adver- 

 tising scheme for bee-keepers. 



Mr. Bull — I was at the Michigan Con- 

 vention and was very much pleased 

 at the idea of putting up those ex- 

 hibits. As Doctor Phillips says: Those 

 medals do not represent what they ac- 

 tually cost. The value of those medals 

 is in advertising.. 



The man who feels he wants that 

 gold medal could not buy it for $500. 

 It is the honor that goes with it that 

 counts. While the medal probably 

 costs $50.00, the extensive bee-keeper 

 feels that it is worth about $500 to 

 him as an advertisement. 



President France — Do the members 

 here suggest anything for the coming 

 year? For another year, as instruc- 

 tions to whoever you may elect as 

 Secretary. What are you going to do 

 to make our next meeting a hummer? 

 If Michigan can bring so many people 

 together, and give these awards — and 

 the beauty I see in those awards is 

 that the party who is holding it today, 

 until the next annual meeting, is not 

 going to be asleep; he may lose it next 

 year; he has the whole association to 

 coriipete against if he holds it over 

 two years — and then there is one more 

 year. 



This series of years of competing; 

 I believe this is a grand good propo- 

 sition and will awaken interest. 



It brings an exhibition of goods to 

 the Convention. 



It is educational to those who are 

 in attendance, and then the advertis- 

 ing is for every one's benefit. 



The onlj^ point I care to hold on 

 this at all is: Does this Association 

 want to take some system by which 

 there is an inducement for the coming? 



Mr. Coppin — I would suggest that 

 they do take it up and do something 

 along that line for the next annual 

 meeting. 



Mr. Bruner — I would suggest that 

 this thing be put in the hands of a 

 committee; it is too much work for one 

 man. The officers are scattered here 

 and there, and that is the proper way 

 to have it; but you cannot get men 

 who are scattered that way together 

 on this sort of work. 



In the matter of correspondence: It 

 takes time — and this Convention 

 proposition, and the advertising in 

 connection with it through these 

 papers, and any other advertising, 

 should be in the hands of a commit- 

 tee of several, who can get together 

 and go into the details and get it 

 worked out in a practical form and 

 submit it to the officers, if you wish, 

 for their O. K. 



This is not one man's job; it Is too 

 much; you cannot depend on any one 

 man to go ahead and do the work as 



