ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEBPBRS' ASSOCIATION. 



175 



. such a thing as standing still m an 

 . organization of this kind; it must ad- 

 vance or it is bound to retire. Will 

 we stand by and see it go backward? 



The time has come, I believe, when 

 the National Association can well af- 

 ford to employ a ma,n to look after 

 this work for them. One live man — 

 1 say a live man^-devoting his whole 

 time to organizing the bee-keepers of 

 this country, could make the 'National 

 Association go forward by leaps and 

 bounds, and could in a very few years 

 place the whole bee-keeping industry 

 on a much safer footing than it oc- 

 cupies today. It cannot be done, how- 

 ever, on the small compensation of- 

 fered at the present time. The dues 

 must be placed at $1.00 a year and 

 that would furnish funds for accom- 

 plishing the work. People are usually 

 willing to pay what it costs to be 

 well served. You cannot, for very 

 long, expect to get something for 

 nothing, as most men cannot afford 

 to engage in the philanthi-opist busi- 

 ness. It is true, we have had very 

 unselfish and generous work done in 

 the interest of this Association, but 

 its membership should no longer ex- 

 pect that any man in these days can 

 afford to devote his time and talents 

 to advancing their interests without 

 being paid for it, and well paid, at 

 that. Brains and busiiness ability cost 

 money these days, and the bee-keep- 

 ers of this country can well afford to 

 pay for them. For when they are set 

 r to work, they are going to return to 

 the individual bee-keeper tens of dol- 

 lars for the $1.00 membership. 



It is true that some radical meas- 

 ures will have to be adopted. No 

 doubt the Constitution of this Associa- 

 tion will have to be amended, so it 

 will permit the doing of things that 

 need to be done in the best interest 

 of the members. If what I have sug- 

 gested meets with the approval of the 

 majority of those in attendance at 

 this meeting, I would recommend the 

 appointment of a committee for the 

 purpose of suggesting amendments to 

 the Constitution, and that before ad- 

 joumdng we take such action as will 

 be necessary to bring about the 

 changes in the Constitution that will 

 permit the carrying out of what the 

 best thought of this convention feels 

 should be done in the future. 



Without in any way suggesting a 



threat, I would like to say right here, 

 that it has been intimated to me that 

 unless the National Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation takes an advanced step 

 along the line I have indicated in the 

 foregoing, another organization is 

 likely to attempt to supersede the Na- 

 tional. This, of course, none of us 

 want to see done. The National 

 should lead, as it alwaj'S has led; but 

 in order to continue doing this, it 

 must adapt itself to the demands of 

 progress and advancement that come 

 with each succeeding year. Let us 

 consider carefully things that will 

 make for the greater success of bee- 

 culture, and let us not hesitate to go 

 forward, or at least to do \yhat we 

 can to advance a little the larger in- 

 terests of our constituency — through- 

 out the domain of our membership. 



We are engaged in a wonderfully 

 interesting vocation. Its methods and 

 main product appeal to almost every- 

 one. Where Is the person who can- 

 not be interested in the marvelous 

 habits and occupation of the little, 

 busy bee? I have personally held an 

 audience of several hundred children 

 almost breathess while I tried to 

 show them, through the stereopticon, 

 the wonders and glories of the hive. 

 Any one can do that who knows any- 

 thing at airdefinitely about the honey 

 bee and itsi honey. I believe it would 

 pay this Association, when properly 

 organized, if it can, at not too great 

 an expense, keep some good lecturer 

 on the road, teling the people some- 

 thing about the bee and its work, and 

 incidentally emphasizing the high 

 value of honey as a daily food. 



When this association is running as 

 it can run, it will have ample funds 

 for advertising honey in various ways. 

 No doubt it can establish its own 

 brand — that can be used by all the 

 state or branch organizations through- 

 out the country. With the wide co- 

 operation that I have here suggested 

 who will say that every pound of 

 honey produced every year, will not 

 bring a higher price, and thus more 

 profit to the producer? And not only 

 will better methods of production be 

 encouraged, but more honest grading 

 and packing will be compelled. The 

 brand of the National Bee-Keepers' 

 Association placed upon any package 

 cf honey, should be a guarantee that it 

 is absolutely all right in every par- 





