Hello readers,
Yes, I’m back already, but I don’t know if I’ll keep this up or if every topic will have the same interest. Today I’ll bring a short look into my thoughts about conventions and how I’d like to go to more.
Conventions or other ‘meet and greet’ style events in general
As I am relatively new to beekeeping I believe it to be normal to be drawn to every event possible. I read about conventions going on worldwide. To sum up some more recent ones there’s :
- the convention in Berlin Germany - ‘Learning from the bees’ - coming up August 29 through september 1st.
- The apimondia convention in Montreal, Quebec, Canada - 46th Congress of the international federation of beekeeping associations - coming up september 8 through 12
Both of which I can’t attend for several reasons, then there’s the smaller events closer to home I do get to attend;
- Day of Study Buckfast Flanders - Kalmthout, Belgium (in the beekeeping museum) - august 25th, from 08h30 - 12h30 (Brussels timezone) followed by
- Local meeting of the ‘Koninklijke Oudenaardse bijentelersmaatschappij’ (Royal Beekeeping Association Oudenaarde) - Oudenaarde Belgium (at the president's home) - august 25th from 14h00 till …
That is if nobody falls out at work since I’m on call…
I wish I had the time to go to every event that crosses my path, but like with everything in life I have to make choices, do I make time for the event, do I have the money for it, or do I want to spend both on other things (like my family). It is juggling already to fit everything in my schedule with my regular work, my beekeeping business and time spent with relatives.
Ask my wife and I’m sure she’ll tell you I’m away too much from home already as it is, yet I have this insatiable hunger when beekeeping is involved. I want to learn new things and try out new theories myself. And where better to learn or hear about those things that at meetings? So here I sit and dream about being able to go to a big event at least a few times in my life…
But then I hear some beekeepers stopped going, at least to certain events. They grew tired of hearing opinions that didn’t stroke with their own, or the same methods, already permeated in their lifestyles, are repeated one too many times. Or even worse, they have made enemies out of other beekeepers because they have an opinion different from others.
Why I’ll never stop going to events (when I finally get to go)
I know, never say never, I might stop beekeeping, I might not see the virtue in going any longer, but in the long run, I’ll die and will stop going unless I’ll haunt the events as a spirit of sorts…
Touching back on my previous topic, where one might stop going to an event due to different opinions, leading up to enemy status relationships.
I am aware the same might happen to me whether I like it or not. Since I do have an opinion that means it might differ from somebody else's. And if that other person can’t agree to disagree, there’s nothing much I can do about that, even if I want to build bridges, is there? Or is there?
The silent treatment
I don’t think not to voice your opinion to stop such a conflict is the way to go (hence this blog amongst other things). I firmly believe that being different helps us forward as a species. Maybe one opinion, or maybe more, are bound to be the wrong ones, but until we learn which is the wrong one, we are entitled to have it. And even then we should respect those who choose otherwise. What do I care what you believe in, as long as you show your environment the respect it deserves?
As a species, we learn most from our mistakes. Let’s just hope the mistakes we make are not catastrophic in magnitude, we do not want to drag others down with making them.
The ‘spun out of control’ discussion
It’s this concern that keeps me awake at night. What if somebody condemns me for what I believe. What if somebody condemns me for not treating my bees, supporting his opinion that my bees are the breeding grounds for varroa that will later kill off his bees… he might be right, and I want to be a good neighbour and a good beekeeper. But still, I don’t want to treat my bees. So arguing about how I do it, or should do it, is not helping either of us forward. But what do I have to tell people? Science has no answers yet and until they do it’s anybody’s game.
I highly doubt by not treating my bees I’ll kill off all bees in the world, seeing there are plenty beekeepers out there that do as I do and have done so for a longer period than me and bees are still around. In fact bees have been around much longer, untreated, than we have, and nothing has killed them yet. It would be a way to get into the record books, the man that killed the bees by doing nothing: Björn Lefevre. A questionable title that I’ll probably never hold. So if you believe me to be wrong, say so, but say so in a civil manner and leave it at that. No need to point fingers.
I’ll never go to a convention to speak when I don’t want to be heard. I’ll never go to a convention to seek out a discussion that can’t be won anyway. (here I go again using ‘never’) So let’s agree to disagree.
Proper etiquette
I believe this is proper etiquette when attending an event:
- You respect the speakers
- You respect the hosts
- You respect the people that attend it.
You see somebody you dislike, ignore him/her, at least try to be friendly, a smile or nod in recognition of seeing a person doesn’t cost much… I hope I’ll live up to this etiquette. I have noticed I am growing tired of reading the same questions over and over on forums and on facebook. I sometimes know ‘an’ answer, but the endless discussions that follow have silenced me. If I do want to give an answer I’ll almost always send a private message giving my 2 cents worth of opinion and telling my way isn’t the only way, or might be considered wrong by others or might not even work.
All beekeeping is local, all beekeeping is personal. It’s a given that if you have one question for 10 beekeepers you’ll get 11 answers. We have all heard that one so we should accept that as a fact. Nobody is out here with the intention of killing his own bees, or at least I hope not.
So when you see me, and I give you a short nod, or a smile, it doesn’t mean I dislike you or invite you to come over to talk. But if you feel the urge to come and talk with me, please do so, with respect. I’ll try to do the same.
Information gathering
Don’t we all go to events to meet people and exchange our views?
Are we not there first and foremost to listen to what the speakers have to say?
Even if the speakers don’t share your opinions, if you truly listen, you might even find wisdom and new information useful to you. (I’m not telling you to stalk one speaker and go to every event he speaks at untill you find that bit of wisdom, that would be outright stupid, if you didn’t hear it the first couple of times, why would you hear it the second time? If the events are spread apart in time, like years, not months, the views of that person might have changed shape and the differences are important bits of information.)
In any case, to gather information requires you to listen, and listening is done in silence.
When asked for an opinion, or when questions arise, be sure to make note of them and give voice to them at a proper time. When that time is? Even to me that is not always clear.
Since I’m a new beekeeper, I have to listen a lot. But sometimes I am asked questions, and then I give my answers. (or ask more questions if I don’t understand the question)
As it is, I hunger for more information every day.
So I’ll leave you with this small rant here, and hope I never have to give you a nod thinking ‘oh no, he/she’s here too’.
Bob Out
