Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2026

Date: Saturday, 8 August 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:20 pm
Venue: Community Hall, The Catholic Parish of the Holy Trinity
Address: Cnr Jeffreys and Idris Roads, 108 Jeffreys Road, Bryndwr, Christchurch

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Welcome

Jo Winter (President) welcomed everyone to the Annual General Meeting.

Health and Safety

Health and Safety matters were noted.

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Apologies

Apologies were received from:

• Murray Baxendale
• Valda
• Richard McFarlane
• Yvonne McDonald

Moved: Jo Winter
Decision: Accepted – all in favour.

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Members Present

There were approximately 30 members present.

Please note: The club is not certain that this is the true total, as some members may not have signed in as required.

Members recorded as present:

Linda Bray, Roger Bray, Ian Campbell, Lee Carmichael, Richard Dowie, Kevin Gates, Jeff Gibson, Tracy Grant-Ussher, Trish Hamilton, Trevor Ingham, Grant Jarvis, Kathryn Jer, Kerry Kearney, Andrea McGill, Lindsay Moir, Gordon Nairn, Debbie O’Donoghue, Allan Paterson, Michele Reid, Jeff Robinson, Jane Ross, Keith Ross, Larry Ross, Peter Saunders, Dave Siemonek, David Spice, Natalie Sweetapple, Vyvyan Treleaven, Michael Winter and Josephine Winter.

Non-members present: Brian Pilley and Al Wilson.

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Approval of Previous AGM Minutes – 2025

The minutes of the 2025 Annual General Meeting were presented for approval.

Moved: Jo Winter
Decision: Approved – all in favour.

Matters Arising from the 2025 AGM Minutes

There were no matters arising.

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Reports from the Standing Committee

President’s Report – 2025/2026

Jo Winter presented her President’s Report for the 2025/2026 season.

Moved: Trevor Ingham
Seconded: Dave Spice

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Treasurer’s Report

Trevor Ingham presented the financial report, with handouts provided covering the following:

• Christchurch Hobbyist Beekeepers Club Statement of Financial Performance for the year ended 30 June 2026.
• Christchurch Hobbyist Beekeepers Club Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June 2026.
• Review Report to the members of the Christchurch Hobbyist Beekeepers Club for the year ended 30 June 2026, prepared by K A Rowlands, Accountant.
• The accounts have been reviewed.
• The Club remains in a healthy financial position and ended the year with an excess.

The financial report was put forward for acceptance.

Moved/Accepted: Jo Winter
Seconded: Kerry Kearney

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Hivemasters Report

Andy McGill presented the Hivemasters Report for the 2025/2026 season.

Moved: Jo Winter
Seconded: Lindsay Moir
Decision: Approved – all in favour.

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Landscaping Report

Trevor Ingham read the Landscaping Report.

Moved/Accepted: Jo Winter
Seconded: Jeff Gibson
Decision: Approved – all in favour.

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Voting, Thanks and Other Business

Committee Members Wishing to Stand Down

Nil.

President

Nominated: Lee Carmichael
Moved: Jo Winter
Seconded: Trevor Ingham
Decision: Approved – all in favour.

Vice-President

Nominated: Lindsay Moir, supported by Richard McFarlane
Moved: Jo Winter
Seconded: David Alexander
Decision: Approved – all in favour.

Treasurer

Nominated: Trevor Ingham
Moved: Jo Winter
Seconded: Kat Jer
Decision: Approved – all in favour.

Secretary

Nominated: Kat Jer
Moved: Jo Winter
Seconded: Trevor Ingham
Decision: Approved – all in favour.

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New Committee – 2026/2027 Season

The new committee for the 2026/2027 season is:

Position	Name
President	Lee Carmichael
Vice-President	Lindsay Moir
Treasurer	Trevor Ingham
Secretary	Kat Jer
Education Officer	Jeff Robinson
Disease Recognition	Lindsay Moir
Hive Master	Andy McGill
Groundsman	Dave Siemonek

Education Officer seconded by: David Alexander
Disease Recognition seconded by: Lee Carmichael

Other roles, including Catering, Grounds, Communications, Health and Safety and Library, are supported by:

• Allan Paterson – seconded by Lee Carmichael
• Jeff Gibson – seconded by Kerry Kearney
• Gordon Nairn – seconded by Grant Jarvis
• Richard McFarlane – seconded by Lee Carmichael

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General Business

Club Name Change

Trevor Ingham is working through the process of changing the Club’s name to Christchurch Beekeepers Club.

Thanks

Many thanks were given to:

• The Gardening Group Team
• The Library Subcommittee
• All members who helped with setting up and attending the Club’s A&P Show stall.

Matters Raised by Dave Siemonek

Dave Siemonek raised two matters:

1. Guardians of the Land legal document
   Dan van Asch, the landowner, has asked the Club to prepare a Guardians of the Land legal document.
2. Honey for the van Asch family
   A request was made for the Club to arrange to provide honey to the van Asch family over the season.

These matters can be addressed by the new committee during the 2026/2027 season.

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Meeting Closure

The meeting closed at 2:20 pm.

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After the Meeting

Following the AGM:

• Tracy Grant-Ussher demonstrated a Honey Herbal Infusion.
• Refreshments were served.
• The Beeline Shop was open.

During the 2025-26 year, the activities of the Club have again centred on  supporting our members in their beekeeping journey – by sharing critical hive  management skills, identifying and managing hive pests and diseases, and  extraction and storage of honey and other hive products such as beeswax. We  have held regular Field Days at the Club site, 681 Cashmere Road en the first  Saturday of every month except during the depths of winter in June and July. We  have developed a structured schedule for beginners, queen rearing sessions. Field  Days generally provide several activities for members to experience, including  opening and inspecting hives, and opportunities for question and answer sessions. We believe that it is important to keep abreast of current research and  developments in effective and hygienic beekeeping procedures, and have included  visiting speakers in our programme, as well as provided the opportunity to learn  from our own experienced members. A popular event has again been the sharing of new beekeeping gadgets, developed by members. Lindsay keeps us current with  information about AFB and varroa incursions in our area. Our members regularly  take part in American Foul Brood identification courses run by NZ Bee Health and  Biosecurity, and learn how to deal with varroa mite and hive beetle, and the  consequences of their presence in a hive. We maintain awareness of bee related  research at Lincoln and Canterbury Universities, and are conscious of the potential  threat to beekeeping from the Asian Hornet which has been found in the Auckland  region. 

Members of the Club such as Vyvyan, Kat and Jeff have promoted beekeeping in  the wider community – for example by running basic beekeeping courses with  educational providers in Christchurch, or by introductory sessions with other  organisations.These activities encourage new people to become involved in  beekeeping and potentially to join us. The Club has an active Facebook group. The  website (https://chchbeekeepers.org.nz) has recently been updated, thanks to Rob  Nairn. Both these facilities provide an online presence for the Club. Jeff Gibson has organised a stall at Riccarton Rotary Market which may happen this year and we 

have again been present at the A&P Show, bringing beekeeping and the club to the attention of the general public. We also have good relations with other beekeepers  throughout the country, for example with the Dunedin group. 

The development and maintenance of the site continues, largely thanks to the  efforts of Dave and Trevor and the Gardening Group. One significant improvement  has been the installation of exterior walls and doors to the Club House which was  carried out around Matariki in July. The site now looks very attractive, thanks to the  range of species which have been planted to provide a variety of nectars and  pollens for our bees. 

Andy continues her good work as Hivemaster. The number of hives was reduced  last year, and remains lower than the peak number a few years ago. However, we  have managed to harvest honey from the Club’s hives during the last couple of  years. This had not been the case for many years earlier. 

The Club held a Gadget Day and Honey Show in April, which was well attended  and enjoyed by all. Raffles continue to be a popular feature of Club Field Days. On  Thursday 16 April, we held our Annual Club Dinner at Ara, thanks to David Spice  for organising a wonderful evening. 

We continue to maintain good relations with Beekeeping suppliers and the wider  apiculture industry. Since the closure of Ecrotek’s retail store in Christchurch, we  have become increasingly reliant on our South Island suppliers, Beeline in Dunedin, and New Zealand Beeswax in Geraldine. We greatly appreciate the presence of  these companies at Field Days. 

Membership numbers have shown a slight decline over the past year, from 133  paid up members in 2025 to 123 currently as outlined in the Treasurer’s Report.  During the year the Club has successfully updated its Constitution and re-registered with the Incorporated Societies’ Register to comply with the 2022 Act. Since the  Club’s name is being changed, we need to ensure that the official records and the  names on our online spaces are updated.

It is with regret that I am stepping down from the Presidency of the Club. Over the  past 4 years, I have come to appreciate the support of our members and especially  of the Committee. Your breadth of knowledge and expertise, and the way that you  are open to offer your support makes the Club a special, welcoming place. 

I wish my successor (NAME) every success during their tenure as President, and I  thank every one of you for your ongoing help and support over the years. 

Wishing you all and the Club a wonderful 2026-27 

Jo Winter 
President

We had a fantastic day diving into the art of queen grafting at our recent all-day course.

Four keen beekeepers took part in this hands-on training with Jeff, learning the detailed and rewarding process of grafting their own queens. Throughout the day, participants gained practical experience and valuable insights into successful queen rearing techniques.

Having expert supervision on hand gave everyone the confidence to apply what they learned and take the next steps in their own beekeeping operations. Queen grafting is a skill that requires patience and precision, and it was great to see each participant build both competence and confidence as the day progressed.

Missed Out?

The next course will be held next season. If you are interested in attending, we encourage you to book early to secure your place.

Stay tuned for dates and further details.

AFB Recognition courses for Christchurch have now been finalised.

The club has been provided with a flyer outlining course details, including dates and relevant information. Members are encouraged to review the flyer and consider attending if they require AFB Recognition training.

Course information has been shared through club events page.

For further details, please refer to the attached flyer.

Members are advised that the subscription to the club for the current year have been set at $45.00 and are now due.

If you have not already done so please make your payment to the club’s bank account at Westpac:
( Christchurch Hobbyist Beekeepers Club Inc – 03 0767 0323307 00)
remembering to include your name and apiary registration number.

Thanks
Kerry