WCABA Honey Queen Application and Program

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(Continued)

                     The monetary value of the Honey Queen Program can only be partially measured, but

thousands of dollars of media promotion are realized annually through the American Honey Queen

program alone. This does not include the store promotions, fairs, festivals, and school presentations

that the American Honey Queen and Princess provide each year to thousands of people. With

added participation of Local and State Honey Queen Programs, the benefits of the total program are

considerable.

 

Local and State Honey Queens should aspire to become the American Honey Queen. The

benefits of the program are immense for the young women selected to serve. Not only will they

gain incredible public speaking skills and experience, but they will also learn professional skills that will serve

them in future careers.

 

Local Honey Program

The Local Honey Queen Program creates the foundation for the state and national

programs. It serves as the heart of the Honey Queen program. The local association and its queen

program chairperson have the responsibility of training and grooming the Local Honey Queen.

 

In starting a Local Honey Queen Program, the following three things should be considered:

1. A chairperson who has the enthusiasm for promotion and the patience to understand

he/she is dealing with youth. A chairperson is the Local Honey Queen’s main contact

throughout her reign.

2. Funding according to the local association’s budget and the demand for promotional

activities. Expenditures to consider in establishing a budget include tiara, banner, official

photographs, postage, mileage, photo processing, recipe folders, subscriptions to state

newsletter and major publications, educational materials, flowers, and gifts.

3. Selection of the Local Honey Queen may either be through a contest sponsored by an

association or individual or by simply selecting a young lady who has the qualities to

fulfill the position of Local Honey Queen.

 

If a contest is conducted, candidates may be recruited through news releases, personal

contact, youth groups (i.e. 4-H, Girls Scouts, FFA), or college programs (i.e. education, marketing,

business, communications).

 

Knowledge of the beekeeping industry is not necessary in a contest for this level. Promotion

ability, showmanship, professionalism, and the desire to promote honey and the beekeeping industry

should be the consideration for the judging.

 

Judges may consist of media representatives, beekeepers, and/or representatives of other

commodity groups. Notify your local newspaper, radio, and television of the contest. Activities

involving the public, in addition to the contest, create more interest for the media. (Refer to the

chapter on Promotions for ideas.)

 

At the local level, the Local Honey Queen should gain exposure to all areas of the honey and

beekeeping industry. Practical experience can be obtained through visits to honey houses, bee yards,

and supply houses. Beekeeping books should be made available to the Local Honey Queen.

Beekeeping short courses are also a way to gain information. Experiences of this nature give the

Local Honey Queen self-confidence.

 

The members of the local association must be willing to give of their time for a successful

Local Honey Queen program. The Local Honey Queen must be willing to give of her time to learn

as well as promote the industry. It should be pointed out that the Local Honey Queen may need to

miss school and/or work to attend important promotions and/or the State competition.

 

If a scrapbook is required for the State competition, the young lady should be made aware of

this at the beginning of her reign. With advance knowledge of the need for a scrapbook, the Queen

will be able to collect articles and pictures of her activities and promotions from the beginning of

her reign. (For more information, refer to the chapter on Scrapbook.)

 

If the Local Honey Queen is dedicated and the local association is supportive, the results will

be abundant. Even if state level competition does not exist in the state, a Local Honey Queen

Program can be carried on successfully.* The benefit which will be received from the promotion

provided by a Honey Queen program is undeniable.

 

It is suggested that Local Honey Queens should reign for at least six months (a year is better)

prior to State competition. The local experience will “season” her and give her more confidence.

 

Knowledge a Local Honey Queen should acquire:

1. About beekeeping

a. Parts of the hive and their proper names

b. Three castes of bees – Queen, Drone, Worker – and their responsibilities

c. Floral sources of the area represented

d. Production of honey

e. Processing of honey

f. Seasonal management of colonies

g. Benefits of the honeybee to agriculture and natural resources through pollination

2. About honey

a. Normal range of area honey’s moisture content

b. Granulation – what causes it and what to do about it

c. Conversion of recipes from sugar to honey

d. Varieties of honey

e. Cooking hints

f. Other uses of honey

3. About other marketable products of the hive

a. Pollen

b. Royal Jelly

c. Beeswax

d. Propolis

e. Pollination service

f. Bee venom

 

At its discretion, a Local Honey Queen Program may select young women to serve as Local

Honey Princesses. A Local Honey Princess may attend promotional events with the Local Honey

Queen, attend events that the Local Honey Queen is unable to attend (due to schedule conflicts), or

attend events arranged by the Local Queen Committee. Local Honey Princesses must abide by the

same rules as the Local Honey Queen. Local Honey Princesses may, based upon the Local Honey

Queen Contest rules, apply for the position of Local Honey Queen, or, if necessary, may succeed a

Local Honey Queen if she cannot continue her service as a Local Honey Queen.
Local Honey Princesses may not apply for the State Honey Queen position.

 

                      Sponsor
                      A sponsor can be any Texas Honey Producing or Beekeeping organization, any individual
                      Texas Honey Packer, any Texas Beekeeper, any individual, or any interested organization in Texas,
                      (i.e. Campfire Girls, Exchange Clubs, VFW, etc.).

 

 

                      Duties of a Sponsor

• Responsible for contestant entry fee when required.

• Sponsor shall make sure their contestant has basic beekeeping knowledge and is prepared to be the
  CCHBA Honey Queen

• Sponsor shall inform contestant that upon her graduation from high school or the equivalent of
  a high school diploma, (i.e., G.E.D., etc.), that she will be eligible to compete in the Texas
  Honey Queen Contest at the Texas Beekeepers Association Convention that is held annually.

• Sponsors will be responsible for the contestant’s entry fee for the TBA Honey Queen Contest, crown,
  banner, gifts, flowers, and any other items needed for the coronation.

• Sponsors will be responsible for the contestant’s crown, banner, gifts, flowers, and any other items
  needed for the coronation as the WCABA Honey Queen

• Sponsors will arrange for the contestant to be fitted and ready for coronation date set forth by the
  executive committee of the WCABA.