Rolla Bee Club members, left, staff Missouri State Beekeepers Association Missouri State Fair booth August 10, 2019 in Sedalia.
Rolla Bee Club is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit corporation under the State of Missouri managed by volunteers.
Club founders David Draker and Charlotte Ekker Wiggins started the club February 2014 at the request of students from one of Charlotte's basic beekeeping classes. Charlotte agreed to start the club as long as everyone agreed to pitch in and David volunteered.
Since then, a number of beekeepers have volunteered to help in a variety of ways and continue to do so, supporting Missouri State Beekeepers Association events, bringing items to share at monthly club meetings as well as being practicing beekeepers, mentors and bee buddies.
Donations, proceeds from classes and item sales funded the club's costs and now fund club activities including meeting giveaways and class materials.
Rolla Bee Club 2020 Beginning Beekeeping Classes are now certified by Great Plains Master Beekeeping program, certifying that the class information is the most current, state of the art beekeeping best practices.
Rolla Bee Club is also an approved Phelps County Master Gardener project for community volunteer hours. Rolla Bee Club classes are also approved continuing education for Phelps County Master Gardeners and Meramec Hills Master Naturalists.
Rolla Bee Club Meeting Clubhouse Rules
We usually meet at a private clubhouse at Brownwood Estates, 1341 California and are David's guests:
Email List for Rolla Bee Club Meeting Notices
If you are not on our email list, please sign up/subscribe for upcoming meeting notices monthly newsletter. We use your email only for meeting notice newsletters and will not provide it to anyone else. For more information, call (573) 578-0561 and email rollabees at gmail.com.
Other Missouri Bee Clubs
To find a beekeeping club closer to where you live, check Missouri State Beekeepers Association club list. Attending club meetings close to where you live will give you pertinent information to your local beekeeping conditions and help you meet beekeepers in your area.
About Rolla Bee Club Founders
David Draker is currently enjoying a well earned retirement with his wife, family and honey bees. He retired after some 23 years of military service and a further 22 years of both industry and government service. During that time he was also a part-time educator focused on logistics management. His search for a retirement hobby led him to beekeeping; he currently maintains some 20+ colonies in his apiary. Combining his teaching background with his beekeeping, he supported the organization of the Rolla Bee Club and currently instructs during their Basic and Advanced Beekeeping classes. Additionally, he supports the mentoring of first year beekeepers through coaching and hive inspections in the Rolla area.
Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is also retired after 21 years of military service and 30 years of government service, where for many years she was a public affairs officer and management/public affairs instructor for a 20-state area university. She is currently Missouri State Beekeepers Association partnership liaison and has been developing and teaching beginning beekeeping and other classes since 2012.
She is an advanced master gardener and the master gardener representative on Missouri's Master Pollinator Steward Program Steering Committee and a contributing author; the program launched spring 2019. Fall of 2018 she was selected as an April 11, 2019 TEDx speaker at Missouri S&T on “why bugs matter.”
In addition to partnering with David to teach Rolla Bee Club classes and mentoring new beekeepers, Charlotte is author of several beekeeping-related books and lectures on how to plant for bees and other pollinators as well tips on running a bee club. More info at www.charlottekkerwiggins.com.
(Like her bee antennae headband? We have them for sale as a club fundraiser!)
Both club founders attended Lincoln University's June 10-11, 2014 Honey Bee In Service education training for beekeeping instructors. David has master's degrees in logistics and business administration. Charlotte has a master's degree in management.
Club founders David Draker and Charlotte Ekker Wiggins started the club February 2014 at the request of students from one of Charlotte's basic beekeeping classes. Charlotte agreed to start the club as long as everyone agreed to pitch in and David volunteered.
Since then, a number of beekeepers have volunteered to help in a variety of ways and continue to do so, supporting Missouri State Beekeepers Association events, bringing items to share at monthly club meetings as well as being practicing beekeepers, mentors and bee buddies.
Donations, proceeds from classes and item sales funded the club's costs and now fund club activities including meeting giveaways and class materials.
Rolla Bee Club 2020 Beginning Beekeeping Classes are now certified by Great Plains Master Beekeeping program, certifying that the class information is the most current, state of the art beekeeping best practices.
Rolla Bee Club is also an approved Phelps County Master Gardener project for community volunteer hours. Rolla Bee Club classes are also approved continuing education for Phelps County Master Gardeners and Meramec Hills Master Naturalists.
Rolla Bee Club Meeting Clubhouse Rules
We usually meet at a private clubhouse at Brownwood Estates, 1341 California and are David's guests:
- Please park on the streets and leave neighboring driveways open to access.
- Be respectful of the quiet residential neighborhood where we meet and be mindful of private property rights.
- In case of disturbances during our meetings, permission to be on this private property will be revoked and the involved parties will be asked to leave. If they don't leave, the meeting will be temporarily paused to contact police. The meeting will resume after the parties have been removed.
- Firearms are not allowed on the premises during our meetings.
Email List for Rolla Bee Club Meeting Notices
If you are not on our email list, please sign up/subscribe for upcoming meeting notices monthly newsletter. We use your email only for meeting notice newsletters and will not provide it to anyone else. For more information, call (573) 578-0561 and email rollabees at gmail.com.
Other Missouri Bee Clubs
To find a beekeeping club closer to where you live, check Missouri State Beekeepers Association club list. Attending club meetings close to where you live will give you pertinent information to your local beekeeping conditions and help you meet beekeepers in your area.
About Rolla Bee Club Founders
David Draker is currently enjoying a well earned retirement with his wife, family and honey bees. He retired after some 23 years of military service and a further 22 years of both industry and government service. During that time he was also a part-time educator focused on logistics management. His search for a retirement hobby led him to beekeeping; he currently maintains some 20+ colonies in his apiary. Combining his teaching background with his beekeeping, he supported the organization of the Rolla Bee Club and currently instructs during their Basic and Advanced Beekeeping classes. Additionally, he supports the mentoring of first year beekeepers through coaching and hive inspections in the Rolla area.
Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is also retired after 21 years of military service and 30 years of government service, where for many years she was a public affairs officer and management/public affairs instructor for a 20-state area university. She is currently Missouri State Beekeepers Association partnership liaison and has been developing and teaching beginning beekeeping and other classes since 2012.
She is an advanced master gardener and the master gardener representative on Missouri's Master Pollinator Steward Program Steering Committee and a contributing author; the program launched spring 2019. Fall of 2018 she was selected as an April 11, 2019 TEDx speaker at Missouri S&T on “why bugs matter.”
In addition to partnering with David to teach Rolla Bee Club classes and mentoring new beekeepers, Charlotte is author of several beekeeping-related books and lectures on how to plant for bees and other pollinators as well tips on running a bee club. More info at www.charlottekkerwiggins.com.
(Like her bee antennae headband? We have them for sale as a club fundraiser!)
Both club founders attended Lincoln University's June 10-11, 2014 Honey Bee In Service education training for beekeeping instructors. David has master's degrees in logistics and business administration. Charlotte has a master's degree in management.
