I always request "helpers"  when lecturing at schools. Often 3 or mores student assistants will be needed, one or more assistant for each station. With all these helpers, I can spend time with those wanting to hear me speak, meanwhile those wanting to do other things are off doing things that better interest them. Everyone is happy. So let me suggest a few stations and how I would lay out the different materials or props. I'll also include a standard letter that I send to schools when arranging to lecture. This will better explain how I prepare for students.

First, anyone who is listening to you lecture is a student, to one degree or another. If they go away with anything new knowledge about honeybees than I was a good teacher. Hopefully, you will leave a great impression and the following year you'll be back again with all new students.

Many beekeepers ask whether they should lecture EVEN THOUGH they are only hobby beekeepers - often with only one or two hives. I always tell them that they have a moral obligation to the hobby to improve understanding of the sad state in which honeybees barely survive today. Any information that they can pass on to others is worth your effort to put a lecture together.

Schools, libraries, senior community centers, agricultural centers, county parks department, etc., are all good places to hold a lecture on practical hobbyist beekeeping.

Here is the sample letter I send to schools, you would slightly modified this letter to meet  the needs and expectations of your audience. Bellows sample letter is for a full day with students from different grade levels between Kindergarten and eighth grades - spending a full 35-40 period with them.

You as a Lecturer

Ideally, someone is the center of attention and if you are like me - you tend to find yourself at the speaking end of a lecture. I honestly love doing it too. Each time it is like a roller coaster ride taking off and always amazing to here the stories that the kids share. You need to determine the depth of beekeeping your audience can absorb. I tend to get students 5 to 14 and I have three distinct lectures I use to best suite their tolerance level.

I insist on controlling my environment and I control the helpers at the different activity stations - it's important to carefully prepare your space for maximum traffic flow. I suggest that YOU place "yourself" at the Center and front of the room, if you want to easily view each group. But if you want a quieter area to lecture, the          n I suggest that you choose the end furthest from the door - traffic through your lecturing area is reduced if you keep well away from the rooms entrance. Keeping your props toward the entrance ALWAYS increases the number of visitors to the room and still away from your lecturing area..

Lets Break Down the Activity Stations and the function of each in greater detail. Including detailed duties for your student assistants. Note: some rooms can have ample room for three hundred people in small auditorium rooms - yet 300 people - lol. You MUST have assistants unless you plan to juggle all your visitors alone. I suggest minimum THREE assistants and at least one more for to aid EACH of the stationed assistants. That forth assistant is a floater, going wherever needed.

Trust Me, you can have MANY ACTIVITIES going at once and you will be amazed at the on-lookers who are just dazzled by the activity in this room. Indeed: you have created a hive structure, each group having distinct duties to perform and all working seamlessly among the  other groups. Cool stuff huh???

Younger Children

5 to 10 year olds are always fun. They allow you to easily mesmerize them with simple interaction and simple visual props. I always use a good close-up of a worker bee ( feel free to print my wallpaper images for your demonstration. I only ask that you mention my site to others who also have interest in beekeeping basics. ) I show the younger kids the photo in one hand and I show them 5 fingers with the other hand, and I ask them "How many eyes does a honeybee have?" Sometimes only one kid will see my hand and say "Five?" but sometimes all the kids catch on and the all yell "5!!!" and I got them for the rest of my lecture.
 

 Older Kids and Adults

Adults need to know up front your knowledge. Let them know in your flier that you only deal with beginners intro to bees or if you specialize in Varroa Mites - either way, let your audience know ahead of time what to expect. I enjoy libraries and community centers the most and I avoid Beekeeping Seminars - I save these for the pros. I love to attend and I insist that you read everything from Bee Culture Magazine. Keep up to date on issues and use hand-out photos for this crowd.

I like to thank them for attending, introduce myself and Then I ask if they have any interesting stories about honeybees, or if they see honeybees on their flowers and plants. I interact as best as I can. Someone will always tell you how deadly allergic to bee stings and I dread these tales. I try to explain that all bee stings are different and that it may not have been a honeybee and that it sounded like "Normal Swelling" induced by a non allergic person. I have met a few people who really are allergic and trust me, they carry Anaphalatic Shock Kits - usually around their necks.

Anyway, Get away from "Stinging Stories" and on to pleasant tales from your own collection. I like to explain the life cycle of a worker bee. It's really a great tale to tell. It's something I don't get into with the Young Children, but the Jr. High Kids can dig it. Adults and seniors love this stuff and can't get enough of it. Lots of lonely and bored seniors out there and you might just be the thrill of their week!

If it's a library, I like to have a good spread of displays and ample props. Libraries are ALWAYS willing to assign helpers to assist you. It's always interesting to explain to them their duties. In libraries you can have adult assistants too, which is a kick. Be clear in their duties and if they appear to have their station running smoothly, then all you need to do is keep your eyes on the assistants. Let the Assistants watch the crowd and direct the flow. You are the Star, relax and enjoy it.

Most library meeting rooms I've attended have two doors to the rear of the room, at opposite ends. That means you can place props to the back on long tables and show displays on either side of you. This is a great layout and the basis for the most easily handled rooms. You only need 2 assistants, but can modify that to four helpers, 2 in and front and 2 in the rear. One at each door in the rear and one at each display in the front. Perfect.
 

More coming throughout November 2000.