05/03/2026
MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT - PLEASE READ!
A New Day and Some Big Changes are Fast Approaching!
The American Honey Show Training Council has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past few years. Enrollment is up, we have expanded to more than three dozen states, and with all this growth we have faced a number of new challenges. The time has come for change. Most of this change will be administrative in nature, but some of it will (out of necessity) be very practical as well. In the following paragraphs I will outline and explain some of the more notable changes and differences you can expect to see throughout the remainder of this year.
First, we are transitioning from the American Honey Show Training Council (AHSTC) to the American Honey Judges Association (HJA). We will still be a non-profit 501(c)(3), but we are changing the name and the logo. Yes, there will be new badges.
Beginning immediately, we will be transitioning from our current free to play model into an annual paid membership model. The reality is it costs money to put all of these programs together, to print and publish materials, to maintain websites, etc., etc., etc… There is also the issue of expending resources on people who are technically on the roster, but who rarely, or never, participate. This new model will help us identify and track those individuals who are serious about, and committed to, the program, and then focus and expend our resources where they will count the most. Membership in the HJA will be $50.00 per year. The first year’s membership will be included for those individuals who take the Intro Training Class (good through the remainder of that calendar year). The membership term will be from whenever you pay through December 31st of that year. January 1st will be the start of each new membership year. Dues for each new year will be due on January 1st.
We will keep everyone currently on the roster on the books until December 31, 2026. Everyone will continue to receive emails and updates, and will be permitted to participate in all activities*, until that time. As of January 1, 2027, we will cull the roster, and move forward with only paid HJA members from that point on. *Staff for the 2027 NAHBE will be selected exclusively from HJA paid members. So, if you want to work the NAHBE honey show, you will need to join the HJA.
Beginning August 1, 2026, the HJA will be administered by a seven-member Board of Directors. Per the HJA bylaws, three of those will be Executive Directors, which will be myself, Steve Genta, and Mary-Cahill Roberts. In addition to those Executive Directors, there will be four Elected Directors. We will distribute more information on the mechanics of the election very soon, but the basics are that any paid HJA member who holds the rank of Certified Honey Judge or Senior Certified Honey Judge will be eligible to run for a two-year term as an Elected Director. The top four vote getters will be placed on the Board. Once those four are determined, the seven member Board will elect from their number a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. This group will serve as the governing body for the HJA.
If you haven’t already noticed, there have been some BIG changes on our website. Please check it out at www.honeyshowusa.com if you have not already. We believe you will find the new site much cleaner and easier to navigate. It is still a work in progress, but it is coming along beautifully! We will also be handling all of our event registrations through our own website going forward, and you will be able to pay your HJA dues on the website as well! This is going to consolidate and greatly simplify a great many things for us! I want to recognize and thank our new webmaster, Erin Olmon, for the outstanding work she has done with the website and our other online platforms!
Last but not least, our next Honey Judge Academy is coming up on June 26-28, in Lebanon, TN. We will be at the Wilson County Fairgrounds, just outside of Nashville for three days, the weekend AFTER Father’s Day. Friday we will be holding the Intro Training Class. So, if you know any prospects, tell them about it and get them signed up! Saturday and Sunday will be the Academy proper. We are going to have some great, in-depth classes, and we will be going over a lot of details about the new organizational structure and operations. You are not going to want to miss this event! The full itinerary will be going out today or tomorrow in a separate email, and registration is already up and available on our website!
I know this has been a lot of information. Trust me, it has been a lot to put together! I encourage everyone to go on and sign up for the Academy and for your HJA membership. If you have any questions about any of this, please reach out to Steve Genta or myself. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you all at the Academy in June!
