Abstract

In 1954, the Association of Beekeeping Societies of Slovenia (hereinafter referred to as the Association) encountered extremely severe liquidity problems, which were so great that it could have lost its independence and its role would have been taken over by the Main (Agricultural) Cooperative Union of Slovenia. At the general assembly of the Association in 1954, Avgust Bukovec made a long speech in which he called on all beekeepers present to decide whether they wanted to maintain the independence of the Association as the leader of Slovenian beekeepers or whether the Main (Agricultural) Cooperative Union of Slovenia should take over this role. He then warned them that “an organisation that for several decades had, in a classic way, demonstrated what a strong will, selfless work and tireless efforts for the economic progress of all beekeepers can do, had lost everything in just under two years.” After finishing his speech, the delegates gave him a rousing applause. The entire speech was published over nine pages in the Slovenski čebelar gazette. Bukovec’s performance made a decisive contribution to the existence of the Association as an independent beekeeping organisation and to Slovenski čebelar as its gazette. In 1954, he was elected vice-president, and a year later, honorary president of the Association.