Morris and Somerset County Beekeepers Association

Category: Local clubs Also called: MSCBA; Morris & Somerset County NJ Beekeepers Association (Basking Ridge, New Jersey); a branch of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association; mscbees.org

What it is

The Morris and Somerset County Beekeepers Association (MSCBA) is a local beekeeping club for Morris and Somerset counties in New Jersey, meeting in Basking Ridge. Its bylaws (updated 2025) describe it as a branch of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association (NJBA) whose mission is to promote and advance beekeeping in New Jersey with a focus on Morris and Somerset counties, educate beekeepers, raise public awareness of issues facing honey bees and dispel misinformation about them. The club holds monthly meetings on the second Thursday, 7–9 pm, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Basking Ridge, each with an “In the Hive” and “Around the Hive” topic, adds field events in season and runs an annual Beginner Beekeeping course taught by Master Beekeepers. This listing is for the local club, not a supply store or a single course.

Official URL

Official site: https://www.mscbees.org/

About Us: https://www.mscbees.org/about-us

Meetings (2026 schedule): https://www.mscbees.org/meetings

Beginner Course: https://www.mscbees.org/basic-beekeeping

Bylaws: https://www.mscbees.org/about-3

Contact: https://www.mscbees.org/contact

New Jersey Beekeepers Association (parent organization): https://www.njbeekeepers.org/

Last checked

2026-11-02. All URLs above returned HTTP 200 with a desktop Chrome user agent and browser Accept headers on that date.

FAQ

Q: When and where does the club meet?
A: Per the Meetings page checked 2026-11-02: the second Thursday of every month, 7:00–9:00 pm, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 140 S Finley Ave, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 (the Contact page gives the parish hall address as 160 S. Finley Ave). The remaining 2026 meetings listed are November 12, 2026 — Year-End Review (season recap and final board elections) and December 10, 2026 — Holiday Party and Elections (potluck). The August meeting was replaced by a joint social with the Raritan Valley Beekeepers Association. The home page’s “next meeting” banner was still showing that August social on the check date, so use the Meetings page for current dates.

Q: How much is membership?
A: No dollar amount is printed on the pages checked. The bylaws say membership requires payment of annual dues as prescribed by the NJBA and runs twelve months from receipt of payment. The home page has a “Join the Club” email form for the membership committee.

Q: Does the club teach beginners?
A: Yes. The Beginner Course page describes a three-day course (two full classroom Saturdays with lunch, plus one field day) that “fulfills the legal requirements of the State of New Jersey for beekeeper education,” led by Master Beekeepers Bailey Wright and Kathy Liu at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. The 2026 course ran Saturdays February 7 and 21, 8:30 am–3:30 pm, for $150 including the textbook Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees, with a $25 discount for 4-H and FFA members, U.S. veterans and first responders, and a 40-student cap. No 2027 dates were posted on the check date.

Q: How do I contact the club?
A: The Contact page lists the email [email protected], the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall address in Basking Ridge, and a web contact form.

Q: Is this an official or affiliated listing?
A: Neither. Beekeeping Plaza is not affiliated with the Morris and Somerset County Beekeepers Association or the NJBA. No contact, form or membership signup was made. This is the site’s first New Jersey Local clubs listing (New Jersey already has a Learning entry).