Sir Edmund Hillary and the Issue of Life Membership

Sir Edmund Hillary, the most recognised beekeeper in the world, was never given Life Membership in the National Beekeepers’ Association.  I would suggest three things may have led to this result, but have never had any definitive answers when I have asked around ‘the older beekeepers’ that I know.  So I’ll put down most of what I know, and leave it at that…

Hillary climbed Everest on 29 May 1953, with the news getting to England 4 days later, the date of the Queen’s Coronation.

The NBA had its 1953 Conference planned for late July, and the National Executive met at The Grand Hotel in Wellington for two days prior to the Conference.  And during that meeting, there is this:

re SIR EDMUND HILLARY(x correspondence L.A. Furness)

     Resolved on the motion of Mr. Penrose, seconded by Mr. Williams – “that Sir Edmund HIllary be honoured by appointing him a Life Member of the National Beekeepers’ Association Inc.”

First off, the correspondence is from L.A. Furness.  Les Furness was a Kiwi, who moved to the US at some point, but came back to NZ, marrying the daughter of Joe Walworth, one of the largest beekeepers, based in the Manawatu.  At the time of ‘corresponding’ with the NBA Executive, Les Furness was one of the largest beekeepers in NZ, with something like 4,000 hives over much of the Southern North Island.

So Les Furness wrote something to the NBA Executive, resulting in this resolution by Tom Penrose (father of David Penrose, in later years also a prominent beekeeper) and Des Williams, then President of the NBA.

Between the time of that resolution and the conclusion of the Conference that followed, something must have happened.  Conversations, arguments, proposals, more arguments would be my personal expectation from NBA Conferences…

The NBA Executive did not really have the power to make someone a Life Member by way of such a resolution.  That power was reserved to be one of the things that can specifically only happen at Conference (and in later years, changed to the AGM).  But it was almost always done either with a motion from the Executive, or in some cases from a branch – but always voted on by the meeting.  And generally, one would find, by acclamation – people didn’t get put forward for Life Membership unless it was pretty clear it had support..

I don’t have the full record of that 1953 NBA Conference.  It was, however, reported pretty fully in the next NZ Beekeeper magazine, August 1953.  It says nothing about Life Membership, but as one of the last items of business, the Conference sent “hearty congratulations” to Sir Edmund Hillary.  The only article about him appears to have been a pretty generic press association story, describing him as a beekeeper but with no reference to the NBA in the article.

I don’t think there were any arguments on the floor of the NBA Conference over the issue.  After all, the NBA only a few years later worked to ensure that all of the honey needs for Hillary’s Antarctic Expedition were provided by NZ beekeepers, as a mark of respect for him.  Had there been real acrimony at Conference, I don’t think that would have happened.

But here are three things that I believe might have led to the decision to not put Sir Edmund forward at Conference for Life Membership:

• Percy Hillary, Edmund Hillary’s father, was a polarising figure in NZ beekeeping from the late 1920s.  Percy had been a leading figure behind the NZ Honey Company, which collapsed rather dramatically in 1938.  He also served on the NBA Executive and various other honey export committees over the years.  He was articulate and outspoken about his convictions, whether they related to honey marketing or beekeeping practices generally.  I would suggest that there were a number of beekeepers around who would refuse to support Sir Edmund’s Life Membership simply because of their feelings about Sir Edmund’s father, Percy Hillary!
• By 1953, there had been only 9 Life Memberships (sometimes called “Honorary Life Memberships”) bestowed by the NBA during its 40 year existence to that time.  Though the criteria were not explicit and binding, one set of discussions makes it clear that Life Membership was for service to the beekeeping industry generally, or to the national association specifically.  Several Life Members had been long-time Department of Agriculture officials, others had long service on such as the Honey Export Control Board, and most had been prominent as President, Vice President or National Executive members.  Prolonged and exceptional service at provincial or branch level was not deserving, with the suggestion that Branch Life Membership be given.  On this set of arguments, Sir Edmund Hillary would not score very highly at all.  Though he was a beekeeper it was not really one of the real passions of his life!  I have seen nothing to indicate any participation in branches, or field days, by the two Hillary brothers – only by their father Percy.  And their mother Gertrude, who was a respected queen breeder – and the first to send bees to Australia by air!  So maybe the Executive  decided against putting the Life Membership forward because it was pointed out to the Executive that they were not following their own precedents! 
• Finally, stories from old beekeepers referred to a few beekeepers who did not support Sir Edmund for Life Membership because it was felt the Hillary family did not act ‘properly’ during the War!  One particular Waikato beekeeper lost two sons in the War, and he was extremely vocal (generally), and would have voiced his objections at the idea of giving a Hillary Life Membership.  Sir Edmund’s brother Rex, also a beekeeper, was a Conscientious Objector, based on the family’s religious beliefs.  Sir Edmund had an exemption from military service through the first few years of the war as a required occupation – he was an essential beekeeper!  But ultimately, the story goes that Percy allowed Edmund to sign up for service.  And he served with honour.  Be that all as it may, I’ve heard the story of that one old beekeeper’s feelings from several of the old timers…

So, apart from that resolution from the NBA Executive?  It would seem pretty clear that Sir Edmund was never a Life Member of the National Beekeepers’ Association.  What arguments were most compelling at the time?  I’ve made a guess, based on all the materials I can find and the stories I remember – maybe that is what ‘history’ is about…

STATEMENT OF PERSONAL INTEREST: I shook Sir Ed’s hand at the Tauranga NBA Conference in 1994.  It was one of the most exciting things I have done in my life.