EAS 2008  August 4-8, 2008
Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky

EVENING EVENTS

Please note that pre-registration is strongly encouraged for the Fish Fry, Bar Bee, and Banquet. Availability of last minute seats at these special events cannot be guaranteed. All children under the age of 18 must accompanied by an adult.

Tuesday Evening

Come watch a staged reading of The Honey Harvest by Liz Bussey Fentress in the Curris Center Theatre at 7:00 p.m. The reading will be performed by Louisville's “Specific Gravity Ensemble." The public has been invited so the 375 seat theatre could be full! Häagen-Dazs has generously donated several tubs of Honey Bee Ice Cream to be served at intermission. The play is free and voluntary donations for Specific Gravity will be accepted at the door.

The Honey Harvest
Melissa Holt has wanted to keep honeybees since, as a child, an old woman told her that during good times, bees sing. Now in her mid-twenties and the sole caregiver for her father who suffers from depression, Melissa sets up a beehive in the backyard, determined for it to serve as a purposeful hobby - restoring her father’s will to live, possibly enabling her to return to college. Instead, Melissa learns the ways of the sacred honey bees are beyond her control.

The Honey Harvest premiered at Kentucky Repertory Theatre at Horse Cave in 2004. In 2008, it was a winner of the North American Actors Association Playreading Festival Competition and was produced as a staged reading in London.

Fentress, an actor and playwright, lives in Louisville. Last year her two hives of honeybees produced 180 lbs. of honey. Her secret? “I bought my bees from Kent Williams,” she says.

Wednesday Evening

• EAS Down by the River featuring farm raised Catfish and Shrimp. Varietal honey and locally grown produce will be incorporated throughout the meal. Thanks to the Murray Catering Staff and Chefs Tim Bruce and Michael Young who have collaborated to bring together fresh local ingredients and honey to make this a meal to remember.
• Riverboat Gaming Night will follow in the Thoroughbred room. Play a hand of poker or blackjack. Spin the wheel to win a prize. All games have a guaranteed winner so wear your lucky casino outfit and best poker face. May Lady Luck smile on you. The new Life Members will gather for a photo and to receive their certificate.
• Pianist Todd Hill (http://www.toddhillorchestra.com/pages/Todd_Hill.html) will entertain everyone both during dinner and during the gaming event.

Riverboat Gaming comes to EAS
The Wednesday Night Social will be exciting! There isn’t a house hand in any game so there really is a winner every time! Deck yourself out in your best casino outfit—your lucky suspenders, best boa or parasol (think Mark Twain on the river.) Modified Poker and Blackjack Rules are below for those of you who still have doubts. We already have some donated prizes but we can certainly use more. Do you have any bee-related gee-gaws or doo-dads sitting around? Bring ‘em to KY and maybe you can win somebody else’s dust collector! Other items that will make good prizes include lotions, lip balm, creamed or varietal honey, candles and new equipment. Anyone willing to donate items for prizes should contact Toni Downs at tonivdowns@hotmail.com.

We are asking EAS Life Members to volunteer for this event, but anyone is welcome. If you’ve ever wanted to be a Casino Dealer or Table Assistant, this is your chance and the games are easy to learn. Rules will be posted soon. If you’re willing to assist with this event, please contact Aaron Morris (Life Member Chair) at director.ny@easternapiculture.org.

Wednesday EAS Down By the River Menu

Veiled Baked Catfish
Farm fresh catfish baked in a beekeepers Veil (paper sack) infused with dill, bitter honey, lemon juice and a drop of ma gud ole ‘hiccup’ friend Jim Bean

Pimp the Shrimp (No Grits)
Locally raised shrimp hived into the pan fried with a healthy delicious dollop of butter and garlic and finished off with a sweet chilli and honey sauce

All above served with Local Kentucky Produce
Corn bread lightly baked with a hint of wildflower honey
Scalloped potatoes baked with a melted Cheesy top
Shoe Peg Corn Salad

Beekeepers Tossed Salad
Selection of local ingredients: crispy lettuce, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, boiled eggs strips of celery, shavings of local smoked cheese and mixed with a honey, balsamic vinegar, garlic and olive oil dressing

Mountain Dew Apple Cobbler
“Just the way momma made it”
Served with a honey and ginger yogurt

Thursday Evening

• EAS Kentucky Bar-Bee featuring Kentucky Buffalo Burgers and Finger Licking Chicken. Again, varietal honey and locally grown produce will be incorporated throughout the meal. And, you guessed it, this meal was put together by the same great team as Wednesday night. Kudos to the staff for their ideas and innovations.
• A Bluegrass Band will entertain us during and after dinner.
• Don’t run away, stick around. Honey Show Awards will be announced tonight and the EAS Auction will take place during the band’s breaks. This year’s offerings look to be unique so bring your deep pockets!

Thursday Kentucky Bar-Bee Menu

Buffalo Burgers Huckleberry
KY Buffalo Burgers mixed with whole grain mustard, Worcester sauce onions, garlic a hint of mint, bound together with cotton honey and bourbon

Finger Licking Chicken (No Forks Allowed)
Breast or leg of chicken brushed with a mixture of whole grain mustard and honey dressing. Seared on the grill until golden brown

All above served with Local Kentucky Produce
Roasted corn on the cob served with a local honey butter
Honey BBQ Beans: a mixture of kidney, black and pinto beans simmered with spices and sweetened with soybean honey

Beekeepers Tossed Salad
Selection of local ingredients: crispy lettuce, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, boiled eggs strips of celery, shavings of local smoked cheese and mixed with a honey, balsamic vinegar, garlic and olive oil dressing

Kentucky Derby Pie
An old Kentucky favourite, this pie needs no introduction. Served with a healthy dollop of beekeepers fresh cream caressed with honey

Friday Evening

The traditional Friday night Banquet will feature more dishes made with honey. The Roger A. Morse Outstanding Teaching/Service/Regulatory Award, EAS Foundation for Honey Bee Research Grant and Divelbliss Award winners will be announced. Certificates given to the new Master Beekeepers.

Modified Poker Rules for EAS 2008

Five Card Drone – up to 5 players

• The deck will be shuffled before each deal.
• Everyone puts in the ante and five cards are dealt face down to each player. Each player can discard up to three cards and get (from the dealer) as many new cards as they discarded. Hands are revealed and the highest hand wins the prize.
• The 2 Jokers in each deck are considered “wild” cards.
• If players are waiting, limit 5 consecutive plays.
• Ranking of the hands :
  
  1. Five of a Kind - A five of a kind, only possible when using wild cards, is the highest possible hand. If more than one hand has five of a kind, the higher cards wins, five Aces will beat five kings, which beats five queens, and continues on by the ranking of the cards.
  2. Straight Flush - A straight flush is the best natural hand. A straight flush is a straight (5 cards in order, such as 7-8-9-10-J) that are all of the same suit. As in a regular straight, you can have an ace either high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (A-2-3-4-5). You can not use the Ace in a wraparound and example would be K-A-2-3-4, which is not a straight. An Ace high straight-flush is called a Royal Flush and is the highest natural hand.
  3. Four of a Kind - Four cards of the same rank like four Aces or Four Kings. If there are two or more hands that qualify, the hand with the higher-rank four of a kind wins. Very rarely, I mean really rarely, if you are playing a game with a lot of wild cards, you may have two four of a kinds with the same rank. In this case you use the High Card rule (number 10 on this list).
  4. Full House - A full house is a three of a kind and a pair, such as K-K-K-2-2. When there are two full houses the tie is broken by the three of a kind. An example would be J-J-J-5-5 would beat 9-9-9-A-A. If for some reason the three of a kind cannot determine the victor then you go to the pair to decide (this would only happen in a game with wild cards). An example of this would be K-K-K-A-A would beat K-K-K-J-J.
  5. Flush - A flush is a hand where all of the cards are the same suit, such as A-J-9-7-5, all of Diamonds. When flushes ties, follow the rules for High Card.
  6. Straight - Five cards in rank order, but not of the same suit (it can be any combination of the four suits). An example of a straight is 2-3-4-5-6. The Ace can either be high or low card, either A-2-3-4-5 or 10-J-Q-K-A. Wraparounds are not allowed (an example being K-A-2-3-4). When two straights tie, the highest straight wins, K-Q-J-10-9 would beat 5-4-3-2-A. If two straights have the same value, AKQJT vs AKQJT, the pot is split.
  7. Three of a Kind - Three cards of any rank with the remaining cards not being a pair (that would be a full house if it were). Once again the highest ranking three of a kind would win. K-K-K-2-4 would beat Q-Q-Q-2-3. If both are the same rank (only in a wild card game), then the High Card rule come into effect with the remaining two.
  8. Two Pair - Two distinct pairs of card and a 5th card. The highest ranking pair wins ties. If both hands have the same high pair, the second pair wins. If both hands have the same pairs, the high card wins.
  9. One Pair - pair with three distinct cards. Highest ranking pair wins. High card breaks ties.
  10. High Card - When a hand doesn't even have a pair, then it comes down to who is holding the highest ranking card. If there is a tie for the high card then the next high card determines the pot, if that card is a tie than it continues down till the third, fourth, and fifth card. The High card is also used to break ties when the high hands both have the same type of hand (pair, flush, straight, etc).

Blackjack – up to 8 players

• The deck will be shuffled before each deal.
• The winner is whoever has closest to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards. Tens and face cards are worth ten points, the other cards count as their numerical values, and Aces are worth one or 11, at the discretion of the player.
• The dealer will begin with the player farthest to his left (known as "first base") and then proceed to give one card to each player. The deal will be repeated until every player has two cards.
• After the dealer gives each player two cards, he'll return to first-base and start acting on each hand individually. He will point to your cards when it is your turn.
• If you want another card (a "hit") you indicate yes. If you want no cards (“stand”) indicate no more to the dealer.
• If you take a hit and that card puts your total over 21, you lose automatically. The dealer removes your cards from the table.
• At the end of the hand, whoever’s total equals or is closest to 21 wins! In case of a tie, tying players will have a ‘Blackjack Play Off’ (same rules as above) until there is one clear winner.
• No double-down or splits.
• If players are waiting, limit 5 consecutive plays.

Updated July 28, 2008