Welcome to the NAWCC Newsroom. Below you will find all current year news releases.
Please visit the Newsroom Archives to view other years: 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008 / 2007
May 15, 2013
Contact Name: Kim Craven - Communications Dept.
Phone: (717) 684-8261 - E-mail:
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WATCH AND CLOCK MUSEUM OFFERING FREE ADMISSION TO MILITARY
COLUMBIA, PA: The National Watch and Clock Museum launches Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America. Free admission for active-duty military members (ID required) and their families (up to five) runs from Memorial Day, May 27, 2013, through Labor Day, September 2, 2013. Active-duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active-duty National Guard, and active-duty Reserve members.
Enlisting Time, an exhibit of personal timepieces and stories of soldiers who have served their country over the last 250 years will be on display through August. Watches in the exhibit include George Washington's pocket watch, spy and author Ian Fleming's Rolex wristwatch used when he served in the Cold War, and many more.
Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, with a mission to support, connect, and empower military families. In addition to morale and empowerment programs, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable through partnerships like Books on Bases, Operation Honor Corp, Blue Star Careers, and Blue Star Museums. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, state and federal government to focus on military family issues. Membership includes military spouses, children, and parents, as well as service members, veterans, and civilians who strongly support them.
“Blue Star Museums is collaboration between the arts and military communities," said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. “Our work with Blue Star Families and with more than 1,800 museums ensures that we can reach out to military families and thank them for their service and sacrifice.”
“Blue Star Museums is something that service members and their families look forward to every year and we are thrilled with the continued growth of the program,” said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Through this distinctive collaboration between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than 1,800 museums across the United States, service members and their families can connect with our national treasures with this unparalleled opportunity to visit some of the country’s finest museums for free.”
This year, more than 1,800 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 450 new museums this year. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find the museums that are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site also includes a map to help with visit planning.
May 8, 2013
Contact Name: Kim Craven - Communications Dept.
Phone: (717) 684-8261 - E-mail:
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WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THAT OLD CLOCK OR WATCH?
COLUMBIA, PA: Are you curious about the origins of your old watch or clock? The National Watch & Clock Museum’s Library & Research Center is holding a Clock and Watch Evaluation Day on Saturday, June 1, from noon to 4 p.m.
Four watch and clock experts from the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors will be on hand to identify and give some background on up to two of your watches or clocks for a $10 fee, including admission to the Museum. A $5 fee for each additional piece will be applied. As much history as possible will be shared, but no estimate can be given on value.
The Library would also like to open the event to people who cannot attend that day or live outside the area. Between May 20 and 31 a discount will be offered on its usual research fees. Instead of $20, for a $10 donation one of our experts will identify your timepiece and give you some history on its background.
For more information, visit the Library’s website http://www.nawcc.org/index.php/library or contact the Library & Research Center at (717) 684-8261 x224 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
April 23, 2013
Contact Name: Markus Harris - Director of Communications
Phone: (717) 684-8261 - E-mail:
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2013 NAWCC ELECTION RESULTS
These are the results of the 2013 NAWCC Election for four Directors, one Nominating and Election Committee member and the Bylaws Amendments as certified by auditors Ross, Buehler Falk & Company, LLP, in letter dated April 2, 2013.
All acceptable official ballots that were received no later than midnight April 1, 2013 were counted.
* There were 2,176 ballots counted.* There were 279 ballots that were not counted due to not meeting the ballot requirements.
The results of the election are as follows:
DIRECTOR:
Ruth Overton (MO) – 1272
Tim Orr (TN) – 1271
Gene Volk (NC) – 1167
Chester Ekstrand (WA) – 934
Richard Newman (IL) – 900
Jonathan Weber (NH) – 768
Ken Hogwood (FL) – 743
Gary Landis (AL) – 674
The top four were elected to the NAWCC Board of Directors to serve term 2013 – 2017.
NOMINATING AND ELECTION COMMITTEE:
Fred Ingram (MS) – 1117
C. David Collard (TX) – 880
Fred Ingram was elected to serve on the NEC for term 2013-2017.
BYLAWS AMENDMENTS
Approve – 1898
Do not approve – 111
APPOINTED DIRECTORS
According to Bylaws Article IV Section 7 (c), the NEC presented a nominee list for appointed Directors positions to the outgoing Board within fifteen days after the close of the election. A special electronic meeting was opened to confirm the successful nominees on an individual basis, which required a majority vote of the full Board by secret ballot.
Approved to serve on the NAWCC Board of Directors for term of 2013 – 2017 are:
Jerry Thornsberry (MO) – approved by unanimous vote of full Board
George Goolsby (TX) – approved by unanimous vote of full Board
--Ruth Overton, NAWCC Board Chair
April 11, 2013
Contact Name: Noel Poirier - Museum Director
Phone: (717) 684-8261 - E-mail:
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NATIONAL WATCH & CLOCK MUSEUM RECEIVES HIGHEST NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Awarded Accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums
COLUMBIA, PA: The National Watch & Clock Museum has achieved accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. AAM Accreditation is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability and earns national recognition for a museum for its commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 35 years, AAM’s Museum Accreditation program strengthens the profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and provide the best possible service to the public.
“American Alliance of Museums accreditation has been a goal of the NAWCC and the National Watch & Clock Museum for a very long time,” states Museum Director Noel Poirier. “The achievement of this goal is the result of years of determination by Museum stakeholders and staff. Through their combined efforts, the National Watch & Clock Museum has become the only accredited horological museum in the Western Hemisphere, and we are committed to continuing to meet the museum field’s highest standards across the board.”
Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 1,005 are currently accredited. The National Watch & Clock Museum is one of only 35 museums accredited in Pennsylvania and joins two others in Lancaster County, the Ephrata Cloister and the North Museum.
“Accreditation assures the people of Columbia and Lancaster County that their museum is among the finest in the nation,” said Ford W. Bell, president of the Alliance. “As a result, the citizens can take considerable pride in their homegrown institution, for its commitment to excellence and for the value it brings to the community.”
Accreditation is a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, reviews and evaluates the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. While the time to complete the process varies by museum, it generally takes three years.
The National Watch and Clock Museum is operated by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc. (NAWCC), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) association with close to 16,000 members, representing 52 countries. With members having contributed a large portion of the museum’s more than 12,000 items, the NAWCC is committed to excellence in the preservation of our horological heritage. The NAWCC also provides extensive educational opportunities to members and the public.
January 1, 2013
Contact Name: Kim Craven - Communications Dept.
Phone: (717) 684-8261 - E-mail:
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NAWCC SEEKING ENTRIES FOR THE PRITCHARD PRIZE
COLUMBIA, PA: The NAWCC is seeking entries for the Pritchard Prize awarded annually for excellence in watch repair and restoration. The Pritchard Prize was developed by the late Kathleen Pritchard and is funded through the estate of her late husband Wilbur L. Pritchard. Mr. Pritchard’s interests in gears and machinery led him to watches, which he collected and repaired.
Amateurs and professionals from any country are encouraged to apply and NAWCC membership is not required.
Registration for the 2013 Pritchard Prize is due before January 31. Applicants must submit written notice of their interest in participating, including a description of the project. Then the completed projects, including photographs, documentation, and the insured completed timepiece, must be submitted before April 1. The timepiece will be returned by insured mail after the review.
Entries should be submitted to the Pritchard Prize, c/o NAWCC, Executive Director J. Steven Humphrey, 514 Poplar St., Columbia, PA 17512-2122, USA. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 717-684-8261, ext. 209, with your questions and for complete rules.
The NAWCC oversees the administration of the Pritchard Prize and reserves the right to defer the Prize until a minimum of three participants submit applications. If the minimum number of participants is not reached, received applications will be returned and the contest will be suspended until 2014. If selected, the 2013 Pritchard Prize recipient will be announced at the NAWCC National Convention in Dayton, OH, on July 3-6. The recipient will receive a certificate and a $1,000 cash reward.
