PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Hello Chapter 8 members! I am honored and excited to serve as the President of Chapter 8 once again. My heartfelt thanks go out to Rich Pompeo for his service as our President for the last 4 years. He is still actively serving on the Chapter 8 council as Past President. Thank you for your hard work Rich!

Chapter 8 is entering the new post pandemic era where people work from home and socialize on the internet. The social landscape has changed drastically and Chapter 8 is walking a fine line trying to keep up some of the old traditions but also trying to embrace new ideas to attract new members and to stay relevant.

We will be maintaining our regular meeting schedule and the same meeting format. Our “regular” meetings will have a mart, educational presentations, and a meal. These will take place in the spring, the fall, and in the winter.

In addition to our regular meetings we will continue having the Willard House workshop in May and our picnic in the summer.

One new twist we are trying at the Willard House workshop is that for the first time we are going to include a tailgate mart. The details of which are explained elsewhere in this notice.

Some other new ideas we plan to try are smaller types of gatherings, not like our regular meetings. For example, I would like to have a “wristwatch meet up”. This would entail a few of us gathering for an hour or two on a week night and sharing/showing our wristwatches.

This would happen at a Masonic hall in Wilmington, The Charles River Museum of Industry and/or at Schmitt-Horan’s Auction House. (If there is a restaurant or a meeting place near you, please let me know.)

Also in the works, I would like to have some field trips to museums and to certain businesses that are horological in nature (and unnamed for their own protection).

Lastly, I would like Chapter 8 to sponsor some hands on technical classes. On the watch end, I am trying to organize a class of 6 participants who would like to dismantle and reassemble a Chinese clone of an ETA 6497, a common modern Swiss pocket watch, on a given Saturday from 10-3.

A similar class could be given with an antique pocket watch or an American time only or striking clock.

Details for all these new ideas will be forthcoming as the details start to be nailed down. In the meantime please let me know if you are interested in any of these ideas. Even better, if you have some new ideas of your own then please share them with me.

I look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Chris Carey

THIS YEAR’S WORKSHOP

Schedule 

• 8:30 a.m. Tailgate Mart - Park in the lot across the street from the entrance to the museum.
• 9:15 a.m. Registration and morning refreshments
• 9:45 a.m. Welcome: Chris Carey, President of Chapter 8
• 10:00 a.m. Programs begin
• 10:45 a.m. Coffee Break and Snacks
• 11:00 a.m. Program continuation
• 12:00 p.m. Catered box lunch
• 1:00 p.m. Program continuation
• 2:00 p.m. Self-guided tours of the Willard House and Museum

THE LINE UP

Steve Sanborn FNAWCC – “My Clock Tools: The Best of Them........The Least of Them"

Steve joined the NAWCC in 1959 at age 10. He retired in 2013 from the full-time restoration shop that he and his wife, Debbie, ran in Sunapee, NH. He has been a mentor to many. Through these many years, Steve held elected positions in Chapter 8, including past president, Chapter 187 during its formative time in the early 1980s, a founding member of NH Chapter 189, as well as having given, literally, scores of chapter workshops.

Richard Ketchen FNAWCC - “The Astronomical Regulator of John Ellicott”

A repairer and restorer of clocks and scientific instruments for over 50 years, he is a frequent lecturer and researcher for the NAWCC, and has received an NAWCC gold medal award for master craftsmanship. He has worked for Harvard University having done restoration work on their early collection of early clocks and scientific instruments including the display at the Fogg Museum of Art in conjunction with the Longitude symposium. In addition to his restoration work, Richard has built the movements for at least a dozen clocks including three regulators with jeweled pallets, gravity remontoire, and temperature compensating pendulum.

Richard will give a PowerPoint presentation titled “The Astronomical Regulator of John Ellicott”. This remarkable timekeeper was purchased by Harvard College in 1765. It was one of the most advanced scientific instruments in the world, used to measure minute increments of time for astronomical observations.  Richard will give a short history of the clock and then give a detailed description of its technical features.

Robert Cheney SFNAWCC – “Developing Skills to Become a Connoisseur”

A third-generation clockmaker, dealer, and nationally recognized authority on early American clocks. he has served as a conservator and consultant for over fifty museums including Old Sturbridge Village, Worcester Art Museum, American Antiquarian Society, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Consulting has also brought him to the United States Capitol and Supreme Court, the US Department of State, and the White House. His museum affiliations include numerous terms and officer positions on the boards of the American Clock and Watch Museum, Bristol, CT, and the National Clock and Watch Museum, Columbia, PA. He is co-author with Philip Zea (President of Historic Deerfield) of Clockmaking in New England, 1725-1825 as well as numerous articles and book reviews. Cheney has lectured extensively on antique clocks in the United States, Canada, and the U.K. and has appeared as an appraiser for over a decade on PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow”. After a 35-year career of self-employment and a decade as founder and Director of the Clocks, Watches, and Scientific Instruments department at Skinner Inc., Robert was recruited to become the head of the Willard House & Clock Museum.

Using a complete clock, Robert will go through it analyzing it piece by piece.

 MART INFORMATION

This year we are experimenting with have a tailgate mart in conjunction with the Willard House event. Those who wish to display their wares should park in the far end of the parking lot across from the Willard House main entrance. There will be no charge for the tailgate mart which will begin at 8:30 a.m.  Dealers who wish to participate in the main events of the day, including presentations, luncheon, and tour must register for the event. 

TRAVEL INFORMATION

• Take any route to Grafton Center. Follow signs to Willard Museum.
• From Mass Pike, take exit 11, turn right, follow Rte. 122 to Rte. 140 to Grafton Center.
• From I‐495, take Rte. 9 to Rte. 30, turn into Willard Road at Tufts Veterinary Campus.

REGISTRATION

In order to receive the member discount, members of Chapter 8 should login to the website to Register HERE and pay using a credit card or ACH.

Logging in as a member saves us some processing fees and also enables those whose membership has expired to renew!

If you have forgotten your login credentials, press the “Member Login” at the top of the left‐hand panel and then the “Forgot My Username/Password” option.

Alternatively, members may register using this downloadable Registration Form.

Downloadable Registration Form 

In order to make arrangements for box lunches, all registrations must be made by Tuesday, May 26, 2026.