The 1999 Reunion and Annual Meeting
in Grafton, Massachusetts
by Arlan Willard, President
As scheduled and planned, our 91st National Annual Meeting and Reunion of the Willard Family Association of America, Inc., was held on Friday, July 30, and Saturday, July 31.
The Boston Marriott Westborough Hotel was our headquarters, and many of the 72 persons who attended started arriving early Friday afternoon. At 4:00 p.m. your Board had a short meeting and at 6:00 p.m. all attending met to register and enjoy an hour of fellowship before dinner.
The Marriott provided an excellent dinner enjoyed by all including our special guests: Dr. Roger Robinson, President and Trustee of the Willard House and Clock Museum; John Stephens, Curator; Cynthia Dias-Reid, Assistant Curator; and Betsy Norton, Trustee - all with the Willard House and Clock Museum in North Grafton. Our speaker for the evening was the Curator, John R. Stephens. His talk and slide show about the history of the people, homes, churches and clocks of Grafton, North Grafton and the Willard House and Clock Museum was most informative and held everyone's interest.
On Saturday we traveled a short distance to Grafton. At 9:00 a.m. we met at the Evangelical Congregational Church. After coffee, pastries, and registration we held our Annual Meeting and the election of Officers and Board Members for the next two years. A list of your Officers and Board Members is included in this newsletter. A very special thanks to Heidi Williams at the church. She made sure we had everything we needed, including plenty of fans. It was a hot, hot day.
Our Saturday morning speaker was David G. Gow. David restores and makes clocks as well as being the Conservator at the Willard House and Clock Museum. David is an excellent speaker and very knowledgeable about the two Willard clocks in that Grafton church and all those at the Museum. He also has a great sense of humor. David provided a tour of the church and even had some of our members up in the tower to examine the Willard clock. At noon we walked across the common to the Grafton Inn. We were all very happy to find our room upstairs where we were to enjoy our buffet luncheon in air-conditioned comfort.
In the afternoon we toured the Willard House and Clock Museum. It was a very hot day and, of course, the Museum cannot be air-conditioned. Nonetheless, Dr. Robinson, John Stephens, Cynthia Dias-Reid, Betsy Norton, David Gow and others, all members of the Museum were ready for our arrival. We toured in small groups, and then were invited to the barn and treated to cold drinks and sweets ... a very enjoyable end to a pleasant visit.
Our Assistant Historian, and now also a 2nd Vice President, William F. Willard, Sr., wrote about the Willard Clock-makers of Grafton in our May 1999 newsletter. He said, and I quote, "What has to be the finest collection of Willard clocks and family memorabilia in the world is now displayed in this house and clock shop." All of us who were on the tour that afternoon agree. Late afternoon, those who could still put up with the heat were taken on a tour of the Old and Indian Burying Ground where several Willard members are buried.
Saturday evening a number of us had dinner at Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury. It was excellent, and a great way to end our 91st Reunion.
revised 5 Jan 2000