Convention Corner
The NCC holds a Convention every year over the fourth weekend in June. Don't make the mistake that our venue once did and assume that it is the last weekend. It is definitely the fourth weekend.
Our Convention Chairperson is Sharon Miller, reprising her role from the very successful 2008 Convention. The full Convention Schedule and Registration Packet for 2009 is provided in PDF format, so you can easily print it and fill out and send in your registration. We hope that you will be able to make it to Convention this year.
For 2009, there have been some modifications to the schedule from past years. The very popular "Bring and Brag" session will be held on Friday night, after the Banquet and Mini-auction. There are three informative seminars, two on Thursday and one on Friday. The seminars in the past have been extremely well presented and very well attended (see photo from 2008 for example), and the ones planned for 2009 should certainly be on your must-do list.
For the 2009 NCC Convention, the 1511 Clairmont Bed and Breakfast in Cambridge has a special offer for the LADIES ONLY. Discount lodging if you can share with another lady friend. For details, visit the 1511 Clairmont Bed and Breakfast site.
Wednesday - Early Arrivals
Early arrivals will be able to get their convention packets on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at the museum.
Wednesday Evening Picnic
For 2009, the Wednesday evening picnic will be held at a new
location - the Colonel Taylor Mansion in Cambridge at
633 Upland Road. This is a beautiful location, as you can see from
the photo at right. From most of the motels in town, the directions
are simple: Travel North on State Route 209 into town. Right on
Wheeling Ave. at the Courthouse. Left onto North 10th;
left onto Sherman Ave; left onto North 7th St; right onto Upland Rd.
Turn into the third driveway on the right.Here is a
map to the Mansion.
There is a $10.00 charge for the picnic, and we would like you to
register in advance so we can get a count of the number of guests.
Thursday Morning - Program and Museum visit
Thursday features a full day of activities commencing with a morning program at the storage building hosted by the "Mold Brothers" - Frank Wollenhaupt and Co. This year their topic will be "Etching 101 - How Cambridge Did It!" The program starts at 9:30 am and runs about an hour.
We suggest that after the program, you make your way to the Museum (136 S 9th Street) and visit with the members (who will be on hand) who supplied this year's displays and watch a filmed interview with Sid Garrett, one of the master cutters employed by the Cambridge Glass Company.
Thursday Afternoon- Orientation for first-time Conventioneers
Thursday afternoon is reserved for the popular and informative Orientation Session for our First Time Conventioneers, starting at 3:00pm. First Timers are given useful tips and information to make their first NCC Convention a memorable one. Judy and Ken Rhodes do a great job of recruiting Mentors to be available to help and answer questions for the first timers.
Thursday Evening - Program
On Thursday evening, Mark Nye and Mike Strebler will present a program entitled "A Cut Above – the Technical and Collectible of Cambridge Rock Crystal." This is in keeping with the theme of this year's Convention, which is "A Cut Above," featuring Cambridge's cuttings. The program starts at 7:00pm in the Pritchard-Laughlin Center conference room.
Friday - Program, Glass Show, Program, Banquet and Mini-Auction
Friday morning begins early with the handing out of numbers for the Glass Show and registration at the Pritchard Center starting at 8:00am. Next, at 10:00am there will be a program entitled "A Flicker in Time – the Evolution of Cambridge Candlesticks" presented by Hilda Pfouts in the conference room. The Glass Show runs from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on Friday. The Banquet on Friday evening starts with a reception at 6:00pm (cash bar), then the Banquet itself, with the mini-auction as the highlight. The mini-auction is a fund raiser for the museum and the auctioneer, Alex Citron will reprise his role as auctioneer, and attempt to relieve us of our $$$.
Bring and Brag
Please note that the popular "Bring and Brag" session will be held this year at a different time - after the Banquet. It should start at approximately 8:00pm. Here is where everyone brings some of their recent purchases (hopefully from the show) and Lynn Welker entertains us all with commentary on each item. Don't miss it.
Saturday - Glass Dash, Youth Art Show and Glass Show
Saturday begins early with the Glass Dash, held at the St. Benedict Gymnasium (220 N 7th St). It starts at 7:00am for early-birds and runs until 11:00am. One doesn't want to miss this event, but do wear your good walking shoes for this one. The Glass Show re-opens at 11:00am and runs until 4:00pm. The Student Art Show (which featured the art work of local high school students) presentations are awarded at 11:30am.
Directions to Pritchard-Laughlin Civic Center
The directions to the Pritchard-Laughlin Civic Center are quite simple. To get there, take exit 176 off I-70, follow the road to where it comes to a "T" with US 40, turn right for about a quarter of a mile. The Pritchard-Laughlin Civic Center will be on your left. Here is a basic map to the Civic Center.
Lodging Information
Here is a list of Cambridge area motels with phone numbers. On the same page, there is a lot of information regarding other places of interest within a day's driving distance from Cambridge. Plan to do some sightseeing while you're here.