Member Code of Ethical Conduct

PREFACE

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On joining or renewing membership with the NAWCC, every member undertakes an obligation to uphold its purposes and to conduct oneself in an exemplary manner in the horological community. Acceptance and continuation of membership shall be conditional upon acceptance and adherence to the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and Standing Rules of the NAWCC as may be amended from time to time, and this Member Code of Ethical Conduct (hereinafter known as the Code).

Every member is bound to adhere to the Code, that the Board of Directors (Board) has adopted to establish the standards for ethical conduct for NAWCC member activities related to horology. The Code is founded on the principles of honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, courtesy and trust in interpersonal relationships, business transactions, publication of horological works, and interface with the public. It is intended for the Code to be recognized as a standard for the organized horological community.

1. Members shall conduct themselves in a way that brings no reproach or discredit to the NAWCC, any NAWCC Chapter, any other NAWCC member, any member of the public, or to themselves and in so doing shall abide by federal, state and local laws in the pursuit of their horological interests.
2. Members shall show respect to every individual and not engage in personal attacks of any kind against any other person or organization in any public forum, newsletter, internal NAWCC forum, chapter meeting, regional or national event, documentation or publication. For example, it is acceptable to debate issues and philosophies, but not the character of people or entities.
3. Members shall support the collection and preservation of horological items and knowledge, not engage in activities that encourage the loss of these to posterity, and shall take reasonable and proper care of all horological items in their possession.
4. Membership in the NAWCC does not constitute any representation or warranty by the NAWCC to such member or any other person. Members may use the NAWCC logo or name in a manner that reflects their status as a member, such as “Member, NAWCC”. However, no NAWCC logo or name may be used for personal or monetary gain in any way.
5. Members shall report unethical conduct and violations of this Code to the NAWCC Ethics Committee as directed in Section D, Complaint Procedure.
6. Members shall not allow others to use their badge or membership identification in any way, including but not limited to entrance to any NAWCC activity.

1. Members shall conduct all business transactions in an open, honest, and transparent manner, shall properly identify themselves, and shall:
   • Provide the buyer with all known information regarding any item offered for sale, trade or other purpose, clearly stating its condition and provenance and clearly identifying all known or suspected alterations, substitutions, or reproduction items;
   • Refuse to buy, trade, or sell horological items for which the ownership is questionable. Information on suspected stolen items shall be reported promptly to the proper law enforcement authorities;
   • Provide a reasonable period of unconditional return in “as received condition” for all transactions when the buyer cannot personally inspect the item before the sale, with the buyer paying postage and insurance.
2. Members are prohibited from:
   • Misrepresenting any form of payment for goods purchased, failing to pay for items sold in good faith, or otherwise defrauding any other member, non-member, or entity;
   • Manufacturing and/or selling a counterfeit item as an original. The sale of such items being a criminal offense under Federal law, their presence for sale will not be tolerated at any NAWCC function;
   • Knowingly participate in any way in the advertisement, sale or trade of any horological items using deceptive practices such as false or misleading claims of scarcity, age, value, condition, investment potential, and misrepresentation of a sale when in fact no change of ownership occurred;
   • Knowingly selling, producing, or advertising reproduction or replica items in any form unless such items are clearly identified as reproductions or replicas for the sale at hand, as well as any future sales;
   • Representing themselves as appraisers that are authorized, certified, or licensed by the NAWCC.
3. Members shall agree to read, understand, and abide by the Mart and Auction rules for all official NAWCC functions.
4. When entrusted to repair horological items, members shall make a good faith effort to notify the owner of all work to be performed or parts requiring repair or replacement prior to starting work on the item.
5. Only persons or members who have been officially verified by the NAWCC School of Horology regarding their watchmaking and/or clockmaking skills may represent themselves or their businesses in any way that implies the NAWCC has approved, sanctioned or otherwise certified their expertise and skills. However, the NAWCC provides NO warranty for goods and/or services offered by such persons or members. Further, participation in NAWCC Field Suitcase Workshops does NOT provide any degree of verification or certification.

1. Members preparing scholarly works, articles or other material for publication shall clearly document all source material and shall not engage in plagiarism. It is the responsibility of the author to correct errors in published articles. Such errors shall be corrected in future publications.
2. Should an author desire to use Copyrighted source material, it is his responsibility to secure permission for such use from the Copyright owner, warrant to NAWCC that such permission has been granted and that the proper form has been used in the credit line.
3. Members who hold positions of governance or authority in the NAWCC shall not receive any special consideration regarding publication of materials they may author.

1. Complaints can be initiated between members or by non-members against members. Complaints against non-members must be taken to civil authorities.
2. All complaints shall be initiated by a signed original statement submitted to the Chair of the NAWCC Ethics Committee c/o NAWCC, Inc., 514 Poplar Street, Columbia, PA 17512-2130. Registered mail, return receipt requested is strongly recommended. Complaints submitted by E-mail, phone, fax, etc. will not be considered.
3. After reviewing a complaint the Ethics Committee may decline action if it considers the complaint unwarranted. In this case, an appeal can be made to the Board. All decisions of the Board are final.
4. Members agree that when deemed appropriate by the Ethics Committee, disputes may be resolved by binding arbitration.
5. The Board or their designees may temporarily impose penalties for obvious and/or flagrant violations of the Code during the time that the complaint process is underway.

Member and Public Education, Code Maintenance, and Enforcement

• By approval of this Code, the Board directs the Executive Director to ensure that:
  1. All new members will receive a copy of the current Code in their membership package.
  2. The Code is prominently linked in the home page of the NAWCC web site, and is published at least annually in an NAWCC publication available to all members.
  3. All policies and procedures pertaining to the Code are easily accessible to all members and the general public, through electronic means and by mail.
• The Board shall ensure that the Code and all associated policies and procedures are reviewed at least annually for the purpose of maintaining its relevance to the Association and its members.
• The Board shall approve policies and procedures to ensure that:
  1. A structure and procedures are in place to receive and address complaints at all levels and venues.
  2. All complaints that may be registered receive prompt, fair, and unbiased handling