ICCFA Wireless is a bi-weekly electronic newsletter bringing members of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association the latest government and legal, industry and association news. It is available to all ICCFA members current on their dues. Comments, questions and "hot news tips" are welcome. Write to: hq@iccfa.com.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
CALL TO ACTION: H.R. 3655, Bereaved Consumers Right Act, is Part of Frantic Efforts as 111th Congress Wraps Up
 As Leo Durocher once noted, "It ain't over 'til it's over." He was speaking of baseball but he might as well have been referring to the seemingly endless 111th Congress. Tax legislation aside, there is a grab bag of bills that sponsors are jockeying for a place on the House suspension calendar and H.R. 3655, the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act, is one of them. Introduced in September 2009 by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), this bill was a reaction to the Burr Oaks Cemetery scandal in Chicago although almost nothing in the bill addresses the issues involved in Burr Oaks.
However, Rep. Rush has been a tenacious champion of his bill, which would require the FTC to establish a "Funeral Rule II" applying to cemeteries, crematories, and all retailers of funeral-related goods or services. The Rush bill is silent on penalties but as an FTC trade regulation, statutory penalties will be assessed at $16,000 per violation. A number of funeral directors trade association have persuaded some of their members that "Funeral Rule II" would not affect them, therefore a number of funeral organizations and individuals are actively lobbying for passage of HR 3655. In fact, a number of new forms of potential liability would be imposed on funeral homes should the Rush bill become law.
As the 111th Congress attempts to wrap up business, whereby all bills not passed by both houses would expire, the ICCFA has learned of efforts to combine HR 3655 with the Senate-passed S. 3860, a bill to regulate Arlington National Cemetery. The Senate bill has been added to the House "suspension calendar" that places it in cue for approval by the House without a formal vote actually being taken. An alternate plan involves placing HR 3655 as a stand-alone bill on the calendar. According to House rules, bills on the calendar cannot be amended nor are they supposed to be controversial. For these reasons, the Rush bill should not be appearing on the House calendar or combined with the Arlington Cemetery bill. Unfortunately, nobody can provide such assurances and proponents of HR 3655 continue lobby to combine the two pieces of proposed legislation.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: All ICCFA members are urged to contact their Representative by phone or email urging 1.) opposition to placing HR 3655 on the House suspension calendar, and 2.) opposition to combining HR 3655 with S. 3860, which has been added to the suspension calendar. The fastest way to convey your concerns is to call the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to the office of your Congressman. If you are uncertain who is your Congressman, go online to www.house.gov and type in your zip code. You will instantly be given links to your Congressman via email and phone.
For more background information, please refer to the most recent ICCFA Call to Action at http://www.iccfa.com/government-legal/advocacy-efforts/call-action-december-9-2010.
ICCFA NEWS
Apply For a Scholarship to Attend ICCFA University 2011
The ICCFA provides a variety of annual scholarships to attend ICCFA University through the ICCFA Educational Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity that supports the association's educational programs. Applications are now available for the 2011 session of ICCFA University, July 22-27 at the Fogelman Conference Center at the University of Memphis.
NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARSHIPS
The ICCFA Next Generation Committee has created a scholarship fund through the ICCFA Educational Foundation and will be offering three $1,600 scholarships to the 2011 session of ICCFA University. These scholarships will cover full tuition and meals as well as part of the recipients' hotel costs. Download the NextGen Scholarship Application or complete your submission online.
In addition, through a generous donation by Merendino Cemetery Care, the committee has created a specially designated $1,350 scholarship to be awarded to an active or veteran member of the armed forces or military reserves. Download the NextGen Veterans Scholarship Application or complete your submission online.
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THANK YOU TO OUR NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARSHIP DONORS!
- Jay Brammer, in memory of Jack J. Brammer
- Abigail Brammer Quiocho
- Cold Spring Memorial Group
- Ellis, Ged & Bodden, P.A.
- Paul Elvig, in memory of Susan Loving's father
- Jennifer Frew, Green Hills Memorial Park
- HALO International Corporation
- Matthews International Corporation
- Kimberly Kojan
- Gino Merendino, Merendino Cemetery Care
- Anthony Russo, Cypress Hills Cemetery
- Sinosource International Company, Inc.
- Thumbies by Meadow Hill Company
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GENERAL ICCFA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
The ICCFA Educational Foundation's Scholarship Awards are presented annually to selected recipients. Applicants must be ICCFA members in good standing and employed in the cemetery, cremation and funeral profession for a minimum of two years. Click here to download the application for the general Educational Foundation Scholarships.
The Central States Cemetery Association made an endowment to the ICCFA Educational Foundation in 2009 to establish a scholarship award to ICCFAU for applicants from the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Click here to download the application for the Central States Cemetery Association scholarship.
Deadline for all scholarship applications: February 14, 2011.
Jewish Funeral Directors of America to Meet in Conjunction with ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo
The Jewish Funeral Directors of America Inc. (JFDA) will hold its annual spring meeting in conjunction with the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association's 2011 Convention & Exposition, March 8-11 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"We are pleased to invite the JFDA and its membership to join us at our convention," said ICCFA President Kevin Daniels, CCE. "We hope this leads to a lasting relationship and opportunities for future cooperation."
"We are excited to participate in the ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas and thank the ICCFA for their hospitality," said JFDA President Albert Bloomfield.
JFDA members will have access to all ICCFA educational sessions and the exhibit hall. In addition, the JFDA has created a one-day program to meet the specific the needs of its members, as follows:
- Thursday, March 10 (8:30-10 a.m.)—JFDA Meeting of Members.
- Thursday, March 10 (2-3:30 p.m.)—"Uni-faith Mourning Practices in an Inter-faith World: Issues and Strategies," presented by Rabbi Sanford Akselrad, Congregation Ner Tamid, Henderson, Nevada. Inter-faith marriage has become the "norm" among American Jewry with about 50 percent of marriages resulting in an inter-marriage. This presents profound challenges at a time of grief. How does an inter-faith family mourn? How does a non-Jewish spouse mourn for a Jewish spouse? Beyond burial issues are the issues related to ritual, planning the funeral, and dealing with families of different religious backgrounds and beliefs about the after life. Rabbi Akselrad will present this interactive session, encouraging participants to share their experiences in their roles as Jewish funeral directors.
- Thursday, March 10 (3:30-5 p.m.)—"The Death of Moses: What It Teaches Us About Death and Dying from the Jewish Perspective," presented by Rabbi Malcolm Cohen, Temple Sinai, Las Vegas, Nevada. The Torah culminates in Moses' death. This episode is wistful but poetic. Participants will learn and discuss some of the Rabbinic legends associated with this incredible event, including how Moses fights the Angel of Death and how God finally takes him to his resting place. The texts deal with end-of-life issues which have practical relevance to funeral directors. This session will give participants the opportunity to clarify their own theological and spiritual responses to death.
ICCFA 2011 Annual Convention & Exposition:
Register Now to Attend 40+ Blockbuster Breakout Sessions
The ICCFA's 2011 Annual Convention & Exposition, March 8-11 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, offers more than 40 breakout sessions on nearly every aspect of our profession. Among them are:
- Strategic Planning That Works: A Skeptic's Story, Gary Freytag, Gwen Mooney Funeral Home and Spring Grove Cemetery—Gary will share how to develop and adopt a strategic plan that goes beyond lip service to produce results. Whether your company is large or small, whether you wish to develop a plan for the entire company or for a single department, you won't want to miss this presentation.
- Recruiting: Building the Team of Tomorrow, Barbara K. Milton, The Buchanan Group—Discover ways your business can broaden its definition of "recruitment" through investments as simple as career days, internships, mentoring and serving on local educational boards.
- Stop Praying for Talent... and Start Predicting It!, Anthony Casablanca, Batesville Casket Co.—Whether you are hiring for an administrative assistant, a sales counselor, a maintenance worker, a funeral director or an executive, there are certain protocols that will greatly enhance your chances of bringing in the right talent for the position. In this session, Anthony will share his expertise on sound hiring practices.
- The 4 Keys to Improving Employee Competence, Ingrid Gudenas, Effective Training Solutions—Ingrid Gudenas shares the 100% Proficiency approach to employee training. Close the gaps and move the majority of your workforce into the range of top performers.
- Partnering with Hospice, Kim Medici Shelquist, Homesteaders Life Co.—Kim, a former hospice employee, uniquely understands the potential benefits and challenges involved in forming partnerships between funeral homes and hospice providers. Learn the basics of hospice operations, how to create relationships and how to initiate the preneed discussion in your community.
- Cemetery Infrastructure: Building a Strong Foundation for Business, Thomas J. DeGrace, PE, PP, Prime Engineering—Cemetery developer Tom DeGrace will examine cemetery infrastructure and the issues that most affect your ability to maintain and manage a successful operation. He'll provide examples of good and poor conditions and offer expertise on how to prevent and correct potential problems.
- Waterless Embalming, Mark E. Fisher, M.E. Fisher Funeral Home—Waterless embalming may be one of the most controversial topics in embalming. Discover how this technique can be used to its best advantage.
- Beating Burnout: Caring for the Caregiver, R. Scott Boots, MPA, University of Illinois at Chicago—Who cares for the care provider? Those who offer their compassion, skills and resources to those in need often are at risk for burnout, "compassion fatigue" and other trauma. Scott, a wellness expert, will take you through a series of experiential exercises to help you explore ways to manage your stress levels.
- Strategies and Tactics for Capturing the 50+ Consumer, David Weigelt, Immersion Active—David will share how you as a marketer need to take charge of your online strategy and how you can successfully do so using identifiable principles that are proven to capture the hearts and minds of the 50+ consumer.
In addition, the 2011 Convention offers:
- Cremation Coaching Center LIVE!: In the cremation "game," there will be winners and there will be losers. In this first-of-its-kind interactive educational experience, our cremation coaches will help you and your staff develop the strategy and skills you need to succeed in cremation operations, arrangements and administration. Co-chairs: Julie Burn and Poul Lemasters.
- Breakout sessions on topics that most affect your business: marketing to boomers, management solutions, effective hiring, technology, embalming and more.
- More than 400 exhibit booths
- Second Annual PLPA Conference, including sessions on:
- The State of PLPA, Coleen Ellis and Bill Remkus
- Pet Care/Pet Loss: Working Together to Serve Families, a veterinarian roundtable featuring Drs. Marty Becker and Amir Shanan
- Pet Cremation: A Blueprint for Limiting Liability, Poul Lemasters
- Improving the Efficiency of Your Pet Crematory, Jon Remkus and Ron Salvatore
- Networking luncheons, receptions and dinner
- Earn continuing education credits
- Free food & drinks in the Expo hall
- KIP Awards presentation
...and much, much more. Registration and full program information is available online.
BOOTHS AND HOTEL ROOMS ARE GOING QUICKLY!
Act now to reserve your hotel room for $199 per night at Mandalay Bay. Use code "ICCFA 2011 Annual."
The exhibitor prospectus is available online now. Send in your booth reservation form ASAP as booths are now being assigned.
The Largest Preneed Sales Conference in the Death Care Industry
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Registrations for the 2011 ICCFA Wide World of Sales Conference are coming in very strong, and are approximately 15 percent ahead of the past two years. Don't miss this opportunity to join 350 of your industry sales colleagues, January 12-14 at Bally's Las Vegas. There's a reason why this annual conference is the world's largest sales conference for preneed and at-need sales counselors, funeral directors and managers. This year's sessions, breakout events and receptions will provide you with "how to" lessons and advice on how to increase your earnings in 2011, including:
- Internationally renowned keynote speakers Noah Rickun and "The Sales Whisperer" Wes Schaeffer
- Sessions on strategic marketing, social media & online leads, branding, sales strategy, setting & meeting goals, and more!
- Two solid days of educational seminars offering practical tools and techniques for boosting sales
- ICCFA take-home binder filled with handouts and "how to" instructions
- Registration directory of all attendees to facilitate networking with more than 300 of the best industry sales counselors and managers from around the world
- Wednesday evening Welcome Reception
- Opportunity for counselors to participate in our "Speed Sales" session: 10 solid sales ideas shared in a "speed dating" format
- A special Thursday networking and motivational luncheon with Gary O'Sullivan
- A chance to win cash and prizes
- and much more!
The ICCFA has negotiated a drastically reduced hotel rate at Bally's Las Vegas of JUST $75 PER NIGHT for Monday, January 10, through Thursday, January 13. Our room block is selling out quickly, and we cannot guarantee this price once our block is gone. This is half the price originally published and makes this already affordable conference an even better investment of your sales training dollars. If you have not yet reserved your hotel room, reserve your room now online or call 1.800.358.8777 and identify yourself as an ICCFA attendee.
For attendees who wish to stay Friday and/or Saturday night following the conference, Bally's is offering rooms at $145 per night on those weekend nights.
For complete program, hotel and registration information,
visit www.wideworldofsales.com.
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THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS!
Service Corporation International • Forethought Financial Group Inc. • Homesteaders Life Company • Matthews International • Assurant Solutions • NorthStar Memorial Group • Arbor Memorial Services Inc. • Funeral Directors Life Insurance Company • Gibraltar Remembrance Services
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2010 KIP Awards: Near-Record Amount of Entries; Help Make This the Biggest Year Ever!
 Applications for ICCFA's 2010 Keeping It Personal (KIP) Awards are still available for download. Thank you to everyone who has submitted entries for this year's contest. This year's field of entries is one of the biggest in the award program's history, but we'd like to make this a record-breaking year. Therefore, if you have not yet submitted an entry we encourage you to do so by Wednesday, December 22.
The mission of the awards program is to recognize the best in personalization in the cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession.
Created by the ICCFA Personalization Committee, the KIP program honors recipients in five categories:
Winners are recognized in ICCFA Magazine and at the ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo. Winners also receive a press release for use in their local media.
2010 applications and profiles of past winners are available on the ICCFA Web site at http://www.iccfa.com/certifications-awards/kip/kip-awards.
2011 Music Licenses Now Available—Purchase Yours Online
The ICCFA is offering 2011 music licensing with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for only $248 per property. With no additional fees or membership requirements, this is the LOWEST PRICE available in the industry!
Companies that currently hold their licenses through the ICCFA have been invoiced.
You may purchase your music license ONLINE NOW or by downloading the registration form.
The 2011 price represents no increase from the 2009 & 2010 rate and is a direct pass-through of the combined annual price increases from ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Licensing directly with the agencies this year would cost nearly $600 per location.
Music licensing is the law, and failure to obtain a license where one is required can be costly: Copyright law provides for damages similar to fines of up to $30,000 for each song that is infringed. If your company, regardless of size, hosts performances of copyrighted music—whether the music is performed live or played from recordings—music copyright owners say you are legally required to pay an annual licensing fee.
ICCFA to Honor Members Who Have Died in the Past Year
During the its Annual Convention, March 8-11, 2011, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, the ICCFA will hold its annual Memorial Service celebrating the lives of colleagues and loved ones who have passed away in the past year. A questionnaire seeking details about the decedent's personality, hobbies, passions and more is available to download from our Web site. Photos would be greatly appreciated and may be sent to Robert Treadway at robt@iccfa.com.
PLACE YOUR ADS FOR 2011 NOW—RATES INCREASING JANUARY 1!
- TO BUY/SELL
- POSITIONS AVAILABLE
- Have Fun and Make More Money (Michigan)
- Top Sales Director Needed (New York)
- Managing Partner and Sales Manager Opportunities (Florida)
- Experience Sales Manager (Mid-South)
- Maintenance Superintendent (NE Florida)
- Sales Professional (Winston Salem, NC)
- Sales Manager (Las Vegas, NV)
- Sales Position (New Bern, NC)
- Sales Manager (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)
- Sales Manager (Orlando, FL)
- Funeral Director/Embalmer (Moses Lake, WA)
- Sales Manager (Hughson, CA)
- Cemetery Director (Long Island, NY)
- Funeral Director (Terre Haute, IN)
- Licensed Funeral Director (Ocala, FL)
- Funeral Home Location Manager (Falls Church, VA)
- Funeral Home Location Manager (Bellaire/Houston, TX)
- Licensed Funeral Director (Springfield, VA)
- Experienced Funeral Director (New Mexico)
- Regional Management Positions (IL, OH, LA, MS, WV, AR, MO, KY, TN, NJ, MD, DE, PA)
- Experience Sales Professionals (National)
Place your classified advertisement with ICCFA today!
member benefits
Access to Abenity Employee Discount Program
Give your staff access to more than 100,000 discounts and more than $4,500 in savings per employee. Click here to read the Abenity brochure or visit www.abenity.com/pricing for pricing details. Corporate code: ICCFA.
ICCFA Supply Link Allows Easy Buyer's Guide Searching
The ICCFA Supply Link, an online buyer's guide members can use to easily search for products and services from the convenience of their computers, can be accessed directly from the ICCFA home page. The Supply Link offers a "Search" function whereby members can search according to product type or company name and can be limited to a state or to a certain radius distance from a specified city or ZIP code. Users also can narrow their search to include only ICCFA-member companies. Suppliers that are ICCFA members and exhibitors are identified as such in their listings.
Discounts at FuneralReview.com and Dignity University
The ICCFA has partnered with FuneralReview.Com to provide online continuing education at a discount for members. Founded in 2002, FuneralReview.Com is North America's largest provider of online continuing education courses designed specifically for funeral directors, embalmers and preneed counselors. ICCFA members are being provided a code for use in obtaining a discount on the site's funeral courses.
All funeral courses at FuneralReview.com are approved by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. ICCFA members in good standing can log in using a special code to receive a discounted price on the funeral service courses. If you have not yet received your code or have misplaced it, call the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700. For more information, visit www.funeralreview.com.
The ICCFA also offers low-cost online training on a variety of OSHA topics through a partnership with Dignity University. To access the 23 OSHA courses, visit http://online.ecampustraining.com/Dignityu/.
ICCFA News Page
The ICCFA News Page takes you to sources throughout the world for industry news and updates. It brings you the most comprehensive selection of funeral service and cemetery news available anywhere, along with frequently updated general news items related to national and world events. The News Page reports the news before anyone else and is one of the most visited page on the ICCFA Web site. Stop in each day and you'll see why.
Music Licensing
The 2011 Music Licenses are available for just $248 per property, no additional fees. Covers ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Any U.S. funeral home, cemetery or related business is eligible for membership as a Music License Member. Licensing directly with the agencies this year would cost nearly $600 per location, so this price—which requires no additional membership fee—is still the lowest available to the industry. Purchase your license online now at .
Tax-Related Questions
ICCFA members now also have access to an attorney for tax-related questions regarding trust earnings, care fund allocations, capital gains, investments and more. The ICCFA has retained Leslie Schneider, CPA, a tax attorney with Ivins, Phillips & Barker in Washington, DC, for telephone consultations for up to 20 minutes with no obligation. To take advantage of this member benefit, call Schneider at 202.393.7600.
ICCFA Insurance Program
Administered by Alliant Insurance Services, this program allows members to purchase commercial property and casualty insurance—including general liability, commercial property, automobile liability and physical damage, umbrella liability, professional liability, workers compensation, employee benefits and more—at rates they probably would not be able to afford on
their own. For details, call 800.390.9099.
HR Law Benefit
Through an unprecedented new benefit program, ICCFA members can now access free legal consultations regarding labor relations, human resource management and employment law. Attorney Michael Pepperman of the Labor Relations and Employment Law department at Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP (ORM&H), is available to address questions on topics ranging from hiring and firing, to employee privacy and workplace violence, to wages and hours, to equal employment opportunity and wrongful discharge issues. Michael Pepperman, Esq., has spoken on labor and employment issues at several ICCFA conferences and regional industry meetings. To take advantage of this benefit, please call 215.665.3032.
ICCFA Introduces New Sales Training Programs
ICCFA introduces new sales training programs by sales trainer and professional speaker Gary O'Sullivan, CCE. O'Sullivan's two latest products include a 10 DVD Series—The Power to Sell Preneed, and a training support system called the GoSell System. Both products provide sales managers with tools and training strategies that will help them to strengthen and motivate their teams. For more details or to place an order, call the ICCFA at 800.645.7700.
ICCFA Internet Expo
The ICCFA Internet Expo is the largest online exposition in the cemetery and funeral service industry. Cemetery and funeral home owners and operators will find 300+ providers in more than 100 product and service categories. Exhibit space is provided as a free, exclusive benefit to all ICCFA supplier and professional members. Check it out today!
Fraud Prevention & Detection Consultation Service
ICCFA has retained the services of veteran fraud investigator Robert A. Garvey Jr., CPA, CFE, CrFA, CVA, to serve as a consultative resource for members' employee theft and fraud concerns. The new member benefit, the "Fraud Investigation and Deterrence Consultation Service" or FIDCS, will allow members to discuss by telephone any issues or concerns related to suspected fraudulent activity or a desire to put systems and controls in place at their locations to deter such activity. There is no cost to ICCFA members in good standing to utilize this benefit. The number to call is 866.649.1902.
Legal Advice on Cremation Concerns
Courtesy of the ICCFA Government and Legal Fund, ICCFA members now have access to pre-paid legal advice on cremation-related issues. Through this exclusive member benefit, the association has retained Poul H. Lemasters, Esq., of Lemasters Consulting in Cincinnati, Ohio. Poul is an attorney and licensed funeral director, and members in good standing may call him at 513.407.8114 to discuss cremation concerns for up to 20 minutes at no charge.
FTC 'Red Flag' Compliance Program
ICCFA now offers members a sample compliance program concerning new Federal Trade Commission rules to fight identity theft. To have the program template sent to you, please contact us at 800.645.7700 or rfells@iccfa.com.
GPL Compliance Check
Members whose businesses must follow the FTC Funeral Rule's General Price List (GPL) requirements can have their lists reviewed for compliance by attorney Poul H. Lemasters, Esq., without charge. Contact Lemasters at 513.407.8114.
CONTACT US
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100
Sterling, VA 20164
1.800.645.7700
703.391.8400
Fax: 703.391.8416
www.iccfa.com
Copyright 2010, International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
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