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
FTC and Green Burial Council to Partner on Webinar Warning Against "Greenwashing"
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is co-sponsoring with the Green Burial Council (GBC), a free webinar designed to educate funeral directors, cemetery operators, and product manufacturers about the growing problem of "greenwashing." According to GBC Executive Director, Joe Sehee, "As with almost every other industry, funeral service is now seeing a number of empty or confusing promises made by providers and manufacturers regarding "green" or "eco-friendly" practices and products. If we don't demonstrate an ability to agree to verifiable standards and police ourselves in this area, others surely will."
The webinar will be co-presented by Sehee and Laura Koss, an attorney with the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. It will take place on March 1st, at noon, EST and is free to the public. For more information or to register for the webinar contact info@greenburialcouncil.org or call 888-966-3330.
National Museum of Funeral History Holds 17th Annual Golf Classic
The National Museum of Funeral History will hold its annual Funeral Professionals Premier Golf Tournament at Kingwood Country Club in Kingwood, Texas, on Monday, May 16, 2011. The Golf Classic, now entering its 17th year, will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. "The NMFH Golf Classic has become the most prestigious golf tournament in the funeral industry. With golf being played on three courses, the 2011 Classic promises to be the best ever," said Museum President Robert Boetticher, Sr. "Not only do we have a great tournament, but the camaraderie the tournament provides is exceptional. We get to see old friends, meet new ones, do business, and support the heritage of funeral service while playing golf."
The tournament format is a 5-man scramble. Special events include: putting; longest drive; and closest to the pin contests. Team awards are: 1st place; 2nd place; and 3rd place. All participants are invited to the kick-off sponsors' cocktail party with a light buffet on Sunday, May 15, 2011 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the National Museum of Funeral History Complex, located at 415 Barren Springs Drive in Houston. The entry fee is only $275 per player, which includes the cocktail party, greens fees, half cart, gift bag, lunch, course refreshments, after-tournament cocktails and BBQ dinner.
There will be a live auction featuring a trip for two to the United Kingdom as well as a silent auction and a raffle with great prizes. All profits support the National Museum of Funeral History in procuring, restoring and displaying historical funerary artifacts. The Museum enjoys a working relationship with the Smithsonian and is regarded worldwide as the permanent repository of funeral heritage and memorabilia. As such, it has received substantial media coverage of the newest exhibit, "Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes."
The Museum has negotiated discount travel and lodging rates for the Classic participants. You can register online at www.nmfh.org or fax your registration to NMFH at 281-876-3907, or mail to 415 Barren Springs Dr. Houston, TX 77090 Attn: Genevieve Keeney. Early reservations are recommended to guarantee participation in this very popular event. The National Museum of Funeral History is a 501 (c) (3) charity, entrants should consult their tax advisor for specific details on charitable deductions.
ICCFA NEWS
ICCFA 2011 Annual Convention & Exposition:
Early Bird Deadline Friday; Expo Booths 95% Sold Out
The ICCFA's 2011 Annual Convention & Exposition, March 8-11 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, offers the best educational value of the year. Nowhere else will you find 40+ hours of educational sessions, more than 400 exhibit booths and networking luncheons, receptions and dinners. So there's just one question: ARE YOU REGISTERED? Members: Save $50 by registering by THIS FRIDAY, February 4. Registration and full program information is available online. You won't want to miss:
- Keynote presentations from former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki, author and innovation consultant Eric Haseltine, "America's Veterinarian" Dr. Marty Becker and business/human resources consultant Juliet Funt.
- 40+ breakout sessions on topics that will help your business grow toward "A Bright Future."
- 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.
- Second Annual PLPA Conference:
- The State of PLPA, Coleen Ellis and Bill Remkus, PLPA Co-Chairs
- 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, Hinsdale Animal Cemetery & Crematory, and Ron Salvatore, Matthews Cremation Division
- Meetings in conjunction with:
- Jewish Funeral Directors of America
- Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America
- International Memorialization Supply Association
- More than 400 exhibit booths—the fastest-growing industry expo!
- Networking luncheons, receptions and the closing dinner
- Earn up to 18.5 continuing education credits
- Free food & drinks in the Expo hall
...and much, much more.
ATTENTION SUPPLIERS: Haven't reserved your booth yet? Act quickly! We have sold nearly 95 percent of the hall. Download the prospectus here. Exhibit at the fastest-growing industry expo and lead your business toward "A Bright Future."
For more information, please contact Rick Platter, Supplier Relations Manager, at rickp@iccfa.com or 1.800.645.7700.
HOTEL ROOMS ARE GOING QUICKLY! Act now to reserve your hotel room for $199 per night at Mandalay Bay. Use code "ICCFA 2011 Annual."
PLPA: Showcase Yourself, Your Business and Grief Therapy Dogs
Pet loss professionals: The Welcome Reception at the Second Annual PLPA Conference on Tuesday, March 8, will feature a video showcasing PLPA members and their respective facilities. You are asked to send photos of your operation and of you and your team at your pet cemetery, crematory or funeral home to Coleen Ellis at coleen@twoheartspetlosscenter.com by Friday, March 4. Suppliers of pet memorialization items such as urns, caskets or other items are welcome to submit photos to be included in the presentation as well.
Also, the PLPA has begun to compile a roster of grief therapy dogs working within our funeral homes, cemeteries and pet loss operations. This roster will include a photo of the dog and a brief bio. At future conferences, we will have a special tribute to those dogs who have died during the year. If you have a dog that is a part of your team, forward a photo as well as a 200-word bio to Coleen@TwoHeartsPetLossCenter.com by Tuesday, March 1. These pets and the work they do is amazing. It's with great honor that we compile this roster and acknowledge those who selflessly give their unconditional love to our grieving families.
Next Generation, Veterans, Central States, 21st Century Services Scholarships Available to Attend ICCFA University
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.
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. Download the application for the general Educational Foundation Scholarships here.
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. Download the application for the Central States Cemetery Association scholarship here.
A $500 scholarship is available to an applicant who would like to attend the College of 21st Century Funeral Services, courtesy of Ernie Heffner, CFuE, Heffner Funeral Homes and Crematory, Inc., York, Pennsylvania. Click here to download the application for the general Educational Foundation Scholarships. All applicants for the ICCFA Educational Foundation Scholarship who would like to attend the College of 21st Century Funeral Services will be considered.
Deadline for all scholarship applications: February 14, 2011.
You may also find information on other associations that award scholarships to ICCFA University at www.iccfa.com.
ICCFA Annual Meeting of Members Materials
Voting certificates, awards/recognition forms and ICCFA Memorial Service forms have been mailed out to members for the Annual Meeting of Members to take place on Wednesday, March 9, from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. in Bayside A during the association's Annual Convention & Exposition. Please watch the mail for your packet or download them now:
Materials are due back to the ICCFA offices by February 10.
New in the Online Store: Sessions From Last Year's Convention
Ten presentations from last year's ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo are now available for purchase on audio CD or video DVD, including:
- Nick Morgan, "Authentic Communication: Finding Your Voice and Getting the World to Pay Attention To It," and his book "Trust Me," $39 [DVD and book]
- Ken Gronbach, "How to Profit From the Demographic Storm" and his book "The Age Curve," $39 [DVD and book]
- Ken Gronbach, "How to Profit From the Demographic Storm," $25 [DVD only]
- Ze Frank, "Facebook May Not Be The Answer," $25 [DVD]
- Rhonda Harper, "The Customer of Tomorrow," $25 [DVD]
- Alan Creedy, "High Performing Cultures: How They Do It and How You Can Too," $17 [CD]
- Chuck Gallagher, "ABCs of Social Networking," $17 [CD]
- Mike Schoedinger, "Tearing Down the 'Slowly Going Out of Business' Sign," $17 [CD]
- Nancy Lohman, CCFE, "Pet Services: Best Practices," $17 [CD]
- Shun Newburn, "Difficult Cases: Secrets of a Master Embalmer," $17 [CD]
All sessions on CD include any handouts that accompanied the presentation. All DVD sessions include the speaker's audio/visual presentation. These items are available only to ICCFA members and are visible only to members who are logged in on the Web site. To register as a member on the site, go to the home page, click on "Create New Account" and fill out the form. Within 24 hours of registering you will be granted membership privileges and will have access to all content throughout the site as well as to ICCFA member discount prices.
- TO BUY/SELL
- POSITIONS AVAILABLE
- Sales Management Professional (Michigan)
- Top Sales Director Needed for Two Cemeteries (New York)
- Managing Partner and Sales Manager Opportunities (Florida)
- Funeral Director/Manager (Las Vegas, NV)
- Long-Term Regional Sales Management (Savannah, GA)
- Sales Opportunity of a Lifetime (Western TX)
- Experienced Sales Manager (Mississippi)
- Sales Manager (in California between Los Angeles and Las Vegas)
- Sales Manager (Tallahassee, FL)
- Sales Manager (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)
- Sales Manager (West Palm Beach, FL)
- Sales Managers and Assistant Managers (Nationwide)
- Sales Leader (San Francisco, CA area)
- Experienced Sales Manager (Mid-South)
- Sales Manager (Orlando, FL)
- Sales Manager (Hughson, CA)
- Sales Management Team Position
- Experienced Funeral Director (New Mexico)
- Regional Management Positions (IL, OH, LA, MS, WV, AR, MO, KY, TN, NJ, MD, DE, PA)
- Maintenance Superintendent (SE Florida)
- Executive Director, Catholic Cemeteries (Miami, FL)
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.
Online Education
The ICCFA 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.
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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