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.
PAID ADVERTISEMENTS
INDUSTRY NEWS
Burr Oak Cemetery Families Sue Local Police for "Conspiracy"
In an ironic twist to the tragic Burr Oak Cemetery scandal in Alsip, IL, family members whose loved ones’ graves were disturbed in the cemetery are blaming the local police. Plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit in a federal district court alleging, among other things, that when four cemetery employees unlawfully disinterred over 300 graves to resell the spaces for profit, they were aided by the Alsip police. Plaintiffs allege that the local police were aware of the scheme and "aided and abetted" it.
In support, plaintiffs cite two dispatch reports from 2000 and 2001 when police went to the cemetery to investigate complaints. In 2005, police held a meeting at the cemetery office with other government officials to discuss skeletal remains that were found on a roadside. A 2008 complaint to police that remains were improperly buried resulted only in a citation being issued to Burr Oak. Plaintiffs claim that these incidents prove there was an implied agreement by Alsip to participate in the unlawful scheme at the cemetery. Subsequently, in July 2009, the scheme was uncovered and made national news, resulting in sweeping changes in the Illinois cemetery laws and the introduction of federal legislation that is still pending in the House of Representatives (H.R. 900).
The district court granted Alsip's motion to dismiss the complaint. The court held that the incidents cited by plaintiffs were too few and far between, too sketchy, and fell short of demonstrating any conspiracy to aid or abet the alleged scheme of the cemetery employees. The court also noted that the complaint failed to allege who in the Alsip police were involved, how they supposedly benefited, and what their motive was. However, while dismissing the Alsip police as a defendant, the court allowed the complaint to proceed against other parties including the owners of Burr Oak Cemetery.
ICCFA NEWS
ICCFA University: Comprehensive Education in Just Five Days; Registration Deadline June 20
 ICCFA University, July 22-27, at the Fogelman Executive Center at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, offers you and your staff the most comprehensive training in six specific fields of our industry.
-
College of 21st Century Funeral Services: How do you respond to a family who says,"We don't want a traditional funeral?" You'll learn how to go beyond tradition with innovative offerings and become certified as a funeral celebrant trained to provide meaningful alternatives to clergy-led services.
-
College of Administration and Management: The cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession is changing, and so are the skills needed to manage and lead effectively. You'll receive solid, relevant, results-focused training targeted at today's required core competencies.
-
College of Cremation Services: Cremation doesn't have to mean no service or memorialization. You'll discover how to better serve families, improve cremation operations and increase your company's cremation-related revenues. You'll also earn three types of certifications: operator, administrator and arranger.
-
College of Funeral Home Management: "Creativity" is not someone else's department. In funeral service, creative management is the key to differentiation. You'll learn Dr. W. Edwards Deming's creative service management system and its specific applications to our profession.
-
College of Land Management & Grounds Operations: Exceptional cemetery service starts with the grounds and operations department. Without effective land management and a commitment to an attractive, well-maintained property, there will be no sales or service. You'll learn how to succeed and excel in your role as "keeper of the grounds."
-
College of Sales & Marketing: The principles of sales and marketing don't change; only technique and application do. Learn how to take the tried-and-true principles of cemetery and funeral sales and apply them within today's highly mobile, multi-cultural, high-tech, information-driven marketplace.
ICCFAU combines five days of intensive classroom education with campus-style networking and recreation to provide a unique experience within the cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession. This year's registration deadline is June 20.
NEW THIS YEAR!: The ICCFA is offering a one-day registration for those who wish to attend only the Crematory Operator Training/Certification on Saturday, July 23. This includes:
-
Admission to the Friday night University Reception and Dinner
-
The all-day crematory operator training and certification on Saturday
-
Breakfast, lunch and refreshment breaks on Saturday
Each year, the University is rated as the best educational and networking opportunity available. Students are welcome to come for one or two years, but most continue on through four years to become ICCFAU "graduates." From front-line maintenance workers, counselors and funeral directors through top executives and owners, the program offers something for everyone. Find out for yourself what draws our students back year after year. Funeral directors can earn up to 24.5 CE credits, pending state approvals.
The complete program, registration materials and online registration for the 2011 session of ICCFA University are now available at www.iccfa.com.
2012 Wide World of Sales: Call For Presentations Due Tuesday!
The ICCFA Sales & Marketing Committee is preparing for the 2012 Wide World of Sales Conference, January 18-20, at Bally's/Paris Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and we invite you to share your expertise with your colleagues.
The Wide World of Sales is the largest sales and marketing conference in the cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession.
We are seeking the very best, most relevant and most thought-provoking sales and marketing programs, tools and techniques being used today. We want presentations with concrete, how-to information, with an emphasis on the "how" rather than the "why." If you have expertise to share, this is your opportunity to give back to the profession. The committee invites you to submit a session proposal, to include:
-
your contact information
-
a detailed description of your "how to" topic, including the specific tools, techniques and/or initiatives the attendee will be able to put to use immediately
-
the primary target for your presentation (managers, counselors or both; cemeteries, funeral homes or both)
-
a list of handouts you will provide for our attendee on-site binder supplementing your presentation (at least two handouts are required)
-
a brief bio regarding your background and qualifications, including any previous speaking experience
The format for this conference calls for numerous brief (20- or 30-minute) sessions, so please narrow your topic to one or two key points that you can fully develop and communicate within that time period. Please submit your proposal by May 31, 2011, to Linda Budzinski at lindab@iccfa.com (preferred) or via fax at 703.391.8416.
Thank you for your willingness to share your time and talents!
Member Satisfaction Survey Coming Soon
Watch your e-mail inbox and your mailbox. The ICCFA is preparing to launch a critical survey to determine the programs and services that are most important to you as a member. We ask that you please take the approximately five minutes it will take to complete the survey (only four questions in all) as the survey will play a pivotal role in determining the future of your association.
More 2011 Annual Convention Audio CDs Now Available
Recordings of 24 of the 2011 ICCFA Annual Convention educational sessions are now available for purchase in our online store. More titles will be made available in the coming weeks. Please note that these CDs are available only to members who attended the convention. Sale of the CDs will be made available to all ICCFA members this fall.
Want to listen to your favorite sessions again or catch up on the competing sessions you missed? Order your CDs. Each recording includes the taping of the presentation as well as a copy of the speaker's handouts (when applicable).
Orders may be placed online by clicking on the session title below or using the form at http://www.iccfa.com/files/2011conventioncdsalesform.pdf.
The following audio CDs are now available at a cost of $17 each for members and $37 each for non-members:
-
Cemetery Infrastructure: Building a Strong Foundation for Business, Tom DeGrace NEW!
-
Ethical Choices: The Story of Someone Who Made Some Bad Decisions (and Paid the Price), Chuck Gallagher NEW!
-
Embalming Experts Roundtable, Melissa Johnson Williams, Sharon Gee, Robert Mayer, Karl Wenzel NEW!
-
The Four Keys to Improving Employee Competence, Ingrid Gudenas NEW!
-
Recruiting: Building the Team of Tomorrow, Barbara Milton
-
Building a Funeral Service Experience That Will Build Your Business, Paul Seyler
-
Stop Praying for Talent and Start Predicting It, Anthony Casablanca
-
Alkaline Hydrolysis Summit, Poul Lemasters, moderator
-
We Don't Sell Dirt... We Sell Memorials, Randy Wood
-
The Cremation Case: A Step-By-Step Guide to Avoiding Liability, Poul Lemasters, Jim Starks
-
Strategic Planning That Works: A Skeptic's Story, Gary Freytag
-
Death Care: The Emergence of a New Normal, Alan Creedy
-
Partnering With Hospice, Kim Medici Shelquist
-
Accountability: The Ultimate GPS, Christopher Kuhnen
-
Crematory Operator Tricks & Tips, Larry Stuart Jr.
-
A Bright Future for Endowment Care Trusts, Marcia Williams
-
Using Alternative Investments to Lower Risk and Increase Return, Pat Severo
-
Managing Trusts in Today's Market, David Hay
-
Waterless Embalming, Mark Fisher
-
PLPA: Selling to Survive, Gary O'Sullivan
-
PLPA: 50 Ways to Love Your Marketing Levers, Coleen Ellis
-
PLPA: Marketing Channels That Work, Ron Zartman, Larry Omps, Kate Moore
-
PLPA Cremation Liability, Poul Lemasters
Mark Your Calendars: Certified Pet Loss Professionals Training Program
The Pet Loss Professionals Alliance will offer its inaugural session of the Certified Pet Loss Professional (CPLP) certification program October 2-4, 2011, in Forth Worth, Texas.
The CPLP program was a goal set forth from the inception of PLPA and will be the first certification program for pet loss providers in North America. The training is geared toward those who wish to increase their companies' professionalism and expand their pet loss businesses. Educational sessions cover a wide array of topics such as best practices, branding, marketing, legal issues, crematory operations, administration and more.
A full schedule and registration information will be available in early June at www.myplpa.com. Suppliers interested in sponsorship should contact ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700 or via e-mail at hq@iccfa.com.
-
TO BUY/SELL
-
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
-
Top Sales Director Needed (New York)
-
Sales Management Professional (Michigan)
-
Managing Partner and Sales Manager Opportunities (Florida)
-
Managing Director (Seattle)
-
Funeral Director/Embalmer (western Washington)
-
Funeral Home Manager, Bilingual (Harlingen, TX)
-
Funeral Director (central FL)
-
Location Manager (San Mateo, CA)
-
Sales Managers (California)
-
Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer (Florida)
-
Funeral Home Manager (San Antonio, TX)
-
Funeral Home Management & Funeral Director Positions (TX, WY, KS, IA, IN, OH, VA, NY)
-
Pre-Need Assistant Manager and At-Need Management Positions (NE Ohio)
-
Regional Sales Manager (east of the Mississippi)
-
Preneed Sales Trainer (Florida)
-
Funeral Home Manager, Bilingual (Tucson, AZ)
-
Funeral Home Manager, Bilingual (Texas)
-
Funeral Home Manager, Bilingual (San Antonio, TX)
-
Family Service Director (Shreveport, LA)
-
Sales Manager (central FL)
-
Funeral Operations Regional Manager (central TX)
-
Experienced Implementation Consultant
-
Regional Management Positions (IL, OH, LA, MS, WV, AR, MO, KY, TN, NJ, MD, DE, PA)
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
Our mission: Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide.
Copyright 2011, International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
|
Unsubscribe from this email list