The number of students enrolled in ICCFA University's College of 21st Century Services has doubled from 2010 to 2011, but Dean Ernie Heffner, CFuE, won't be satisfied until every funeral home and cemetery has trained celebrants on staff ready to work with families.

But at least for the next week (ICCFAU 2011 takes place July 22-27), he's concentrating on making sure this year's nearly three dozen students get the most out of their training, which includes celebrant certification conducted by Glenda Stansbury and Doug Manning of In-Sight Books. That means the homework has already begun for students in this college. Heffner sent them a link to an excellent story covering the history of celebrant service and describing several services in detail. Below are links to that story and to my blog post and photos from last year's college. Check them out and then keep an eye on the ICCFA Meetings Calendar for the dates of next year's ICCFAU.

http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture/training-celebrants-to-offer-more-m...

http://www.iccfa.com/blogs/sloving/2010/07/26/he-was-bad-bad-man-his-mam...

Every year, ICCFA University recognizes students who have completed four of the university's six colleges as graduates. (There used to be four colleges-- Cremation Services and 21st Century Services are fairly recent additions; the others are Administration & Management, Funeral Home Management, Land Management & Grounds Operations and Sales & Marketing.)

Some graduates will be back again as students in the master's or CEO program. Some will return to teach. All who return do so because of the great time they had learning and sharing at this five-day training session, unique in the cemetery, cremation and funeral profession.
For more photos from the graduation ceremony, just click on any pic!

Eric Trujillo and April Remedies head for the graduates' front-row seats as students applaud.

Chancellor Mike Burke (center) with the valedictorians for the past four years (see, graduates DO keep coming back!), Allen Dave Jr., Allen Dave Funeral Directors, Houston, Texas; this year's valedictorian Gino Merendino, Merendino Cemetery Care, Linden, New Jersey; Mitchen Fortin, Le Repos St-Francois D'Assise Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec; and Jim Hammond, Gaffney Funeral Home, Tacoma, Washington. Since there are no grade-point averages, valedictorians are chosen by their fellow graduates.

ICCFA University 2010 graduates (from left):
*John Lewis, Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California:
*Jack Wagatsuma, Service Corporation International, Bellevue, Washington;
*Rufus Slade, Woodland Historic Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio;
*Kimberly Kojan, Miller Jones Mortuary, Romoland, California;
(*Chancellor Mike Burke);
*April Remedies, Forest Park Cemetery-East, Shreveport, Louisiana;
*Adam Cooper, Lawnwood Memorial Park, Covington, Georgia;
*Eric Trujillo, Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California;
*Gino Merendino, Merendino Cemetery Care, Linden, New Jersey; and
*Phil Niebergall, Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District, Huntington, West Virginia.

Retiring ICCFA University Chancellor Mike Burke was honored at the 2010 graduation with a plaque by Matthews Bronze showing a collage of scenes from his years leading “the U," 2005-2010. It seemed especially appropriate that the presentation was made by ICCFA President Kevin Daniels during the ceremony Burke did so much to turn into an event during his time in charge.

As College of Sales & Marketing Dean Gary O’Sullivan put it, Burke changed ICCFA University “from a learning institution to a life-changing experience.” The work he did is all the more amazing when you consider that the position of chancellor is, like that of dean, unpaid. That's right--the association members who lead this intense educational experience each year, developing curriculums and lining up professors, are volunteers.

After the graduation ceremony, the celebration for Chancellor Burke continued with a reception. Click on the photos to see more pictures from the ceremony and from this year’s ICCFA University.

Burke with the plaque from Matthews Bronze.

ICCFA President Kevin Daniels reads the plaque, which says, “In honor of Michale H. Burke, for dedicated service and inspired leadership of the ICCFA University; Chancellor 2005-2010, Dean 2000-2004.” In the background are deans Nancy Lohman and Gary O’Sullivan.

ICCFA University Chancellor Mike Burke is surrounded by the 2010 winners of scholarships to attend this terrific educational experience.

(Click on the photo to see photos of students and teachers at this year's ICCFAU.)

A few years ago, the ICCFA Women's Forum started awarding a scholarship to ICCFA University. Then it was two scholarships. Today, scholarships to the best educational experience in the profession are available not only from the ICCFA (through the Educational Foundation) but also from a growing number of state and regional associations.

Interested in obtaining some scholarship funds to attend ICCFAU 2011 next July? Start looking into scholarships now. And if your state, provincial or regional association doesn't offer one, see what you can do to change that.

This year's scholarship winners (from left):
*Chris Cooke, City of Evansville, Indiana, ICCFA Educational Foundation;

*Rebecca Ehlert, Pinelawn Memorial Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin--Central States Scholarship awarded via the ICCFA Educational Foundation;

*Jeffrey Young, Personal Alternative Funeral Services, Aldergrove, British Columbia--Cemetery and Crematorium Association of British Columbia www.ccabc.org;

(Chancellor Mike Burke);

*Caren Lee Harville, Glen Haven Memorial Garden, Sylmar, California--ICCFA Educational Foundation;

*Kevin Bunnett, City of Coquitlam, British Columbia--Cemetery and Crematorium Association of British Columbia www.ccabc.org;

*Becky Jones, Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Alabama--Southern Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association www.scfa.info;

*Tanya Scotece, Farley Funeral Homes & Crematory, Venice, Florida--Florida Funeral Director's Association www.ffda.org.

In addition to the associations listed above, the Massachusetts Cemetery Association offers scholarships to a number of educational programs, including ICCFAU.  www.macemetery.org

Scholarship applications for the 2011 session of ICCFA University will be available from the ICCFA Educational Foudation in the fall. Contact the ICCFA at 1.800.645.700.

This year was the 20th year that the funeral management college has been operational within the structure of the ICCFA University, and what a 20 year run it has been.

It has been my good fortune, (and trust me, friends, my life and career has not been a planned event nor was it ever by design), to have been associated with this small funeral service management college contribution to the all voluntary University experience from the funeral college’s inception.  Much credit needs to be given to Patrick Downey, who was the first person on earth to see this vision, and took the calculated risk of approaching me to head up the pioneering efforts, and the rest, they say, is history.

This blog however is not about the funeral management college, although I have had many a wonderful experience year after year with each group.  Not one group was ever the same, not one!  They were all in the end wonderful people who showed up because they simply wanted to, there was and is not any government bureaucracy looming over anyone’s heads at the ICCFA University saying with dire consequences “get those CEUs or you are going to be in big trouble with the state or province.”  That type of stuff does not happen.  People come to Memphis because they want to, and what a refreshing concept that is.

I have been connected with ICCFA for many years and of course my association with this organization has not been without detractors.  However I have had detractors my entire life, which is already long and has not been totally uneventful.  I concluded many years ago that detractors were just a part of the grand adventure and in the end I would never be asked to give an account of them, only myself – so off I went, and part of this grand adventure involved quite by accident ICCFA. 

My connection with ICCFA was not by design or plan I just stumbled into the ICCFA world be a series of unforeseen events.  Looking back at my life I have to confess that most of the richest blessings I have experienced have actually been under the lurking category of the unforeseen events, and the truth is most everything I have planned for, designed intentionally to be successful has in actuality failed.  But not the unforeseen events, they have been successful and just seem to have come from God knows where.  ICCFA was a totally unforeseen event, but what a blessing it has been. 

The University is but a microcosm of the entire overview of the organization.  And I have found, for me anyway, that one phrase, a three word phrase, can very aptly encompass the attraction for me of the ICCFA world and that phrase is “unity in diversity.”

All my life I have been attracted to that phrase and the deep idea that it communicates and in fact as I have aged this idea of unity in diversity has become even more attractive and powerful in how I personally view and cope with the real world, which sometimes is not pleasant, and sometime can be mighty cold. 

This last week I spent once again four and one half days teaching at the funeral management college and I can happily report that the idea of unity in diversity was once again alive and well in the halls and classrooms of the Fogelman Executive Center on the campus of the impressive University of Memphis.  The experience warmed my heart, the University was not cold, it was not unpleasant and the difference between my feeling warm or cold revolved around the innocent idea of unity in diversity.

Mention any job connected within the ranks our great and grand profession and I will bet you that they were somewhere within the ICCFA University world.  Just name anybody.  Gravediggers you ask, were any in Memphis?  Yes they were there, and I learned quite a bit from one particular gentleman whose mission in life was to dig graves, it was not a job, and it was his mission.  He was a man of dignity and felt strongly that the profession of digging graves was indeed a worthy ideal, and I agreed with him totally, but privately felt ashamed that 35 years ago I looked my nose down on gravediggers in Omaha and felt that time in life anyway that I was superior to them.  Of course those are the years that I have dubbed the chapter title in my autobiography as “The Years before Todd Became a Human Being.”

Landscape artists who talked about the worthy ideal of flowers and bushes were there; preneed counselors were there who talked about the worthy ideal of planning ahead; operational managers were there who talked about the worthy ideal of making sure everything ran smoothly; funeral professionals were there who talked about the worthy ideal of funerals; attorneys were there who talked about the worthy ideal of staying out of trouble; grief people were there who talked about the worthy ideal of helping the bereaved; visionaries were there who talked about the worthy ideal of preparing for the future.  It was, and always is quite a group.

I personally don’t know of an event where such an eclectic group of people are gathered for such a period of time.  Certainly it is not exclusively a love fest; there are the grumpy, cranky, fussy people who show up, but not many.  Most are open, sharing, caring and most of all are focused on their own personal worthy ideal and seem clearly to me to be progressively realizing that worthy ideal whatever it might be – even if it is to dig the best damned grave on earth.  ICCFA and the University offer an experience of good times, good experience, good learning, and for me, personally, living the noble ideal of unity in diversity.

Anyway that’s once again is one old undertaker’s opinion.   TVB

Todd Van Beck and some students in the College of Funeral Home Management.

To see more classroom photos, go to:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235824&id=87540039256&l=5e47b1ea5c

For networking photos, go to:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235179&id=87540039256&l=747cca1424
 

Oops. I missed the one class that every photographer seems to capture at ICCFA University, the one that involves tennis balls. I'm not sure what the lesson is that Dr. Robert Taylor teaches in that class, since I missed it, but it makes for great photos. I did see (and get photos of) the dominoes exercise. Taylor, an associate professor in the department of management at Fogelman College of Business & Economics, spends an entire day with the ICCFAU College of Administration & Management. He taught dynamics of the organization, internal communications and personnel management.

The listening exercise involves taking three dominoes and creating a design with them. The designer then tries to explain to a partner who has identical dominoes how to duplicate the design exactly.. The partner is not allowed to ask any questions, so the directions must be detailed and explicit. It's harder than it sounds, as everyone learned.

Click on the photo to see more photos from the class.

Rod Attwell tries to describe his domino design to Brad Simpson while Audra Romero and Lisa Schwartz make sure they don't cheat.

And here's a tennis ball photo from last year.

The importance of celebrants to funeral service has seemed like a "no-brainer" to me since I first heard of them, but hearing Doug Manning and Glenda Stansbury of the In-Sight Institute talk about their experiences in leading family storytelling times and planning meaningful services for families really brings it home.
Their celebrant training is a major part of ICCFA University's College of the 21st Century Services going on this week in Memphis, Tennessee, and after sitting in on their class for just an hour, I don't know why every funeral home and cemetery in the country doesn't have someone here. Want to offer services that will help families heal and that they will value and be willing to pay for? Send your staff for celebrant training, or find a trained celebrant in your community to work with your organization.

This morning Manning talked about how much he enjoys working with families for family story-telling times and how much they mean to people, and how to work with different types of people. Families don't have to be like the Waltons (and funeral directors know that many families aren't) for this to happen, he said. You can help families who are angry or divided go through this healing process. Even in the case of a man who had been a hard-core felon, "his mama loved him," he said, and had the need to share her feelings.

"It takes a family to grieve a loss," Manning said.

Click on any photo to see more photos from ICCFAU 2010 classes.

Glenda Stansbury of the In-Sight Institute talks about celebrant services.

Doug Manning of the In-Sight Institute talks about the importance of family storytelling.

Students during celebrant training in the College of 21st Century Services.

Students during celebrant training in the College of 21st Century Services.

It's hot in Memphis. It's humid. So what do ICCFAU students & profs decide to do on Saturday night after spending all day in air-conditioned classrooms? Well, some headed down to Beale Street, of course, but a few dozen intrepid souls headed to the courts to play volleyball, or to cheer on the players. Even though the action didn't start until 7 p.m., there was a lot of water chugged between sets. Click on the photo below to see more photos from the most exciting athletic event since the Olympics!

Afterward, everyone was welcome back in the U of Memphis Fogelman Center's common room for beer and pizza and more networking, of course. Click on the photo below to see more ICCFAU 2010 networking photos. You know you want to see how Poul Lemasters can open beer bottles with his shoe.

Dean Jim Starks (center) laughs with students at the post-volleyball pizza party.

Nancy Lohman, second from right, serving as dean of the College of Administration and Management, with a group of students at the Opening Reception for ICCFA Unversity. Opening day included registration, orientation and libation, as students gathered for the opening reception, dinner and after-dinner networking. Click on the photo to see more networking photos, and follow the link below to see more photos from the orientation and reception.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235173&id=87540039256&l=4b4cfde003

I've been hearing for 11 years that to understand what ICCFA University is all about you have to attend. This is the year I will finally become educated, initiated, enlightened or whatever it is that happens to make people who have attended so enthusiastic about the experience. Of course, I'll still be an observer rather than a participant, but judging from the level of enthusiasm shown by both professors and students, I imagine that will be enough to give me a good sense of what's so special about "the U."

Click on the classroom photo below, taken at ICCFA 2009, to see more photos from last year's session. You still have time to join me and your enthusiastic colleagues from cemeteries, funeral homes, crematories and related businesses at this year's session, which runs from Friday, July 23, to Wednesday, July 28. Call 1.800.645.7700.

You may now register online for the 2010 session of ICCFA University. Visit http://www.iccfa.com/education-events/iccfa-university/iccfa-university for complete details.

I just returned from another year teaching the Funeral Management College at the ICCFA University.  I have lost track as to how many years I have been involved with the University, but I can say my work with that organization has proven to be one of the highlights of my career, which is already long and has not been totally uneventful.

Driving home from Mississippi I felt some pangs. I always feel a sense of loss when the week's work comes to an end because for the most part I know that I will never set eyes on most of my students again – that is just the way of it in any educational endeavor.  Also, I have to admit that I missed being on the University of Memphis campus, all the college environment and stuff, which I really enjoy.  However, the University leadership made some difficult decisions last year, and in the end things went well in Tunica. (Although I ended up in Memphis every evening!)

Many readers know that I spent many years of my life operating mortuary science programs.  Too many years, I fear, for when I packed in the mortuary education career, I was disheartened, discouraged and disillusioned.  For 20 years, I had watched the caliber of entering student bodies slip notch by notch until it was clear that only a small percentage of the up-and-coming “baby undertakers” had a mission of service embedded in their hearts.  So I packed it in.

But this class at the ICCFA University rekindled in this old grumpy undertaker a renewed awareness of youthful dedication and mission in life.  The class members - there were seventeen - were focused, excited, attentive, curious and extremely insightful as we trudged through one subject after another.

Certainly this group was basically ten years older on average than my typical freshman class in a mortuary college, but most of the class seemed way beyond their years in maturity and had a sense of real dedication to the mission of care-giving to the bereaved and care-taking of the dead.  Almost the whole class (there were a few cranky folks, but only a few) embraced the concepts of quality service to humanity with freshness and openness that sparked my heart and made me feel 25 years younger.

Over a 35-year career of speaking, writing and teaching, I have had more than a few moments of feeling despair and wondering the frightening thought, “Does anybody listen?”  But when I got into my automobile for the seven-hour drive back to my world after University, I felt like I was walking on a cloud. Such was the effect this class of 2009 had on this man who has loved funeral service his entire life.

I don’t know how many of the class members will read what I have written, but Todd Van Beck wants to say in writing and on this public forum a warm and sincere "THANK YOU" to the funeral management class of 2009.  It was my privilege and honor to journey with each of you through the mire of funeral service/cemetery issues.

ICCFAYOU is the official publication of ICCFA University. The newsletter is mailed quarterly to past ICCFAU students and focuses on the students, faculty and alumni of ICCFA University. The goal for this publication is to serve to increase the ICCFAU spirit, maintain a camaraderie among students & alumni, and create a culture around the University that lasts throughout the year, not just every July.

STUDENTS & ALUMNI: We want to hear from YOU! If you have news about personal and professional milestones such as promotions, new jobs, new designations/certifications, retirements, marriages, births, etc., please contact us at robt@iccfa.com. You could see your announcement in the next newsletter.

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