In Washington state our law regarding Right to Control Disposition contains the following heirarchy as to who must authorize disposition, whether it be burial or cremation:

  (b) The surviving adult children of the decedent.

 (c) The surviving parents of the decedent.

 (d) The surviving siblings of the decedent.

  (e) A person acting as a representative of the decedent under the signed authorization of the decedent.

NEW PROPOSAL: The agent so designated by the deceased. (wording mine)

In the case of classes other than spouse, (children, parents, siblings) all members of such class have to agree on the form of disposition, and all must sign the disposition authorization. The provider must make a good-faith effort to locate all members. Occasionally this has been a problem, but mostly just in delaying the actual disposition.

In Seattle we have a very large active People's Memorial Association (over 150,000 members). They provide, mostly, low-cost cremation services.

PMA is proposing changes to this law (one proposal above is in bold). They wish to have the new class, Designated Agent, take precedence over all other classes, including surviving spouse.

Their second proposal is to change "ALL" to "A MAJORITY" of members of the authorizing class e.g. of three children, only two have to agree on form of disposition.

We are exploring how other states handle Right to Control. It is our understanding that at least half of the states do allow some form of "Designated Agent" but we don't know where such DA is placed in the list of classes.

As a state association, we want to be certain we understand all the ramifications of these proposed changes. We don't necessarily want to oppose the changes, but we want to make sure if such changes do go forward we do it proactively rather than reactively. Anybody's input will be most appreciated!

Judy Faaberg, Executive Director

Washington Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association

I have had the following question from a member. If anyone has any good recommendations, please let me know and I will pass it on. Thank you!

I am looking at replacing my backhoe and a couple of older farm type tractors as well as our aerator. I have found information on most of these items, but am having a hard time trying to find a replacement for my Ford/New Holland LB620 backhoe. When this machine was produced 20 years ago, it was specifically for graveyards in that it is fairly light, mobile and still has great digging strength. I haven't been able to find anything like this designed specifically for graveyards.

Is anyone still on line that may know how many monument dealers are in the US that may also be members of the Monument Builders of North America Association.  I need an answer tonight if at all possible.  Thank you very much.

Promotional products should be utilized in every aspect of your business from sales to services. Give a pen, calendar, magnet or magnifier to every prospective client and provide comforts like tissues, mints and bottled water at your services. Having these items present reflects positively on you and your business. Supplying blankets and umbrellas at outdoor services demonstrates compassion and class. Providing gifts to clergy lets them know that you appreciate their referrals.  

Does anyone know where I can send maintenance personnel to learn monument repairing techniques. I have checked Rock of Ages as well as Elberton Granite as they both do not offer any type of class.

I put this as a Blog, but I am not sure how all

this works yet so I put it here - where I was going to put it in the first place.  No matter it is worth reading.

Some or many of you may have already seen this, but for the ones that have not seen it I thought it may be worth reading in these difficult times - and I will now say difficult times for some.   

 

A motivational thought for your day!!!

 

 

 

Ducks Quack - Eagles Soar

No one can make you serve customers well....that's because great service is a choice.  Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment....

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today..'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts...

'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'

'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers.. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar.
 
Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.

 

 "The results you're getting are the results you should be getting.  If you want different results, you must change what you're doing! There is no prize without the price."

 

 

This is an old argument, but consistent one:

What are other company's policies regarding multiple spaces sold in an at need case?  For example, a family has a death and come in to buy property and end up purchase 6 grave spaces at the time of the arrangements.  Are they all considered atneed?  One atneed and the rest preneed? 

Other input would be appreciated.  I have very strong opinions on this, but would like to see what others think. 

Hello assoicates and friends.  We are trying to improve a few things and forms is one of the areas we feel could be improved.  It would be very helpful if we had some forms other operations are using so we can see what we may need and missing from what we have.  Will some of you, at your convenience, please send us a copy of what you are using for a work order, maintenance form, first call form, and any other form you may be using for cemetery operations and cremation.  Thank you very much.  Your help is appreciated. 

Linus Shackelford, Lakeland Place Garden Park Cemetery, LLC, PO Box 4243, Brandon, MS 39047

6004 Hwy 25, Brandon, MS 39047   Office 601-992-7590     FAX 601-992-7595     lshack@lakelandplace.com

Recently, there was an article written in the ICCFA magazine which asked a question whether or not funeral homes or cemeteries were collecting fees for administrating insurance assignments.  I did take the time to contact the author who mentioned that he was referring to charging the fee for third party administrators. 

This raised the question to me of whether or not our cemeteries should be charging for insurance assignments.  We handle all of the paperwork internally, but they pose quite a paperwork nightmare.  We are well aware that this money would not be spent at our cemeteries, though, if we did not offer this benefit to families. 

Can anyone offer feedback as to whether you are charging for this service?  If so, what fees are being charged?  A flat fee or a percentage?  Is this even legal to do? 

Thanks in advance! 

What use to be an old faithful for generating leads has my interest but I do not have any info such as phone leads or the counselor script that was rather short and to the point.  I am interrested in using this old faithful again.  It has been called different names but the one I remember is Free Space Certificate to Head of Household that does not presently own cemetery plots.  The appointment setting phone script goes something like "You have been randomly selected to receive one Free Cemetery Space Certificate , etc., etc., etc.

If anyone has this old faithful please send it to me by email or fax.  My email is lshack@lakelandplace.com and the fax is 601-992-7595.  Or if you mail it the address is PO Box 4243, Brandon, MS 39047. 

There was also an old counselor presentation for this.  If anyone has any of this or anything similar it would really be appreciated.  Any other suggestions of generating leads would be helpful as well.  Thank you. 

I hope sales are better in your area than in my area.  It seems if it is not one thing it is another and they all seem to be more improtant to families than their cemetery and or funeral arrangements.

Thanks again, Linus

A reporter from BBC just contacted ICCFA headquarters looking to speak to a cemeterian or funeral director with experience providing video memorials in headstones.

I know the company Vidstone was the first (perhaps only) doing this but have not been able to reach them today to ask about possible customers using it.

Do any of you provide this product, or know anything about anyone who does?

They are particularly interested in providers in California or Illinois but anyone who can chime in would be appreciated I am sure.

Please respond to this thread if you can, and I will contact you offline. I think all they want is a short telephone conversation.

Hello my many friends

Check this out. I offer no opinion, but am very interested to hear what y'all think. Evidentally National Cemeteries face the same dilemmas the rest of us face with regards to personal mementoes. In our current many-fronted conflicts, it's becoming a real issue. Please weigh in!

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/07/17/arlington_gravesites/

Hello everyone! I received this email from one of my WCFA members recently and want to know if any of you have encountered this situation, and if so, how you are handling it.

Has anyone had success applying to the USPS as a nonprofit cemetery for non-profit rates? If so, what were you classified as.

What type of system or software do you use to manage your organization's activities, records, etc...?

With so many different ways to manage your day to day activities, I am curious to see what arrangements people are using (e.g. - MS Office, QuickBooks, etc... and what tasks you perform with what software).

Please feel free to contact me directly if you want to discuss this topic in private.

Thank you,

Christopher Isabella

DoubleBridge Technologies, Inc.
103 Carnegie Center
Princeton, NJ 08540

Tel:       +1 609 716 9001 x25
Fax:      +1 609 716 9002
Mobile:  +1 609 751 1420
E-mail:  cisabella@doublebridge.com

www.cemecare.com
www.doublebridge.com

• Does your state require cemeteries to trust pre-need cemetery space interment right sales knowing the spaces are in inventory in the cemetery?
• Does your state require cemeteries to give all money back to a pre-need space interment rights purchaser that later decides to go to another cemetery. This is for any reason and we will have go give full refund (all their money back) for pre-need cemetery interment rights purchases with no questions asked.

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Does your cemetery have a policy to respond to requests for genealogical information? Some people consider the information private and suggest that the inquiry be directed to the family.  Others feel the information is basically public and provide it.  Any recommended practices in this area? Thanks.

Bob Fells

ICCFA

Seeking a blue glass 5 1/2" Tiffany Keepsake urn by Milso/Matthews.

Ed Horn

St. Michael's

718 278 3240

I've been contacted by a person with the question: can his girlfriend bring her mother's cremated remains from Ukraine to the U.S.? What stumbling blocks might she encounter? She was told by someone that "foreign" cremated remains could not be inurned/interred in the U.S. Her route will take her from Ukraine through Austria, to New York then to Seattle.

I would think the main thing would be to contact all the relevant airlines first to make sure the packaging meets their standards, and to contact customs to ensure it's legal to transport the cremated remains in her carry-on luggage.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated by this young man and his girlfriend.

I received the following question from a member today. I let him know about our upcoming Convention session on this topic and the MKJ Marketing workshop being held prior to our Convention (www.mkjmarketing.com/green), and I pointed him to a couple of Web sites, but was wondering if any of you knows of any additional resources?

>>
I am looking for a good resource(s) of information on "green" cemeteries. Perhaps a yellow book "Green Cemeteries for Idiots". I find information on "Green Burials" and what it involves but little information on the actual requirements for cemeteries. Such as layout, acreage, legal issues, etc.

In Western PA we are beginning to have families/FD ask about green burials. Perhaps this is a topic for ICCFA University. I don't recall much discussion during last years' Land Management class. Thank you for any help.
>>

I am looking for a discontiued Matthews Keepsake Urn called "Ocean Waves".  If you know where I can find one please let me know at 727 789 2000 or kknopke@curlewhills.com

I hope this topic gets out to the new network as efficiently as previous subjects did!

I know this is around and also even see a related newspaper article on this service, but I am looking for samples of servicemen and women benefit programs that other cemeteries provide to the community.  I have seen them in the past, but now that I need it, I can't find the information!

Can anyone help? 

Hello everyone...

Here's today's Forum question: what is the status of your state's laws regarding pet sections in human cemeteries? Has the issue arisen? Are you ready for it? - because it will arise, and probably sooner than you think!

If anyone's read my recent blog-posts, you'll know Washington is in an interesting legislative pickle regarding pets being buried with their humans in already-existing cemeteries that are formed under Washington law for the burial of human remains only.

Here's the current version: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5063&year=2009

This is the "new improved" version. We were able to persuade the sponsor, Sen. Jacobsen, that to endow cat and dog remains with the same rights as human remains was a bit out there, and also that to force cemeteries to bury pets in already-existing sections that were formerly human-only was also pushing things too far.

Understand that we, and I am speaking for the membership of the Washington Cemetery & Funeral Association, are not opposed at all to pet cemeteries, or pet-cemetery sections in existing cemeteries. Or, for that matter, sections where humans and their pets can have their remains commingled. We feel that if this is going to happen it needs some regulation. We don't want another abandoned pet cemetery.

What we are asking for is to allow cemeteries to create NEW sections allowing commingled human and pet remains, but not allowing pets in those existing sections. As Duane Broyles, GM at Fairmount Memorial Association put it, "we bring the past forward". In other words, we have promises to keep.

So, what's the situation in your state?

I was intrigued by an article in the ICCFA's December magazine by Dan Isard about the five stages of grief in the digital era and a question arose in my little mind…

Is it possible to have these postings forwarded to my email, either individually (my preference) or in the form of a compiled daily digest? I received the old postings as emails which were then automatically sorted into their own directory in my mail system. That is quite convenient for me. Is this possible with the new system?

My apologies if this is answered somewhere in the documentation but I couldn't find it.

Regards,

Fraser Drysdale

Will we see an increase in the number of cremations this year due to the present economy?  

Probably so.  We are already being made aware of funeral establishments reporting that they are seeing more families choose cremation in the last couple of months.  ICCFA's Industry News shares an article "Tough Economy Has More People Choosing Cremation", January 5, 2009, from the Fort Worth Market.  The article specifically addresses the increase in the Hispanic market which has had a much lower cremation rate in the past due to their traditional background. 

We all know that cost has been a factor in individuals choosing cremation.  However, even as cremations continue to increase, we have seen the number of people choosing cremation based solely on cost decrease in the last ten years.  Other factors such as the environment and simplicity have become more prominent reasons when choosing cremation.  (Information from Wirthlin reports, 1991-2004).  It will be interesting to see when and if FAMIC engages in another Wirthlin study if the "cost" category in the Primary Reason for Choosing Cremation" does indeed go up.

Now more then ever, it is of vital importance that funeral professionals make sure that their entire staff is skilled in making great, not good, cremation arrangements,  Great cremation arrangements result in personalized meaningful services for a loved one.  

Spending money to belong to a professional or trade association is of course discretionary. So is attending conventions and conferences, about which I posed an earlier forum topic. How do you decide to write that annual dues check? What can we association executives do to ensure continued membership participation? Do you prefer less service to keep dues lower?

Judy Faaberg, DP, CCP
Executive Director, Washington Cemetery & Funeral Association

Hello everyone, now that this regulation has been in place for several years, how's it working for you? Did it have the cataclysmic results some foretold? I would think it would be helpful in weeding out time-wasting calls to people who don't want to hear from you anyway. Has anyone run afoul of the regulation? What was the result?

Have you developed a newer better method of prospecting than cold-calling? If you wouldn't mind, please share!

Several document-imaging companies have sprung up in the last few years. I'm curious to know who's jumped on the bandwagon, and how the results have helped (or not helped) increase efficiency and accuracy. Do you feel it was cost-effective? Without naming names, I'd love to hear some comments about people's experiences with document-imaging. What did you do with your original documents once they were scanned? Did you, or do you intend, to move to as paperless an operation as possible or do you still keep paper documents? Do you find you are in fact generating less paper, about the same, more? Thanks for your input everybody!

Have you ever done a self-study on your prearrangement funding to determine whether there will actually BE enough money to cover the cost of delivery when it becomes at-need? In Washington there is currently a study underway to determine whether our requirement of 50% of the contract price for cemetery pre-need sales goes into a trust fund. (It can only be withdrawn upon the death of the client, or if the client cancels the contract. Some states require a 100% refund, some varying percentages.) We have gone into this study as a neutral party. We want to ensure our funding level is reasonable, and that it is not, you should pardon the expression, over- or under-kill.

Does your state require cemeteries to have endowment or perpetual care funds? Does your state set a minimum (or maximum) amount required to be deposited into the fund? Does your state allow you to borrow from or use money from the corpus of the fund? In Washington there are quite a few older non-endowed cemeteries and you can probably guess what they look like. When our state adopted our endowment care requirement (I think it was in the early mid-20th century) it applied only to cemeteries opened after the law was adopted. If your state doesn't require endowment or perpetual care funds, does your property nonetheless have one?

There seems to be a vast disparity between states as to licensing requirements. For example, as far as I know Colorado still does not require any license to be a funeral director. Some licensing requirements are minimal, some seem to be overkill. What is the situation in your state? Do you think there should be some form of national license?

Some people use conventions as vacations, some go just for the networking, some for the tradeshow, some for the overall experience. Most of us receive invitations to several different conventions every year. How do you decide which you will or will not attend?

[From Judy - I am moving to new forum]

A discussion on the importance in business of being sincere without appearing smarmy. Any takers?

This has come up a few times: What exactly is entailed by the catch-all "Opening and Closing."

I think it needs to be a Wiki entry so the whole world will have a chance to weigh in, but let's start it off here at The Network.

The built-in cost of providing an interment space includes digging and filling the "grave," but it also includes other cemetery administration services. It will be useful to develop a document for use in cemeteries that explains this integral cost of doing business. Comments are welcome, and will be added to the Wiki document.

Having a common definition of Opening and Closing will be useful for cemetery operators to provide to their customers and also to provide to their boards of directors. Overseers and auditors need to understand all of the costs involved in providing an interment. Please include your ideas in the comments.