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INDUSTRY NEWS ICFA Organizes Clearinghouse for Hurricane Disaster Relief Information, Designates Future Foundation Proceeds to Assist Affected Schools The ICFA is expressing its concern to industry members in Louisiana and Mississippi affected by the flooding and other damage resulting from Hurricane Katrina. The association is compiling on its Web site news reports and information on how to support hurricane relief efforts. Volunteers are needed. According to relief agencies and charities, for those who cannot volunteer with disaster relief organizations, the best way to help is to donate money. Contact information for the American Red Cross and other organizations actively working to provide relief is available at www.icfa.org/hurricane_relief.htm. The ICFA has also incorporated a non-profit Educational Foundation, and President Ray Frew, CCFE, has directed that upon its commencement of operations, initial contributions will be used to help students and schools affected by the disaster. More information on donating to the foundation for educational relief efforts will be available soon from the ICFA. U.S. Court of Appeals Affirms FL Supreme Court on Cemetery Marker Regulations On August 18, the U.S Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling in a case that challenged a cemetery's legal authority to restrict cemetery memorials and related decorations to flat, gound-level markers. In the case, Warner v. City of Boca Raton, the plaintiff-lot owners claimed that the defendant cemetery's prohibition against upright or vertical memorials violated their rights of religious freedom and freedom of speech. Plaintiffs argued that the cemetery regulations were unconstitutional under both the U.S. Constitution and state law. In 1999, a federal district court ruled in favor of the cemetery. Plaintiffs subsequently appealed to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which certified two questions to the Florida Supreme Court concerning whether the cemetery regulations violated the Florida Religious Freedom Restoration Act. At that point, the ICFA intervened as a third-party Amicus Curiae or "friend of the court" in order to brief the state supreme court on the long judicial history by which courts have authorized cemeteries to publish and enforce rules and regulations. Although the defendant cemetery had a "flat marker only" policy and prohibited upright monuments, it is important to note that ICFA's position in defending a cemetery's right to make and enforce rules would have been the same if the cemetery had a "vertical monument only" policy and prohibited flat markers. The Florida Supreme Court held last year that the cemetery regulations did not violate the state statute on religious freedom (see ICFA WIRELESS edition of December 7, 2004, for details). The case was then transferred back to the 11th Circuit, which applied the state supreme court's decision in affirming the lower federal court's 1999 ruling for the cemetery. At this point, it is unclear whether plaintiffs will attempt to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a review. The ICFA friend of the court brief can be viewed at www.icfa.org/pdf/boca_raton.doc EPA Concludes That Herbicide 2, 4-D Presents No Health Risks The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on August 8 that it had completed a 17-year review process to assess whether a popular herbicide, 2,4-D, should be banned due to concerns with health hazards. The herbicide was discovered 60 years ago and is used throughout the world for a wide variety of agricultural, non-crop, residential and aquatic uses. EPA announced that use of 2,4-D "does not present risks of concern to human health when users follow 2,4-D product instructions...." The EPA had been alerted to possible links with cancer from using the herbicide and called for public comments regarding the issue (see the ICFA WIRELESS edition of August 17, 2004, for details). An economic evaluation by the Department of Agriculture concluded that banning the use of 2,4-D would cost the U.S. economy $1.7 billion annually in higher food production and weed-control expenses. The EPA's final decision to allow continued use of the herbicide can be viewed online at http://docket.eps.gov/edkpub/do/EDKStaffItemDetailView?objectID-090007d480925518. ICFA NEWS ICFA Fall Conference Hotel and Registration Deadlines Are September 9 Just 10 days remain for registrants to receive the early registration discount for the ICFA Fall Management Conference, October 19-22 at Kapalua Bay in Maui, Hawaii. Hotel reservations also must be made by that date to guarantee a room at Kapalua Bay; the hotel will release the ICFA block to the general public after September 9, at which time rooms will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis. The ICFA Fall Management Conference offers cemetery and funeral service top executives the most extensive networking opportunity available within the profession, with four evening receptions, a golf tournament and numerous participatory educational sessions. Set on "America's Best Beach," Kapalua Bay provides an ideal getaway for the entire family, with a heated swimming pool, a 24-hour fitness room, two tennis complexes, yoga and Pilates classes, garden tours, shops, massage by the sea, a children's program and a Beach Activities Center offering snorkel gear, kayaks, rafts, body boards and cabanas. The hotel's three award-winning championship golf courses provide the finest golf experience on the island. For more information and a registration form, visit www.icfa.org/fall05.htm or call 1.800.645.7700. To reserve a room, call Kapalua Bay at 1.800.367.8000 and identify yourself as an ICFA Conference attendee. 2006 Wide World of Sales: Act Now to Receive Early, Early Reg Discount The ICFA's Wide World of Sales Conference, January 12-13, 2006, at Treasure Island in Las Vegas, Nevada, offers two full days of expertise on "Reality-Based Selling" for cemetery and funeral service preneed, at-need and family service sales managers and top counselors, as well as owners, insurance agents and suppliers. Registration to the conference includes admission to 20 "how to" educational sessions; two networking lunches and two continental breakfasts; a take-home binder filled with handouts and additional sales-boosting materials; a meet-and-greet session with "Survivor" star Rupert Boneham; an "American Idol" Welcome Reception and Karoake Party; and more. Registrants who sign up for the conference by September 30 receive the Early, Early Registration rate of just $385. Companies sending more than one attendee receive even greater discounts. For more information and to download a registration form, visit www.icfa.org/sales06.htm or call 1.800.645.7700. Call for Applications to ICFA Board of Directors Service on the ICFA Board of Directors offers members a chance to learn about and participate in the leadership of the association, and is a meaningful way to give back to the organization and to the cemetery and funeral service profession as a whole. The ICFA's Nominating and Elections Committee is currently inviting members to apply to run for the ICFA Board of Directors. The committee will narrow all applications received to 12 nominees, which will be reviewed and approved by the board at the ICFA Fall Management Conference in Maui, Hawaii, on October 19. Information on the 12 candidates will then be distributed to the membership, which will vote during the ICFA Annual Convention & Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 16. The top eight vote recipients will serve three-year terms. To apply, you must be a designated representative of a Regular (Cemetery, Funeral Home or Allied) Member in good standing or you must be an Individual Regular Member in good standing. The deadline to apply is September 15, 2005. Applications can be obtained by calling 1.800.645.7700 or by downloading the file at www.icfa.org/pdf/2006_icfa_board_application.doc. And more ... The ICFA has secured music performance rights from the three music licensing agencies: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. ICFA Music License members can now become fully licensed for the 2005 year for the annual price of $238 per location, with no additional fees. Membership is open to any company in the cemetery and funeral service profession in the United States. Companies that are already members of the ICFA in another category must acquire the additional membership category (a Music License Membership) to be eligible for the Music License benefit. The ICFA Store allows members to purchase the latest ICFA resources and training products online. Some products are available for immediate direct download, including the newly released Wirthlin Report on consumer attitudes and article packages on cremation, cemetery and funeral home valuations and trust funds. The ICFA 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 ICFA Web site. Stop in each day and you'll see why. The Network is an online e-mail service that offers ICFA members an easy, free way to share questions and answers to everyday on-the-job challenges. Recent discussions have examined issues such as working with the Muslim community, distance between burial sites, direct mail marketing, the growing popularity of geocaching at cemeteries, recruiting staff and more. Ideal for smaller companies with smaller budgets. Join today! The ICFA 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 ICFA supplier and professional members. Check it out today! Need a labor relations and employment law attorney? Check out ICFA's HR Law Benefit program offering members no-cost telephone legal consultations, paid for by the ICFA via an exclusive retainer agreement. ICFA members now also have access to an attorney for tax-related questions regarding trust earnings, care fund allocations, capital gains, investments and more. The ICFA has retained Leslie Schneider, CPA, a tax attorney with Ivins, Phillips & Barker in Washington, D.C., for telephone consultations for up to 20 minutes with no obligation. To take advantage of this member benefit, call Schneider at 202.393.7600. The ICFA and Applied Merchant Systems of Chicago, Illinois, currently offer members a Credit Card Processing Program with a special low discount rate of 1.75 percent, with no per transaction processing fee. This new benefit makes it less expensive for cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers and related businesses to accommodate customers who wish to pay via credit card. For more information, call 1-800-675-6573. The ICFA Insurance Program, administered by Driver Alliant, 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. To advertise in the ICFA Wireless: The ICFA accepts limited advertising in the ICFA Wireless newsletter, a bi-weekly newsletter e-mailed to all ICFA members that are current on their dues and have provided a current e-mail address. For rates and to place your insertion, contact Quan Phan at qphan@icfa.org or 1.800.645.7700. To unsubscribe from the ICFA Wireless: Send an e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject line to: wireless@icfa.org. Please include your name and company name in the body of the e-mail. International Cemetery and Funeral Association 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100 Sterling, VA 20164 1.800.645.7700 703.391.8400 Fax: 703.391.8416 www.icfa.org Copyright 2005 International Cemetery and Funeral Association. |
