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President's Letter:
Tom Roberts, CCE
Tom Roberts, CCE, ICCFA president for 2006-2007, is president of Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. www.alleghenycemetery.com
I've seen the future-it's 7,000 miles away
As we debut our new name, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, and prepare for the Annual Convention & Exposition (March 20-23), the focus is on the increasing role of cremation. The convention theme of "Expanding Your Horizons" emphasizes the outreach to our international members. ICCFA Treasurer Ken Varner and I took this theme seriously and went halfway around the world to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, China, to present at the 2006 China International Funeral Expo. (Photos, page 9.)
During this inspiring trip, in a country where cremation is basically mandatory (98 percent), we saw some of the finest examples of cemeteries and funeral houses, as they are known there. Our hosts, who treated us better than family, were passionately concerned about the "quality" of their products and services. It showed! Their Chinese staff have traveled all over the world searching for new concepts to integrate into their properties to "perfect" their brand.
Two of the cemeteries we toured, TianShou, Beijing (begun in 1997), and Fu Shou Yuan, Shanghai (begun in 1994), were nothing short of remarkable. The scenic beauty of gardens, fountains, monuments and features, set against a backdrop of mountains and rivers, truly illustrates that there is a future for cremation service and burial. A funeral house we visited serves 25,000 families per year. It provides a traditional funeral service before the family moves to the cemetery for a committal ceremony and then cremation at a third location.
We were very impressed with the personalization demonstrated in their monuments. Some sections require that each monument be individually designed to reflect the life and accomplishments of the individual. The cemeteries we visited have several design teams and artists available to meet with families for customization. In cities where the average per capita income is less than $8,000, many families choose to expend significant sums on their burial choices. This was not because they were persuaded to do so, but rather because the option was available and they found value and meaning in their selections.
In the land of cremation, what we encountered was not direct disposal without meaningful ceremony, but examples of memorialization, love, humanity, cultural recognition, life education and environmental considerations. Jėngzu, ancestor veneration-the honoring of the deeds, sacrifices and memories of the deceased-has a long tradition in China (as well as in some other countries around the world). As our culture moves toward increased cremation, these are concepts we must strive to maintain in what we provide.
At our convention, we will see many new offerings to serve the cremation segment of our business, while continuing to focus on traditional cemetery and funeral products and services. Whatever direction the public takes, we must be prepared to serve them in a manner that is meaningful to them.
As ICCFA embraces the new "C" (cremation) in our name, I can't help but be excited about the possibilities for our organization and our members. Together we will continue to reinvent ourselves while embracing universally accepted core values of remembrance, the celebration of life and memorialization.
Tom Roberts, CCE
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