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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
The journey
Are we there yet? We've all heard that cry from the rear of the car only a short time into the journey. As I reflect on my year as president of the ICCFA, I feel the journey has only begun, though my ride is soon to end. As an organization, we've come so far, yet so much more distance will be covered as we work together in the future.
With any journey there are many mileposts along the way. The journey that began for the ICCFA in 1887 has led us to milepost 2006-2007. Many accomplishments this year began as initiatives of those who came before. A prime example of this is the ICCFA Educational Foundation, which recently received approval from the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization. This innovative idea began last year and has now become a reality. We expect great things from this in the future. Also, our emphasis on our international members began with a trip to Guatemala by Past President Ray Frew and Vice President Kevin Daniels. To expand our role nationally and abroad, articles are now published in the ICCFA Magazine in Spanish. For the first time, translators will be present at our convention in Las Vegas, March 20-23.
This year's journey included a myriad of ongoing programs for our members, including the Annual Convention & Exposition, Wide World of Sales, ICCFA University, Fall Management Conference, ICCFA Wireless, Music Licensing, ICCFA Magazine, Todd Van Beck's Advanced Seminar in Quality Funeral Care, the KIP Awards and Government & Legal programs.
It was my privilege to visit many industry, state and regional meetings to promote the association. In addition, I was honored to attend a once-in-a- lifetime conference in China to share the vision of our great organization. Also this past year, we took the first formal step in recognizing our role in cremation by changing our name to include the second "C" in ICCFA. This alone was worth the price of the trip.
In this unending journey, we have put in place projects that will unfold in the future. The Cremation Certification program at the ICCFA University, led by Ernie Heffner and Mark Krause, is an exciting foundation on which we will build several other cremation programs. The "Cremation Code of Ethics" will establish a set of values and industry standards, ensuring consumers' respect, care and dignity for their loved ones. Another program just getting under way is Web-based extended learning courses for our members. We will also be reviewing ICCFA by-laws to address changes in the industry and the needs of our members. These and the continuum of ongoing programs make the future journey exciting and something to look forward to.
None of the accomplishments of this organization could happen without the support and hard work of the officers, members and staff of the ICCFA. As "titular head," I'm extremely grateful to them, as well as my mentors and advisors, for their ideas and counsel.
As I move over and watch the president elect take the wheel, I am excited to continue the journey and in some small way continue helping.
Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful.Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.-Sir Winston Churchill
Tom Roberts, CCE
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