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INDUSTRY NEWS House Approves Bronze "V" Designation for Veterans' Graves in Private Cemeteries Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved, by a 424-0 vote, H.R. 797 that, among other things, "provides families with the option of choosing a 'V' denoting veteran status, in lieu of a VA headstone by graves already marked by a private marker." Among the bill's bipartisan supporters, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) stated, "Many private cemeteries do not allow a second marker on a grave because it complicates routine maintenance. Therefore, that bronze 'V' would identify a veteran's grave in a manner that is universally acceptable, and meet the family's desire to honor the deceased veteran." The bill has been referred to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. This legislation recognizes that a recent veterans burial benefit permitting government-provided markers to be placed on graves already memorialized in private cemeteries, as a second marker, may run afoul of a cemetery's regulations. This "second marker" pilot program is due to expire at the end of this year, but legislation is pending, H.R. 358, that would make permanent the benefit (see the January 30, 2007 edition of Wireless for details). In addition, as reported in the last issue of Wireless, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) has introduced legislation, H.R. 1273, at the urging of the ICCFA to restore the VA plot and marker cash allowances to veterans' families who choose interment in private and religious cemeteries. ICCFA PAC Raffle Raises $$$ and Picks the Winners The ICCFA PAC concluded its third annual raffle last week at the Association's annual convention and exposition at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over $13,000 was raised with the chance of winning three great prizes: 1.) a VIP Package to the 2008 ICCFA Convention in San Diego, CA; 2.) a 42-inch widescreen LCD HDTV; and 3.) a Garmin Nuvi 350 Portable GPS. The drawing occurred during the closing banquet and the winners are: Tom Daly, Westwood, MA, for the VIP Convention Package; Cindy Thompson, Tacoma, WA, for the 42-inch TV; and Gwen Mooney, Cincinnati, OH, for the portable GPS. By coincidence, Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was holding a reception in a room next door to the ICCFA banquet and several enterprising association attendees managed to meet him. To see the photo, visit www.iccfa.com/wireless_032707.htm. ICCFA NEWS ICCFA Completes Another Highly Successful Annual Convention ICCFA's 2007 Convention & Expo came to a close on Friday at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, with record-breaking attendance and more international attendees than ever before. Attendees from throughout the United States and 21 countries around the world enjoyed four days of educational programming, networking and exhibits. International attendees were honored at Thursday night's International Reception, and representatives from six international associations were recognized. Many attendees and exhibitors commented on the quality and value of this year's program. The official ratings and comments will be available in the next edition of Wireless. The 2008 Convention & Exposition will be held March 26-29 at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina and the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. More information will be available this summer. International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association Elects New Officers, Directors The ICCFA elected new leadership during its 2007 Annual Convention & Exposition, March 20 - 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ICCFA officers for 2007-2008 are:
Receive Real-World Training at ICCFAU Registration forms are now available for the 2007 ICCFA University, July 20-25 at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. Download one at http://www.icfa.org/pdf/iccfau07_reg.pdf. To ensure you receive the college and housing placement of your choice, register early! ICCFAU is the only industry program offering comprehensive educational sessions in an intimate college campus environment. In just five days, students receive a broad base of knowledge and training that applies directly to their careers and real-life experience. The program is comprised of five colleges, including the College of Administration and Management, College of Land Management & Grounds Operations, College of Sales & Marketing, College of Funeral Home Management, and the College of Cremation Services, which this year includes an all-new Cremation Certification Program. ICCFAU's value expands beyond the day-to-day classes. The small classroom setting allows students to interact with the professors by asking questions and participating in group discussions. The program also provides students with valuable opportunities to network and meet fellow colleagues from across the country and around the world. Participants of ICCFAU leave Memphis motivated and ready to apply what they've learned to their jobs. Hear what last year's students have to say about it:
Product of the Month: Books by John Llewellyn Just a few days remain to take advantage of ICCFA's Product of the Month for March. Purchase two books at a discounted rate written by John Llewellyn, CCE, president and chief executive officer of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks and Mortuaries in Southern California, and a past president of the ICCFA. Orders must be placed by March 31 to receive the special rate. "A Cemetery Should Be Forever: The Challenge to Managers and Directors" examines the philosophy, management, development and challenges of cemeteries, including an historical perspective as well as practical business advice and visionary ideas. An excellent resource for owners, managers and governing boards. Regular price: $16.95 for ICCFA members; $24.95 for non-members. "Saying Goodbye Your Way-Planning or Buying a Funeral or Cremation for Yourself or Someone You Love" helps consumers navigate through the many choices required for making final arrangements. Topics include hospice care, prearrangement, grief, personalization, funeral ceremonies, decisions to be made at the time of death, selecting providers and more. The book is a useful giveaway to introduce your company to prospects and groups within your community or can be added to your facility's library. Regular price: $12.95 for ICCFA members; $14.95 for non-members. For the month of March only, the price for both books is $23.95 plus shipping. Call the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700 to place an order. Earn CE Credits Online: ICCFA Online Institute and Dignity University Cemetery and funeral home owners, managers and staff can now participate in online safety training, thanks to a partnership between the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association's Online Institute and Dignity University™, an educational arm of Service Corporation International. On February 1, the ICCFA and Dignity University™ launched 12 Web-based courses on topics related to safety training for cemeteries and funeral homes. The courses can be accessed through the ICCFA Web site at www.iccfa.com/institute. Developed specifically for the cemetery and funeral service profession, the courses can be used to fulfill OSHA training requirements, and ICCFA-member funeral directors in most states can earn continuing education credits. Visit www.iccfa.com/institute for more information, or call 1.800.645.7700. CLASSIFIED ADS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) The Town of Christiansburg is soliciting proposals for cemetery management services to oversee operations including but not limited to: ownership or management or cemetery property including all aspects of business such as managing and growing investments in perpetual care fund; manage files of those interred on the property; and oversee maintenance of cemetery including selling cemetery plots; orchestrating burials with funeral homes; mowing/weed-eating, debris removal, etc. Full copy of RFI may be obtained from the Office of the Town Manager, 100 East Main, Christiansburg, VA 24073, (540) 382-6128. Proposals must be received NO LATER THAN 5 PM, Thursday, March 30, 2007. Exciting Sales Opportunities! StoneMor, a leader in the industry, has exciting opportunities for Sales Professionals at many locations. We boast one of the highest commission rates in the industry and our Sales Managers enjoy triple override bonuses on all location sales after hitting performance goals. We have excellent benefits including:
EOE For more information, please call 877-857-8890 and refer to this ad or send your resume via fax at 215-826-2929 or email it to jobs@stonemor.com. www.stonemor.com Grow Your Business with FuneralHomes.com FuneralHomes.com—the Funeral Director's Resource for Effective Customer Acquisition. We connect At-need and Pre-planning consumers with Funeral Homes in their area, you are missing out on business! Position your Funeral Home at the top—Call us at 1.800.208.2580 to start receiving business today. www.FuneralHomes.com. New Opportunities Await You! People preplan for many reasons. Chief among them is peace of mind. Now you can offer your families additional peace of mind through the Omega Assured Return Plan, a service option offered through Inman Shipping Worldwide. Inman Shipping Worldwide has been the recognized leader in the deathcare industry for the repatriation of human remains, from anywhere in the world, for over 30 years. With society traveling more and more today for business, vacations and even health care in distant cities, death away from home is becoming more common. When death occurs 100 miles or more away from an individual's legal residence, all the necessary services for returning the deceased to their home are covered for those enrolled in the Omega Assured Return Plan. The Omega Assured Return Plan is the logical companion for cemetery, funeral and cremation prearrangements. An ideal supplemental product, the Omega Assured Return Plan provides another opportunity to maintain contact with your client families. A simple enrollment form and onetime payment will provide a lifetime of coverage for this valuable service. Expand your selling portfolio and earn generous commissions. No license is required. To find out how you or your company can offer the Omega Assured Return Plan, call our toll free number at 1-888-889-8508 from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM Eastern time Monday through Friday or send an email to omegareturninfo@yahoo.com. Reach Thousands of Cemeteries and Funeral Homes With Your Classified Ad!
And more ... ICCFA Introduces New sales Training Programs by sales trainer and professional speaker Gary O'Sullivan, CCE. O'Sullivan's two latest products include a 10 DVD Series—The Power to Sell Preneed, and a training support system called the GoSell System. Both products provide sales managers with tools and training strategies that will help them to strengthen and motivate their teams. Click here to download a detailed description of each prodcut: www.iccfa.com/docs/osullivan.doc. To place an order, call the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700. Congratulations to the winners of the 2006 Keeping It Personal (KIP) Awards! The KIP Awards recognize outstanding examples of personalization of services or products in the cemetery and funeral service profession. Read about the winning entries at www.iccfa.com/kip.htm. For a limited time, ICCFA members can purchase the McQuaig Job Survey, the McQuaig Word Survey and the McQuaig Self-Development Survey for just $100 per assessment, a savings of up to 50 percent off the regular price. The member discount offer expires June 30, 2007. Companies assessing more than 100 candidates per year are eligible for additional discounts. For additional information, visit http://www.icfa.org/pdf/mcquaig2.pdf and http://www.icfa.org/pdf/mcquaig.pdf. For questions and to sign up for the program, contact Michael Gravelle at The McQuaig Institute at 1.800.387.5455, ext. 361, or mgravelle@mcquaig.com. Join today! The 2007 Music Licenses are available for just $232, no additional fees. Covers ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Any U.S. funeral home, cemetery or related business is eligible for membership as a Music License Member. Join today! The ICCFA Store allows members to purchase the latest ICCFA 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 ICCFA 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 ICCFA Web site. Stop in each day and you'll see why. The Network is an online e-mail service that offers ICCFA 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 ICCFA 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 ICCFA supplier and professional members. Check it out today! Need a labor relations and employment law attorney? Check out ICCFA's HR Law Benefit program offering members no-cost telephone legal consultations, paid for by the ICCFA via an exclusive retainer agreement. ICCFA members now also have access to an attorney for tax-related questions regarding trust earnings, care fund allocations, capital gains, investments and more. The ICCFA 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 ICCFA 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 ICCFA Insurance Program, administered by Alliant Insurance Services, 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 ICCFA Wireless: The ICCFA accepts limited advertising in the ICCFA Wireless newsletter, a bi-weekly newsletter e-mailed to all ICCFA members that are current on their dues and have provided a current e-mail address. For rates and to place your insertion, contact Nichole Causey at ncausey@iccfa.com or 1.800.645.7700. To unsubscribe from the ICCFA 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, Cremation and Funeral Association 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100 Sterling, VA 20164 1.800.645.7700 703.391.8400 Fax: 703.391.8416 www.iccfa.com Copyright 2007 International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association. |
