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INDUSTRY NEWS Bledsoe Makes $50,000 Pledge to ICFA Educational Foundation A unique highlight of the 2006 ICFA Annual Convention and Exposition last month was the presentation by Past President Hap Bledsoe, CCE, of a $50,000 pledge to the new ICFA Educational Foundation. In doing so, Bledsoe became the first member of the Founders Circle, and the proceeds will be used to enhance the educational programs of the association. Foundation President Ray Frew commented, "Hap Bledsoe has been one of the great leaders in the ICFA and his leadership continues with his generous gift to our new foundation." Bledsoe observed, "Our association is the backbone of our industry, and the benefits it has provided to its members have been key factors to all of us who have achieved personal success. Many of us have endowed the colleges we attended for only a few years but have not considered our association that has served us for a large part of our lifetimes. Some call it concern or appreciation or love. I call it payback. The ICFA Educational Foundation gives those of us who have achieved so much success in this industry an opportunity to make some tangible return to the association that helped us and to future generations that will come after us." Frew also stated that several additional pledges to the Foundation have been made. Information concerning these pledges will be announced during the next few weeks. The ICFA Educational Foundation was established in May 2005 specifically for the following purposes:
IRS Offers 'Friendly Reminder' That Tax Filing Time is Near First Government, the U.S. government's official web portal, offers a friendly reminder that the federal tax deadline is approaching. Taxpayers in most parts of the nation will have until Monday, April 17, to file and pay their federal taxes because this year April 15 falls on a Saturday. Due to Patriots Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts, residents of six eastern states served by the Andover, Massachusetts, IRS processing center will have one additional day to file. Therefore, residents in Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and the District of Columbia have until Tuesday, April 18. Individual and business taxpayers in parishes and counties most severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina have until August 28 to file. Taxpayers who have already filed and are expecting a refund can check the status of their refund electronically through the First Government Web page (which links to IRS). Likewise, taxpayers who have not yet filed can e-file their returns, obtain tax forms and publications, or seek an extension of time to file at the IRS Web page: www.irs.gov. For more information, visit http://www.firstgov.gov. ICFA NEWS 2006 Convention & Exposition Draws Diverse Attendance, Rave Reviews The International Cemetery and Funeral Association (ICFA) 2006 Convention & Exposition, March 13-16 in Las Vegas, Nevada, drew attendees from every area of the cemetery and funeral service profession. Ten years after the association changed its name from American Cemetery Association and expanded its membership to include funeral directors, crematory operators, memorial designers and related businesses, the ICFA's 2006 Convention showcased the organization's efforts toward integrating the profession. The four-day event offered educational programming on a large range of topics: preneed sales management, planning and marketing exceptional funerals, cemetery grounds maintenance practices, embalming organ donors, cremation research, serving families through today's technology and many more. The seminars, networking opportunities and 216-booth trade show drew a large and diverse attendance, exceeding figures from the past two years:
Quality Funeral Care Seminar to be Held in Portland in June Portland, Oregon, will be the site of the next Advanced Seminar on Quality Funeral Care, June 23-25 at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel. The first two Seminars in Chicago and Atlanta were well-received, with 100 percent "excellent" ratings for the overall seminar on the post-conference evaluation forms. Among attendee comments:
It is not too late to register for any of the three remaining seminars, including:
Limited ICFAU Housing: Register Today! Registrations have begun pouring in for the 2006 session of ICFA University, July 21-26 at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. ICFAU is a five-day intensive academic program designed for cemetery and funeral service professionals and offering five colleges: Cemetery Administration & Management, Cremation Services, Funeral Home Management, Land Management & Grounds Operations and Sales & Marketing. With a college campus setting, ICFAU encourages extensive networking and idea sharing among students and faculty. Funeral directors may earn up to 24.5 hours of continuing education credits while residing and dining on campus. Classes are taught by top cemetery and funeral service professionals as well as business and economics faculty from the University of Memphis. ICFAU class sizes and on-campus housing are limited. The housing placement deadline is May 31. After that date, students will be assigned to rooms on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure on-campus housing and enrollment in the college of your choice send in your registration form early. Complete programs and registration forms are available on the ICFA Web site at http://www.icfa.org/icfau06.htm; or call 1.800.645.7700 for more information. ICFA Women's Forum Now Accepting Applications for Mentoring Program The ICFA Women's Forum has developed a mentoring program to provide support for young professionals in the cemetery and funeral service profession. The mentoring program will provide a network for career-minded individuals to develop and thrive within the company and in their professions. The ICFA will match interested applicants with personal mentors—people who can encourage them in their professional and personal growth. Companies participating in the program will benefit not only by being recognized as an organization that supports employee development but also through the incorporation of new ideas into their company. Mentoring programs have been proven to result in higher retention rates of career-minded staff and increased levels of employee morale. The ICFA is now accepting applications for both mentors and mentees. The program is open to all individuals employed by ICFA-member cemeteries, funeral homes and related businesses. For more information about the ICFA mentoring program and how it can benefit you, click on this link: www.icfa.org/pdf/article_1.06.pdf If you are interested in learning more about how you can participate in this program, e-mail Danielle at dskinner@icfa.org; or call 1.800.645.7700. CLASSIFIED ADS Sales Director Does a cemetery with 2.5 million visitors annually sound like your kind of sales opportunity? We certainly agree and are currently seeking an individual to develop and manage a sales team for this exceptional property. This historic cemetery in central Illinois has recently completed a comprehensive master plan involving the development of a mausoleum complex, veterans garden and columbarium, private estates and more. Our objective is to develop a professional sales team to introduce these new programs to the community. If you are versed in all phases of cemetery sales, have a proven track record of accomplishment, and are seeking a genuine, long-term career opportunity, send your resume in confidence to: W. R. Toson, President, 262.367.9992 fax, billt@tributeinc.com email. Service Corporation International—Chicagoland Market SCI offers you much more than a job and far more than a paycheck. We know what matters in your life and in the lives of the many people whose needs we meet every day. As the largest provider of funeral and cemetery services in North America, SCI is where you want to be within our industry. We are seeking within our growing market:
Cemetery For Sale Large 30 acre cemetery in metropolitan Atlanta, GA. Yearly interment average of 155 burials. Beautifully maintained by professional landscape firm. Highly focused on pre-need. Undeveloped property still remaining. Owner ready to sell. Contact Idtmw@aol.com or call 866-269-0681. Sales Manager Large, progressive cemeteries in Wisconsin seeking Sales Managers to take teams to the next level of sales as well as help us grow our entire company to a new level. Positions available in Milwaukee or Green Bay, Wisconsin; each with a wide variety of unique market options. Must be able to display strong leadership and public speaking skills as well as prove previous sales success. Our sales managers are expected to contribute to the sales volume of the team as well represent our family owned and operated facilities in a highly professional manner. Send resume to Christine Toson Hentges at christieh@tributeinc.com. See locations at www.pinelawn.net and www.forthoward.net. Computer Software Do you know where all your information is? Are you tired of the same old options out there? Are you looking for more from your computer system? MACCSTM, from FPA Software, is the complete mortuary and cemetery solution, providing all the functionality and features needed to effectively manage and operate a memorial park and mortuary today. From pre-need sales prospecting all the way through interment (and everything in between!), MACCSTM provides an easy to use, flexible, and completely integrated system for a memorial park and mortuary providing funeral services. Consistent with our approach of providing a completely integrated solution, the MACCSTM Mapping module provides GIS mapping capabilities integrated in real-time with information in the MACCSTM cemetery property database. Mortuary case management, service tracking, cemetery property management, integrated mapping, accounts receivable, pre-need trusts, serialized casket inventory, complete reporting and forms management - MACCS has it all. Please feel free to contact us at 818-501-3390 or visit our website at www.fpasoftware.com/maccs to learn more about MACCSTM. Reach Thousands of Cemeteries and Funeral Homes With Your Classified Ad!
And more ... For a limited time, ICFA 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 December 31, 2006. 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 2006 Music Licenses are available for just $220, 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 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 Kim Ferguson at kferguson@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 2006 International Cemetery and Funeral Association. |
