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INDUSTRY NEWS ICFA's Irwin Shipper Meets with Congressman Mark Foley, Discusses Funeral Legislation Perhaps proving that the best place to meet with your Congressional representatives is in their home district offices, ICFA Past President Irwin W. Shipper, CCE, recently had an extended meeting with Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) in the congressman's Palm Beach Garden office. Shipper, who also serves as chairman of the ICFA Government and Legal Affairs Committee, said that his meeting with Foley was fruitful and positive. Foley indicated that he was very open to meeting with ICFA representatives to discuss his proposal to federally regulate the funeral home and cemetery industries. The congressman had introduced legislation in each of the past two Congresses (the 107th and 108th) titled, "The Federal Death Care Inspection and Disclosure Act." A companion bill had also been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) during the last two Congresses. To date, neither Foley nor Dodd have introduced their proposals into the current 109th Congress. Foley told Shipper (who is a constituent of the congressman) that he is preoccupied with other issues at the present time but would welcome discussions of his bill's provisions at an appropriate time. More details on the Shipper-Foley meeting will be provided in Irwin Shipper's annual Government and Legal Affairs Interview in the upcoming August-September issue of the ICFA magazine, International Cemetery & Funeral Management. CDC Offers Business Planning Checklist for Pandemic Flu The Centers for Disease Control has posted a business planning checklist on its web page to help companies minimize the impact of a serious influenza outbreak in their communities. According to the CDC, "In the event of pandemic influenza, businesses will play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. To assist you in your efforts, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have developed a checklist for large businesses. It identifies important, specific activities large businesses can do now to prepare, many of which will also help you in other emergencies." The checklist can be viewed and downloaded at www.cdc.gov/business. Although the CDC states that the checklist is for use by large businesses, many of its provisions can be adapted for use by small companies. The checklist is divided into six parts with suggested policies for implementation including: 1.) Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your business; 2.) Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your employees and customers; 3.) Establish policies during a pandemic; and 4.) coordinate with external organizations and help your community, among other issues. Last month, the ICFA participated in a two-day pandemic influenza conference sponsored by government agencies (see the March 28 edition of ICFA Wireless for details). For more information on planning for a potentially large flu outbreak, check www.pandemicflu.gov. NY Times and Washington Post Publish "Positive" Front Page Stories on Funeral and Cemetery Profession; ICFA Cited The two leading newspapers in the U.S. published front page stories on two consecutive Mondays (April 17 and 24) that reflected favorably on funeral homes and cemeteries. Last Monday's story in the New York Times, "From Here to Eternity, Making a Statement," focused on the increasing popularity of private family mausoleums and the lasting value that many people are attaching to them. A number of ICFA members were quoted in the story (with board member Nancy Lohman pictured with her husband Lowell) and the ICFA itself was characterized by the Times as "the industry's leading trade group." Yesterday, the Washington Post's front page story, "Last Rites, Tailored to Immigrant Customs," favorably discussed the efforts by local Washington, D.C. area funeral homes to meet the needs of Middle Eastern, Latino, and Asian immigrants. ICFA representatives were again quoted and their comments reflected similar experiences by many mortuaries and cemeteries throughout the nation. Both the Times and Post stories can be viewed on the ICFA News Page at http://www.icfa.org/newspage.htm. ICFA NEWS 2006 Fall Management Conference to be Held in Albuquerque, New Mexico Join the ICFA for its annual Fall Management Conference in beautiful and historic Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 4-7, 2006. This multi-cultural city set in the desert of New Mexico has something to offer everyone, including museums, art galleries, shopping, fine food and an abundance of outdoor activities. Attendees will enjoy the luxury of the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, one of the largest resorts built on Native-American land. Set in the hills of the Pueblo Santa Ana, just a short drive away from Albuquerque, the resort overlooks the Rio Grande Valley with extraordinary views of the Sandia Mountains and is located near a Vegas-style casino. Tamaya features a 16,000-square-foot full-service spa and fitness center, the 18-hole Twin Warriors Championship Golf Course designed by Gary Panks, and spacious rooms with private balconies or patios. ICFA's Fall Management conference coincides perfectly with one of the city's greatest traditions dating back more than 30 years—the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. On October 6-15, 2006, more than 800 hot air and gas balloons will fly from the 35th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta launch field. This year's Balloon Fiesta, "Out of the Blue," will be especially spectacular as it concludes a year-long celebration of the city's 300th birthday. The balloon fiesta offers guests opportunities to interact with the pilots and crews. Watch as the mass ascension of hundreds of hot air balloons turns the sky into a kaleidoscope of color—an unforgettable sight! For more details call the ICFA at 1.800.645.7700. Earn Your Certificate in Advanced Quality Funeral Care! As a leader in the cemetery and funeral service profession, you are continuously seeking new ways to improve and exceed on your past performance. Todd Van Beck, a funeral director and highly demanded speaker, will help you achieve new levels of quality service at your funeral home by following the model of the Deming Method. The end result will be better service to families, strengthened relationships with families and higher visibility in your community. Van Beck provides participants with a set of goals based on the work of Dr. Deming, as well as the tools necessary to achieve those goals. You will leave with resources to bring back and put to use at your business, including:
Register today for any of the three remaining seminars, including
ICFA University Students Come Back for More Join your colleagues July 21-26 in Memphis, Tennessee for the 2006 ICFA University, a five-day intensive academic program designed for cemetery and funeral service professionals. ICFAU offers students a comprehensive program and the selection of five schools covering every area of the cemetery and funeral service profession: Cemetery Administration & Management, Cremation Services, Funeral Home Management, Land Management & Grounds Operations and Sales & Marketing. A three-year veteran of ICFAU, Joseph Vermeersh of Mount Elliot Cemetery Association in Detroit, Michigan, has experienced the benefits of several colleges at the University. He writes: "My third year in Memphis, and I leave here satisfied, challenged, motivated and most of all, proud of the industry I have chosen to make my life's work. I was asked several times over the course of last week if I get anything out of the college not directly associated with my job as the controller. My answer was, absolutely, and perhaps even more than the administration and finance courses because they increase my understanding and awareness of phases of this industry I do not deal with daily. Every division or department affects another, and I believe that truly successful people thrive when they are able to gain that understanding. I am blessed to work for a company that encourages that. Thank you for another excellent year!" 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. Call for Presentations—2007 Wide World of Sales Conference As preparations begin for the ICFA's 2007 Wide World of Sales Conference, January 17-19 at Treasure Island in Las Vegas, Nevada, the ICFA Sales & Marketing Committee invites ICFA members and attendees who wish to speak at this event to submit proposals for presentations. The Wide World of Sales Conference draws 400+ sales managers and counselors, as well as company owners, suppliers, insurance agents and others. The committee is looking for practical, "how to" presentations related to preneed sales, at-need sales, family service, marketing and sales team management. Interested candidates should submit their proposed presentation to the ICFA headquarters no later than June 30. Instructions for preparing your proposal are available by downloading them at http://www.icfa.org/docs/call_for_presentations.doc or by calling the ICFA at 1.800.645.7700. Give back to the profession—Become a Mentor Think of someone who helped guide you early in your career, invested a little extra time in you, and gave you the extra confidence you needed to succeed. Whether or not you knew it at the time, that person was a mentor and has helped you to develop into your current role. Many young professionals starting out in the cemetery and funeral service professional are seeking the guidance of those with more experience than them—professionals who can offer them practical career advice on day-to-day issues in the workplace, answer their questions and aid them in their career development. For many people starting out or changing careers, finding a trusted mentor can be a challenge. To facilitate this process, the ICFA Women's Forum has developed a mentoring program that will match interested applicants with personal mentors and provide guidelines to ensure success. Your experience and knowledge is needed! If you enjoy working with people and gain satisfaction from helping others, this is your opportunity to contribute to the future of the cemetery and funeral service profession. 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 click on this link: www.icfa.org/pdf/article_1.06.pdf To find out more about how you can become a mentor or if you know someone who could benefit from the program as a mentee, email Danielle at dskinner@icfa.org; or call 1.800.645.7700. CLASSIFIED ADS 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:
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. |
