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INDUSTRY NEWS ICFA PAC Contributes to Congressional Candidates as Election Day Nears The ICFA Political Action Committee (PAC) was only established in 2003, yet in its short history has raised over $84,000 in donations from ICFA members. In its most recent round of disbursements, the ICFA PAC contributed a total of $23,000 to Congressional candidates in both the Senate and the House of Representatives races, and on both sides of the aisle, to Democrats and Republicans. The various representatives and senators who extended their hospitality to ICFA members during their Capitol Hill visits in February were included among the recipients, with the exception of Congressman Mark Foley, who resigned unexpectedly on September 29. Election Day is exactly two weeks from today, on November 7, and the most recent polling data suggest that control of the House, and possibly the Senate, may switch from the Republican to the Democratic Party. In that event, committee chairmanships would change, causing changes in legislative priorities and agendas. Since funeral-related legislative proposals tend to garner bipartisan support, the ICFA PAC has positioned the Association to have open communications with members of both parties. Disaster Preparedness: Fatality Services Sub-Council Convenes In Washington This Friday, October 27 The Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) will officially convene this Friday, October 27, in Washington, D.C., to develop recommendations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security. HSCC is composed of nine subgroups, of which the Fatality Services Sub-Council is co-chaired by NFDA's John Fitch and the ICFA's Bob Fells. Other funeral service organizations participating in the conference are the Casket and Funeral Supply Association, Matthews Corporation, and the Catholic Cemetery Conference. Additional industry groups have expressed interest in supporting the work of the Sub-Council. The goal of the Fatality Services sub-council is to arrive at a consensus on the top three to five priorities, develop action steps for implementing the top priorities, and convey those plans to the responsible federal agencies. Of particular importance is the goal of incorporating the sub-council's recommendations for mass fatalities management into the Government's Sector Specific Plan for Critical Infrastructure Protection. The current edition of the plan does not specifically address fatality services, thus the work of the sub-council is both timely and important. U.S. District Court: Challenge To Maryland Law on Funeral Home Ownership Survives Motion to Dismiss On October 11, a federal district court in Baltimore denied a motion to dismiss Brown v. Hovatter, a case that challenges a longstanding Maryland law that limits funeral home ownership to licensed funeral directors, their surviving spouses, or the executors of estates of deceased funeral directors. Funeral homes may also be owned by corporations provided they possess one of 56 special licenses that were grandfathered into the law in 1945. The plaintiffs in the litigation are represented by the Washington-based Institute for Justice, which successfully overturned laws in Tennessee and Mississippi that had limited the sale of caskets to licensed funeral directors. A similar case in Oklahoma was ultimately decided in favor of the state law. The Maryland complaint challenges the state law on four separate Constitutional grounds:
ICFA NEWS Master the Art of Persuasion! Wouldn't your job be so much easier if people always said 'yes' to you? This may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. There are certain techniques and tactics you can use to influence people and get them to follow your lead. Join Scott Love at the 2007 Wide World of Sales Conference, January 17-19, at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, as he shares his secrets for becoming more effective at the art of persuasion. Mastering the arts of persuasion and influence can help sales managers lead a more willing team and can help sales counselors develop more prospects and sales. Scott Love is an executive search and management consultant and is author of three books: "Sell to the Top," "The Recruiter's Adventure Book" and "I Learned It in the Boy Scouts-Leadership Secrets for Managers." The 2007 Wide World of Sales Conference, "Finding Hidden Treasure," will offer two days of educational "how-to" programming for sales counselors and managers with more than 20 speakers. To learn more and to register, visit www.icfa.org/sales07.htm; or call 1.800.645.7700. Expand Your Business Network at the 2007 Convention & Exposition You know how important networking is to the success of your business. Forming a strong network of contacts provides you with a support system, expands your sphere of influence and helps you build lasting relationships with other cemetery and funeral service professionals. The ICFA makes networking easy at its 2007 Convention & Exposition, March 20-23, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the Expo Hall, you will have the opportunity to visit with hundreds of suppliers and be among the first to discover the new, cutting-edge products and services available to cemeteries and funeral homes. The Expo will allow you to stay ahead of the latest trends in our profession and take the lead in providing your customers with items they may not find at competing businesses. All Expo hours will include free food and beverage service! Whether you are new to the ICFA or a loyal veteran, be sure to attend the nightly networking receptions, where you can meet other cemetery and funeral service professionals and suppliers from North America and abroad. Networking receptions include:
Put Your Company in the Spotlight—Become a Convention Sponsor! Make your company stand out from the competition and support the cemetery and funeral service profession's most exciting educational event by becoming a sponsor for the ICFA's 2007 Convention & Exposition, March 20-23, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sponsorships are available at a wide range of levels for all businesses, including suppliers, cemeteries and funeral homes. Sponsorship is a great way for you to position your company as a leader in the cemetery and funeral service profession, enhance your networking opportunities and gain name recognition for your business. All Convention sponsors will be recognized:
Get Recognized! ICFA 2006 KIP Awards You work hard to provide your customers with meaningful programs, products and family services. Now is your chance to get recognized for it! ICFA's Keeping It Personal (KIP) Awards program was designed to recognize innovation and excellence in personalization in the cemetery and funeral service profession. All ICFA members are eligible for entry in the four categories: Most Personalized Service, Best Practice/Personal Touch, Innovative Personalized Product (for suppliers) and Special Events. See entry guidelines for further details. Winners will be recognized at the ICFA 2007 Convention and Exposition, in ICFM magazine and on ICFA's Web Site. In addition, the ICFA will provide press releases for distribution to local press in your communities. This is a great way to get publicity for your company and contribute to the advancement of the cemetery, funeral service and memorialization profession. The grand prize winner will receive free registration to the 2007 Annual Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada. The entry deadline for the Kip Awards is December 8, 2006. For contest guidelines and to download an entry form, visit www.icfa.org/kip.htm. One Session Remains: Todd Van Beck's Advanced Seminar in Quality Funeral Service You have only one more opportunity to become certified in the Principles of Advanced Quality Funeral Care. Todd Van Beck's final seminar will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, December 1-3, at the Wyndham Albuquerque Airport Hotel. The Advanced Seminar in Quality Funeral Care shows funeral home owners, managers and employees how to apply the principles of quality funeral service at their firm to result in better service, strengthened relationships with families and higher visibility in the community. Attendees receive a disk filled with materials to take back to the community and apply immediately to their work. Seminar topics include:
CLASSIFIED ADS Sales Manager/Family Service Manager Opening Premier Cemetery location in Northern Virginia seeks energetic leader for its cemetery sales manager / family service manager. We offer excellent training, full benefit package, great 401k plan, and performance based compensation package. To join our growing team email confidential resumes to donna.meier@sci-us.com or mail to Donna Meier, Mount Comfort Cemetery, 6600 S. Kings Highway, Alexandria, Virginia 22306. Mausoleum Sales Representative Wanted: Mausoleum Sales Representative. Cemetery in Southeast Tennessee, 100 interments per year, 90% traditional ground burial. Located in small town located within 25 miles of major metropolitan area. If interested send resume to: Mausoleum Sales, P O Box 8888, Chattanooga, TN. 37414 or email to: boydinv@bigplanet.com Come to Florida Wanted: Funeral Director/Embalmer Family-owned. Multiple locations in FL. Great work environment and schedule. Will keep confidential. Contact Michael Szymczak Call or fax 386-441-1144 Multiple Combination Locations in Florida Looking for energetic leaders to run sales force. Sales Managers and Family Service Counselors needed. Leads furnished. Highest compensation in the industry. Growth opportunity. For confidential interview call Mr. Green at 386-235-8045. 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. |
