ICCFA Magazine December2015

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

M A G A Z I N E CEMETERY FUNERALCREMATION

2016 SALES OLYMPICS in LAS VEGAS PRESENTED BY ThE ICCFA ’S

WIDE WORLD OF SALES CONFERENCE

• Poul Lemasters on reducing your business liability• West Laurel Hill’s outreach to pet parents

• Todd Van Beck’s new series: The keys to service • The importance of preplanning for our pets

JANUARY 13-15 • MONTE CARLO

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6 ICCFA Magazine “Like” the ICCFA on Facebook & friend “ICCFA Staff ”

Participants in West Laurel Hill’s Woof, Wag & Walk event enjoy the cemetery. Story, page 26.

14 managementDeath-care business basics: Insurance, hiring and firing Your pet or human death-care business is a business, and it needs to be run like one. Reviewing insurance coverage, hiring/firing policies and other details might not be fun, but you need to do it.by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

22 pet servicesThe importance of preplanning for our furry & feathered friends Funeral and memorialization professionals should be discussing the benefits of preplanning for every family member, including our animal companions.by Linda Darby-Dowers

26 pets/community outreachWelcoming dogs and their humans into the cemetery If you allow dog-walkers at your cemetery, an organized tour is simply an extension of the hospitality you already offer them, but even if you don’t, it’s easy to add dog-centric events to your calendar.by Susan Loving

32 professional DevelopmentKeys to service: Experience Funeral directors and cemeterians who love the profession build up a wealth of experience from working with people that enables them to serve families better and better as they learn more and more.by Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE

10 President’s LetterI believe ... by Darin B. Drabing

12 Washington ReportThe year in review by Robert M. Fells, Esq.

34 Supply Line 36 Update 44 New Members 45 Calendar 45 Funeral museum celebrates the holidays 46 Ad Index 46 Classifieds

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International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association ®:Promoting consumer choices, prearrangement and open competition

Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide

December 2015VOLUME 75/NUMBER 10

iccfa officersDarin B. Drabing, presidentMichael Uselton, CCFE, president-electJay D. Dodds, CFSP, vice presidentPaul Goldstein, vice presidentChristine Toson Hentges, CCE,vice presidentScott R. Sells, CCFE, vice presidentGary M. Freytag, CCFE, treasurerDaniel L. Villa, secretaryRobert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &general counsel

magazine staffSusan Loving, managing [email protected]

Rick Platter, supplier relations [email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213

Robert Treadway, director ofcommunications & member [email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224

Katherine Devins, communications [email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1218

Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &[email protected] ; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212

Brenda Clough, office administrator& association [email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1214

Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator (habla español)[email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1215

ICCFA Magazine (ISSN 1936-2099) is pub-lished by the International Cemetery, Crema-tion and Funeral Association®, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468; 703.391.8400; FAX 703.391.8416; www.iccfa.com. Published 10 times per year, with combined issues in March-April and August-September. Periodicals postage paid at Sterling, VA, and other offices. Copyright

2015 by the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association. Subscription rates: In the United States, $39.95; in Canada, $45.95; overseas: $75.95. One subscription is included in annual membership dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ICCFA Magazine, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468. Individual written contributions, commentary and advertisements appearing in ICCFA Magazine do not necessarily reflect either the opinion or the endorsement of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association®.

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t a B l e o f c o n t e n t sICCFA news

39 Wide World of Sales January 13-15: Make your sales faster, higher, stronger

39 Wide World of Sales So much to see and learn at the 2016 Wide World of Sales

40 Wide World of Sales Thank you to our sponsors

41 KIP Awards Deadline extended to December 18

41 Celebrant training Become a certified celebrant in Las Vegas this January

41 2016 music licenses Now available; lowest price in industry

41 Fall Management Conference Top executives create ‘blue oceans,’ learn to be better managers in Tucson

www.iccfa.comDirectorieswww.iccfa.com/directories• Web Expo directory of suppliers

and professionals• Association directory

ICCFA calendar

2016 Wide World of sales conference January 13-15 Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

2016 annual convention & exposition April 13-16 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center & Hilton New Orleans Riverside, New Orleans, Louisiana Co-Chairs: Jay Dodds, CFSP, and Lee Longino

2016 iccfa universityJuly 22-27 Fogelman Conference Center, Memphis, Tennessee Chancellor:Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE

Subscribe to ICCFA Magaziner One-year subscription (10 issues) for just $39.95*r Two-year subscription for just $69.95** These rates for U.S. subscriptions only. In Canada: $45.95 U.S. per year; out-side U.S. and Canada: $75.95 U.S. per year.Name Company name Address City State Zip Phone ( ) Fax ( ) e-mail Payment informationr Check enclosed (please make payable to ICCFA)r Credit card; please circle: VISA MASTERCARD AMEX DISCOVERName as it appears on card Card # Exp. date Security ID (3-digit # on back of card or 4-digit # on front of AmEx) Send form and payment to: Magazine subscription, ICCFA Magazine,107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164; or Fax 703.391.8416

Questions? Need some guidance? Email ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor Susan Loving

at [email protected].

n Send it in:➤ E-mail your Word document as an attachment to [email protected], or write your release in the body of your e-mail. Please include your full name and title and the company’s name and location in the body of your e-mail.➤ Photos—high-resolution jpgs—can be e-mailed. Remember you must adjust digital camera settings to take high-resolution images before taking the photos! Check the owner’s manual for instructions. (If you’re scanning in glossies, they must be scanned in at a minimum of 300 dpi at print size.)

Submit your newsto ICCFA Magazine

Cemeteries • Crematories • Funeral homes • suppliers • pet loss proFessionals

n Write it down. it doesn’t have to be written perfectly (that’s why we have edi-tors)—it just needs to include the facts.remember the basics: Who, What, Where, When, how & Why.

have you held a groundbreaking or grand opening for a new facility?hired or promoted someone?Is your company offering a new or updated product?have you recently held an unusual service or a successful seminar?Added a grief therapy dog to your staff?Share your news with colleagues all over the world—send it in to ICCFA Maga-zine! it’s a simple way to receive some well-deserved publicity for you and your staff and to share ideas with peers.here’s how to get your news in iCCFa magazine:

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n To apply for ICCFA membership:➤ Download an application at www.iccfa.com, or➤ Call 1.800.645.7700

I believe [email protected]

➤Drabing is president and CEO of Forest Lawn memorial-parks & Mortuaries.www.forestlawn.com

by iccfa 2015-2016 president Darin B. Drabing

I believe that most successful people are driven by a passion, an inner spirit that motivates one to make decisions, to chart a course, to follow

dreams. Often, these passions are formed through life experiences and honed over time.

I believe in the value of making funeral arrangements and selecting a final resting place in advance of the time of need. In fact, I’m passionate about it. This passion has been deeply rooted in my experience of making at-need arrangements, witnessing the dichotomy that exists between families whose loved one had planned ahead and those who had not. The contrast is staggering.

The emotional energy expended by an at-need family in evaluating multiple options in an unfamiliar environment, making time-sensitive decisions and then reevaluating those choices, robs them of the opportunity to share memories, console one another and truly plan a celebration of a life well lived. I believe this as a truth, honed over time.

I know I’m not alone in my passion about

the value of preneed planning. I’m confident in this belief because I attend the ICCFA Wide World of Sales conference in Las Vegas every January, where I am surrounded by like-minded professionals who believe in the value of preneed planning, just like I do. They’re passionate about doing their jobs well, learning presentation skills from world-class sales professionals during the educational sessions, rubbing elbows with icons such as Gary O’Sullivan at his fire-side chat, or having lunch with legends like Dave Wharmby. They’re investing in themselves, charting a course for success, following their passions.

Whether you are new to preneed sales or a seasoned professional with a variety of managerial responsibilities, I can assure you that the experience of attending the ICCFA’s Wide World of Sales conference is well worth your time and effort. If you’re one who shares this same passion, you owe it to yourself to join me at the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, January 13-15, 2016. It’s the only place to be … if you believe. r

President’s Letter

f Check us out on Facebook!“Like” us and friend “ICCFA Staff.”

O N E P R O F ES S I O NU N ITE D BY SA LES

2016 SALES OLYMPICS in LAS VEGAS

JANUARY 13-15MONTE CARLOwww.ICCFA.COM

SALES TIP••• ••

OF THE wEEKPRESENTED BY THE ICCFA’S

wIDE wORLD OF SALES CONFERENCE

Scenes from the 2015 Wide World of Sales conference.

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[email protected], ext. 1212direct line: 703.391.8401

➤Fells is IC-CFA executive

director and general counsel, responsible for maintaining and improving relationships with federal and state government agencies, the news media, consumer organizations and related trade associations.

MORE FROM THIS AuTHOR➤Funeral Radio. ICCFA General Counsel Robert Fells, Esq., talks about legal and legislative issues affecting funeral, cemetery and crema-tion businesses at www.funeralradio.com.MORE RESOuRCES➤Wireless. ICCFA members, send us your email address and we’ll send you our bi-weekly electronic newsletter full of breaking news.

by iccfa general counsel robert m. fells, esq. As 2015 slips away and becomes part

of history it’s time to assess whether it should be assigned a “good” or “bad”

rating. Typically, each year is a mixed bag of successes and failures, but overall a trend is usually apparent, at least in retrospect.

For example, 2008 seemed a relatively good year until that September when both the housing market and the stock market tanked. Even today, some seven years later, references to 2008 can bring shudders to many people. While 2015 is still barely with us, let’s attempt to assess this year as it particularly affected government relations and the cemetery/funeral profession.

What didn’t happenIf we had compiled a list of federal regulatory or Congressional actions that could be expected during 2015—and some people did—we would find that most things on that list did not happen. Chief among them are tax reform, immigration reform and, to some extent, healthcare reform. By that, I mean Congressional proposals that were meant to correct flaws in the Affordable Healthcare Act.

All three areas are divisive for politicians because their constituents are divided on each issue. Without a clear consensus, politicians default into a “kick the can down the road” mentality even when, as in 2015, there is no November election looming over their heads. So, as in that famous Sherlock Holmes story, the remarkable aspect of this year on Capitol Hill is that the dog did not bark.

If a fire department reported to the city council that the number of fire alarms were down this year, presumably nobody would propose that the number of firefighters should therefore be cut. Everyone realizes the risk factor of future blazes and that a properly staffed fire department must be trained, equipped, and ready on a moment’s notice. A government relations program is no different and the ICCFA continues to monitor daily the activities in Congress, in the federal regulatory agencies, and in the courts.

What did happenPerhaps the major development for our members’ businesses in 2015 is the proposal by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to raise the minimum annual salary requirement to exempt workers from receiving overtime compensation. The current minimum is $23,660 annually but the DOL wants to raise that minimum to $50,440 in 2016. The ICCFA

submitted comments in opposition to the level of the increase and pointed out that past methodologies used by DOL would today establish the increase at $30,000 or no more than $34,000 annually.

Fortunately, our industry is not facing this challenge alone. The DOL proposal will affect all American businesses across the board. Some observers have raised the question of whether funeral directors can be exempted from the overtime requirements. However, DOL has answered these concerns some years ago by stating that overtime exemption questions for funeral directors must be addressed on a case-by-case basis. So the question of exemption is separate and distinct from the proposal to raise the minimum salary to $50,440. We can expect a final rule from DOL at some point in 2016.

What’s nextIf past is prologue, then it may not be difficult to suggest an issue that can become prominent during 2016. The increase in body donations, and in particular, in tissue and organ donations, is largely unregulated in the 50 states. Prosecu-tions for unlawful trafficking have already occurred in New York and Arizona. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has told the ICCFA that he intends to introduce legislation to regulate the trafficking in body parts and welcomes the ICCFA’s participation. In a related matter, the ICCFA and CANA published a joint statement on non-organic waste recycling during 2015. Many observers believe that both these issues will gain traction during 2016.

Federal legislation seeking to increase the regulation of the funeral/cemetery profession has been introduced three times since 2000, but nothing had been introduced from 1787 to 2000. No such bills have been offered during the 2015 Congressional session, but three shots across our bow in recent years suggest that more bills can be expected. For example, a cemetery or mortuary scandal would be a likely catalyst for the introduction of such legislation. As a result, the ICCFA government relations program, like the fire department, remains on full alert.

Also ahead in a few more years, the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule is scheduled for review in 2019. Questions are already being raised of expanding the rule to include Internet sales and to deal with other 21st century issues that did not exist when the rule was enacted in 1982. In retrospect at least, 2015 will be looked upon as a wonderfully quiet year. r

The year in reviewWashington Report

iccfa.com/join Membership That Matters.

Your voice should be heard. ICCFA helps cemeteries and funeral homes do what none can do alone—speak together as an industry. ICCFA regularly

works on matters a�ecting our members with courts and agencies at every level of government. Even the U.S. Congress looks to ICCFA when an expert

on deathcare is needed.

ICCFA developed a set of 28 model guidelines to help inform the creation of state laws and regulations, and we provide the services you need to keep you in compliance with all local, state and federal rules and regulations.

Visit iccfa.com/voice to be notified when impending legislation threatens to burden our profession.


MANAGEMENT

Editor’s note: This article is excerpted from Lemaster’s presentation at PLPA College during the 2015 ICCFA Conven tion & Expo. His advice is applicable to human funeral home and cemetery operators as well as those who run pet businesses.

Recently, a friend of mine in death care called me up and said, “Poul, I’ve got a problem.” He had just

gotten a letter—actually, he had received a couple of letters, but he told me about the first letter, which was from an attorney informing him that he was going to be sued. That’s always a scary letter.

The letter laid out the claims, which I’m not going to list because that’s not the point of this anecdote, and said they were suing for $1 million.

You might think that’s what people always ask for when they sue, but actually, what a typical lawsuit will ask for is an amount in excess of $75,000. The reason they use that number is because that will allow them to get into federal court if they want to, since that’s one of the requirements. Again, not important here, just a little fun fact.

In any case, when my friend got the letter, he was scared to death. Wouldn’t you be? So he called his insurance company, and they sent him a reservation of rights letter. Now, this isn’t a plug for my business or lawyers in general, but your first call should be to your lawyer, not your insurer.

Why? Well, when you call your insurance agent, the first thing they’ll probably say is, “Hey don’t worry about this, you pay premiums, we’ve got you covered, you’re in good hands.” So you feel better, but here’s what’s going on behind the scenes at that insurance company: They are flipping through that

insurance policy that you have but never read and they’re looking for a reason not to cover you.

I used to be an insurance defense attorney, and I learned that they have a motive you might not be aware of: they’re trying to be profitable. And one of the best way to stay profitable is to not pay claims.

What a reservation of rights letter means is that the insurance company has looked at your policy and is reserving the right to cover you.

How scared do you think he was now?I told him it wasn’t time to worry yet.

Reservation of rights letters are common. I asked him to send it to me and let me look into it. After I read the letter, I called him back and asked him to explain exactly what had happened.

What had happened is he had gotten in trouble with a family and then with the state licensing department, but had thought it wasn’t a big deal, that it was something he could handle himself.

So he went before the licensing department and basically fell on his sword, said he was sorry and that he hadn’t meant to make a mistake. The department told him they agreed with him that it wasn’t a big deal, but the family had complained and technically the business had not followed the law. They gave him a slap on the wrist, a $250 fine, and he felt pretty good about the outcome.

He shouldn’t have. I asked him, “Guess what one thing is never covered by your insurance?” Breaking the law. That is one thing I promise you will never be covered by your insurance policy.

So that little $250 fine for what was technically a legal violation cost him his insurance coverage; he was on the hook for the entire claim. His whole business could

Your pet or human death-care business is a business,and it needs to be run like one. Reviewing insurance

coverage, hiring/firing policies and other detailsmight not be fun, but you need to do it.

Death-care business basics: Insurance, hiring and firing

by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

[email protected]

➤Lemasters is principal of Lemasters Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio.www.lemastersconsulting.com ➤He is an attorney and funeral director, graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1996 and from North-ern Kentucky University, Chase College of Law, in 2003. He is licensed as a funeral director and embalmer in Ohio and West Virginia and admitted to practice law in Ohio and Kentucky.

ICCFA Magazine author spotlight

➤ Go to www.iccfa.com to the Cremation Coaching Center, where you can post a question for Lemasters to answer.

ICCFA membership benefit➤He is the ICCFA’s special crema-tion legal counsel. ICCFA members in good standing may call him to discuss cremation-related legal issues for up to 20 minutes at no charge to the member. The association pays for this service via an exclusive retainer.➤Lemasters also provides, to ICCFA mem-bers in good standing, free GPL reviews to check for Funeral Rule compliance.

More from this author➤Lemasters will be at ICCFA’s Wide World of Sales seminar, January 13-15, in Las Vegas. www.iccfa.com/events

ONE PROFESS ION UN ITED BY SALES

January 13-15 • MOnTE CarLO • www.iCCfa.COM

2016 SALES OLyMPiCSin LAS VEGAS

PRESENTED BY ThE iCCfa’S

wiDE wOrLD Of SaLES COnfErEnCE

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have gone down the tubes over $250.It was his fault, and it’s something I

see a lot in businesses, be they pet funeral/cemetery operations or human ones: People don’t understand the ramifications of the things they do, and the fact that one thing can lead to another.

The fact is, you can be great at marketing and dealing with pet parents, but if you’re not running your business properly, you could lose everything.

InsuranceI want you to understand what it is and what it covers.

General liability. A lot of people get confused and think this covers everything. What this covers is the business itself, things such as small negligence. If someone has a trip and fall accident on your premises, for example. It covers your general premises, not what you do.

Property. This covers your brick and mortar. A great question that many people never ask is whether this covers intangible property such as accounts receivable, proprietary information, copyrights, computer systems, etc. Many times it does not, so always ask.

Business owner’s policy. A BOP is a very common package that people get and think, “OK, I’m covered.” But a BOP includes only general liability and property coverage.

Professional liability. I’m afraid that many people don’t have this, and this is what protects your actions, the things you do. Think of it as your malpractice insurance.

I know this is a highly debated issue, because I’ve had people say, “Poul, I’ve called my insurance company, and after I tell them what I do, they say there is no such thing as professional liability insurance for a pet provider.” If you hear that, keep on looking—there are providers out there who will cover you.

One of the biggest problems I see is business owners who do not explain exactly what they do and the risks entailed to their insurance agents for the simple reason that they don’t want their rates to go up.

Automobile. I’m going to talk about automobile coverage and tie all these things together. I had a case where some one was using an independent contractor to make removals and transfers. That agent got into an accident while transporting a body, and

the body was damaged.I know that seems weird—the person was

already dead—but the body was damaged further, and when the family found out they got upset and sued.

There were several reasons insurance didn’t cover what happened. First of all, the independent agent wasn’t included on the company’s auto policies. Secondly, the thirdparty crematory that was recei ving the body also failed to include the independent agent as a “additional insured,” so there was no coverage there, either.

Third, the family claimed emotional damage, and automobile insurance doesn’t cover emotional damage. So there was no coverage.

The claim was very defendable, but the firm had to pay for the defense without any help from the insurance company. They had to pay the costs completely out of pocket because they had never explained to their insurance company exactly what their business did to make sure they got all of the coverage they might need.

Insurance is important. It’s a cost of doing business. You need to understand that, explain fully what your business entails to your insurance agent and get the

right insurance.Professional liability insurance, which

would cover emotional damage, doesn’t cost much in a lot of cases, because the lawsuits that we’ve seen have not been for huge amounts, so insurance companies know that their chances of having to pay a big claim are low. And that means the premiums are low.

Right now, emotional damage claims involving pet deathcare are not common, but they do exist, and the fact is, the simple filing of a lawsuit means money will have to be spent to defend against it.

Umbrella insurance. This gives you additional coverage for every policy you have; it’s great. The nice thing is that many times when you sign up for it, you get added coverage that you might not get separately, so if you’re thinking about umbrella coverage, you should ask if there are any additional benefits that might be included.

EPL, employment practices liability. This is probably the must underbought protection. It’s what covers you for things such as discrimination and sexual harassment claims that you might receive as an employer.

Recently, I talked to someone who had fired someone who turned around and claimed age discrimination, which is a very costly lawsuit, and an easy one for the plaintiff to begin.

The first thing this employer learned was that he did not have EPL coverage to defend against this suit, which meant he would have to pay for the defense completely out of his own pocket. So he settled for about $50,000. He overpaid, but these lawsuits are expensive ones to defend against because they’re very discoveryoriented.

Here’s how it can go: The person who was fired files a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which typically says, “We think there’s enough evidence; go ahead and file a lawsuit.” Attorneys are happy to take these suits on a contingency basis, because as soon as they’re filed, the burden of proof shifts to the employer.

That’s the scariest thing about a discrimination or harassment suit, the fact that once the lawsuit has commenced, the burden of proof falls on you.

Typically in a lawsuit the plaintiff has to prove his or her case, but not in a harassment or discrimination claim. In those cases, you as the employer have to prove the

MANAGEMENT

I’ve had people say,“Poul, I’ve called my insurance company, and after I tell them

what I do, they say there is no such thing as professional

liability insurance for a pet provider.” If you hear that, keep on looking—there are providers

out there who will cover you.

Start every day at the ICCFA Café at www.iccfa.com December 2015 17

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allegations are not true, and that gets very expensive, since it involves depositions and discovery.

Additional insured. I talk about this one a lot. It allows you to add people to your insurance policy and it allows you to be added to the policies of others, providing mutual protection. In the case I mentioned above where a body was damaged during transport, the companies should have had “additional insured” coverage.

In a pet business, it’s very easy to add, for example, a veterinary practice to your policy as an “additional insured” so that if you make a mistake they’re covered and if they make a mistake you’re covered.

Let’s say you pick up a pet from a vet and do a communal cremation when the family asked for a private one. Maybe it was the vet’s fault—the paperwork was wrong. Or maybe it was your fault. In any case, the family contracted for the cremation through the vet’s office, which means the vet will be the one sued.

If the vet’s office is an “additional insured” on your policy, your insurance will cover the vet. The vet’s office should have you as an “additional insured” so that if you get sued for a mistake the vet made you can use the vet’s insurance to handle the claim.

By the way, the cost of adding an additional insured party many times is nothing; it’s just a matter of filling out paperwork. I recommend that you make every veterinary office you work with an additional insured if your policy allows it. This can be a great sales tool.

Exclusions. The last thing I’m going to tell you about in terms of insurance is exclusions. If you’re ever inclined to sit down and read every word of your insurance policy, I promise you it will be a horrible experience. If you want to get the gist of the experience, go through it with a highlighter and highlight the word “exclusion.”

Everything after that word is not covered by your policy. Do you know what’s not covered by your policy? You need to know.

Handling employees: HiringThe hiring process is not too bad as far as lawsuits. There aren’t a lot of claims filed about hiring, as opposed to firing. Nevertheless, you should make sure you follow best hiring practices. Let’s cover the three areas where the most violations occur, two questions people ask and one requirement they include with applications

that they shouldn’t:1. Where were you born? You can’t ask

that, but you can ask whether someone is a citizen.

2. What’s your marital status? You can’t ask this.

3. Submit a photo with your resume. You cannot ask for a photo because this can be seen as you trying to discriminate by gender or race or age.

Background checks are probably the biggest issues in the hiring process. There are different kinds of background checks:

Criminal background check. That’s OK, but there’s a new issue in this area, the “Ban the Box” movement.

Many employment applications have a box they ask people to check if they’ve ever been convicted of a felony. There are municipalities that have banned that practice, because the claim is that creates automatic discrimination. Studies have shown that if you check that box you will never even get an interview.

You’re still allowed to ask the question, but it has to be later in the process, when you’re ready to offer employment.

Drug test. Yes, you can make employment contingent based on drug testing results.

Credit check. A credit check is allowed for certain jobs. Some people who want to run credit checks on every potential employee say to me, “We ask for permission and they

sign something giving it to us, so it’s OK.” No, getting a person to sign a piece of paper does not give you the right to break the law.

You can only run a credit check if the person is going to be in a position to han dle money; you can’t just do it routinely for every hire.

Social media check. This is a new one, and it’s my favorite. Many people say it’s fine to get on the Internet and search for everything you can find about a potential employee—or about existing employees—but it’s not that simple. The rules on this are changing daily; there are a lot of issues involved.

There was the case of an employee who, after a bad day at work, went on social media and blogged about how bad the boss was, and people were commenting on what was written. The next day, she was fired. The issue went to the National Labor Relations Board, who ruled her blog post was protected speech, because she was talking about her working conditions (having to work on Sunday). The company had to rehire her.

In another case, a mortuary student said on Facebook that she was in an anatomy lab learning about how to use a trocar, and would like to shove a trocar in the neck of a few of her professors. The next day, she was expelled.

Again, the NLRB took the case, but this time the outcome was different, because she had violated policy and there were questions of safety. The student had to go through an anger management program and repeat the class. The case was headed to the state Supreme Court, but she died before it could be adjudicated.

The problem with firing someone who has made disparaging remarks about you on Facebook is that social media has been deemed to be a forum for communication. That type of public speech tends to be more protected.

A lot of people say to me, for example, “But Poul, I have a policy that says employees are not allowed to discuss their wages.” But that’s an illegal policy. You can’t fire someone for breaking a policy that isn’t legal. People have the right to speak freely about their wages and work conditions.

When you’re checking social media before hiring someone, there are several problems. First of all, there are actually companies now you can hire to “scrub” your online presence of information you don’t want found, or to push it so far down in the

MANAGEMENT

Insurance is important.It’s a cost of doing business. You need to understand that,

explain fully what your business entails to your insurance agent

and get the right insurance.


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search results that no hiring manager will ever see it.

Then there’s the problem that if you’re checking people out on social media you’re seeing things that you shouldn’t see, such as photos of them, or membership in religious groups or statements about political issues.

You can’t unsee these things, so if you’re the person doing the hiring, you shouldn’t go looking, because you’ll make yourself vulnerable to discrimination claims. One thing you can do is have someone else in your organization not involved in hiring do a search, looking for possible issues to flag but filtering out all protected information.

Tell the interviewee you do an Internet search as part of the hiring process and ask if there’s anything he or she wants to share before you do. Give them a chance to explain something questionable (perhaps some unfortunate photos from college partying days) that might get flagged by the person handling the search.

Independent contractors. This is an area that’s becoming increasingly regulated. Make sure anyone you call an “independent contractor” actually is.

If you have to train him to do the job, he’s probably not an independent contractor.

If you’re paying her as you would an employee—withholding taxes, for example—she’s not an independent contractor.

If they’re wearing your uniforms with your logos on them and handing out business cards with your contact information on them, they’re probably not independent contractors.

Those are only a few examples. Just be aware that this area of “independent contractors” is being reviewed more and more closely by the government.

Hiring mistakes include:Acting too quickly. One of the biggest

mistakes people make is to hire someone quickly because they just need to get somebody in place.

Looking for the bad. Often people doing interviews are just trying to see if there’s a reason not to hire the person, rather than a positive reason to hire.

Talking too much. You should be letting the interviewee talk rather than dominating the interview yourself. The interview should be openended. People will share all kinds of information about themselves if you give them an opportunity to talk.

Discrimination. Are you allowed to discriminate in hiring? Actually, you can.

Here’s an example: I apply for a server’s job at Hooters and they reject me, saying they only hire women. That’s bold and blatant discrimination, but they’re allowed to do it because it’s their company policy, it’s their culture.

If you run a pet business, you can refuse to hire people who don’t like animals, have never had pets or are allergic to pets. Your company culture is petcentric, and hiring only petfriendly people is allowed.

Handling employees: FiringDo you need a reason to fire someone? In most states, the answer is “no.” In most states, employment is “at will,” meaning you can hire or fire anyone for any reason. But should you have a reason? Yes. By the way, not fitting into a company’s culture is a valid reason.

Documentation. Should you document your reasons for firing? Yes and no. This is not legal doubletalk. What I mean is, you should not list reasons in writing. You don’t put a lot in a termination letter. It should be something to the effect of: “As of this

date, your employment is terminated. Your final paycheck will be in the amount of $X. Please return the following items (such as keys).”

What you don’t do is list the reasons you want to fire the person; that is not going to help your case if there’s pushback. You can talk to the person about it (“You were late 366 days last year, which is amazing, since there are only 365 days in a year”), but you do not put that information in the termination letter.

If you put reasons in writing and the person files some sort of claim, those listed reasons become things that person can try to disprove.

The other area where you document things is in the employee files. During reviews, it’s important to include the Hoover discussion. This is where you tell the employee where he or she sucks. That’s a Hoover discussion, and they’re not fun.

The problem is, we want to tell people how good they are. We want to tell them what they’ve done right. But every year, you need to also tell employees what they’ve done wrong and what they need to work on. If you fire someone who’s been with you for 10 years and his file makes him look like he’s been a star employee, that’s not going to help you.

Pay violations. I see many employers get in trouble over firings not because of some discrimination claim but because of pay violations. When you fire someone, don’t start making up reasons why you don’t want to pay that person.

Most states require you to make that final paycheck after termination faster than your normal payroll—sometimes as quickly as within two or three days. You definitely have to make it no later than your normal payroll.

Some employers want to withhold money. You are not allowed to do that. If you think there’s a reason for doing so, you need to get a court order.

Accrued vacation. A lot of states require you go pay for unused vacation time, and a lot of employers don’t want to pay. But if your state requires it, do it.

Don’t start creating issues and problems for yourself over a few hundred dollars in a final paycheck.

Impatience. One thing I see a lot is employers putting up with problems for a long time and them all of a sudden deciding to fire someone on a whim. Do not do that. You should take longer to decide to fire

MANAGEMENT

If they’re wearing your uniforms with your logos on them

and handing out business cards with your contact information

on them, they’re probably not independent contractors.

This area of “independent contractors” is being reviewed

more and more closelyby the government.


someone than you do to hire someone.I don’t mean you should procrastinate

about dealing with issues. Address issues quickly. But before you fire someone, investigate things thoroughly.

Employee manuals. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I never had a policy, I’ve just tried to do my very best each and every day.” Powerful stuff, right? No; that was an idiotic thing to say. It’s probably the worst advice you could give to someone running a business.

Employee policy manuals are good, as long as you have good policies and you follow them. If you don’t follow your policies, having an employee manual will hurt you. So create good written policies and follow them.

If you have a policy manual, make sure all employees sign a statement that they’ve read it, they accept it and they’re going to follow it.

Also, review and, if necessary, update your policy manual every year. During that annual employee review you’re going to schedule, have each employee read the updates and sign off on them.

Customer complaintsHow do you handle complaints by customers? You don’t ignore them. You apologize—but you don’t. You apologize by saying “I understand you’re upset,” but you don’t say, “I’m sorry we made a mistake.” You recognized that the customer has an issue, and you document your response, but you don’t take the blame for it.

This advice is especially important if you’re writing the customer a letter. You do not want to put in writing that you’ve done anything wrong.

The leading cause of lawsuits by customers is having a complaint ignored. Don’t put these people off; I guarantee it will come back to haunt you.

If a customer threatens a lawsuit, call your attorney—don’t call their attorney. A lot of times people think if they can just talk to the irate customer’s attorney and explain what happened, they can make the attorney and his clients understand. You can’t. The only thing you’ll do is open yourself up to more liability.

When you talk to your attorney, that

conversation is privileged, protected. But when you talk to someone else’s attorney, what you say can and will be used against you.

So if people threaten you with a lawsuit, ask them for a reasonable period of time to make amends. Give them a timeline you can stick to, and don’t threaten them in return. Then call your attorney and try to find a resolution.

And don’t ever say, “You know what, go ahead and file a lawsuit.”

The media. The media are not your friend. When they’re talking to you it might seem like they’re your friend, but they are not, and you need to know that.

If you’re going to be interviewed, prepare a statement and keep it simple. Never misstate the facts. There’s always a way to write something that’s true and that makes things sound great.

Before you talk to the media, go over your statement with people you trust who are not in the industry, because you need to make sure that members of the general public will be able to understand what you’re trying to get across. r

MANAGEMENT

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[email protected] PET SERVICES

As members of the memorialization and funeral profession, we understand the importance of

preplanning our final wishes. We know how important it is to give the gift of peace of mind to the families we serve, the peace that comes with knowing your loved one’s final wishes are squared away. We understand that by planning ahead, these families won’t be burdened with making important decisions during an incredibly difficult time.

When we talk about family, whom do we mean? We can mean a husband and wife, mother and father, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, close friends and so on.

But many people forget that our furry and feathered friends are also part of many families, and thinking about how their lives will be honored is important, too.

For many of us, our pet is a dinner date, a snuggle buddy, a “wing man,” a friend to exercise and play with and so much more. Our pets love us and depend on us. I believe they deserve the same respect as anyone else who has touched our lives.

If a family has already preplanned their final wishes, the wisdom of preplanning a pet’s final needs shouldn’t be a difficult conversation to begin.

What does a pet prearrangement include? Families more apt to choose a traditional burial for human members might be willing to be a bit more creative with the final

disposition and memorialization of their family pet.

Talk to them about disposition options and help them decide between traditional burial and cremation. If they choose cremation, make sure they know about the many possibilities for the final disposition of cremated remains.

Talk to them about service options, as well. Maybe they would like to hold a short graveside service with a balloon release to which they invite friends as well as family. Or maybe they want a more intimate ceremony with only the immediate family present.

If they want to bury their cherished companion, help them pick a pet casket and vault. If they choose cremation, show them your selection of urns and cremation jewelry. Preplanning gives you

The importance of preplanning for our furry & feathered friends

➤Linda Darby-Dowers is CEO of Trigard, Trigard Memorials, a memorial park and seven funeral homes in Illinois, Indiana

and Arizona. Her family has been in the funeral industry for four generations, helping families remember, celebrate and heal.www.trigard.com

by Linda Darby-Dowers

ICCFA Magazine author spotlight Funeral and memorialization professionals

should be discussing the benefits of preplanning for everyfamily member, including our animal companions.

Trigard’s display at the 2015 Annual Convention & Exposition included a section on pet memorialization. Part of KapLind’s display at PLPA College, held during the 2015 ICCFA Convention.

Part of Terrybear’s display at PLPA College, held during the 2015 ICCFA Convention.


plenty of time to discuss memorialization. Families have nearly countless options for telling the story of their pet’s life through memorialization.

Even if you’re used to families choosing from the same small selection of memorial borders and styles for their loved ones, don’t be afraid to introduce new pet memorial products.

There are beautiful bronze ground memorials with fullcolor pictures, memorial rocks that hold cremated remains in a

compartment and niche towers that nestle into the landscape of your cemetery.

The number of cremation options designed specifically for pets has

proliferated the past few years and continues to grow, so make sure you attend trade shows, read trade magazines and pour over supplier catalogs to keep up with the latest offerings.

What if a family doesn’t preplan final wishes for their pet? You need to help families understand that, as in the case of any loved one, the arrangements will need to be made at the time of their cherished companion’s death. It will be a difficult and possibly overwhelming process, just like any atneed arrangement.

Families unaware of the possibilities may simply have their veterinarian’s office cremate the animal. The family will take home their pet’s cremated remains, which may sit on a shelf or get lost in a closet without any kind of permanent memorialization.

It’s probably worth asking families preplanning for a pet if they have the cremated remains of previously deceased pets stored at home. They might want to bring those old containers out of storage and place the remains in a new urn and/or other cremation memorialization product.

For many families, a pet’s life is no less important to remember than any other. As an animal lover, I understand the heartbreaking grief families suffer when they lose a beloved pet. That is why we must educate pet owners about the options available for memorializing these important family members. r

P E T S E R V I C E S

Part of Meadow Hill’s display at PLPA College, held during the 2015 ICCFA Convention.

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[email protected] PETS/COMMUNITY OUTREACH

West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, is

just now working on getting into the pet cemetery business, but animal lovers have been enjoying the grounds for years. In addition to being among the cemeteries that welcomes dog-walkers, WLH holds two events each year that raise the historic cemetery’s profile among pet owners and generate donations for pet causes.

West Laurel Hill has an extensive community outreach effort, with events as varied as a book club, a fun run, an Easter egg hunt, a beer tour and tasting and a murder mystery dinner theater.

Pet-themed events provide yet another way to bring visitors into the cemetery, perhaps reaching different people, said Priyanka Setty, West Laurel Hill’s events coordinator. And once the planning was under way for a pet section, pet events provided an additional way to let animal-

Welcoming dogs and their humans into the cemetery

➤Priyanka Setty is events coordinator for West Laurel Hill Cemetery. In addi-tion to organizing pet-friendly events for the cemetery, she also works with local pet organizations to further their mis-sions in the community. [email protected]➤Rachel Wolgemuth is historian for West Laurel Hill Cemetery and leads a variety of tours throughout the year.➤Incorporated in 1869, West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, is a non-profit and non-denominational cemetery. It is associated with Bring-hurst Funeral Home and Turner Funeral Home. www.westlaurelhill.com

by ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor Susan Loving

ICCFA Magazine subject spotlightIf you allow dog-walkers at your cemetery,

an organized tour is simply an extension of the hospitality you already offer them, but even if you don’t,

it’s easy to add dog-centric events to your calendar.

This monument in West Laurel Hill Cemetery is for Lee A. Holloway, a man who loved his pets. Though West Laurel Hill is just now working on developing a pet cemetery, it has long wel-comed dog-walkers, and holds two dog-centric tours each year.

Participants in the Puppy Prance enjoy a springtime tour of the cemetery.

Start every day at the ICCFA Café at www.iccfa.com October 2015 27

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lovers know about planning for this new service.

In the fall, Woof, Wag ’n Walk offers guided walking tours of the cemetery while raising money for a local pet-related charity. This year’s recipient was Paws and Affection, a nonprofit group that trains service dogs for children with disabilities.

This event also includes a pet fair, featuring vendors such as pet stores, dog walkers and others who provide pet goods and services. “It’s a fun little fair for people to check out before the tour,” Setty said.

“While West Laurel Hill has been hosting dog walks for nine or ten years, the events have grown over time and now have more of a focus on community partners. Woof, Wag ’n Walk was our first signature pet event, and Puppy Prance came more recently.

“Last year we really wanted to focus on the Montgomery County SPCA,” Setty said. “It’s located close to us and we’ve worked with them in the past, so that’s how the Puppy Prance came about. And we wanted to do a signature spring event.”

The Puppy Prance also involves a guided tour, this one featuring pet stories unearthed by staff historian Rachel Wolgemuth, whose duties include doing research on the people interred at the cemetery.

Pets aren’t yet buried at West Laurel Hill, but the stops on the Puppy Prance tour include Septimus Winner, 1827-1902, a songwriter who wrote “Oh Where, Oh, Where Has My Little Dog Gone,” and Eldridge Reeves Johnson, 1867-1945, who founded the Victor Talking Machine Co., known for its trademark featuring Nipper the dog and the tagline, “His Master’s Voice.”

“We don’t have an unlimited supply of pet-related stories, so depending on the route we take through the cemetery, we’ll include other notable people,” Setty said.

The walking tours last around an hour, perhaps a bit longer. The organizers try to keep in mind that some of the small dogs can only walk so far without tiring, Setty said. “This year everyone stayed with us for the entire tour.”

Little staff time is involved in repeating these type of events once they’ve gotten off the ground, Setty said. Wolgemuth routinely does research about the cemetery and the people interred there, providing material for the different tours offered throughout the year. Because of the pet fair, the Woof, Wag ’n Walk does take a bit more time to organize than the Puppy Prance, Setty said.

Above and below, notices in the cemetery’s newsletter about West Laurel Hill’s two pet-themed annual tours.

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Above, people and pups participating in a tour at West Laurel Hill pose with the Holloway monument, which symbolizes his deep affection for his pets, calling them “more than just friends.” Below, a table at the Woof, Wag ’n Walk vendor fair.

Events are listed on West Laurel Hill’s website and included in the newsletter, and the cemetery has an email list for contacting people about events. When you partner with a local organization such as a humane society, that group helps with promotion, Setty pointed out. West Laurel Hill markets events on social media and in local newspapers, as well.

Reaching out to pet-related businesses and organizations is the most important thing to do if your cemetery wants to start holding pet-themed events, Setty said. “They will have the contacts with people who will be interested in pet events.”

And don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a large turn-out the first time you hold a new event, Setty said. “Consistency is the key. Start small and build up over time. Word will spread.”

Also, with outdoor events you need

to decide whether the event will go on regardless of the weather or whether you want to plan for cancellation or postponement to a later date in case of rain

or snow. If you have an alternate date set in case of bad weather, be sure to include that in the announcement.

Holding raffles at these events is a good way to build a list of names and contact information while offering an added inducement to attend, Setty said. West Laurel Hill has people register, providing their name and their dog’s name, and then raffles off several prizes.

“We also work with one of our local pet stores to provide little goodie bags so that each dog goes home with one—it’s really cute.”

For now, the cemetery has settled on two pet events per year, but more might be added in the future, even if they’re simply low-key dog-walking events, Setty said.

People like bringing their dogs to the cemetery for a walk, and with plans

to open The Laurels: For the Love of Our Pets pet cemetery soon, West Laurel Hill is happier than ever to accommodate them. r

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[email protected]

➤Van Beck is one of the most sought-after speakers and educators in funeral service.www.toddvanbeck.com

➤He is the director of continuing educa-tion for John A. Gupton College, Nashville, Tennessee.www.guptoncollege.edu➤He is dean of ICCFA University’s College of Funeral Home Management.➤Van Beck received the ICCFA Educational Foundation’s first ever Lasting Impact Award in 2014.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Funeral directors and cemeterians who love the profession build up a wealth of experience from working with people that enables them

to serve families better and better as they learn more and more.

ICCFA Magazineauthor spotlight

“Like” Todd Van Beck on Facebook today!f

I have often thought and said that most funeral/cemetery professionals deserve a PhD in “experiential expertise.” In

other words, their life knowledge really goes way beyond the standard academic degree. There is nothing comparable in the world to the experiences of the average funeral director or cemeterian across the globe.

Platitude or not, I believe there is deep substance in the idea that the more we strive to know about ourselves, the better we can understand, evaluate and control our behavior, and the better we can understand and appreciate the behaviors of others.

This is what experiential expertise is all about, and this type of deep knowledge takes time, a great deal of time, to bear fruit.

Such an attitude definitely helps the bereaved client family to trust us. They know who we are, for we, the funeral and cemetery professionals, having accepted what we are, shall feel no need to hide behind a mask, to be a phony, to be an arrogant snob.

As most veteran funeral/cemetery professionals have learned well, it is crucial in the arrangements interview that as professionals we not be preoccupied with ourselves but concentrate whole-heartedly on the client family. This is a skill that takes time to acquire. The more you do it, the better you get—or that is the idea, anyway.

We can be free to listen, to attempt to understand just as much as possible—in brief, to be genuinely interested, because nothing in us gets in the way of our task, which is to build a trusting, respectful and lasting relationship with the client family. It is in the arena of human communication that truly experiential expertise blossoms.

A case studyYears ago, I worked with a young person who had just graduated from mortuary

college and was serving an internship at the funeral home I managed in Iowa. She interviewed very well—she made a great first impression—but after one month most everyone who worked in the mortuary realized that she was not devoted to funeral service. She was devoted to the drama in her “soap opera” lifestyle.

Her normal day revolved around play-by-play reports of her latest argument with the latest of her suitors, and if in the middle of her theatrics she needed to go on a death call, she actually gave every indication that she was being “put out” by having to respond to the death of a human being, despite this being the funeral home’s mission.

Her addiction to her own life dramas was so self-consuming that she even began sharing (more like boring) her theatrical life issues with people who came off the street to innocently attend a visitation or service. To be sure, she was young, terribly young, and to be sure we had conversation after conversation about how she needed to improve her behavior.

Nevertheless, in the end her soap opera life prevailed and she found employment in another funeral home, a place that, in her own words, “understood and appre-ciated her.”

If she indeed was allowed to continue in her behavior, all chance of her developing solid experiential expertise was simply frozen, paralyzed. She was licensed; she passed the National Board; she passed her state exam, but that was it. In terms of professional development, she was stuck! Have you ever encountered anyone like that in your workplaces?

Looking back, I have concluded that this young lady was not derailed by her personal crises per se, but because she was missing the one essential ingredient necessary for a funeral/cemetery professional to develop experiential expertise: a genuine love of funeral and cemetery service.

by ICCFA Magazine columnist Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE

Keys to service: Experience

More from this author➤Van Beck’s new book, “Reverence for the Dead: The Unavoidable Link.” The book addresses in detail the ethical standards of caring for the dead and the ethical consequenc-es of not doing so. It can be ordered at www.amazon.com

➤to page 33


A genuine love of our great and beloved profession is one of the foundational bedrocks if we are to explore the substance and meaning of funeral/cemetery expertise. Without genuine love of service in our profession, your efforts will always be less than they could have been. When this happens, it is a pity for everybody involved.

Because of the immense power that a genuine love of funeral service possesses in purity of purpose, the authentic funeral/cemetery professional developing experiential expertise sees as its very antithesis the idea of having an out-of-control ego or being so caught up in your own agenda, as that young woman was, that you have nothing to offer others.

A selfish funeral/cemetery professional (now there’s something that ought to be an oxymoron) actually ends up working to shore up her insecure ego or trying to make up for what’s happening in his dysfunctional life instead of helping client families make difficult decisions, which is what provides experiential expertise.

This approach in pursuing funeral/cemetery expertise holds that at its core is the basic human concept of selfless humble service to others. Without this, the profession loses its sacred aspect. Without a genuine love of funeral/cemetery service, the arrangement confer ence descends into an experience for the family which might be analogous to having an appointment with H&R Block or an insurance representative.

Trusting our own ideas and feelings constitutes another important quality of funeral/cemetery expertise. To me, this type of trusting in no way entails us telling the client family what to do. Most veteran professionals would not do that even if asked.

Instead, this type of expertise centers around the professional’s openness, ability and knowledge in presenting options, alternatives and suggestions.

One of the new responsibilities of the contemporary funeral/cemetery professional is to take on the role of the suggestion-maker, of telling families about options they have no idea are available,

that they had never thought about before.People who genuinely love something

or somebody usually have a myriad of suggestions on how things can be done better, more safely, more creatively and more lovingly. Most parents understand this approach to “suggestion-making” very well indeed. If you love something, your experiences and your developed expertise naturally lead you to offer your thoughts, counsel, advice. This is an essential in our professional expertise.

The result of suggestion-making is that because most funeral/cemetery professionals possess priceless experiential

expertise which cannot be found anywhere else, we (you and I) have an important and valuable story to tell, and we ought to be able to make one suggestion after another, simply based on our experience.

We have the knowledge that comes from being in the trenches, being on the front lines confronting death on a hour-by-hour basis. We need to tell our client families what we know. We always need to tell our story—we should never be timid or shy about doing so. Our story in and of itself will help us move far beyond the traditional, old-fashioned order-taking method of making arrangements. r

P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T

People who genuinely love something or somebody usually have a myriad of suggestions on how things can be done better, more safely, more creatively and more lovingly.

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Supply Line

READERS: To find the products and ser-vices you need online, go to www.iccfa.com and select “directory” to find:

Supply Link Search Engine, the fastest way to find the products and services you need at your funeral home, cemetery or crematory.

SUPPLIERS: Send your press releases about your new products and services, and about awards, personnel changes and other news to [email protected] for inclusion in Supply Line. Large files that will not go through the ICCFA server can be sent to [email protected].

Milto

Strickland

Lipa

Organizing Your Family Legacy’s guide to organizing end-of-life documents and wishes.

FrontRunner’s new website and printed materials that can be generated.

Passages’ new catalog.

n passages international, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has released a new product catalog, which is available online. The catalog introduces several new products, including two new scatter tube de-signs, a new shell color, two new coffins and shrouds. 1.888.480.6400; sales@passagesinternationalcom; www.PassagesInternational.com n organize your family leg-acy, Traverse City, Michigan, provides a comprehensive guide to organizing key records and documents as well as end-of-life wishes. Co-written by Edward C. Mey-ers and Sharon K. Nick, the user-friendly guide offers clearly written instructions and a step-by-step plan to organize documents and data such as insurance information, financial and banking data, wills, trusts, ac-count information, digital account creden-tials and end-of-life wishes in one location. Meyers discovered firsthand the need for this resource after his wife died. The product received the Publisher’s Choice Award in the July 2014 issue of Boomer Times. 1.800.644.0133; [email protected]; www.organizingyourfamilylegacy.comn funeral Directors life insur-ance co., Abilene, Texas, has named Don strickland as a new director of sales de-velopment. He has extensive experience with insurance needs and personnel train-ing. Strickland has worked as a client consultant, business developer, salesperson and marketing advisor. He owned and operated a business in the insurance field for almost 15 years. Most recently, he led the sales team at an international corpo-ration through education seminars, event marketing, employee recruitment and direct sales. www.funeraldirectorslife.comn legacy.com, Evanston, Illinois, has introduced a features sections with original articles on topics examining life and death. Senior Managing Editor Halley Burns and her team have created a series of interviews giving voice to the terminally ill, exploring death cafes and educating readers about natural burial options. Topics range from celebrity deaths to everyday heroes, from practical guides on funeral etiquette to articles on how sharing a secret might be a first step in preventing a suicide. www.legacy.comn frontrunner, Kingston, Ontario, has unveiled an advanced funeral website. It features up-to-date mobile-friendly tech-nology and the Book of Memories memorial website generator. It also includes unlimited

DVD tribute video generation and unlim-ited print-on-demand custom stationery at no extra charge. It also includes a document handler engine that instantly prints all forms such as proof of death statements, clergy and cemetery records and a growing selec-tion of in-house and government forms. Funeral homes using this new edition will have the choice to turn on revenue genera-tors or opt to turn them off. 1.866.748.3625; www.FrontRunner360.comn national mortu-ary shipping, Cleve-land, Ohio, has promoted Katherine m. lipa to second shift supervisor. Lipa has been with NMS since March 2005 working in the account-ing department. She has also worked alongside funeral directors assisting with out-of-town deaths for the past three years. www.natlmortuaryshipping.comn funeral research anD insight, Indianapo-lis, Indiana, has debuted a family satisfaction survey. The survey has been de-signed to be brief and can be completed over the phone, online or with mobile devices at the family’s convenience, company President Rose Milto said. It measures various aspects of families’ funeral experience. In addition to quarterly scorecards, annual results identify those aspects that drive satisfaction at the funeral home, for both cremation and burial families. 317.865.1413; [email protected]; www.funeralresearch.comn Kyle & associates, Hebron, Indi-ana, recently made a donation to Bridg-ing Bionics foundation in honor of mike medo. Medo was diagnosed a quadriplegic in 2001 after a slip and fall accident at his Michigan home. He always believed that


he’d walk again and is closer than ever thanks to groundbreaking technological advances and assistance from the Bridg-ing Bionics Foundation, Basalt, Colorado, and new technology called the ReWalk. He has used a ReWalk at the University of Michigan, but his insurance will not cover the $90,000 cost it would take to bring one home for daily use. Kyle and Associates stepped in, making donations each time a Facebook friend visited thecompany’s Face-book page and hit the “like” button. 219.613.6481; [email protected] orlanDo creative services, Clearwater, Florida, offers promotional tools for funeral professionals. Services include design, websites, branding, image enhancement and other promotional tools for print and electronic media. Creative Director Paul Orlando was co-founder of Adfinity and worked for MKJ Marketing and FrontRunner Professional. 727.791.7160; [email protected]; www.orlandocreativeservices.com

n great western insurance company, Ogden, Utah, has promoted shelly payan to client and company relationship expert. She joined GWIC in 1987 as the first employee and has served in several su-pervisory and management

positions. She is a business administration graduate of the Stevens Henager School of Business in Ogden.

Also, Great Western recently surpassed the milestone of $1 billion in assets. GWIC was founded in 1983 by John E. Lindquist, owner of Lindquist Mortuaries & Cemeter-ies. With over $1 billion in assets, the firm’s surplus to liability ratio is among the high-est in the industry. 1.866.689.1415; www.gwic.com n storyclip, Conway, Arizona, has a new video memorial application allow-ing creation of personal video keepsakes. Following a memorial during which family and friends record messages, StoryClip automatically combines video recordings into a single polished video, along with the obituary photo and funeral home logo, making it available for viewing, sharing and download via the web or smartphone. StoryClip is accessed via an easy-to-use touchscreen tablet with video camera and microphone, all housed in an optional all-wood housing and stand. Guests can re-cord their condolences using a touchscreen interface that operates with the simplicity similar to recording a voicemail greeting on a phone. www.StoryClip.comn passare, San Francisco, California, has launched a new website designed for funeral service providers at provider.passare.com. “Passare’s consum-er-facing website offers many tools and re-sources for families, but has been deficient in information for providers who may wish to learn more about Passare’s SaaS (soft-ware as a service)-based platform,” said Kris Seale, company president. “This new website was created to help funeral service providers learn more about Passare’s unique solution for enhancing their service to families in the digital age.”

The new website features in-depth information on the Passare platform, including how Passare works, the benefits of using Passare for funeral directors and families alike, and how Passare is helping clients reimagine the funeral experience. 925.968.9495; www.passare.comn KuBota, Torrance, California, has in-troduced three new commercial walk-be-hind gas-powered mowers, the WG14-36, WH15-48 and the WHF19-52. The mowers are available in three deck widths and each model is powered by a reliable Kawasaki V-twin gasoline engine with outputs ranging from 14 to 19 horsepower. The WG14-36 features a five-speed gear-drive transmis-sion with reverse assist, and the WH15-48

S U P P LY L I N E

Alice Kyle of Kyle & Associates pro-vides Mike Medo with a check.

Payan

Above and below, StoryClip’s touch-screen tablet, used for recording memo-rial messages.

A screen grab from the explanatory vid-eo at Passare’s new website designed specifically for funeral professionals.

and WHF19-52 use proven hydro-gear variable displacement pumps with Parker wheel motors. All three mowers feature fabricated welded steel decks and are equipped with a powerful 125 foot-pound electric clutch, maintenance-free spindles and easy-to-use controls. All three mowers have adjustable cutting heights. 1.888.458.2682, ext. 900; www.kubota.com r


Update Send in news about your cemetery, funeral home, crematory or association to [email protected]. If you publish a newsletter, please email a copy to [email protected] or mail to: Susan Loving, ICCFA, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164.

n stygar family funeral ser-vice, St. Charles and Florissant, Missouri, are helping local first responders by making available download of the vital ice phone app. The app allows users to store their contact information, emergency contacts, al-

lergies, current medications, allergies to medications, medical history and a copy of their insurance card. The app also provides first-aid sce-narios, a one-touch dial of 911 with GPS location and an

emergency group that can be notified of the user’s distress and location. It also includes a reminders section where the user can enter in doctors, appointments and daily medications.

The program also includes distribu-tion of Vitalboards by the funeral homes. They are write-on/wipe-off magnetic memo boards that can be affixed to a refrigerator.

The boards include a planner, shopping list, note area and a section for important phone numbers. On the reverse side, there is room for each residentto record critical health information.

Stygar is providing the app and boards as a way to give back to the community.n pittsBurgh institute of mor-tuary science, Pittsburgh, Pennsylva-nia, is holding a continuing education event, 2015-pims Best practices 102, on Decem-ber 4. The program features “What is your funeral home worth in today’s marketplace and how to prepare for succssion,” presented by Shannen Mayfield; “In consideration of ethical funeral service practice,” presented by Dr. Barry Lease; and “Child abuse: Recogni-tion and reporting,” presented by Dr. Joseph Marsaglia. Effective at the beginning of this year, licensed funeral directors in Pennsyl-vania have had to comply with a new license renewal requirement to include child abuse content in continuing education courses. n olD city cemetery, Lynchburg, Virginia, held a blessing of the animals dur-ing a celebration of the feast day of st. fran-cis of assisi. Episcopalian clergy provided the service in front of the cemetery chapel. Visi-

tors were invited to bring their pets or photos of their pets for a blessing. Donations of dog or cat food or money were requested for the Lynchburg Humane Society, which was on hand with animals available for adoption.

n founDation part-ners, Orlando, Florida, has hired Kitty alexander as manager, community out-reach and marketing. Alexan-der brings more than a decade of long-term care experience to the position as well as a diverse background in funeral

Old City Cemetery’s animal blessing.

Above and right, the Stations of the Cross feature at Mobile Memorial Gardens. Crema-tion inurnment opportunities are available along the path.

The Vital ICE phone app being provided by Stygar Family Funeral Services.

n moBile memorial garDens, Mobile, Alabama, recently added a stations of the cross feature in its catholic garden of cruci-fixion. Star Granite designed 14 etchings in black granite panels attached to gray granite memorials. The passion journey begins and ends at the Crucifix Mausoleum. Cremation inurnment options are available along the path, and sponsorship of the individual stations is also available. When the memorial park was founded more than 60 years ago, founder Charles Miller envisioned telling stories of the life of Christ in different gardens, including the Gardens of Last Supper, Gethsemane, Transfiguration, Sermon on the Mount, Apostles, Waters of Life, Tree of Life, Peace and Resurrection.

Also, richard f. “Dick” perl, ccfe, retired from the company effective september 30. He had served as the company’s vice president, sales and marketing, for the past 11 years. He provided training and guidance during his tenure for many counselors entering the death-care field for the first time. He will continue with the company in a consulting role for the next year. r

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Buddy Pha-neuf, right, with John Heald of Tributes.com during an episode of the radio show “Dying to Talk.”

service spanning almost 10 years. She began her funeral service career as a funeral director in Mississippi and later served as advance sales counselor with a firm in Tennessee. After her tenure in funeral service, she joined a long-term care company in East Tennessee, which owned and managed four retirement communities, where she held various market-ing, sales and community relations positions. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from East Tennessee State University as well as an associate’s degree in funeral service from Gupton-Jones College. She also has experi-ence dealing in OSHA matters, state surveys and Medicare audits.n The Board of Directors of carriage services, Houston, Texas, has approved a $20 million increase in its authorization for repurchases of the company’s common stock. On May 21, the board had approved the repurchase of up to $25 million of the company’s common stock. Through Septem-ber 25, the company had used $23.9 million of that authorization to purchase approxi-mately 1,044,000 shares of common stock, with $1.1 million remaining available for future purchases.n hartsale pet cemetery & crematory, Hartsdale, New York, has become the first and only pet facility in New York to pass the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories (IAOPCC) accreditation program. “Over the years, we have remained steadfast in adhering to our responsibility to set a high standard in the industry,” said Hartsdale Pet Cemetery Vice President Edward Martin III. “Accreditation raises the standard and maintains integrity in the pet aftercare industry which instills confidence to those who use our services. This accreditation validates our efforts just was it was validated in 1991. That was when New York State passed legislation to regulate pet cemeteries, crematories and veterinar-ians. Legislators consulted with us and used Hartsdale’s procedures as a model while draft-ing those laws.” Family-owned and -operated

for over 40 years, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery is America’s first pet grounds, established in 1896. It is the only pet cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is ranked as the best pet cemetery in the world. It is a certified National Wildlife Habitat.n the pet loss center, Austin, Texas, has launched two Dallas-area locations and one austin location. The company is owned by business partners Nick Padlo and Coleen Ellis. The Pet Loss Center offers pet own-

ers and veterinary clinics final arrangement services including cremation, memorializa-tion, ritual options and pet-loss grief sup-port. Whether through a keepsake necklace, a journey urn that celebrates the chapter between pet and pet owner or a memorial service in one of the viewing rooms, The Pet Loss Center offers a variety of options for pet owners to choose from.

The Pet Loss Center developed Trusted Journey, a software system that tracks pets from their initial pickup from a veterinary clinic or pet parent’s home to their final good-bye. The Trusted Journey software system ensures pets are well taken care of along every step of the journey, giving pet owners and vets peace of mind knowing exactly where their pet is in the process. “Honoring a pet after death is a natural way to mourn loss,” said Ellis. “We give pet parents the permission to mourn and memorialize their pet. We provide ways to celebrate the life of a pet while offer-ing emotional guidance for pet parents and their families, including their children and other pets who are experiencing the loss of their beloved friend.” r

Hartsdale Pet Cem-etery Vice President Edward Martin III, cen-ter, and Chris Cooper, Hartsdale’s crematory manager, accept an accreditation plaque from Angie Hansen, president of the International Associa-tion of Pet Cemeteries & Crematories at the association’s annual conference in Nash-ville, Tennessee.

U P D A T E

n phaneuf funeral homes anD crematorium and the cre-mation society of new hampshire, Manchester, New Hampshire, has started hosting a weekly radio show, “Dying to talk.” The show features a lighthearted look at topics no one wants to talk about. The show airs Saturday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., with a rebroadcast on Sundays starting at 6:30 a.m. It will run for 52 weeks.

Hosted by Buddy Phaneuf, the shows offer a different discussion topic each week, with guests appearing as well. Topics include cremation, veterans funeral and burial benefits, the role of medical examiners, the growth of non-traditional funerals and religious customs and traditions, of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and other religions.

“I don’t think there are many, if any, radio talk shows like this hosted by a funeral director,” said Phaneuf. We want to offer people the opportunity to talk about some things that they might shy away from, or find difficult to discuss. We’ll do this with a touch of humor.” r


I C C FA N E W S

Wide World of Sales • January 13-15, 2016 • Las Vegas, NevadaMake your sales faster, higher, stronger

Mike Pierce

Las Vegas will feel a fresh, cold breeze coming in on Thursday morning January 14, 2016, as “Antarctic Mike” Pierce teaches you how to Sell at 90º Below Zero.

Pierce speaks from experience. He has a successful 20-year track record of success in sales, the recruitment industry and the speaking business.

During his expeditions in Antarctica, Pierce realized that mental conditioning and persistence are the most important tools that a person can possess. This goes beyond marathon running in extreme conditions; it can be applied to the sales profession.

Specifically about selling and designed for sales profes sionals and sales team leaders, this session will teach you how to:

• Develop an effective plan of the right sales activity at the right place and time

• Increase mental strength and develop sound habits of discipline

• Differentiate yourself from competitors and stand out

• Spend more time with customers and the right prospects

• Sell more effectively and more often. q

➤to page 40

Weldon Long

Weldon Long changed his life–and can change yours–with the Power of Sales Consistency.

For the better part of his first 30 years, Weldon Long’s life was marred with time in prison, poverty and addiction. In 2003, he walked out of prison broke and homeless. By 2009, he built an Inc. 5000 company with over $20 million in revenue.

How did he do it?He created The Power of Consistency for Sales Excellence,

a sales training program he used to transcend decades of misery and create an exceptional life of wealth, happiness and peace of mind for himself and his family.

He will teach you the three cornerstones of his plan, including how to:

• Get your MIND right.• Get the SALES right.• Get the

IMPLEMENTATION right.

Long will show you how to create a personalized, easy-to-follow sales plan. Using this program on a daily basis will improve your long-term sales performance. q Weldon Long Mike Pierce

So much to see and learn at the 2016 Wide World of Sales

Here is a peek at some of the breakout sessions you should plan to attend at the 2016 Wide World of Sales Conference. There is plenty to learn for anyone

interested in sales counseling and managing.On Thursday morning starting at 10:30 a.m., Dale Amundsen

will present “Dealing with the Four F.E.A.R. Motivations.” He explains how in only five minutes, potential customers will

make a decision on whether or not they will trust you. Five minutes can open, or close, their minds for good. Learn how to read what is important to them and relate to anyone by identifying their primary

F.E.A.R. motivations, whether they are a Fatalist, Exasperator, Appraiser or Relater.

Later on Thursday afternoon, join Mike Regina at 2:15 p.m. He will tell you all about “Working Leads with Technology.”

Regina has an MBA in online marketing along with seven years of experience in email marketing and sales. He will explain how consumers now have more access to information than ever before. Sales teams are leveraging technology to gain deeper insight into each lead they touch. Regina will cover some of the most useful software solutions that advanced sales people are using, as well as how these tools can be applied to your sales process starting now. Whether you are tech savvy or a novice, don’t miss this breakout.


I C C FA N E W S

➤from page 39 Thank you to our sponsors

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Biondan North America

Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries

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NGL: National Guardian Life Insurance Co.

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StoneMor Partners LP

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The Signature Group

Trigard

Wilbert Funeral Services

Gain even more tools and tips about marketing in the digital age. Eric Spellmann, owner of a large website design and online marketing company, will detail how you could be “Turning Clicks Into Customers.”

Your website should impact your bottom line, and with a few key steps, that online presence can generate leads and sales. Learn how to plan, prepare and execute a successful web design project, as well as how to choose the right web designer before you spend your money on a new site.

WWS isn’t just for talks and networking. You will get a chance to see people in action. This year, WWS offers an amazing opportunity: a tour of the Zappos corporate headquarters on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $30 per person. There are only 40 spaces available, so you must act quickly to reserve your spot. The tour will end in time for participants to return for the Fireside Chat in the afternoon.

This 90-minute excursion offers a glimpse into the Zappos culture and a walk in a Zappo employees’ shoes. Get a glimpse of their amazing culture-filled departments, such as merchandising, HR and their customer service team. This tour of a company that has turned the traditional business model on its side will be sure to inspire and educate.

The Monte Carlo Resort & Casino not only will be the host hotel, but also is offering room rates at a discounted $64 a night. The resort has eight restaurants on premises with a range of flavors to satisfy your every desire, from American to French to Italian to Chinese. Recharge by scheduling yourself some relaxation time at the full-service hotel spa or feel the burn at the fitness center.

Las Vegas has many attractions near the Monte Carlo for you to enjoy. World-class entertainment is also available close by. The Blue Man Group show at the nearby Luxor has earned rave reviews. The avant-garde troupe combines theatrics, art, music and science to create an interactive, wild and percussion-driven experience full of humor and energy. A discount is available for attendees with tickets starting as low as $56.27. You may order them online at www.iccfa.com/wws. Group discounts of 10+ tickets are available as well.

And the more people that your company sends to the conference, the more money you can save!

You can save more on individual registration if you are an ICCFA member, though you do not need to be a member to attend Wide World of Sales.

Remember to register by December 7 to receive the early bird rate. To register online and make your hotel reservations, visit www.wideworldofsales.com. q


I C C FA N E W S

2016 music licenses now available; lowest price in industry

Music licenses for calendar year 2016 are now available through the ICCFA. The ICCFA is offering licensing with

ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for $263 per property, with no additional fees. For any company that broadcasts funeral services over the Internet, an added $48 webcasting license will be necessary to be in full compliance with copyright law.

Purchase your license now for $263 before January 31, 2016. After this date, the rate will increase to $276. It is the lowest price in the industry, even lower than the NFDA’s.

This rate is a huge savings for ICCFA members. Licensing

directly with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC would cost more than $600 per location.

Music licensing is the law. Failure to obtain a license can be costly, and fines of up to $30,000 for each song can be incurred. If your company hosts live or recorded performances

of copyrighted music, the copyright owners make it a legal requirement to pay an annual licensing fee.

To purchase your music license and to learn more information on music and webcasting licensing, visit www.iccfa.com/music or call 1.800.645.7700. q

Become a Certified Celebrant in Las Vegas this January

The ICCFA has again partnered with the In-Sight Institute for a two-day celebrant training course. Learn how to provide meaningful and personalized funerals for

families, regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof. Celebrant Training is being offered before the Wide World of Sales Conference from Monday, January 11, to Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV.

Doug Manning, Glenda Stansbury and the In-Sight Institute have been training celebrants who serve families and offer the best funeral possible.

A celebrant who has been certified by In-Sight has been trained in the following areas:

• Value of the funeral• Family visits• Listening skills• Presentation skills• Elements of funeral planning• Code of ethics

The ICCFA offers celebrant training that aligns with our mission to help our members continue to thrive in today’s marketplace. Fewer people are choosing to a part of organized religions or wish to have clergy-led funeral services. Celebrants

offer an alternative option for these customers. It’s been found that Certified Celebrant-led services lead to increased customer satisfaction, with families finding them more personal.

Celebrants can offer much to funeral homes. They offer an alternate to church-affiliated services or services led by clergypersons. Some families may not wish to have a traditional religious funeral service.

Celebrants are trained to design services that are completely personal by incorporating unique stories, songs and experiences that defined the deceased. They schedule a special family meeting when the family can share memories, anecdotes and defining moments of the loved one’s life. The essence of the service is based on the remembrances of the family. Family and friends are encouraged to participate in the service.

Celebrants develop a library of resources for readings, music, ceremonies and personal touches. They consult with the family to help them choose elements of the service that best reflect their loved one. They are bound by a code of ethics for complete confidentiality in all dealings with the family.

Celebrant training will be held at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Register for both WWS and celebrant training to save on both events! Cost: $1,100 for members and $1,250 for non-members.

Learn more at www.iccfa.com/celebrants q

C E R T I F I E D

CELEBRANT TRAININGIN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE IN-SIGHT INSTITUTE

KIP awards deadline extended to December 18The application deadline for ICCFA’s Keeping It Personal (KIP) awards has been extended to Friday,

December 18. The mission of the KIP awards is to recognize personalization excellence in the cemetery, cremation and funeral services profession.

Applications and profiles of past winners are available online at www.iccfa.com/kip. q

KIPBest in Personalization

AwardCelebrating 15 y

ears


I C C FA N E W S

Top executives create ‘blue oceans,’ learn to be better managers in Tucson

Leaders of premier cemetery, funeral home, crematory and supplier companies gathered September 30-October 2 at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona, for the ICCFA Fall Management

Conference. The program included a full-day workshop of how to create new markets for your business, a Government & Legal Affairs breakfast, as well as sessions on becoming a whole-hearted leader and creating a culture of candor and change. Mark your calendars for next year’s event: October 5-7 at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, off the coast of Charleston. Look for program information next summer. q

1. Jason Hunter, senior global consultant and practice director for the Blue Ocean Strategy Network. 2. Stephen Gilliland, professor and head of the management and organizations department in the Eller College of Manage-ment at The University of Arizona. 3. Entrepreneur and author Kevin Kruse. 4. Christine Toson Hentges, CCE, ICCFA vice president of external affairs, in the Government & Legal Affairs Breakfast. 5. Tennis tournament partici-pants (left to right): Jordan Yearsley, Christine Toson Hentges, CCE, Rob Treadway, Tim Hentges, Patricia Hansen-Kerr, Amy Shimp, Donna Ans-pach, Larry Anspach, CCE, and Jeffrey Shimp. 6. Reception attendees (left to right): Andy Lopez, Scott Sells, CCFE, Lowell Lohman, Gary Freytag, CCFE, Nancy Lohman, CCFE, and Anthony Lampe. 7. Two photos of the spectacular natural landscape in the Catalina Mountains surrounding the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. 8. (left to right) Gregg Strom, CCE, and Jay Dodds, CFSP, at the Fall Management Golf Tournament.

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easier waythere’s an

Powered by Multiview, ICCFA Supply Link is asuperior tool for our unique community thatstreamlines your efforts to find products and services.Start your search atwww.iccfasupplylink.com

New Members

For inFormation about the iCCFa and membership: • Go to www.iccfa.com/membership to download a benefits brochure and an ap-plication form.• Call 1.800.645.7700 to have membership information faxed or mailed to you.

membership appliCationsAdmission to ICCFA membership normally requires a majority vote of those present and voting at any meeting of the executive committee. The names of all applicants must be published in this magazine. ICCFA members objecting to an application must do so in writing to the ICCFA executive director within 45 days of publication. In the event of an objection, the executive committee will conduct an inquiry. If an applicant is rejected, they will be granted an appeal upon written request. The decision of the Board of Directors shall be final.

Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide

Statement of Ownership, Management & Circulation1. Publication title: ICCFA Magazine.2. Publication no.: 1936-20993. Filing date: October 1, 2015.4. Issue frequency: 10 times per year.5. No. of issues published annually: 10.6. Annual subscription price: $39.95.7. Complete mailing address of known office of pub-

lication: 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468.

8. Complete mailing address of headquarters or gen-eral business office of publisher: 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468.

9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of publisher, editor and managing editor: Pub-lisher—Robert Fells, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468; Editor—none; Managing editor—Susan Loving, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468.

10. Owner: International Cemetery and Funeral Association, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468.

11. Known bondholders, mortgagees and other secu-rity holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None.

12. The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes has not changed during preceding 12 months.

13. Publication name: ICCFA Magazine.14. Issue date for circulation data below: August-

September 2015.15. Extent and nature of circulation—Average no.

copies each issue during preceding 12 months: (a) Total no. copies—8,580; (b) Paid circulation (b1) Mailed outside-county paid—5,164; (b2) Mailed in-county subscriptions—43; (b3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales and other non-USPS paid distribution—387; (b4) Other classes mailed—0; (c) Total paid distribution—5,594; (d) Free or nominal rate distribution (d1) Outside-coun-ty—1,965; (d2) In-county—0; (d3) Other classes mailed—14; (d4) Outside the mail—389; (e) Total free or nominal rate distribution—2,368; (f) Total distribution: 7,962; (g) Copies not distributed—618; (h) Total—8,580; (i) Percent paid circulation—70 percent. Extent and nature of circulation—Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: (a) Total no. copies—7,800; (b) Paid circulation (b1) Mailed outside-county paid—5,312; (b2) Mailed incoun-ty subscriptions—48; (b3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales and other non-USPS paid distribution—403; (b4) Other classes mailed—0; (c) Total paid distribution—5,763; (d) Free or nominal rate distribution (d1) Outside county—1,381; (d2) In-county—0; (d3) Other classes mailed—14; (d4) Free or nominal rate distribution outside the mail—270; (e) Total free or nominal rate dis-tribution—1,665; (f) Total distribution: 7,428; (g) Copies not distributed—372; (h) Total—7,800; (i) Percent paid circulation—78 percent.

16. This statement of ownership will be printed in the December 2015 issue of this publication.

17. Signature and title of editor, publisher, business manager or owner: Susan Loving, Managing Editor.

RegularAnthony Funeral HomesAkron, OhioBouyer Funeral Home Inc. Royal Oak, MichiganGraceNew York, New YorkKrill Funeral ServiceEdgerton, OhioLafayette Memorial ParkFayetteville, North CarolinaNew Orleans Archdiocesan Cemeteries Inc.New Orleans, Louisiana

O’Halloran & Murphy Co.Roseville, Minnesota

Professional/SupplierBurnz-Well Inc.Magnolia, Texas

Professional: Pet Loss Services Heart’s Ease Veterinary Care Louisville, KentuckyTwilight Meadows Mobile Veterinary ServicesRaleigh, North Carolina r


december 1-3: new england Cemetery Assn. 46th Annual Frederick R. Laffond Cemetery Mgmt. Sem., Boxborough, Massacusetts. www.newenglandcemetery.orgdecember 3: maryland Cemetery, Funeral & Cremation Assn. 8th Annual Holiday Gathering, The Rusty Scupper, Baltimore. www.mcfca.usdecember 15: maryland State Funeral Directors Assn. Annual Holiday Mtg. & Party, The Hotel at Arundel Preserve, Hanover. www.msfda.net2016January 13-15: iCCFa Wide World of Sales Conf., Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. www.iccfa.comJanuary 14-16: utah Funeral Directors Assn. Mid-Winter Mtg., Best Western Plus Abbey Inn, Saint George. www.ufda.orgJanuary 15-17: mid-atlantic Monument Builders Assn. Annual Convention Marriott Waterfront, Baltimore, Maryland. www.mid-atlantic.com January 18: new hampshire Funeral Directors Assn. Annual Mtg., Church Landing, Inns & Spa at Mill Falls, Meredith. www.nhfda.orgFebruary 3-4: Cana Cremation Symposim, Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. www.cremationassociation.orgFebruary 2-4: The Center for loss & Life Transition training for funeral directors, “Opening your community’s eyes to why we need funerals,” facilitated by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Scottsdale, Arizona. www.centerforloss.comFebruary 12-14: maryland State Funeral Directors Assn. Mid-Winter Retreat, Clarion Resort & Conf. Center, Ocean City. www.msfda.netFebruary 13-20: Frontrunner & American Academy mcallister Institute of Funeral Service 7th Annual Funeral Business & Technology Workshop Cruise, departing from Miami, Florida. 1.866.748.3625; www.FrontRunner360.com/cruiseFebruary 24-25: International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards Annual Mtg., Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, California. 479.442.7076; www.theconferenceonline.orgFebruary 26-28: Monument Builders of north america Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia. www.monumentbuilders.orgFebruary 29-march 2: mKJ marketing seminar, Top-Line Growth, The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Beaver Creek, Colorado. 1.888.MKJ.1566march 3-5: Casket & Funeral Supply Assn. of America Winter Seminar, Ft. Myers, Florida. www.cfsaa.orgmarch 17-19: California Assn. of Public Ceme-teries Annual Convention, Embassy Suites, Monterey Resorts. [email protected] 21-23: mKJ marketing seminar,

Calendar➤E-mail calendar listings and additions or corrections to Association Pipeline to [email protected] and [email protected].

➤For continually updated meeting listings and direct links to websites for professional associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select Find a Member, then Industry Associations.

➤To see all industry conventions and meetings for a particular month, go to www.iccfa.com; select Find a Member, then Industry Calendar.

Museum celebrates with memorial tree, food drive

With the help of the local community, the National Museum of Funeral

History is decorating a special holiday tree to recognize and honor our departed friends and family.

During December, visitors can decorate a paper holiday ornament at the museum and write the name of a deceased loved one. The ornament will be displayed on the holiday tree in the museum’s rotating exhibit space. Families are welcome to decorate and take home a special ornament for their own tree.

Through the end of the year, people who bring in a non-perishable canned food dona-tion for the museum’s food drive will receive $2 off admission. r

the holiday tree at the national museum of Funeral history.

Go to www.iccfa.com and choose Find a member/industry Calendar to see a monthly calendar of industry association meetings worldwide.

➤to page 46


a D i n D e x

Classifieds Check the classified announcements at www.iccfa.com/employment.htmTo place a classified, contact Rick Platter, [email protected]

Cemetery & preneed receivables financingWe will lend your company money on your receivables, or we will buy your receivables if you prefer.

Either way, you retain access to your customers. Fast closings, with immediate funding of perpetual care fees. Call Harry Van Sciver at

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17 Abbott & Hast 31 AFCTS 4 Affordable Funerals Networks.com 23 American Cemetery/Mortuary Consultants 19 ASD—Answering Service for Directors 23 Biondan North America Inc. 11 Carriage Services Inc. 5 Continental Computer Corp. 37 Crystal Remembrance 27 Ensure-A-Seal 19 Flowers for Cemeteries 31 Franklin Wrap

17 Funeral Call Answering Service 24 Funeral Data Manager 25 Funeral Data Manager 43 IMSA 29 Kryprotek 9 Live Oak Bank 33 Madelyn Co. 7 Matthews International 29 Meadow Hill Corp. 3 Merendino Cemetery Care 17 Miles Supply Inc. 27 Nomis Publications 37 NorthStar Memorial Group

27 Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel 15 Perfect Memorials 21 Regions Funeral & Cemetery Trust Services 33 SEP Technologies 44 Supply Link 17 SVE Portable Roadway Systems 23 The Key Chain Urn Co. 48 Trigard 2 U.S. Metalcraft 19 WithumSmith + Brown 47 Worsham College 19 Zontec Ozone r

Top-Line Growth, Ritz-Carlton Resort, Amelia Island, Florida. 1.888.MKJ.1566march 30-31: utah Funeral Directors Assn. Annual Convention, ErgerySolutons Arena, Salt Lake City. www.ufda.orgapril 1-3: taneXpo, Bologna, Italy. [email protected] 13-16: iCCFa Annual Convention & Expo,

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center & Hilton New Orleans Riverside, New Orleans, Louisiana. www.iccfa.comapril 18-22: Catholic Cemeteries of the West Annual Convention, Harrah’s Reno, Nevada. www.ccwecare.orgmay 8-11: tri-state and Kansas Funeral Directors Assn. convention. www.ksfda.orgmay 17: ohio Funeral Directors Assn. Annual

Convention. www.ofdaonline.orgmay 22-25: north Carolina Funeral Directors Assn. Annual Convention, Raleigh. www.ncfda.orgJune 12-14: southern Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Assn. Annual Convention, with Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina cemetery assns., Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina. www.sccfa.info r

c a l e n D a r

➤from page 45

to advertise in the January 2016 issue, which will include the programfor the 2016 iCCFa Convention & exposition and will be read

not only by iCCFa members but also by thousands of non-members,contact rick platter, [email protected]

Worsham ADFULL PAGEpage 47 (C3)

4-COLOR

Trigard ADFULL PAGEpage 48 (C4)

4-COLOR

ICCFA Magazine December2015

Documents

Transcript of ICCFA Magazine December2015