Members: Post your comment Click here write and send
Credibility, all posts on this subject are from registered members
FUNERAL SERVICE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION does not share membership info with anyone, no one will be given your information with out your permission or a court order.
JOIN Funeral Service Professional Association
Ex-Fort Myers funeral director was 68
Published by news-press.com on December 7, 2004
Former Fort Myers resident William "Gus" Belcher was a funeral director by profession, but his heart belonged in police work.
In fact, Belcher always wanted to be a cop, said his friend, Fort Myers attorney and former state representative Paul Nuckolls. So much so, in fact, that he served in the Florida Highway Patrol auxiliary and as a reserve officer in Eagle Lake.
That is why Nuckolls wasn't one bit surprised when he learned that Belcher, 68, died Saturday after helping two Haines City police officers subdue a large, violent man they were trying to arrest.
"That is in character with what you would expect Gus to do," said Nuckolls. Belcher's daughter-in-law, Pam Belcher of Fort Myers, agreed.
"If he could have written a script of how he would go out, this would be it. He would have himself saving the day," she said.
Belcher lived in Fort Myers from 1968 until 1981. In recent years, he lived in Dundee and recently opened a new funeral home there.
While in Fort Myers, Belcher operated funeral homes in North Fort Myers and, later, on Cypress Lake Drive, the forerunner of what is now the Phil Kiser Funeral Home.
Belcher sold real estate, was president and long-time member of the Fort Myers Kiwanis Club, president of the Babe Ruth League and managed and coached a Babe Ruth team that included both his son and future major league star Mike Greenwell.
In one way or another, Belcher knew a whole lot of people in town.
"I don't know whether he was famous or infamous," said his son, also a William known as Gus and a Fort Myers attorney. "He used to have a lot of fun in the old days.
"He was always willing to help people. When I was a little boy in North Fort Myers, it was not unusual for him to pick up a hitchhiker."
Belcher really did save the day for them, Haines City police said. The suspect they were trying to arrest was giving them a great deal of trouble.
"There were several people in the area and he was the only one who came forward and helped out," said Det. Brannon Sheely. "His family should be extremely proud of him. We are fortunate that we have citizens like him who will help us out when we need it."
Nuckolls recalled that Belcher, who earned a criminal justice degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, "got very upset by virtue of people stopping, looking and gawking and not giving assistance when the police needed them."
After helping subdue the suspect, who was arrested on a loud music violation, Belcher walked back to his truck, where he was found slumped over the steering wheel. He died of natural causes and was suffering from heart disease, according to the Polk County Medical Examiner's office.
Belcher's community service activities continued in Polk County, where he was active in American Legion baseball, the VFW, the Masonic lodge and Shrine temple.
Belcher leaves his wife of 47 years, Jane Rose; his son, William Gus Belcher II; daughter, Lisa Renee Klemm; and three grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Baptist Temple Dundee in Dundee, which he attended. belcher
Heart belonged in police work
"News You Can Use"
ICFA WIRELESS is a biweekly electronic newsletter bringing members of the
International Cemetery and Funeral Association the latest government and
legal, industry and association news. It is available to all ICFA members
current on their dues. Comments, questions and "hot news tips" are welcome.
Write to: wireless@icfa.org.
INDUSTRY NEWS
IRS Proposes to Revoke Some Cemeteries' Tax Exempt Status
FTC Issues 'CAN SPAM Act' Regulations Effective February 18
Reminder: January 1 Deadline for Telemarketers to 'Scrub' Lists Every 31 Days
ICFA NEWS
ICFA 2005 Expo Booths Selling Quickly
'ICFA Playbook': Dozens of Ideas to Boost Your Sales
ICFA Offers Music Licensing for $238 Per Location
-------------------------
INDUSTRY NEWS
-------------------------
IRS PROPOSES TO REVOKE SOME CEMETERIES' TAX EXEMPT STATUS
Recently released information from the Internal Revenue Service indicates
that in at least 11 cases the IRS has proposed the revocation of a cemetery's
tax-exempt status based upon a perceived violation of the "private inurement"
doctrine. In all cases, at issue were sales management agreements that the
IRS found amounted to the granting of an equity interest or a joint venture
in the cemetery. Also put at issue were the entities' Articles of
Incorporation, which were found not to prohibit private inurement. Section
501(c)(13) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, provides that
cemeteries are exempt from federal income taxation if they are owned and
operated exclusively for the benefit of their lot owners who hold such lots
for bona fide burial purposes and not for resale, and are not operated for
profit.
The private inurement doctrine is a fundamental rule distinguishing
tax-exempt and taxable organizations. The purpose of the doctrine is to
ensure that the tax-exempt entity is serving exempt rather than private
interests. As stated by the IRS, the "inurement prohibition serves to prevent
anyone in a position to do so from siphoning off any of the charity's income
or assets for private use." (G.C.M. 39862. Nov. 22, 1991). The ICFA will be
publishing an article on this subject by Tax Subcommittee member Alex
Trostorff in an upcoming issue of its magazine, International Cemetery &
Funeral Management.
---------------------------------------------------
FTC ISSUES 'CAN SPAM ACT' REGULATIONS EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 18
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced the publication of its
regulations as required under the CAN SPAM Act, concluding a "fast track"
rulemaking proceeding announced last spring (see the April 7, 2004, special
edition of ICFA WIRELESS for details).
Under the Act, e-mails that are sent for the "primary purpose" of selling
products or services must comply with various restrictions and prohibitions
including three disclosures: 1) clear and conspicuous identification that the
message is an advertisement or solicitation; 2) clear and conspicuous notice
of the opportunity to decline to receive further commercial e-mail from the
sender; and 3) a valid physical postal address of the sender. However,
e-mail that is "transactional or relationship" in nature is not considered
"commercial" e-mail for purposes of the CAN SPAM regulations.
E-mail that is deemed "transactional or relationship" includes messages where
the primary purpose is "to facilitate, complete or confirm a commercial
transaction that the recipient has previously agreed to enter into with the
sender"; or "to provide notification concerning a change in the terms or
features of" products or services; or to provide updates on membership,
accounts and similar types of information, among other categories.
Where an e-mail message contains information that is both "commercial" and
"transactional or relationship," it is considered a "dual purpose" message,
and the primary purpose of the e-mail will be considered commercial if: "1) a
recipient reasonably interpreting the subject line of the [e-mail] would
likely conclude that the message contains the commercial advertisement or
promotion of a commercial product or service; or 2) the [e-mail] message's
transactional or relationship content ... does not appear, in whole or in
substantial part, at the beginning of the body of the message." The "primary
purpose" provisions of the new CAN SPAM Act rule will become effective on
February 18, 2005.
The FTC rejected efforts to exempt e-mail sent by nonprofit organizations by
stating that the transactional/relationship and the dual purpose provisions
addressed the concerns of these entities. The ICFA submitted comments to the
FTC early in the rulemaking process to discuss the special relationship
between cemeteries and funeral homes with the families they serve. The ICFA
comments as well as other comments filed with FTC can be viewed on the FTC
Web page at http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/canspam/index.htm. More details on
the new regulations for compliance purposes can be viewed at
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/12/canspamfrn.htm.
---------------------------------------------------
REMINDER: JANUARY 1 DEADLINE FOR TELEMARKETERS TO 'SCRUB' LISTS EVERY 31 DAYS
Yesterday, the FTC published a reminder that, beginning on January 1, the
Telemarketing Sales Rule requires telemarketers to access the national Do Not
Call registry every 31 days and "scrub" or remove newly registered numbers
from their call lists. Previously, the updating requirement was every 90
days. To date, consumers have registered approximately 81 million telephone
numbers on the Do Not Call registry. Telemarketers can obtain more
information on the updates, which are provided at no cost to subscribers, on
the FTC Web page at https://telemarketing.donotcall.gov.
-------
ICFA NEWS
-------------------
ICFA 2005 EXPO BOOTHS SELLING QUICKLY
The ICFA will host one of its largest exhibit halls ever at the 2005
Convention & Exposition, March 30 - April 2 at the Las Vegas Hilton. To date
123 (60 percent) of the hall's 204 booths have been sold. The hall is
expected to sell out; for the past several years, the ICFA has experienced a
sellout and has kept a waiting list.
In addition to the Expo's product displays, showcasing everything from the
latest caskets and monument designs to today's top preneed insurance and
computer software products, the event will include three days of education,
with a focus on the future of the profession.
"With things changing faster than dice are rolled, you're going to find that
your future is a lot more than just luck," said Convention Program Chairman
Paul Elvig. "You're going to have to plan. You're going to have to know what
you're doing, and that is what you'll get in Vegas."
For a complete description of the program sessions and to register, visit
http://www.icfa.org/ac05.htm or call 1-800-645-7700.
---------------------------------------------------
'ICFA PLAYBOOK': DOZENS OF IDEAS TO BOOST YOUR SALES
With three weeks to go, the ICFA Wide World of Sales Conference, January
13-14 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, has reached 324 registrants,
putting it on track to meet or beat the 2004 record of 400 attendees.
One of the top benefits for attendees at this year's event will be the "ICFA
Playbook," a binder filled with valuable reference materials from each of the
speakers that they can take back to their locations and put to use
immediately. Among the handouts in this year's binder:
o Techniques for overcoming objections (including responses to 36 common
objections).
o Procedures for addressing the state and national Do Not Call registries.
o Six false assumptions cemetery and funeral service professionals make
regarding cremation customers.
o Sample family service forms and checklists.
o A sample cemetery newsletter.
o Statistics on the buying preferences of women and how to generate leads in
this market.
o Statistics on the buying preferences of various ethnic groups and how to
generate leads in these markets.
o And much more!
For a complete program with detailed session and speaker descriptions as well
as registration materials, visit http://www.icfa.org/sales05.htm or call
1-800-645-7700.
---------------------------------------------------
ICFA OFFERS MUSIC LICENSING FOR $238 PER LOCATION
The ICFA has secured music performance rights from the three music licensing
agencies: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. ICFA Music License members can now become
fully licensed for the annual price of $238 per location. Membership dues
for the Music License category include the annual music license, so the
entire cost for the 2005 funeral home music license is $238 per location.
There is no additional fee for the music license.
Membership is open to any company in the cemetery and funeral service
profession in the United States. Companies that are already members of the
ICFA must acquire a second membership (a Music License Membership) to be
eligible for the Music License benefit.
For more information, visit the Music License Coalition home page at
http://www.icfa.org/music.
Companies can enroll up to 10 locations using the secure online form at
http://www.icfa.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RGMUS.
Those companies that wish to enroll more than 10 locations or that prefer to
enroll manually can access the forms at
http://www.icfa.org/pdf/music_registration.pdf or call the ICFA at
1-800-645-7700 or e-mail music@icfa.org with a note requesting Music License
membership.
ICFA members are encouraged to forward information on Music License
membership to their colleagues throughout the United States.
AND MORE . . .
The ICFA Store allows members to purchase the latest ICFA resources and
training products online. Among the products currently for sale are several
new DVDs: "Recruiting for Preneed Sales," "Lead Generation Innovations:
Volumes I and II," and "Family Service & Aftercare: Volume I." In addition,
the store offers packaged articles on several most-requested topics from
International Cemetery & Funeral Management magazine: cemetery and funeral
home valuations, trust management and cremation. To check out these items and
more, visit http://www.icfa.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc
The Network, the ICFA's online e-mail listserv, allows members to pose
questions and discuss topics with colleagues from throughout the cemetery and
funeral service profession without having to leave their home or office.
Topics discussed to date have included vault selections, staff incentive
programs, marketing success stories, lot card archiving, backhoe purchases,
the Foley bill and more. To sign up, visit http://www.icfa.org/network
The ICFA News Page at http://www.icfa.org/newspage.htm takes you to sources
throughout the world for industry news and updates. It brings you the most
comprehensive selection of funeral service and cemetery news available
anywhere, along with frequently updated general news items related to
national and world events. The News Page reports the news before anyone else
and is the second most visited page on the ICFA Web site. Stop in each day
and you'll see why.
The ICFA Internet Expo at http://www.icfa.org/expo/index.html is the largest
online exposition in the cemetery and funeral service industry. Cemetery and
funeral home owners and operators will find more than 300 providers in over
100 product and service categories at the Expo. Exhibit space is provided as
a free, exclusive benefit to all ICFA supplier and professional members.
Check it out today!
Need a labor relations and employment law attorney? Check out ICFA's benefit
program offering telephone legal consultations, paid for by the ICFA via an
exclusive retainer agreement, at http://www.icfa.org/pepperman.htm .
ICFA members now also have access to an attorney for tax-related questions
regarding trust earnings, care fund allocations, capital gains, investments
and more. The ICFA has retained Leslie Schneider, CPA, a tax attorney with
Ivins, Phillips & Barker in Washington, D.C., for telephone consultations for
up to 20 minutes with no obligation. To take advantage of this member
benefit, call Schneider at (202) 393-7600.
The ICFA and The Transaction Group of Chicago, Illinois, currently offer
members a credit card processing program with a special low discount rate of
just 1.69 percent. This new benefit makes it less expensive for cemeteries,
funeral homes, memorial designers and related businesses to accommodate
customers who wish to pay via credit card. For more information, visit
http://www.thetransactiongroup.com/partners/icfa/ or call The Transaction
Group at 1-800-622-7705.
The ICFA insurance program, administered by Driver Alliant, allows members to
purchase commercial property and casualty insurance -- including general
liability, commercial property, automobile liability and physical damage,
umbrella liability, professional liability, workers compensation, employee
benefits and more -- at rates they probably would not be able to afford on
their own. Information on applying for the program is available on the ICFA
Web site at http://www.icfainsurance.com/
International Cemetery and Funeral Association
1895 Preston White Drive, Suite 220
Reston, VA 20191
1-800-645-7700
(703) 391-8400
fax (703) 391-8416
http://www.icfa.org
Copyright 2004 International Cemetery and Funeral Association
In a message dated 12/10/04 4:20:39 PM, William in England sends us:
http://www.creditman.biz/uk/members/news-view.asp?newsviewID=4178&id=1&mylocation=News&chksrc=NNow4251
Dec 10 2004
The UK's Fraud Prevention Service - CIFAS - has published its research study into fraudsters assuming the identities of dead people. Previously published figures suggested there were 51,000 cases over the last 4 years, but estimates are now being revised sharply upwards to 180,000 cases.
The research study involved 900,000 fraud records from the 240 Member companies within CIFAS encompassing banking, credit cards, asset finance, retail credit, mail order, insurance, investment management, telecommunications, factoring, and share dealing. These were then matched with deaths data from two private sector databases, used for screening data and suppressing direct mail. The results are startling. 97,000 matches were revealed. The profile demonstrates this is a new type of crime that has taken off since 1999:
Year Fraud Identified No of Matches
1999
7
2000
3,840
2001
16,357
2002
22,327
2003
27,970
2004 to October
26,977
Total 97,478
The deaths data used in the research was not complete, as the Government does not release deaths data to the private sector and the data is therefore gathered from many sources. Surveys by CIFAS suggest 50% of deceased fraud is not identified at all, and the cases are handled within collections departments and eventually written off as bad debt. CIFAS estimates that if all the deceased data was made available to the private sector by the Government to prevent financial crime, up to 180,000 cases could have been prevented in the last 4 years. The benefits could be huge, both to the companies and for the public finances. If each case costs an average of £2,500 in losses, and 120,000 cases result in losses, the financial benefits of sharing deceased data with the private sector could be as high as £300 million. Corporation tax would have been due on this money, providing more funding for public services like schools and hospitals.
For further details see www.cifas.org.uk/reports_deceased_fraud.asp
CIFAS is the UK's Fraud Prevention Service with over 240 Member organisations spread across banking, credit cards, asset finance, retail credit, mail order, insurance, investment management, telecommunications, factoring, and share dealing. Members share information about identified frauds in the fight to prevent further fraud. CIFAS is unique and was the first data-sharing scheme of its type in the world. Other schemes modelled on CIFAS have been set up in South Africa and Ireland.
Deaths & Funerals - Steps to Prevent Fraud
Impersonation of the dead is Britain's fastest growing identity theft crime. In 2003 the latest research shows 56,000 families experienced the pain of discovering their loved one had been impersonated after their death, to open accounts such as credit cards and loans. The rate of increase is 60% a year. CIFAS has spent the last year urging the Government to release death records to eliminate this crime but so far the Government has not committed to do so. Over 70,000 families are expected to have suffered from this crime in 2004, so what practical steps can relatives and executors take to protect the identities and reputations of the recently deceased?
CIFAS advises funeral directors, relatives and executors to:
· Take care not to include the age, date of birth or the address of the deceased in any advertisements or announcements relating to the death or the funeral. These pieces of information make it much easier for identity fraudsters to successfully impersonate dead people.
· Notify Government Departments i.e. Department for Work & Pensions and the Inland Revenue immediately and return any pension/allowance books by registered/recorded delivery.
· Notify companies as soon as possible of the death and if letters/statements continue to be sent out, make a formal complaint to the organisation.
· Take great care when sorting through the deceased person's belongings to ensure no documents that could be used by an identity fraudster are left inside pockets of clothes being sent to charity shops or being disposed of in other ways. Check handbags and wallets too.
· Ensure any documents such as bank statements, credit card receipts, council tax, television licence or utility bills are not thrown away without either shredding them, or tearing them up into tiny pieces. Old letters and documents really do help identity fraudsters who are known to go through rubbish bins looking for details about potential victims.
· Check with the Royal Mail that there is no mail redirection on the deceased person's home that you know nothing about, particularly if it is now an empty property. Organise a mail re-direction to your own address - do not rely on collecting mail from the property, especially if the property is empty or for sale.
· Insist all viewings of empty properties are accompanied. Following a death, identity fraudsters have been known to organise viewings of empty properties with estate agents specifically to steal or collect mail.
· Sign up with the mailing preference service http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/mps_choosetype.html on-line or telephone 020 7291 3310 to stop direct mail, including offers of loans and credit cards being sent to the deceased person - this is a free service. The Direct Marketing Association estimates 22 million items of direct mail are sent to dead people each year. Identity fraudsters use the details included in this mail to impersonate the dead.
· Report the matter to the Police if your family becomes a victim and insist the matter is allocated a crime reference number to ensure it is recorded in the national crime statistics.
Consider registering with the CIFAS Protective Registration Service
If you believe your identity documentation may be misused, a CIFAS Protective Registration may be placed by individuals against their own address when they have good reason to believe a fraudster may use it. For example, when documentation such as a Passport has been stolen. Members of CIFAS - financial services, retail credit, mail order, mobile phones etc - routinely check applications for credit or other facilities, such as insurance or mobile phones. A CIFAS Protective Registration warning on an address indicates to these organisations that they may need to carry out additional checks.
When you apply for Protective Registration, you will be asked to supply information that will be used to cross-check any applications in your name. This may be done over the telephone, and will be actioned immediately, but registration must be confirmed in writing.
To request Protective Registration, telephone 0870 010 2091. There is a fee of £11.75 including VAT.
http://www.cifas.org.uk/reports_deceased_fraud.asp
In a message dated 12/8/04 12:36:59 PM, ckuhnen@theoutlookgroup.com writes:
PRESS RELEASE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chris Kuhnen (800) 331-6270
Outlook Group recommends Smith Barney Family AssistSM brochure
Franklin, OH. The Outlook Group, Inc. has offered their recommendation of a new brochure produced and distributed by Smith Barney-Citigroup.
The death of a loved one can be a deeply emotional and difficult experience. On a practical level, if the deceased was the primary or secondary wage earner, surviving family members are suddenly confronted with making immediate and long-term decisions involving their financial future. In addition to the challenge of coping with everyday affairs, you also face the possibility of having to revise financial and estate plans to reflect new issues and concerns.
Many people feel comfortable with professionals who have helped other members of their family, and as bereavement professionals, many times funeral directors and aftercare staff are faced with the task of providing answers to financial questions from grieving survivors so they can organize their lives and settle the affairs of the deceased.
You can now give these family members financial information in a straightforward and educational manner. The Smith Barney Family AssistSM brochure allows you to pass along some of this important information in a purely educational format. Family AssistSM is based on the three stages of financial planning one encounters after the loss of a loved one:
1. Immediate cash flow concerns: how to apply for insurance and government benefits
2. Short-term focus on issues: distribution, re-titling and sale of assets
3. Long-term financial and estate planning issues concerning a family's future
Family AssistSM allows you to answer the following commonly asked questions:
o What phone numbers and web addresses are needed to apply for Social Security and/or veteran benefits?
o How does someone apply for and receive insurance benefits?
o What is the process for re-titling the deceased's financial accounts and transferring assets?
o What does someone have to know about outstanding debts, the unlimited marital deduction, and determining retirement plan distributions?
o What paperwork is needed and how to handle missing records?
o How does someone remember a loved one through a charity?
Family AssistSM allows funeral directors and aftercare professionals to take sensible action to establish and deepen relationships with surviving family members. Here are four ways to use Family AssistSM
o Provide a copy to your prearranged clients so they may give instructions to loved ones while they are here to provide critical details.
o Incorporate the use of the Family AssistSM brochure in your Family Service Follow-Up/Aftercare Program.
o Send a copy of the brochure to the immediate next of kin and other surviving family members.
o Have the brochure on display in your lobby or gathering areas for grieving family members to pick up at their discretion.
Everyone's life, and death, brings with it unique circumstances. Organization and prioritization are the keys to taking care of your present needs and making plans for what you will do in the future. For more information on Family AssistSM visit your local Smith Barney office. Smith Barney does not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your own legal and/or tax advisor. Smith Barney is a division and service mark of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Family AssistSM is a service mark of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. ©2004 Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Member SIPC.
In a message dated 12/6/04 3:09:15 PM, Mike Flynn in Boston Massachusetts writes:
Connecticut
Funeral food may get new life
Morticians divided on proposal to lift ban on refreshments at wakes, after services
THE NEWS-TIMES
John Cascio remembers the days when family and friends mourning the loss of a loved one could attend wakes at local funeral homes and be offered refreshments.
"There'd be lounges for non-alcoholic beverages and food and lounges for smoking,'' said Cascio, executive director of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association for nearly 20 years. "I remember because I used to go with my grandparents.''
But all that changed in 1969 when the state Department of Public Health revised its regulations and banned serving any kind of refreshments. A major concern was mourners could become ill if any tainted food was brought into a funeral home, or if food spoiled while sitting out during a wake.
But that could all change.
A General Assembly committee is about to consider a change in the law that would allow food and non-alcoholic beverages to be served during calling hours and after funeral services.
Under the proposal, friends and family members could not provide cakes and cold cuts. Instead, the proposal specifies any food brought into a funeral home must be prepared by a restaurant, caterer or someone else who falls under public health codes.
"The way the law reads right now, you can't even offer anyone a glass of water,'' said Cascio.
He favors a change in the law. He said the serving of food and beverages can promote "goodwill and social intercourse.''
Still, not all funeral directors favor the proposed change.
Jeffrey Hull, owner of Hull Funeral Service, who operates funeral homes in Danbury, Bethel and New Milford, is one of them. "I have mixed feelings but I'm basically against the change,'' said Hull.
Hull said he voted against the change in an informal poll of Fairfield County funeral directors in October. Hull, who said the vote revealed dissension among funeral directors, worried about having to clean up after messy eaters, among other things.
"If the law changed, I would have to conform to a family's desires but I'm concerned about the maintenance involved in this policy,'' Hull said. "I don't have a food area to make it work. We're already facing high costs and have enough to do. Who would pay for it?''
In 2001, more than half of the 225 members of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association voted to repeal the anti-food regulation. Since then, the association has asked state officials to consider changing the eating and drinking rules.
Specifically, the association has worked to persuade health department officials that refreshments can be served without endangering public health.
The lobbying has paid off.
On Dec. 21, with the health department's blessing, the General Assembly's Regulation Review Committee is expected to consider a proposal that would re-introduce refreshment to funeral homes.
"From our perspective, after working with the association, we are satisfied that (the proposed change) is in accordance with public health statutes,'' said health department spokesman Bill Gerrish. "We had to make sure that any changes would protect public health.''
Among other things, the proposal would require health inspections in funeral homes, as well as requiring the food to come from businesses that also are visited by health inspectors.
But state Sen. George Gunther, R-Stratford, said he has some reservations about changing the rules because most of the funeral directors who had called him were opposed to it.
"Many think it could be messy and say they don't have the time for such extra responsibilities as dealing with health inspections,'' said Gunther, co-chairman of the Regulation Review Committee. "I may be an oddball but I wouldn't feel comfortable going to a wake and talking about food.''
Cascio thinks differently.
"This amendment would allow funeral directors at the very least to offer a hot beverage to the bereaved family and friends after, or as part of, their time at the funeral,'' said Cascio. "We proposed this change solely to enable funeral directors to provide additional; comfort to the families its members serve.''
Cascio denies the serving of food was banned for health reasons. "I think it was because funeral directors began complaining that in some cases, alcoholic drinks were being served and things were getting out of control.''
Cascio said some funeral homes in the state were skirting the law by offering the option of refreshments in separate buildings nearby. He said 44 other states already allowing funeral homes to offer food and beverages on the premises.
Although the proposal would not require funeral homes to serve food or beverages to the public, it would give them the option. Some opponents of the measure, however, believe that there would really be no option. They say funeral homes would be forced to serve food to compete for business. They say that would drive up costs for smaller funeral homes.
The proposal would also allow funeral homes to decide exactly what could be served, and when. Some homes, for example, might agree to serve food and beverages to those individuals coming in to make arrangements but not to people attending calling hours.
Moreover, says the association, the proposal would also allow families to include refreshments in a funeral or memorial service if that happened to be part of their cultural or religious tradition.
Rodney Bourdeau, owner of the Cornell Funeral Home in Danbury and the state association's new vice president, said while serving food at wakes was not something his company had ever done, the current law should be changed.
"I'm certainly open to the idea that sometime in the future some families may request food and beverages,'' Bourdeau said. "I would not be averse to it. I would do anything to accommodate a family if it was legal.
"I think it's important to make a family comfortable at such a crucial time and bring them any comfort they need.''
06/12/2004 22:18 - (SA)
Nelspruit - An Mpumalanga border guard has been arrested for allegedly staging the fake death of his stepfather as part of an elaborate insurance scam.
Inspector Vusi Mhlongo said on Monday that Fanie Banda, 32, was arrested at the weekend after shocked relatives reported that he'd forged documents to support claims that his stepfather was dead.
Banda is claimed to have used a death certificate from duped colleagues at home affairs regional head office to fraudulently claim at least one R15 000 life insurance policy.
Home affairs already has instituted internal disciplinary action against Banda, and is considering suspending him from his post as a security guard at Mananga border post between South Africa and Swaziland, pending the outcome of his criminal trial.
Government cannot pay pension
"We've written to ask him to show why we should not do so, but he refused to accept, or sign receipt for, the letter.
The suspension will become official if we don't get a reply by December 10," said regional home affairs director, Robert Zitha.
Banda's stepfather, 59-year-old Solomon Moropeng Matlou, has been hiding after his estranged son-in-law allegedly threatened to kill him if he co-operated with police.
Matlou said on Monday: "I am left with nothing, just because a piece of paper signed by a doctor claims I am dead.
"The government has stopped my pension, and I am fearful that the people who masterminded this will kill me now, to keep me quiet."
"The sad thing is that I used most of my pension to support his children. I look after two of them, because he is hardly ever home and never leaves them money for food."
Old Mutual has also launched its own probe into Banda's scam. The insurance company paid out Matlou's policy on June 24 after it was supplied with a death certificate signed by a Dr Chris du Plooy.
'Dead man' was clearly still alive
They signed funeral company's details and documents indicating that Matlou's body had been collected for burial on June 17.
Old Mutual's Mpumalanga client services manager, John Mangonyane, said investigators would ask how a doctor had signed a death certificate when Matlou was clearly still alive.
Dr du Plooy has confirmed signing the death certificate, but insists he was shown a body.
He said"I can't believe this. I don't know how this could have happened.
"It's possible though that I was shown a wrong body," said the doctor, whose notes claimed that Matlou died of natural causes.
In a message dated 12/7/04 8:38:46 AM, lacorn@icfa.org writes:
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Joseph Budzinski
1-800-645-7700
joeb@icfa.org <mailto:joeb@icfa.org>
ICFA Offers Funeral Home Music License for 2005
Membership Costs $238 with No Additional Fees
There is a new option for funeral home music licensing. The ICFA has
secured music performance rights from the three music licensing
agencies: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
ICFA Music License members can now become fully licensed for the annual
price of $238 per location.
ICFA membership dues for the Music License category include the annual
music license, so the entire cost for the 2005 funeral home music
license is $238 per location. THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL FEE FOR THE MUSIC
LICENSE.
Membership is open to any company in the cemetery and funeral service
industry in the United States. For more information, visit the Music
License Coalition Home Page at http://www.icfa.org/music
SO JOIN TODAY USING OUR CONVENIENT, SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM AT
http://www.icfa.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RGMUS
<http://www.icfa.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RGMUS>
It takes only a few minutes and you can enroll and pay dues for up to 10
locations. Your membership will be activated and your music license for
2005 will be covered! (For more than 10 locations, please either
download the manual form avaiable on that Web page, call the ICFA at
1-800-645-7700 or e-mail gen4@icfa.org with a note requesting Music
License membership, and we will quickly get your properties covered for
2005.)
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD BY FORWARDING THIS MESSAGE TO YOUR INDUSTRY
FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.
For more information and to join the ICFA Music License Coalition,
please visit the Music License Coalition Web site at
http://www.icfa.org/music
MORE
**************************************************************
ICFA WIRELESS December 7, 2004 Edition Vol. 5 No. 30
**************************************************************
"News You Can Use"
ICFA WIRELESS is a biweekly electronic newsletter bringing members of the
International Cemetery and Funeral Association the latest government and
legal, industry and association news. It is available to all ICFA members
current on their dues. Comments, questions and "hot news tips" are welcome.
Write to: wireless@icfa.org.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Streamlined Sales Tax Update
U.S. District Court: Unauthorized Use of Copyrighted Casket Photos Not 'Fair
Use'
Florida Supreme Court Will Not Reconsider Cemetery Marker Decision
ICFA NEWS
ICFA Faces the Music (License)
Wide World of Sales: Register by December 10 to Save $50
2004 KIP Awards: Deadline Extended to December 10
2005 Convention & Exposition to Host Funeral Museum Display
-------------------------
INDUSTRY NEWS
-------------------------
STREAMLINED SALES TAX UPDATE
The ICFA continues to participate in the ongoing efforts of the Streamlined
Sales Tax Project (SSTP), a consortium of state tax departments, to develop
simplified and fair methods of collecting sales tax. The Sourcing Committee
of the SSTP held a public meeting recently which included a lengthy
discussion of funeral and cemetery contracts. Proposals by the committee have
come closer to the ICFA's position of determining the tax based on the
location of the seller (point of sale) and not at the point of delivery.
However, the committee is considering exceptions for the following:
1. For pick up of deceased: Source to location of pick up (i.e., hospital,
morgue, deceased's residence).
2. For markers and vaults: Source to cemetery where installed.
3. For caskets sold by cemeteries or casket retailers: Source to point of
delivery (normally funeral home providing service).
The significance of this development is that a business would be required to
track these transactions by zip code and possibly collect sales tax for
another state (as well as becoming an expert in that state's sales tax law).
The ICFA continues to advocate that the committee establish a special rule
that would allow for a simpler and more reasonable approach for these types
of transactions. For more information, contact Robert Topp, a member of the
ICFA Tax Subcommittee who has spearheaded this issue, at (713) 525-5571.
---------------------------------------------------
U.S. DISTRICT COURT: UNAUTHORIZED USE OF COPYRIGHTED CASKET PHOTOS NOT 'FAIR
USE'
Recently, the U.S. District Court in Indiana ruled on a number of motions in
litigation concerning the use by a third-party casket retailer of copyrighted
advertising materials. The case, Batesville Services Inc. v. Funeral Depot
Inc., involved a series of events whereby the defendant seller, which is not
an authorized dealer of plaintiffs' caskets, arranged to buy such caskets
from an authorized dealer. The defendant displayed photographs of the
caskets, which were taken and copyrighted by plaintiff, on a Web site of an
authorized dealer although defendant designed the Web site and paid a third
party to digitize the photos. Among the several issues raised in the
litigation, defendant argued that its use of plaintiffs' copyrighted photos
was protected from liability for copyright infringement under the "fair use"
doctrine. The court rejected defendant's argument and granted plaintiffs'
motion for summary judgment.
In explaining its holding, the court stated that, "...Funeral Depot is
entitled to take its own photographs of Batesville caskets and use them for
its own advertising purposes. That process, however, would be expensive and
time-consuming. Funeral Depot prefers to take the easier and cheaper approach
of copying plaintiffs' own photographs.... Funeral Depot is free to buy and
sell caskets and to advertise its services, using its own and licensed
copyrighted materials. It is not entitled to copy plaintiffs' copyrighted
materials wholesale ... even if consumers might benefit from its activities."
Although the court ruled on this particular issue, the litigation continues
on other related issues.
---------------------------------------------------
FLORIDA SUPREME COURT WILL NOT RECONSIDER CEMETERY MARKER DECISION
Last week the Florida Supreme Court announced that it would not reconsider
its decision in a cemetery's favor in the case of Warner v. City of Boca
Raton. The case involved the rules and regulations of the city's municipal
cemetery limiting markers, memorials and related decorations to flat,
ground-level displays. Plaintiffs, owners of burial sites in the cemetery,
sued in federal court claiming that the restrictions violated their freedom
of religious expression under the U.S. and Florida constitutions.
A federal district court ruled in the cemetery's favor in 1999 and plaintiffs
appealed the decision to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The federal
appellate court certified two questions to the Florida Supreme Court
concerning the state's "Religious Freedom" statute. At that stage of the
litigation, the ICFA submitted a "friend of the court" brief explaining that
cemetery regulations restricting the types and styles of markers, whether
upright or flat, have historically been upheld by the courts for many decades
as a legitimate management issue.
In September, the state supreme court ruled in the cemetery's favor and found
that the cemetery regulations "may inconvenience the plaintiffs' practice of
marking graves" but "does not substantially burden the plaintiffs' exercise
of religion within the meaning of the Florida [law]."
Again the plaintiffs appealed by asking the court to reconsider its decision.
The supreme court has now declined to reconsider and presumably the case will
move back to the federal appellate court for a final adjudication involving
the U.S. Constitution. The Florida Supreme Court's decision and the ICFA
brief can be viewed at http://www.icfa.org/government.htm
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
-------------------
ICFA NEWS
-------------------
ICFA FACES THE MUSIC (LICENSE)
The ICFA has secured music performance rights from the three music licensing
agencies: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
ICFA Music License members can now become fully licensed for the annual price
of $238 per location. Membership dues for the Music License category include
the annual music license, so the entire cost for the 2005 funeral home music
license is $238 per location. There is no additional fee for the music license.
Membership is open to any company in the cemetery and funeral service
profession in the United States. Companies that are already members of the
ICFA must acquire a second membership (a Music License Membership) to be
eligible for the Music License benefit.
For more information, visit the Music License Coalition home page at
http://www.icfa.org/music.
Companies can enroll up to 10 locations using the secure online form at
http://www.icfa.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RGMUS.
Those companies that wish to enroll more than 10 locations or that prefer to
enroll manually can access the forms at
http://www.icfa.org/pdf/music_registration.pdf or call the ICFA at
1-800-645-7700 or e-mail gen4@icfa.org with a note requesting Music License
membership.
ICFA members are encouraged to forward information on Music License
membership to their colleagues throughout the United States.
---------------------------------------------------
WIDE WORLD OF SALES: REGISTER BY DECEMBER 10 TO SAVE $50
The ICFA has extended the early registration deadline for the Wide World of
Sales conference to Friday, December 10. ICFA members who register by Friday
will pay just $385, compared with $435 after that date. Companies that sign
up two or more attendees save even more. (Multiple staff discounts continue
to apply past the early registration deadline.)
The Wide World of Sales, January 13-14, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside,
will offer dozens of practical sales, management and marketing ideas that can
be put to use immediately at your cemetery or funeral home. Topics will
include lead generation, presentation techniques, marketing to women and
ethnic groups, handling telephone shoppers, serving cremation families,
family service programs and more. For a complete program with detailed
session and speaker descriptions as well as registration materials, visit
http://www.icfa.org/sales05.htm or call 1-800-645-7700.
When making reservations for accommodations, please note that the ICFA room
block at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside has sold out. The ICFA has reserved
a block of 100 additional rooms at the nearby Doubletree Hotel New Orleans,
and that block is already at more than 60 percent of capacity. Registrants
are encouraged to make their reservations early. Please call the Doubletree
at (504) 581-1300 and ask for "in-house reservations." Identify yourself as
an attendee at the ICFA conference to receive the special ICFA rate of just
$145 for a single room and $165 for a double. If the Doubletree room block
has sold out, please contact the ICFA at 1-800-645-7700 for information on
additional options.
---------------------------------------------------
2004 KIP AWARDS DEADLINE EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 10
Due to popular demand, the ICFA has extended the deadline for entries for its
2004 KIP (Keeping It Personal) Awards program to December 10. Entries must be
received at the ICFA offices by the close of business on December 10.
The KIP Awards recognize creative personalization of products and services by
ICFA-member cemeteries, funeral homes and suppliers. Contestants may enter in
one or more of the program's six categories: Most Personalized Service,
Special Event (Under $1,000), Special Event (Over $1,000), Product that
Personalizes, Innovative Personalized Product (supplier category) and Magic
Moments.
The grand prize winner will receive a free registration to the ICFA Annual
Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 30 - April 2, 2005. All
winners will be recognized at the Convention and in International Cemetery &
Funeral Management magazine. Winners also will receive ICFA press releases on
their award for submission to their local media.
Complete rules and entry forms can be found at www.icfa.org/kip.htm or by
calling 1-800-645-7700. Also available on the Web site are profiles of the
2003 KIP Awards winners and "15 Lessons" from those winners.
---------------------------------------------------
2005 CONVENTION & EXPOSITION TO HOST FUNERAL MUSEUM DISPLAY
The ICFA Convention & Exposition, March 30 - April 2 at the Las Vegas Hilton,
will include more than 200 supplier booths showcasing the latest products and
services available to cemeteries and funeral homes. As an added attraction,
this year's Expo will host a 100-square-foot display by the National Museum
of Funeral History. From 19th century mourning apparel, to documents on
historically significant funerals and burials, to unusual caskets and
coaches, the museum serves as a repository for thousands of artifacts from
the annals of the profession's history.
The display will provide an interesting juxtaposition to the Convention
theme, "Betting on Success: It's More Than Luck," which will explore the
future of the cemetery and funeral service profession.
For complete program details and to register, visit
http://www.icfa.org/ac05.htm or call 1-800-645-7700.
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
AND MORE . . .
The ICFA Store allows members to purchase the latest ICFA resources and
training products online. Among the products currently for sale are several
new DVDs: "Recruiting for Preneed Sales," "Lead Generation Innovations:
Volumes I and II," and "Family Service & Aftercare: Volume I." In addition,
the store offers packaged articles on several most-requested topics from
International Cemetery & Funeral Management magazine: cemetery and funeral
home valuations, trust management and cremation. To check out these items and
more, visit http://www.icfa.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc
The Network, the ICFA's online e-mail listserv, allows members to pose
questions and discuss topics with colleagues from throughout the cemetery and
funeral service profession without having to leave their home or office.
Topics discussed to date have included vault selections, staff incentive
programs, marketing success stories, lot card archiving, backhoe purchases,
the Foley bill and more. To sign up, visit http://www.icfa.org/network
The ICFA News Page at http://www.icfa.org/newspage.htm takes you to sources
throughout the world for industry news and updates. It brings you the most
comprehensive selection of funeral service and cemetery news available
anywhere, along with frequently updated general news items related to
national and world events. The News Page reports the news before anyone else
and is the second most visited page on the ICFA Web site. Stop in each day
and you'll see why.
The ICFA Internet Expo at http://www.icfa.org/expo/index.html is the largest
online exposition in the cemetery and funeral service industry. Cemetery and
funeral home owners and operators will find more than 300 providers in over
100 product and service categories at the Expo. Exhibit space is provided as
a free, exclusive benefit to all ICFA supplier and professional members.
Check it out today!
Need a labor relations and employment law attorney? Check out ICFA's benefit
program offering telephone legal consultations, paid for by the ICFA via an
exclusive retainer agreement, at http://www.icfa.org/pepperman.htm .
ICFA members now also have access to an attorney for tax-related questions
regarding trust earnings, care fund allocations, capital gains, investments
and more. The ICFA has retained Leslie Schneider, CPA, a tax attorney with
Ivins, Phillips & Barker in Washington, D.C., for telephone consultations for
up to 20 minutes with no obligation. To take advantage of this member
benefit, call Schneider at (202) 393-7600.
The ICFA and The Transaction Group of Chicago, Illinois, currently offer
members a credit card processing program with a special low discount rate of
just 1.69 percent. This new benefit makes it less expensive for cemeteries,
funeral homes, memorial designers and related businesses to accommodate
customers who wish to pay via credit card. For more information, visit
http://www.thetransactiongroup.com/partners/icfa/ or call The Transaction
Group at 1-800-622-7705.
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
NOTE TO AOL USERS
There have been problems reported accessing the links in the document for
people using AOL e-mail addresses. Until we find a workaround for this, you
may need to type in or cut and paste the e-mail and Web addresses to access
these links.
---------------------------------------------------
CHANGE E-MAIL
If you want to change the e-mail address for receiving ICFA WIRELESS, please
send an e-mail to wireless@icfa.org . Type "e-mail address change" in the
subject line. In the body, type in your name, company name, city, state,
current e-mail address and preferred new e-mail address.
---------------------------------------------------
UNSUBSCRIBE
If you want to unsubscribe from ICFA WIRELESS, please send an e-mail to
wireless@icfa.org . Type "unsubscribe" in the subject line. In the body, type
in your name, company name, city, state, and e-mail address.
---------------------------------------------------
International Cemetery and Funeral Association
1895 Preston White Drive, Suite 220
Reston, VA 20191
1-800-645-7700
(703) 391-8400
fax (703) 391-8416
http://www.icfa.org
Copyright 2004 International Cemetery and Funeral Association
State regulators have told the owners of a Charles City funeral home to stop selling prearranged funeral services.
The director of the Regulated Industries Unit, a department of the Iowa Insurance Division, said Sunnyside Memory Gardens owners Mitzi and Albert Fenzloff sold pre-need funeral arrangements without the proper state license.
Britson said the Fenzloffs have 30 days to request a hearing on the order to cease the sale of prearranged funerals.
The Fenzloffs could be fined up to $40,000 for future violations.
Britson said anyone who signed a pre-need contract with Sunnyside Memory Gardens and Funeral Home after Nov. 1, 2003, should call the Regulated Industries Unit at (866) 827-2182.
Albert Fenzloff pleaded not guilty in November to a first-degree theft charge for allegedly writing a check for more than $13,000 on a closed bank account. A hearing on that matter has been set for January.
provide deer heads so brain tissue could be tested.
Receiving stations have been located in Dubuque, Allamakee, Clayton, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties.
The monitoring program has seen less activity during deer hunting seasons so far this year, said Mike Ouverson, a DNR officer.
"We have not had any positive tests the last couple of years of doing the testing, so I think concern is waning a little among hunters," he said. remains in jail on $500,000 bond after his Nov. 24 arrest.
Trial information was filed by Des Moines County Attorney Pat Jackson on Friday.
Police found Ichabod Purnell, 20, with a stab wound to his upper chest and heart area on Nov. 24. He was taken to Great River Medical Center, where he later was pronounced dead.
Court documents said witnesses at the scene told police the two brothers had been in a fight in the living room of their mother's duplex, where Ichabod Purnell also lived.
In a message dated 12/6/04 8:10:36 AM, ckuhnen@theoutlookgroup.com writes:
Press Release For Further Information Please Contact
For Immediate Release Chris Kuhnen (800) 331-6270
Outlook Group Sets Record Sales Year
Franklin, OH. Following a sluggish 2003 sales year, The Outlook Group, Inc. announced they rebounded in 2004 setting a new all-time company sales record. In 2004 calendar year sales exceeded $31.5 million, a 16.5 % increase over 2003. The previous record was $30.4 million set in 2002.
In making the announcement, Outlook CEO and President, Charles W. Anderson thanked everyone who worked so vigorously to make this a record setting year. A listless national economy, the first half of 2004, sent many pre-need program sales tumbling. The Outlook Group, Inc sales held steady thanks in part to creative and original sales and lead generation programs. All Outlook sales, office and management team members recommitted themselves to excellence in everything they do during the annual company-wide meeting held in June. Building on momentum gained during the company-wide meeting, Outlook sales exceeded $3 million per month the last half of the year.
Additionally, Outlook adopted a company wide constitution. This document solidifies and reaffirms the longstanding commitment to the companies guiding principles and steadfast business ethics, which has been the hallmark of the company over the course of their twenty-year history.
In 2004 The Outlook Group, Inc. expanded their exclusive Academy of Advance Funeral Planning sales training program; increased by three fold the number of Advantage accounts served; amplified counselor recruiting efforts and developed working alliances with other pre-need sales and marketing companies.
The Outlook Group, Inc. is making preparations to celebrate their twenty-year anniversary, with a company wide meeting kickoff in January 2005 in Chicago, Illinois. A nostalgic look back at company history and a "back to the basics" theme will highlight the three-day event. Strategic marketing and sales plans for the upcoming year will also be unveiled and discussed.
The Outlook Group, Inc. is America's finest funeral enhancement and pre-need consulting sales and marketing company serving independently owned and operated funeral homes since 1985. For further information contact The Outlook Group, Inc. at (800) 331-6270 or visit them online at http://www.theoutlookgroup.com.
NFDA makes sure no licensed Funeral Director or Embalmer will ever have fair wage and hour protection.
In a message dated 12/1/04 7:26:51 PM, bulletin@nfda.org writes:
Last-Minute Lobbying Efforts Prevail for Funeral Directors and Embalmers
Those of you following the overtime rules issue should know that NFDA scored a recent victory. Our advocacy efforts ensured that Congress did not pass a provision, which would have prevented the Department of Labor from using 2005 funds to administer and enforce the new overtime rules.
to read the entire NFDA bulletin try this link http://www.nfda.org/files/bulletin/issues/Dec1_2004.htm
The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) boasts that they are the leading funeral service association, claiming they serve 21,400 individual members who may work in or own the 12,486 funeral homes in the United States and other countries. From their beautiful headquarters in Brookfield, Wisconsin, and their Advocacy Office in Washington, D.C., NFDA has taken advantage of their position, claiming they protect consumers and are a true advocate for funeral directors and embalmers. Truth be told, NFDA advocates, first, for their own survival and when they are forced to, the association exclusively works for the funeral home owners and not for the protection of consumers nor for the benefit of any employee, non-owner funeral director or embalmer. NFDA also hosts an annual convention where the number of exhibitors is close to the number of attendees.
The preceding paragraph is just the opinion of John McDonough, NFDA member, after studying the organization closely since 1993.
Got any Hot News for us. Issues that involve funeral service, in your community, it in, Everything you see here was send in by someone just like you. If there is a newspaper article in your area, send the link and we can all learn from it, even if it is your opinion we all learn from one another. Any HOT NEWS OR SCUTTLEBUTT WILL BE POSTED IN THE READER'S WRITE BACK SECTION.
Send your story or issue to FSPA just click here --->Lowellma@aol.com
You are welcome, to write us with your comments, suggestions, complaints and especially stories about funeral service. Please remember only FSPA members will have information posted in the weekly update, it's easy click here ---> Mailto:Lowellma@aol.com Your participation is appreciated and essential.
You are welcome, to post your professional article here, you need to author your article and agree it will be posted with your full name. Please remember only FSPA members will have information posted in the weekly update, it's easy click here ---> Mailto:Lowellma@aol.com Your participation is appreciated and essential.
FUNERAL SERVICE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION does not share membership info with anyone, no one will be given your information with out your permission or a court order.
To Join the Funeral Service Professional Association you must derive some of your income from the funeral industry, students and retirees from the funeral profession are welcome as well, please e-mail the following information.
If you skip answering one of the seven questions, you are wasting your time, the standards are the same for everyone, FSPA is open to everyone in funeral service, we are all equals here no exceptions, FSPA will not tell anyone who you are unless you request your identity be disclosed, FSPA is only open to any type of Funeral Service Professional, or Funeral Service Affiliate such as: Funeral Association employees, Mortuary School Students, Funeral Service product providers and Funeral Service Media.
Accountants will tell you FSPA is a write off ! Please check with your accountant. If s/he approves Go get yourself a nice laptop and possibly write off your hardware as well as AOL or other Internet service charge as an expense, the more your participate in FSPA the more proof you have.
If you have a suggested question this please just send it along, none of FSPA 's mail will be possible with out your sending information into us,
To make life easier on me
First and foremost, Send your info or story in to FSPA.
2nd Please put on the top line your name and location, like "John from Massachusetts writes :"
3rd please address the subject line put:
This is just a hobby, if you send and don't address the subject line with FSPA, it usually delete it because it looks like junk mail, FSPA get over 50 pieces of mail a day, most gets deleted, THE SUBJECT LINE is the key so please, use the subject line properly. Put FSPA in the Subject line along with the flavor of your message.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE the posting(s) you send are some times resent to others be careful, if you are proud of what you said and want the world to know how you feel Put your name, location and e-mail address at the end.
However If you don't want the world to know your ideas and you want to remain anonymous, just put name withheld at the end. FSPA does not reveal who its members are nor does FSPA lend it's list of members to others. There is no need to identify yourself. If you are not proud of your response (like the air line lost a body on us) it is not recommended you identify yourself, since we can all learn from problems. We need your input! Your answers go all over the place, E-mail is so easy to forward. We are happy to learn from your problems and issues, there is no need to identify yourself if you don't want to, South Western United States if just fine.
If the article you want is from a commercial publisher YOU MUST get permission from the person or company who created the story.
Because e-mail can be altered electronically, the integrity of this communication cannot be guaranteed. Any of the items you read here, you are free to reuse, understand, the postings are just that, the items are for the most part cut and pasted from E-mail, others FAXed and of course from funeral publications and other media. What you see here is never checked, if you do decide to republish or quote any thing FSPA puts out, check it out, please do not name the individual who sent the article without their permission. If you see fit to use any information from FSPA please give us credit. Ages ago a state association news letter posted a quote using the senders name, she was not a happy camper nor was her company, please use caution in the future. We appreciate your understanding and we need your support.
Consider these steps for your life.
1. Work like you don't need the money.
2. Love like you've never been hurt.
3. Dance like you do when nobody's watching.
C YA
John
BOTTOM LINE: WE ALL WORK FOR THE BETTERMENT OF FUNERAL SERVICE PROFESSION AND THE DEATH CARE INDUSTRY THE CONSUMERS WE SERVE AND THE PROFESSIONALS WE WORK WITH. IF YOU SEE ANYTHING WRONG, IF SOMETHING HERE REALLY OFFENDS YOU, LET'S WORK TOGETHER. PLEASE NOTIFY FSPA IMMEDIATELY, YOU CAN E-MAIL TO lowellma@aol.com Or call FSPA in the United States Voice 978-458-6816 Fax 978-459-0115 or the old fashioned way through the mail at FSPA c/o 14 Highland Street Lowell, Massachusetts 01852-3399 USA
* * * * END * * * * 00004 GO TO TOP