The ICFA Expo drew a great crowd, and business was brisk. More than 90 percent of the attendees were from independent cemeteries, funeral homes, crematories and related companies. Exhibitors rated this year's Expo an "8" on a scale of 1 to 10.
FTC Attorney Myra Howard explained
how her staff is trained to "test shop" funeral homes. Attendees at
her session came away with two popular handouts: "Complying With the
Funeral Rule" and "Funerals: A Consumer Guide."
Cemetery and funeral sales and
management training expert Gary O'Sullivan discussed the importance
of building a "Partnership Mentality" among staff and
management.
Dave Daly, left, accepts the ICFA Hall of Fame Award
from ICFA Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Bob Gordon Sr.
The Great Debate II was a big hit,
as Paul Elvig, left, took on Tom Lynch regarding The Pros and Cons of
Prearrangement. ICFA Past President David Shipper served as
moderator.
Audience
members appreciate the open exchange of ideas between the two
debaters.
The "Dealing
with Dysfunctional Families" workshop featured an entertaining role
play as (left to right) grief therapist John Welshons, attorney Donna
Campbell and attorney Michael Pepperman explored real-life industry
lawsuits and how the cemeteries and funeral homes involved might have
best handled them.
Outgoing ICFA President Greg
Easley, left, passes on the gavel to 2002-2003 President Bill Wright.
Wright is general manager of Fairlawn Burial Park and Vice President
of Heritage Funeral Home in Hutchinson, Kansas. He is a licensed
funeral director and is a past president of the Kansas Cemetery
Association.
The first timers' reception in
the Expo gave new attendees a chance to meet ICFA officers and board
members. More than 100 attendees at this year's Convention were first
timers.
Winner of the ICFA Expo Express $1,000 Grand Prize
Gerald Kill of Laman Funeral Home in Lima, OH.
Outgoing ICFA President Greg Easley with wife
Liz.
Everyone's favorite ICFA Convention attendee, Derek the
grief therapy dog, with owner Tom Flynn of Hillcrest Memorial Park
and John Flynn Funeral Home in Hermitage, PA. At right is John Field
of Axiom Business Systems, an industry software supplier based in
Victoria, Australia.
The
Saturday night Beach Party Dinner Dance ended the Convention on a
high note.
Nicole Krause, daughter of Mark and Joan Krause (Krause
Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Milwaukee, WI), masters five
hula hoops during the Beach Party.
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.
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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:
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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
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