June 2018 - Issue 2 The Undertakings newsletter june 2018.pdf · Sara Ruth Holman Widow of Norman...

June 2018 - Issue 2 The Undertakings

Inside This Issue

Article Page

The President Writes .................... Page 3

Denise’s Soapbox ......................... Page 5

2017-2018 AFDA Board of ............. Page 6

Directors

AFDA Calendar of Events ............ Page 7

In Memoriam ............................... Page 8

Important Stuff / New

Continuing Education

Requirements ............................. 0

New Members .............................. Page 10

AFDA Nominating Committee

Report ......................................... Page 11

AFDA’s Newest CFSP ................. Page 11

The AFDA Trust & You ............... Page 12

Oops ............................................. Page 12

AFDA Scholarship Information ... Page 13

AFDA Trust Forms ...................... Page 14

NFDA Slate of Candidates for

Office .......................................... Page 16

AFDA Officers Storm Capitol

Hill ............................................. Page 17

Time To Eat A Little Crow .......... Page 18

AFDA Disaster Response

Initiatives .................................... Page 19

NFDA Policy Board Report ......... Page 25

AFDA Trust Report ...................... Page 25

AFDA Birthdays ........................... Page 27

News From The American Board

Of Funeral Service Education .... Page 28

Serious Fun Awaits Your Participation ...

Join Us At The Marriott Grand, Point Clear, Alabama For

The 134th AFDA Convention

The Undertakings - June 2018


The President Writes ...

Michael A. Morrison, CFSP, CCO

AFDA President

Does this sound familiar? I work so hard every day and

many nights. We never know when the next call is coming,

and I can’t be tied down to another service club. I’ve

worked hard for so long that I want some time to myself,

not being on some committee. What can AFDA really

offer my business? I can’t tell you how often those

thoughts have gone through the minds of so many Alabama

funeral directors … but then they got involved.

AFDA is not another service club to function as a feather in

your cap. It is not a scheme where only the higher ones

benefit from the hard work of the masses. AFDA is a group

of men and women, just like you, who care about their

industry and desire the very best for funeral service and

funeral service professionals. AFDA is your voice in the

legislature. AFDA is your watchdog in Montgomery and

Washington. AFDA is your trust provider in pre-need.

AFDA is your link to continuing education. AFDA is your

strong tie to, and the greatest benefit of, Alabama’s

unparalleled S-MORT team. AFDA is all of this and so

much more.

AFDA is a strong association, but only as much so as the

continued participation of its membership. One great way

to get involved and/or stay involved is joining us June

17-19 at Marriott’s Grand Hotel and Resort in Point Clear

for the AFDA Annual Convention. It is always a great time

of connection, education, and relaxation and I hope you

have made your plans to attend. In every event and for

every program (Mid-Winter, District Meetings, etc.), it

takes everyone, from vendors to owners, from educators to

employees, to make AFDA vibrant and effective. When we

are united we are stronger than any one voice. Together, we

are better!

I urge you, funeral home owner, to get

involved and serve in AFDA. It is only your

business that can benefit. If possible, allow

your staff to be involved as well. I urge you, funeral home

employees, to get involved and serve in AFDA. Your

professional growth and education is important. I urge you, past

board members, office holders, and membership, to step up once

again and serve in AFDA. Your past experience provides

valuable wisdom to help a younger generation learn how to lead.

I urge you, sideline membership, to get involved and serve in

AFDA. Joining is important, but participation is the critical

element. I urge you, vendors and partners, to recommit to sup-

porting AFDA for the purpose of strengthening relationships and

bolstering the value of membership. No one is not too old, or too

young. You are, however, too smart to pass on the opportunity to

make funeral service better for everyone in Alabama.

Consider this a “Macedonian call” to come help! AFDA is

strong, but you can help make it stronger. AFDA is good, but

your participation can help make it better. Together, we can

make a difference!

Yours,

Mike Morrison

Hope To See You At The Grand!


Denise’s Soapbox ...

B. Denise Edmisten, CCO

May brings graduations. Graduations bring commencement

speeches. The speeches for centuries have had the same

theme of future, goals and diligence in effort. In other

words always THINK BIG.

Whether we are encouraging children leaving kindergarten

for the first grade, the high schooler about to learn the real

meaning of life or the college graduate stepping into their

place in society the center of the mark is BIG.

Let’s not stop with the children or the college grad. Let’s

look at word BIG.

I have some suggestions and ask each of you to examine

ways we can incorporate BIG into our personal and

professional lives.

BIG:

Believe in Good

Believe in Goals

Believe in Guidelines

Believe in Gentleness

Believe in Gifts

Believe in Going

Believe in Giving

Believe in Genuine

Most importantly, Believe in God as you believe God to be.

Think on these beliefs and add to the list. If we apply these

to our lives and encourage our family, friends and

employees, very possibly we will see changes in our lives

that point toward goals that are attainable and results that are

BIG.

Do you do the “Sexy” things first? Do you focus on the

product, the conclusion without giving much less

attention to the not-so-fun-to-do mechanics?

Mother Teresa is attributed with saying “ be faithful in small

things, because it in them that your strength lies.” What are the

small things in your personal or professional life?

Periodically, I find that I must step back out of an obligation to be

diligent and faithful in the “small things.” I have to assess where I

am and where the small and big things intersect.

Have you ever seen a runner strive so hard, run so hard that they

get ahead of themselves? They’ve pushed beyond their point of

control of gravity and though it may take many yards they tumble

to defeat. They had forgotten the intersecting line of small and

large.

The non-sexy, mundane tasks are often the very stabling forces

under the floor of success. The attention to the well groomed

look, the shined shoes, the manicured nails, the little things; then

on to the office - the files that are stacking up, the manner in

which a phone is answered, the very way a hand is extended and a

handshake given. These are the small things that are much.

Our professional life is not always based on what we do but how

we do it. Be faithful in the small things. __________________

Oops,

Wrong Office,

Denise!


AFDA Executive Officers

Michael A. Morrison, CFSP, CCO ______ President

Morrison Funeral Home 825 North Main Street Post Office Box 513

Tuscumbia, AL 35674 256-383-7311

E-Mail: [email protected] Spouse: Holley Morrison

Heath Bowen, CFSP ________________ President-Elect John Ridout’s Funeral Parlors

2116 University Boulevard Birmingham, AL 35233

205-251-5254 E-Mail: [email protected]

Spouse: Jo Anne Bowen

Mike Yates, CFSP __________________ Vice-President Ridout’s Gardendale Chapel

Post Office Box 498 Gardendale, AL 35071


Spouse: Amy Yates

Kendall Glover, CFSP _______________ Secretary- Treasurer

Glover Funeral Home 1468 Hartford Highway

Dothan, AL 36301 334-699-3888

E-Mail: [email protected] Spouse: Caroline Glover

Carrel-Ann Wyatt Spears _____________ Immediate Past

President

Wyatt Funeral Home Post Office Box 875

Opp, AL 36467 334-493-2506

E-Mail: [email protected] Spouse: Ferrell Spears

Geoff L. Halbrooks, CFSP ____________ Policy Board Representative

Peck Funeral Home 1600 Highway 31 Southwest Hartselle, Alabama 35640


Spouse: Lisa Halbrooks

District Directors & AFDA Staff

Luther D. Watts ____________________ Director District 1 Bell Funeral Home

510 Main Street Post Office Box 1239 Sumiton, AL 35148


Jimmy R. Stewart ___________________ Director District 2 Lemley Funeral Home & Crematory

6878 Second Avenue, West / Post Office Box 700 Oneonta, AL 35121


Spouse: Mitsy Stewart

Buffy Johnston, CFSP _______________ Director District 3 Mobile Memorial Gardens 6040 Three Notch Road

Mobile, AL 36619 251-661-7700

E-Mail: [email protected] Fiancé: Steve Lyon

Jim Martin ________________________ Director District 4 Martin Funeral Home

1300 4th Avenue North Post Office Box 86 Clanton, AL 35046


Spouse: Vickey Martin

Denise Edmisten, CCO ______________ Executive Director

Alabama Funeral Directors Association Postal Mail Box 380 / 7956 Vaughn Road

Physical Address / 7 Clayton Street Montgomery, AL 36116

334-956-8000 - Office / 334-322-3428 - Cell 334-956-8001 - FAX

E-Mail: [email protected]

Martha Till _________________________ Executive

Secretary

Alabama Funeral Directors Association Postal Mail Box 380 / 7956 Vaughn Road

Physical Address / 7 Clayton Street Montgomery, AL 36116

334-956-8000 - Office / 334-354-0593 - Cell

2017—2018 AFDA Board of Directors


June 17 - 19, 2018

132 Annual AFDA Convention

The Grand Hotel

Point Clear, Alabama

July 4, 2018

Independence Day

AFDA Office Closed

July 8 - 11, 2018

NFDA Leadership Meeting

Grove Park Hotel

Ashville, North Carolina

August 20, 2018

North American Division of the British Institute of Embalmers’

2018 AGM

Embassy Suites Hotel

Arlington, Virginia

August 21 - 22, 2018

North American Division of the British Institute of Embalmers’

2018 Professional Enrichment Conference


Arlington, Virginia

August 23 - 25, 2018

Dodge Summer Version of

Wreaths across America Project


Arlington, Virginia

September 3, 2018

Labor Day

AFDA Office Closed

October 8, 2018

Columbus Day

October 14-17, 2018

137th Annual NFDA Convention

Salt Lake City, Utah

November 6, 2018

Election Day

November 21 - 23, 2018

Thanksgiving Holidays

December 12 - 15, 2018

Dodge Wreaths across America Project


Arlington, Virginia

December 24 - 25, 2018

Christmas Holiday

December 31, 2018 - January 1, 2019

New Year’s Holiday

January 21 - 22, 2019

AFDA Mid-Winter Meeting & Exposition

Birmingham, Alabama


Sara Ruth Holman

Widow of Norman Holman, Sr.

Holman-Headland Funeral Mortuary

Headland, Alabama

March 22, 2018

John W. Trent

Brother of Bill Trant

And

Uncle of Coley Trant

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home

Opelika, Alabama

April 21, 2018

Ottis L. Sheed

Blount County Cleveland Funeral Home

&

Holly Pond Funeral Home

Holly Pond, Alabama

May 2, 2018

Rick Brown

Formerly With Carr Funeral Home

Guntersville, Alabama

May 10, 2018

Imogene Nabors Seale

Mother of Connie Denty of

Bolton Funeral Home

Columbiana, AL

May 11, 2018

Should family and friends so desire, expressions of

sympathy may be made to the association’s scholarship fund, the

J. Whit Miles, CFSP Scholarship Fund C/O Alabama Funeral Directors Association

Postal Mail Box 380 7956 Vaughn Road

Montgomery, AL 36116

Please be certain to indicate to whom acknowledgements should be sent and include

the appropriate address.

In Memoriam

Celebrating The Lives of Our AFDA Members, Family Members & Friends

Those we love don’t

go away, they walk

beside us every day.

Unseen, unheard, but

always near, still

loved, still missed

and very dear.

Author Unknown


Alabama Bio-Clean, Inc.

Alabama Eye Bank

Alabama Funeral Directors Association

Alabama Organ Center

Ambulance & Coach Sales

American Benefit Life Insurance Company

American Mortuary Coolers

AnswerTel

Applied Lighting

ASD Answering Service

Astral Industries

Atlantic Coast Life Insurance

Bass-Mollett Publishers, Inc.

Batesville Casket Company

Coats Clothing Co.

Contemporary Concepts, Inc.

Cost Segregation Services

Countryside Casket

Covington Casket Company

Crain MM Sales

Crescent Memorial

Custom Air Trays

Federated Insurance

FuneralOne

Funeral Services, Inc.

Funeral Trust of Alabama

Great Western Insurance

Harbuck Keith & Holmes, LLC

Homesteaders Life Company

IFDA (Independent Funeral Planning Alliance)

Matthews/Aurora Funeral Solutions

Messenger

Music City Mortuary

Pierce Companies

Pontotoc Box Company

Service Casket Company

Shields Southeast Sales, Inc.

ShivaShade

Southern Calls

Standifer Insurance Group

Thacker Caskets

The Bag Lady

The Dodge Company

The Red Book

Truitt Insurance & Bonding, Inc.

Vantage Products Corporation

Ward’s Transport & Supplies

WestMed Disposal, Inc.

Patrons

Brown Service Funeral Homes

Dennis Painter, NGLIC


AFDA Mission Statement

“That the Alabama Funeral Director’s Association encourage

and promote only the highest of professional standards for

men and women engaged in the funeral service profession;

strive to provide continuing educational forums for ex-

change, development and dissemination of knowledge and

Important Reminder: Money Move

Dates …

One That Is Easy To Remember

Money moves are now once a week—

Wednesdays at 12:00 Noon

It’s Time To Roll

Out The AFDA

Welcome Mat For

Our Newest

AFDA

Member(s)

Associate Members

Family Care, LLC

Remember, it has been said time and time again over the

years, “Participate in your Association, know your fellow

members, share with them at social events, business

meetings, and workshops and you will never ask this

question, “What is this association doing for me?”

Because the more you put in, the more you will get out!

Always remember, this is your association. Let it work for

you!”

Welcome

Continuing Education Update

Two new requirements for continuing education for

license renewal include the addition of completion of

programs addressing the subjects of: (1) legal

information/matters, and (2) blood-borne pathogens

which must be completed prior to license renewal -

October 1, 2018.

According to Charles Perine, Executive Secretary of

the Alabama Board of Funeral Services, those who

individuals who attended the AFDA District meetings

in November 2017 have satisfied the required legal

issues continuing education requirement.

The AFDA is working with the Alabama Department

of Public Health and the Board of Funeral Services to

present a program on blood-borne pathogens at the

AFDA District meetings in 2018. This will mean

moving the District meetings into the months of

August or September.

Continued On Page 11


AFDA Nominating Committee

Report March 23, 2018

The Nominating Committee for the slate

of officers (2018-2019) met via conference call March 22, 2018.

The following nominees are offered for election to office at the

Annual Membership Meeting of the AFDA, June 19, 2018.

Secretary-Treasurer .................. Buffy Johnston, CFSP

Vice President .......................... Kendall Glover, CFSP

President-Elect ......................... Mike Yates, CFSP

President: .................................. Heath Bowen, CFSP*

Immediate Past President ......... Mike Morrison, CFSP*

Other nominations except for President may be received by the

Nominating Committee until 30 days before the annual meeting

(May 19, 2018). After that date, AFDA Category I members

may make nominations from the floor until 15 days before the

annual meeting (June 5, 2018). If any nominations from the

floor are made, an additional report shall be mailed to the

membership 10 days prior to the annual meeting (June 9, 2018).

By-laws:

“Election shall be by ballot and a majority of the vote cast shall

elect, except the President-Elect who shall automatically move

to the office of the President and the President shall

automatically move to the office of Immediate Past President.”

Nominating Committee

Carrel Ann Spears, Chair

Lance Brooks

Mark Craddock, CFSP

Amy Justice

Jzyk, Ennis, CFSP, Ph.D. (Absent)

Come out and cast your ballot, June 19th!

Congratulations Go Out To

Christopher Lee Griffith, CFSP,

The Association’s Newest CFSP

It has been said time and time again that

“boasting is sometimes good for the

soul.” In this case, not only is it good

for the soul, but good for the Alabama

Funeral Directors Association (AFDA)

as well. Certification by the Academy of

Funeral Service Practice speaks well for the caliber of funer-

al service practitioners; individuals who are committed to

ongoing learning; not because they are required to do so to

satisfy state board licensing requirements, but more

importantly because they WANT to learn. They want to be

equipped with information that will help them better serve

their client families. And so it is with Christopher Griffith

of Bolton Funeral Home, Calera, Alabama.

Christopher, your AFDA colleagues are all proud of your

accomplishment. You see, they know that Academy

participation is a voluntary endeavor and requires 120 hours

of continuing education credit to be certified as a Certified

Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP)! Yes, 120 hours.

Congratulations!

Continued From Page 10—Important Stuff / Continuing

Education Update

Don’t get caught when license

renewal time rolls around. Make

sure you have participated in the

mandated programs addressing

legal information/matters and the

Blood-Borne Pathogen Standard.

Do yourself a favor; stay tuned for additional information.

Check your emails and the AFDA website for more

information on the venues, dates and times for the programs

on the Blood-Borne Pathogen Standard. Bottom Line: It’s

your license that needs to be renewed and won’t be unless

you have satisfied the necessary continuing education

program requirements.

The Undertakings - June 2018 The AFDA Trust & You

A wise man once said, “We cannot accomplish all that we

need to do without working together.”

Bill Richardson

Helpful Hints For Using The Trust from the AFDA

Processing Department

The bottom line is that a little change on your part will not

only make it easier on our part, but lessen the chance for

error in processing trust accounts.

1. The Trust Office only needs one copy of your

contract, not the original and a photocopy.

2. Please prepare a transmittal sheet for each batch of

your contracts and/or payments. When we receive

payments or contracts without transmittal sheets, we

must stop what we are doing and prepare one with

your funeral home name and the required information

on the contracts, i.e. contract number, purchaser’s

name and amount of checks.

3. Sometimes your trust clients send their personal

checks directly to the AFDA Trust Office. We do not

have any idea of where these funds should be credited

without the name of the funeral home and other

identifying information.

4. If you permit your clients to send payments directly

to our office, please have them write the name of your

funeral home and the contract number on the memo

line of the check.

5. Please don’t wait until you are completely out of

supplies. Depending on the US Postal System is a

scary thing at best and could end up costing you

money.

6. Remember, you may contact us through the Trust

website: Funeraltrustofalabama.org. There is a direct

email link.

So, lets work together. Help us, help you.

Oops ...

Membership directories are always difficult to prepare as it seems that something gets past the “evil eyes” of our proof readers every time. This is not unique to the AFDA. I’m sorry to say, the 2018 MFDA Membership Directory contains at least one “oopsie”. Specifically, the e-mail address of Covington Casket Company was cut off during the publishing process.

The entry should have read:

Covington Casket Company, Inc.

Post Office Box 128

Andalusia, AL 36420

334-222-4365

[email protected]


Administrative Systems, Inc. *

Alabama Eye Bank *

Astral Industries, Inc. *

Ambulance & Coach Sales

American Benefit Life insurance Co.

AnswerTel of Athens, Inc. *

Atlantic Coast Life Insurance *

Bass-Mollett Publishers*

Brown-Service Funeral Homes, Inc. *

Crescent Memorial

Covington Casket *

Federated Insurance *

Funeral Services, Inc.*

Funeral Trust of Alabama *

Heritage Memorial Funding *

Jefferson State Community College *

Matthews / Aurora Funeral Solutions *

Messenger *

Music City Mortuary *

Perkins Financial, LLC *

Service Casket Company *

Shields Southeast Sales *

The 770 Group at UBS *

Truitt Insurance & Bonding Company * UBS Financial Services

Bold / Indicates Preferred Provider

* / Indicates AFDA Associate Member

~ AFDA Associate Members & Preferred Providers ~

Indispensable Teammates On A Winning Team

Team AFDA

AFDA Scholarship Information

The Alabama Funeral Directions Association is committed to

excellence in funeral service education. Two AFDA $1,000.00

scholarships ($500.00 per semester) will be awarded to

qualified students whose plans are to complete their education

in an accredited mortuary science school and service the public

in their choice profession in the State of

Alabama.

All scholarship applicants must be sponsored by an

active member of the AFDA. All scholarships will

be awarded at the discretion of the Scholarship

Committee of the AFDA. Awards will be based

on application information, academic record and

evaluation. The decision of the Scholarship

Committee will be final. Should there be no

applicants or if the applications do not meet the standards set by

the committee, the committee reserves the right not to make the

award. All awards will be made prior to the beginning of a full

semester.

The student and the school will be notified by mail of the

award. Upon proper invoices from the accredited school, the

funds will be paid directly to the school on a pro-rata basis until

the award is exhausted. The scholarship award is to be used

exclusively for the payment of tuition of mortuary science

classes, and textbooks necessary for the mortuary classes. If for

any reason a recipient should drop a mortuary science required

class or discontinue their education in the field of

mortuary science, the unused portion will remain

in the AFDA Scholarship Fund.

For a scholarship application, please go to:

http://www.alabamafda.org/Portals/0/PDF/

Scholarship%20Application%203.pdf

Even though you personally may not be in need

of scholarship assistance, remember there are

plenty of aspiring funeral service practitioners in Alabama that

could use a little help. Give them a heads up and share

information regarding the availability of the AFDA Scholarship.

The application process is painless!


~ Disclaimer ~

The Undertakings is published as a membership service of

the Alabama Funeral Directors Association (AFDA), Inc.

Portions of this newsletter are taken from other sources

which we believe to be reliable. However, The

Undertakings is not meant to provide a complete

authoritative statement on the subjects discussed. The

services of an attorney, accountant, or other professional

should be sought in legal, tax, and compliance matters.

Copyright © 2016—Alabama Funeral Directors Association.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced by any means without prior written permission of

the published.

The appearance, reference or advertisement of any

product(s) or service(s) in this publication shall not be

deemed an endorsement of such product or services by the

AFDA unless specifically stated. ⬧ ⬧ ⬧ ⬧ ⬧ ⬧

Perhaps We Can Help …

As you know, the Alabama Funeral Directors

Association initiated a new member service a

while back, one we feel you will come to

appreciate over time. Admittedly, you may not

need to avail yourself of our placement service at this time, but

should the need arise in the future,

remember us.

Specifically, AFDA member firms in need of a funeral

professional or support staff should e-mail their position

information to Denise at [email protected]. Likewise,

licensees or support staff need only to forward their respective

resumes to Denise.

Of importance is the fact that all information will be treated with

utmost confidentiality. Information will be submitted to

potential employers only upon your written authorization.

Files will be kept on file for 90 days, but the time limit may be

extended as appropriate. Should a position be filled or employ-

ment achieved, the association office should be notified

AFDA Trust Forms

If the AFDA

Trust is a vital

part of your

business, treat it as such! If you are running low on trust

forms, don’t wait until the last minute to place an order.

Plan ahead and remember to take into consideration

realistic shipping and turn-around times.

More importantly, do yourself a huge favor and place your

order directly with the trust office at

funeraltrustofalabama.net.

While Denise is always a backup for placing orders,

expedite your order through the trust office. Remember,

Denise isn’t in the AFDA office at all times and does have

other responsibilities. So it’s easy for voice mails to get

lost in the shuffle. Emailed paper trails of your order are a

good way to insure that you placed an order and hopefully

won’t run out of forms and be left wondering what to do

without a form.


News From NFDA

NFDA Leadership Development Committee Announces List of Qualified Candidates for

2018 Elections NFDA is pleased to announce the 2018 NFDA Leadership

Development Committee’s list of qualified candidates for open

positions on the NFDA Board of Directors.

NFDA members will have an opportunity in August to elect

individuals to serve in officer positions on the Board of

Directors. Voting will take place August 1-14, 2018 (during the

2017 NFDA Election, association members approved changes to

the association’s Bylaws, which changed the balloting period

from 30 to 14 days).

Officers serve a one-year term that commences following the

2018 NFDA Convention. The individual elected to the office of

president-elect will automatically become president following

the 2019 NFDA Convention.

Secretary Candidates

Stephen R Kemp, CFSP, Kemp Funeral Home and Cremation

Services LLC, Southfield, MI

John “Jack” O. Mitchell IV, CFSP, CCO, CCSP, Mitchell-

Wiedefeld Funeral Home, Inc., Baltimore, MD

Treasurer Candidate

Randall “Randy” P. Anderson, CFSP, CCO, Radney's

Funeral Home Inc., Alexander City, AL

President-elect Candidate

R. Bryant Hightower Jr., CFSP, Martin & Hightower Funeral

Home Inc., Heritage Chapel, Carrollton, GA

During their meeting in July, the Policy Board will elect two

individuals to serve two-year terms (2018-20) that commence

following the 2018 NFDA International Convention & Expo.

The following individuals are at-large representative

candidates:

• Christopher P. Robinson, CFSP, CCO, Robinson Funeral Home, Easley, SC

• John W. Wenig, Wenig Funeral Homes, Sheboygan Falls, WI Visit www.nfda.org/vote to view detailed information on each of these candidates.

Don’t Miss Out!

As a valued member, you are NFDA … and that means you

have a voice in the governance of your association.

We need your help to ensure we have accurate information

for all licensed funeral directors at your firm so we can

communicate important information about the election and

voting procedures via email.

Please contact your member services representative at 800-

228-6332 to verify the information we have on file. NFDA

needs the:

Name and unique email address for primary contact (must be

a licensed funeral director) at your firm

Name and unique email addresses for all licensed funeral directors at your firm

Visit www.nfda.org/vote for more information, including voting procedures and timelines. Watch your email for more information about your opportunity to vote!

http://www.nfda.org/news/in-the-news/nfda-news/id/3040/_cldee/c2jlbgfuz2vyqgrvzgdly28uy29t/recipientid/contact-b836b280c1b8db11b90e0050568763a2-834ddc9a168a4953aa771873c0249493/esid/21d4ea63-8d1d-e811-80c2-94188202c19f





http://www.nfda.org/about-nfda/board-of-directors/elections



http://www.nfda.org/about-nfda/board-of-directors/elections


AFDA Members

In & Around

The Capital City

April 25-28, 2018


It’s Time To Eat A Little Crow …

“Over the years, I have become quite the

connoisseur of crow. I was quite reluctant

at first – you can’t be serious, I gotta eat

some crow? Yes, son, grandson, nephew,

idiot, misfit – you gotta eat some crow. I

have gotten fat on crow.

I have sampled crow in just about as many

ways as Bubba Gump can serve up shrimp: crow sandwich,

pickled crow, crow salad, crow legs, broiled crow, grilled crow,

bacon-wrapped crow, crow’s feet, crow tartare, and even the

highly prized, crow beak bisque.

With all the choices, I find crow best served up fried. What do

you expect, I’m from East Tennessee. However, unlike every

other fried food in the world, fried crow is actually good for

you.

Learning to eat fried crow is learning to say ‘I’m sorry, I

screwed up, I want to fix what I broke’.

Most folks want to save face, blame others, and go on about

their business when they screw up. We generally prefer to hide

our mistakes… it is simply way too costly to own up to making

a mistake, particularly in a business setting.

Wrong.

Dead wrong.

We all screw up. Those that prefer to not admit

mistakes quickly station various defensive mechanisms

(e.g., Denial being a common go-to default defense

mechanism). …”

And so it goes. I find myself chomping on a little crow

today as I say “I’m truly sorry” to Steve Chenault for his

name being omitted from the listing of 50-year pin

recipients in the 2018 AFDA Directory of Members.

Though certainly not intentional, there are times when things

get changed in the midst of technological advances. And so it

was with Steve. That’s the only explanation I can offer.

Cyberspace gremlins are mischievous critters.

While not entirely responsible for the “mistook,” as your

executive director and the last line of defense, I believe it is up

to me to step up to the refrig and grab a leg of crow and start

chomping. Steve, please know that I am ever so sorry that your

name was not included. I have no explanation as to why it was

omitted, but since it has, I hope you will accept my apology.

Excerpts from Dr. J. Craig Wallace’s Writings

More Hill Activities / Some Work; Some Fun!


The AFDA Disaster Response Unit And

Disaster Relief Team

Are Ready To Respond

While the team hopes and prays they are

never activated, they are ready should the

need arise.

This Is Why We Train

March 19, 2018

Six Confirmed Tornados In Alabama

Fortunately, there were no fatalities

SMORT - State Mortuary Operations Response Team

Preparing is planning whether planning an event or a

menu, but the Alabama SMORT (State Mortuary

Operations Response Team) prepares for those horrific

times when disaster strikes. The constant of disasters is

that they are always inconsistent; never the same kind of

catastrophe, never the same in duration; never the same in

area involved, and the response requirements always differ.

The Alabama SMORT, under the command of Doug

Williams, has been activated a few times in the past and

each incident has been totally different, but each time the

responders have been ready. The team is well equipped

and well trained, but the team is small in comparison to the

possible nature of disasters that loom in the future.

Tornados like the ones of April 2011 require many

responders. After the recovery has been completed, the

work of funeral service practitioners begins. Simply put,

we need more team members.

To be a team member is not difficult. While there are

NDMS (National Disaster Medical System) courses and

tests that must be taken as a form of education and prepara-

tion, that portion of training makes reaction time and

understanding of what must be done easier. There is an

average of 2 live training sessions per year. Won’t you

consider becoming an SMORT member? Contact Denise

or Doug and we’ll supply the necessary information.


Yes, I think you will have

to agree,

we are ready,

but pray that we are

never activated.

Saved By The Grace ...



NFDA Policy Board

Meeting Update

Washington, DC

April 2, 2018

By

Geoff Halbrooks

The following summary of the brief,

one-hour, April 2018 meeting of the

NFDA Policy Board is provided for

informational purposes only. Official minutes of the

meeting are subject to approval by the Policy Board at the

July 2018 meeting. If you have questions about information

presented in this summary or require additional information,

please contact Carol Hendrick, Senior VP of Strategic De-

velopment, at 906-439-5587 or [email protected].

Thursday, April 26

Minutes. Minutes of the Last Meeting. Minutes of the

October 28, 2017 meeting were approved.

Introductions. New and alternate Policy Board

representatives introduced themselves. President-elect

Chuck Bowman introduced candidates for open positions on

the 2018-2019 Board of Directors.

Advocacy Summit Overview. Senior VP of Advocacy

Lesley Witter provided a final overview of all upcoming

summit activities.

Legal Briefing. General Counsel Scott Gilligan reported on

current legal matters, including:

• New nominees to the Federal Trade Commission*

• Continuing problems presented by Heritage Cremation

Providers

• Action to be taken by the New York Bureau of Funeral

Service to revoke licenses of 94 funeral directors, who

are AAMI graduates, if they do not retake and pass the

National Board Exam by December 31, 2018

A link to Scott’s April 2018 Legal Report is provided in the

Policy Board and State Executives sections of the NFDA

Website.

*Update: on April 26, the Senate confirmed five new

Federal Trade Commissioners. Scott’s update, And

Then There Were Five, has been posted in the Policy Board

and State Executives sections of the NFDA Website.

~ AFDA Trust Report ~

The Funeral Trust of Alabama

An Open Letter To The AFDA Membership

Hello from the Funeral Trust of Alabama!

As most of you are aware, the stock markets have been a little bit

crazy, seeing moderate gains and even greater losses. What we

all know is that our economy is growing under the current

administration, but our markets are apparently not sure just yet.

2017 was a great year for the Funeral Trust of Alabama (FTA)

and it continues to do well in 2018. Participation is good, but I

would like for it to be better. As funeral directors we need to

know that when our pre-need contracts are fulfilled that the mon-

ey is there to cover the cost. One thing that I know is that in the

long run, the FTA is just that kind of product; growth is a good

thing!

The Funeral Trust of Alabama is currently just north of 37

million dollars and growing. If you don't participate, I sure wish

you would give it a look. And remember, no insurance license is

needed and the FTA supplies all you need. Reports are provided

to DOI (Department of Insurance) and much, much more.

Help the Alabama Funeral Directors Association by giving the

Trust a try. Thanks.

Geoff

Geoff Halbrooks

Chairman of the FTA

The Undertakings - March 2018

Lindley and Lindley Funeral Supply

One call, that’s all!

601-946-3430 • 601-946-3818

The Dodge Company Proudly Presents

the

2018 Summer Wreaths across America Project

The Dodge Company Proudly Presents

the

2018 Summer Wreaths across America Project

Dover, Delaware; Arlington National Cemetery &

Metropolitan Washington, DC

August 23-25, 2018

You say you never can get away for the December Dodge Wreaths across America Project,

well now is your chance to partake of many goose-bump memories in August. You see,

Dodge is sponsoring a summer event in August which will be much the same as the December Dodge Wreaths across America

Project. Admittedly there are just a few differences between the two events; one being temperature and the second the Saturday

Arlington Wreath Project. Curious? Would you like to join us in what promises to be a memory-making event and also will offer

continuing education credit? If so, please reach out to Sally Belanger at [email protected] or 207-841-6330. Sally is

ready to share the details with interested parties. Denise Edmisten also can share a little info as she has traveled with us on earlier

events. Rumor has it that she will be back again in August! Come, join us; you’ll be glad you did. Promise!


AFDA Birthdays

Would you believe, it’s been almost a year and we

still haven’t been able to formulate a complete

listing of the birthdays of all our AFDA members,

but with your help will be able to do so in the very

near future. We even tried some tricky maneu-

vers, but now are resorting to pleading with you to

capture your birthday info.

That said, if you haven’t already done so, we’re

hoping that you will take a moment to e-mail your

birthday to the AFDA office. We’ll keep trying to

gather this information, but until we are able to do

so, we’d like to be the first to encourage those mem-

bers and friends with birthdays occurring between

now and the next edition of “The Undertakings,” to

share that information with either Denise or Mar-

tha. They will be quick to pass it on to Sally so

she may make certain all members are recognized

on their special day!

~ July ~

Name Date

Damon Kirkland .......................................... 2

Hope Etherton .............................................. 7

Sarah Chappell ............................................. 11

Earl Mitchell ................................................ 16

Iris McIllwain .............................................. 18

Donny Atkinson ........................................... 22

Gary Murphree ............................................ 27

Tommy Bowen ............................................ 29

~ August ~

Name Date

Martha Till ................................................... 1

Joey Baker ................................................... 4

Mike Perry ................................................... 11

J. Douglas Williams ..................................... 11

Austin Bowden ............................................ 21

Coley Trant .................................................. 21

Steve Smith .................................................. 25

Donald Phillips ............................................ 31

~ September ~

Name Date

Charlie Creel .............................................. 5

Mark Bement ............................................. 7

Tonya Perry ............................................... 11

Preston Sweatman ...................................... 13

Jim Martin ................................................. 17

Bill Lindley ................................................ 18

Aubrey Bushelon ....................................... 21

Donna Hughes ........................................... 22

Beth Clark .................................................. 23

Angela Rhodes ........................................... 24

Keary Chandler .......................................... 26

Carrell Ann Spears ..................................... 28


ABFSE holds 56th Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA

American Board of Funeral Service Education President Karl

Kann (Worsham College, Wheeling, IL) presided over the

ABFSE Annual Meeting during the organization’s 56th Annual

Conference in Anaheim, CA.

Cypress College, Cypress, CA was the host school during the

conference which ran from April 10-14, 2018. Jolena Grande

(Program Director), Lori Collins, Damon de la Cruz, David

McCament and Stephen Nichols represented Cypress College

throughout the conference.

Forty-four of the 57 currently accredited programs of Funeral

Service/Mortuary Science in the US attended the Annual

Conference along with representatives of the four association

members, National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA),

National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association

(NFDMA), International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral

Association (ICCFA) and Cremation Association of North

America (CANA) and two candidate programs.

New officers were elected to lead ABFSE for 2018-2020.

President is Jzyk Ennis from Jefferson State Community

College, Birmingham, AL, Vice-President, Jolena Grande from

Cypress College, Cypress, CA and Secretary/Treasurer, David

Martin from Piedmont Technical College, Greenwood, SC.

Mark Evely, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI was elected

as Chairperson of the Committee on Accreditation and John

Fritch, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK will lead

the College and University Council.

ABFSE Committee on Accreditation (COA) reviewed specific

accreditation activities of 14 programs along with graduation

rates, NBE pass rates and job placement rates of all accredited

programs. COA Chairperson Venus Riley Smith (Jefferson

State Community College, Birmingham, AL), James Shoemake

(Dallas Institute of Funeral Service), David Martin (Piedmont

Technical College) and Gwen Mooney (ICCFA representative)

were recognized and thanked for their years of service to the

COA as their terms ended.

Enrollment and graduation statistics for 2017 were reviewed by

the COA and the summary data will be shared with the

programs and the public following the annual conference. Fifty-

nine accredited schools and programs operated during 2017.

Two programs closed during 2017, another is wrapping up

operations during 2018. The program at Northeast Texas

Community College was granted Initial Accreditation and

another program is currently in Candidacy status. In 2017, 1646

graduated from accredited programs across the country and

2411 new students enrolled. Females were 64.8% of the

graduates and 11% of all graduates had parents in funeral

service.

Updated curriculum outlines for Business Law, Chemistry and

Merchandising were approved and plans were made to initiate

review of the funeral service law, small business management

(w/accounting) and funeral service psychology and counseling

teaching outlines during summer 2018. ABFSE reviews teach-

ing outlines on an annual basis with input from the association

members.

The scholarship committee recommended 2 undergraduate

awards and 2 graduate scholarships. Names of recipients will be

reported on the ABFSE website upon confirmation with the

recipients.

The annual conference opened with an update on the ABFSE

Strategic Plan and Review of Standards. The Scholarship

Committee, Constitution & By-Laws Committee, Program

Committee, NBE Liaison Committee, Curriculum Committee

and COA Liaison Committee held their meetings.

Professional Development activities included “Advanced Em-

balming Made Easy; “Credit and Financing a Funeral Home”;

“Best Practices for Teaching Funeral Directing” and

“Assessment”. The International Conference of Funeral Service

Examining Boards (ICFSEB) provided an update of their

statistics, policies and job task analysis. The association

members, NFDA, NFDMA, ICCFA, and CANA provided a

summary of their education related activities.

ABFSE is currently in the midst of a ‘Review of Standards’.

Periodically, accrediting agencies must evaluate the standards

with which programs must comply. Comments from educators,

students, funeral service practitioners and the general public

were collected for the proposed update. The next round of com-

ments on the Revised Standards will be collected during sum-

mer 2018. Updated Standards are due to be approved at the 57th

Annual Meeting in Miami, FL.

Continued On Page 29

The Undertakings - March 2018 Continued From Page 28—American Board of Funeral …

Attendees received a status report on the pending 6th edition of

the Embalming textbook and were treated to a reception

courtesy of Service Corporation International.

Twenty-six exhibitors participated in a mini-trade show which

included banking, education and grief related resources,

embalming chemical companies, providers of death care

products, potential employers and scholarship providers,

textbook providers, and cremation-oriented companies along

with the association members. A learner’s lounge was available

to provide educators with assistance using the new online

platform that will be used for self study submission.

Orientation for new members was included in the conference

agenda and Martha Thayer (Arapahoe Community College,

Littleton, CO) led a mentoring session designed to connect new

program directors and faculty with experienced colleagues.

On the final day of the Conference, 15 program representatives

attended a Self Study workshop to review expectations for the

process known as the self study. At least every 7 years, every

program undergoes a comprehensive review of its activities

which is evaluated by a team consisting of two educators and

one funeral service practitioner.

Formally established in 1962, ABFSE grew out of the efforts of

NFDA, ICFSEB and the associations of funeral service schools

and colleges. Today, ABFSE is recognized by the US

Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education

Accreditation as the accrediting agency for the colleges and

universities teaching funeral service/mortuary science education

in the US. ABFSE strives to cooperate with all groups and

agencies having an interest in the advancement of the principles

and standards of funeral service education.

ABFSE meets annually in April. A Directory of accredited

programs is available at www.abfse.org.

For further information, please contact ABFSE at 992 Mantua

Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097.

(816) 233-3747. Robert C. Smith III, Executive Director

Newly Elected Officers of the American Board of Funeral Service Education

Pictured left to right: Jzyk Ennis, President (Jefferson State Community College, AL); Francisco Solis Past-President

administered the Oath of Office (San Antonio College); Jolena Grande, Vice President (Cypress College, CA); Karl Kann,

Immediate Past President (Worsham College, IL). Not pictured: David Martin, Secretary/Treasurer (Piedmont Technical

College)

http://www.abfse.org

Happy Fourth of July!

Celebrate The Land of the Free

&

The Home of The Brave ...

June 2018 - Issue 2 The Undertakings newsletter june 2018.pdf · Sara Ruth Holman Widow of Norman...

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