2018 CGCC Mortuary Science Graduation and Scholarship Presentations

May 10, 2018 – 31 new Mortuary Graduates from Chandler Gilbert Community College proudly took the Funeral Service Oath and officially entered into the field. Congratulations to each and every one of these students and for what they accomplished. AFCCA William Aaron Scholarship Presentation The AFCCA is dedicated to promoting the further development of professional, ethical, responsive death care providers that are a credit to the industry. This is why the  William Aaron Scholarship Program was created …

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Obituary Scamming Alert

As funeral directors, we are accustomed to assisting our families with placing obituaries and funeral service notices in newspapers and online. We also need to be in the practice of making sure that our families are aware that this could lead to potential scams and they should be diligent in fact checking when receiving calls related to the death of their loved one. Recently Bunker Family Funerals & Cremation had a pretty disturbing “scam” attempt …

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Funeral Service Foundation Awards Two Arizona Funeral Directors the NFDA Professional Women’s Conference Scholarships

Brookfield, Wis. – The Funeral Service Foundation recently awarded nine academic scholarships and 10 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference Scholarships. The scholarships, totaling $35,000, are part of the Foundation ’45 Awards, which are designed to help funeral service professionals and students unlock their potential and take their careers to the next level. In addition to academic scholarships and NFDA Professional Women’s Conference Scholarships, the Foundation ’45 Awards include NFDA’s Meet the Mentors program, student Arranger Training, …

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Calling All Future Leaders of Arizona!

The AFCCA, along with NFDA, has a long history of cultivating new leaders in the Funeral Profession. We encourage continuing education, personal growth and leadership development among all of our members. In July is NFDA’s 2018 NFDA Leadership Conference at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. Leadership development continues to be critical at both the state and national levels and we all recognize the importance of developing future leaders who will continue to strengthen our …

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Memorilize Facebook Pages for your Family

In this day of social media and online presence, families may wonder what happens to a facebook page when their loved one dies. Some people think ahead and designate a legacy contact prior to passing away, and then that individual can take the reigns once they submit a death certificate to Facebook. But what about those who unexpectedly pass? This may not occur the family, but as their funeral director you can let them know …

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AFCCA & Messinger Mortuaries Hosts Lacy Robinson for a Funeral Arranger’s Training in Scottsdale, AZ

In March, people around the country flock to beautiful, sunny, WARM Scottsdale to catch a spring training game, and the NFDA Funeral Arranger’s training with Lacy Robinson. We were so happy to welcome attendees not only from around Arizona, but also from Colorado, Wisconsin and Michigan!

If you have not yet met Lacy, you are indeed missing out. She is fun, personable and a wealth of knowledge of the funeral industry. It was a pleasure to have her make the trek to Arizona to present to our members.

As you know, there is great importance to continuing education, beyond meeting the requirements to renew your licensing. The funeral industry is in constant motion and change. It’s so important in the profession to keep up to date with industry developments, and while many of our attendees have been in the profession for many years, they walked away with new found knowledge.

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
– John Wooden

Lacy did a wonderful job of reimagining the way we think not only about ourselves as funeral directors/arrangers but how we interact with our families. Attendees learned  that they are the expert communicator when in the arrangement room, we are there to guide, acknowledge and comfort families in a time when they may not be thinking as clear as they normally do. This was a highly interactive class that allowed for sharing of experiences, formation of ideas and creating a camaraderie. Everyone left with ideas on how to portray professional presences, establish a standard of care at the funeral home they work in, improve the experience for families when the come to the funeral home and make celebration of life services meaningful.

All attendees received a copy of “What Do We Tell the Children” by Joseph M. Primo, which gives practical tools and helpful ways to create a safe space for age-appropriate grieving.

We hope that all that attended learned something new and enjoyed themselves. A very special thank you to Messinger Mortuary Indian School for being our gracious hosts. They have a beautiful catering room and facility if you have not had a chance yet to visit them.

We look forward to hosting Lacy and NFDA at future events here in Arizona! If you would like to bring Lacy to your facility to present the NFDA Arranger Training, please email director@azfcca.org and we will connect you with Lacy.

 

NFDA Remembering a Life Film Contest

As funeral professionals, we hear inspiring life stories every day. Stories about people who have overcome huge obstacles. People who have created a beautiful legacy of family and friendship. We are moved to laugh, to cry, to reflect, and to dream. It’s amazing how stories can move us so deeply. In honor of the countless stories we have heard and helped to share, we are excited to promote the Remembering a Life Film Contest, sponsored …

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Funeral Service Foundation Announces Expanded Academic Scholarship Program & Recent Scholarship Recipients

Scholarships range from $1,000-$5,000; 18 scholarships available; select scholarships now available to Canadian students BROOKFIELD, Wis.  – The Funeral Service Foundation Board of Trustees recently agreed to offer additional academic scholarships, increase award amounts, and expand the program into Canada in a bold move to make education more accessible and affordable for the profession’s next generation of leaders, thinkers and doers. Students enrolled in ABFSE-accredited institutions or accredited Canadian schools may apply online through March …

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2018 Cemetery Maintenance Seminar Recap

Thank you to all who attended the 2018 AFCCA Maintenance Seminar, we hope you all had a great time and learned something new. A special thank you to Dan Salter and Dylan Lamere with Sunland Memorial Park who hosted the event and worked so hard to put together educational presentations, invite new vendors and sponsored our delicious lunch with Wild Bunch Catering! We would also like to thank Steve Handley with Handley Precast for sponsoring …

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Learn and Connect at 2018 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference

Registration is Now Open for the Premier Event for Women in Funeral Service Brookfield, Wis. – Registration is open for the profession’s leading gathering for women in funeral service: the National Funeral Directors Association’s Professional Women’s Conference. This intimate gathering, taking place April 13 – 15 in Atlantic Beach, Fla., is the perfect setting for funeral directors, educators, students and suppliers to generate new ideas, grow personally and professionally, and create lasting relationships with other …

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