Broadcaster Summer 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
75th Fall Conference to be held at the Otesaga in Cooperstown click here
President’s Message click here
2003 Public Affairs Seminar a Huge Success click here
Cemetery Association Holds Annual Seminar and Exposition click here
Barlin Appointed to Board click here
Bob Batson Retires click here
Government & Legal Affairs Report click here
MCA Hosts Media Workshop click here
Matthews' Survey Confirms Cremation Trends click here
Matthews Introduces the Woodlawn Columbarium click here
ICFA Introduces New Member Benefits click here
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75th Fall Conference to be held at the Otesaga in Cooperstown
The New York State Association of Cemeteries will be celebrating its 75th Annual NYSAC Fall Conference at the Otesaga in Cooperstown, New York. This year’s program will include keynote presentations on Monday and Tuesday.
Monday’s Keynote Speaker will be Sharon Robinson, daughter of the legendary baseball great Jackie Robinson. Ms. Robinson is Vice President of Educational Programs for Major League Baseball, on the Board of Directors of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, serves on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is also an author and educator. Make sure to read all about Sharon in the separate article below.
Tuesday’s Keynote Speaker will be Harvey Lapin who is a principal in the Northbrook, Illinois law firm of Harvey Lapin and Associates. His knowledge of the cemetery industry is very extensive. Mr. Lapin will speak on ethics in the cemetery industry. An in-depth article about Harvey I. Lapin appears on page 3.
Tuesday’s other Keynote Speaker will be C. R. Jones, Conservator from the New York State Historical Association and The Farmer’s Museum. Mr. Jones has written many articles which have appeared in several magazines and he has vast knowledge about the preservation of American gravestones, graveyards and cemeteries. For more information about C.R. Jones, see the article on page 3.
Along with these wonderful speakers, we have planned a spouse’s tour, a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame, a golf outing and for the shopper – there are many charming shops to browse in.
When making your plans for the Fall, put us on your list and don’t miss this great conference September l3th thru 16th. You will receive industry updates and information while enjoying time with fellow professionals and friends.
Sharon Robinson
Sharon Robinson is Vice President of Educational Programming for Major League Baseball. In this capacity, she oversees school and community-based educational programs including the department’s core program, “Breaking Barriers, In Sports, In Life.” It is a national character education program designed to empower students with strategies to help them face obstacles in their lives. Since its inception in 1997, the program has reached over two million children across the United States and Canada.
She is also an author and has captivated readers with her memoir, “Stealing Home” which recounts her childhood growing up in the public eye, and “Jackie’s Nine”, a book for young readers about the nine heartfelt, hard-won values that helped her father, Jackie Robinson, achieve his goals.
Prior to joining Major League Baseball, Ms. Robinson taught at such prestigious universities as Yale, Columbia, Howard and Georgetown. Ms. Robinson currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the Roberto Clemente Sports City Complex in Caroline, PR. She also serves on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National Advisory Committee for Local Initiatives.
In addition to degrees from Howard and Columbia University, Ms. Robinson received her Doctorate of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from Madaille College. Ms. Robinson now lives with her son in New York City and St. Croix and is a highly-regarded inspirational speaker.
Harvey I. Lapin
Tuesday’s keynote speaker is Harvey I. Lapin who is one of the best legal experts in the cemetery industry. He has numerous articles in all our trade magazines, and he has been a speaker at state and national conferences for years. His message at the Fall Conference will center on ethics in the cemetery industry, and should be an excellent one. After reading this information about Harvey, everyone will certainly agree that we have an expert in cemetery law speaking to us at the Fall Conference!
Mr. Lapin is a principal in the Northbrook, Illinois law firm of Harvey I. Lapin & Associates, P. C. He specializes in the areas of tax and corporate law and is a member of the Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida Bars, and is a Certified Public Accountant. He was employed at the Office of Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D. C. from 1963 through 1968. He worked in the National Office of Chief Counsel of the IRS for three (3) years and thereafter served as a trial attorney in the Washington D.C. Office of the District Counsel. He worked extensively in the tax-exempt cemetery area and also received a Masters in Tax Law degree from Georgetown Law Center in 1967 while working for the Internal Revenue Service. Thereafter he was employed by and became a partner in a law firm in Chicago, Illinois, and subsequently established his own firm. He conducted his own practice until January 1, 1992 when he joined a 65-lawyer firm located in Chicago, Illinois. In October of 1993, that firm dissolved, and he re-established his own firm in Northbrook, Illinois.
He was a founding member of the Cemetery Advisory Board to the Comptroller of the State of Illinois and served on that Board for over 20 years. He is general or special counsel to numerous for-profit and not-for-profit cemetery corporations and profit funeral corporations throughout the country. He is General Counsel to the Illinois Cemetery and Funeral Home Association and several other state trade associations in the cemetery and funeral home industry. He is a nationally recognized expert in the areas of Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Law and during his legal career has been the primary draftsman or involved in drafting industry related legislation in 29 states. He has also been involved in the drafting of federal tax legislation and FTC regulations in connection with industry related matters. He has represented clients in over two hundred and fifty transactions involving the purchase and sale of funeral homes and cemeteries, both profit and tax exempt.
He has been a lecturer for the Practicing Law Institute and chaired a seminar on the subject of tax exempt organizations for them. He has written numerous articles on the subject of taxation, cemetery and funeral law and is presently the Editor as well as the primary contributor to the “Cemetery and Funeral Business and Legal Guide” published by CB Legal Publishing Company in Northbrook, Illinois. He has been selected to be included in Who’s Who in American Law, 1st through current editions, Who’s Who in the Midwest and Who’s Who in America.
C.R. Jones
One of the speakers at the Fall Conference in Cooperstown will be the well-known C.R. Jones who speaks at conferences throughout New York State. His talk should be of interest to everyone in the audience since one of his main interests is the history of old cemeteries and the restoration and care of old grave stones and markers.
C. R. Jones is the Conservator for the New York State Historical Association and the Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., a position he has held for the last 25 years. His undergraduate training in science was completed at Iowa State University, in the state of his birth. He completed work in art history at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University and received a masters degree in museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Programs in l965. For three years he was Director of Concord (Mass.) Antiquarian Society, then accepted a position as Associate Curator at the New York State Historical Association. In 1975 he became NYSHA’s Conservator, where he is responsible for the care and treatment of the collection of fine art and historical objects. He also teaches in the Association’s graduate program in history museum studies.
Mr. Jones has authored several articles and pamphlets in the field of decorative arts, funeral customs, cemeteries and the care of fine and decorative arts and gravestones. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation, and serves on several boards including the Association For Gravestone Studies, and organization for the promotion of the study of historic gravestones and cemeteries.
President’s Message
What better place to celebrate our 75th Annual Meeting and Conference, learn more about operation and maintenance of cemeteries, promote to achieve the highest ethical standards and network with fellow cemetery members and suppliers, than the home of Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The Conference Chairperson, Bobbie Gerdus, has been working vigorously to make this an exciting, educational and informative event.
For those who attended the Legal and Government Affairs Seminar in Albany, we know there is a lot going on including the monitoring of 80 bills that are either in the Assembly or Senate that could have a significant impact on us.
Mark your calendars for September 14 - 17, 2003 to attend New York State Association’s 75th Annual Meeting and Conference at The Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, NY. Learn more about what is going on in our industry. Cemeteries represent everyone’s place of fame. Let’s strive to make them special places of remembrance.
Chester S. Day
President
2003 Public Affairs Seminar a Huge Success
The Spring Public Affairs Seminar, held in Albany on May 5 and 6 was a complete success. Program chairman Rick Touchette had several new speakers in addition to some new formats which gave the seminar an entire new look for 2003. The spring conference is always held in Albany and many of the topics deal with legislative issues.
The conference began with a presentation from the Cemetery Board designees. One of the strongest points of the Public Affairs Seminar is that there is a wonderful opportunity to express opinions to our regulators, and this session offered exactly that. Lively discussions centered around many cemetery issues and everyone had a chance to voice their opinions.
After the Board presentation, the Division of Cemeteries discussed various cemetery regulatory issues for 2003.
Following the break, William McCarton from Trustco Bank Trust and Investment Group in Albany gave a presentation titled The Economy and Investment Strategies. The economic discussion is always one of the highlights of the Public Affairs Seminar and Mr. McCarton filled the bill nicely! He discussed the past year and looked into the future, indicating that he believes there will be a nice upturn in the economy during the next few years. He finished by giving the audience some stock predictions for the upcoming year.
The final session of the day was the presentation from the Government and Legal Affairs Committee. Everyone was brought up-to-date on all the bills that have been introduced and a good discussion between participants and committee members ensued.
The first day of meetings ended with a cocktail party and dinner. As always, it gave time for people to meet and greet old friends and to make new acquaintances. The speaker at the dinner was a representative from Senator Leibell’s staff.
The entire program Tuesday morning was a session entitled Ask the Lawyer. Tim Griffin (Bronxville, NY), who has been a member of NYSAC for years set up a panel of distinguished attorneys who covered a large area of topics dealing with cemetery problems. Other attorneys were Robert Batson, Department of State; Richard Cea (Wingate, Kerney & Cullen in Brooklyn); Raymond Planell (Counsel and member of the Board at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla); and Edward Burke (New York City). Attendees were asked to send in questions ahead of time, and by the number of questions submitted, the new format was a great success. Start thinking up questions for the panel for next year, because this one was a real winner.
Plan to be at the seminar next year. The location will remain the same at the beautiful Desmond Hotel near the Albany airport. The dates will be May 3 and 4. Mark your calendars and be prepared to learn a lot and to see some friends and maybe even meet some new ones. Thanks again to Rick Touchette for organizing an excellent program.
Cemetery Association Holds Annual Seminar and Exposition
The Metropolitan Cemetery Association held its 2003 Annual Seminar and Exposition on Thursday, June 5 at the Milleridge Inn in Jericho, NY. More than 100 cemetery and supplier members participated in the event. MCA board members elected for three-year terms were: Philip Tassi of Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, NY and Marisa Tarantino of Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY.
Plaques recognizing the service and dedication of long-standing members of the cemetery industry were presented to:
Mark Stempa, Elmwier Cemetery Association (25 years)
Joseph P, Scalone, Cedar Grove-Mt. Hebron Cemetery Association (25 years)
Joseph P. DiTroia, U. S. Columbarium Co. (35 years)
Richard L. Groth, Maple Grove Cemetery Association (35 years)
James Jordan, Powell Cemetery Association (43 years)
Louis Palmerini, Kensico Cemetery (50 years)
Raymond Brovero, Calvary Cemetery (Director, 1997-2003)
Irving H. Lichtenfeld, Hungarian Union Field Cemetery (Director, 1997-2003)
Guest speakers were Joseph Lizzio, Senior Vice President of Morgan Stanley Investments who advised the group on developing and managing investment policies; and John K. Binham, Esq., Director of Immigration Service for Catholic Charities, in Rockville Centre who outlined services offered to cemetery employees.
Supplier members of the MCA donated gifts for raffles and described their products on display to seminar attendees who visited booths at the outdoor exposition. The $1,500 raffle proceeds were donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Greater New York and a $1,000 donation was made to the New York Landmarks Sacred Sites Conservancy on behalf of the Association.
Barlin Appointed to Board
Neal S. Barlin, CCCE, Director of Cemeteries for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, has been appointed to fulfill the duties of Director-At-Large of the Eastern Region of the U.S. and Eastern Canada of the NCCC, in replacement of Annabelle McGannon. Mr. Barlin will serve out her term, which expires in September 2004.
Mr. Barlin has been a member of NCCC since 1970, and has attended thirty-one annual conventions. He served NCCC as a member of the Parish Cemetery Committee (1974-1987), serving as Chairman in 1977, 1980 and 1982. He was a member of the Convention Program Committee in 1986, and went on to chair that committee in 1987 and 1998. He served on the Membership Committee in 1990, and went on to serve as Chairman from 1991 to 1994. Mr. Barlin served on the Public Relations Committee from 1995 to 1996; on the Environmental Committee from 1997 to 1998, and on the Certification Committee 1994-1995, and 2001-2002.
He frequently spoke at annual conventions, and also has written many articles for Catholic Cemetery. He served on the Catholic Cemetery Evaluation Program since its inception. He has been active in the New York State Association of Cemeteries, and served as Second Vice President (1995), First Vice President (1996) and then as President 1997-1998.
Mr. Barlin joined the Diocese of Rockville Centre Catholic Cemeteries in 1970 and served two years as Assistant Superintendent, then 28 years as Assistant Director of Cemeteries, assisting the Director, Mrs. Ellen Woodbury, CCCE, past president of NCCC (1995-1996). Following her retirement, Mr. Barlin was named Acting Director of Cemeteries before officially being named as Director of Cemeteries in January 2001.
He earned the Certified Catholic Cemetery Executive designation (CCCE) in 1990. He is also certified in bereavement training for caregivers and counselors. He holds an MBA degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY (1973). Prior to that, he attended St. John’s University in Jamaica, NY, St. Pius X College and Preparatory Seminary in Uniondale, NY (1966-1970) and Cure of Ars School in Merrick.
A resident of St. James, NY he is active in his local parish, Sts. Philip and James, where he serves as lector. He has also served as a member and vice president of Sts. Philip and James School Board (1987-1994). He and his wife, Maria, are the parents of five children.
Bob Batson Retires
A stranger to no one and a friend to all is about to leave the Cemetery Board. Bob Batson has been the Counsel to the State
Cemetery Board since 1996. Although leaving government work, he will still be in the Albany area as the Government Lawyer
in Residence at the Government Law Center.
He was appointed as Counsel to the State Cemetery Board in 1996 and dealt with several major issues including the Loewen bankruptcy. Before that, he served time as Counsel for the Department of Economic Development as well as working in the Office of Industry and Community Relations, Office of Indian Relations, Office of Rural Affairs and as an attorney for the Department of State.
Bob received his B.S. in Biology-Geology from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY and his J.D. in 1975 from the Albany Law School, Albany, NY.
In a letter to the membership of NYSAC, Bob says “I was very impressed by the active interest of NYSAC in the proceedings of the Cemetery Board, and the helpful comments and suggestions that were offered at every Board meeting. It was certainly a pleasure to have such a good working relationship with the people you are responsible for regulating. I very much appreciated the courtesy and helpfulness shown me by the Cemeterians.
Although I am retiring from my government employment, I am going to work at Albany Law School in August. I am going to be the Government Lawyer in Residence at the Government Law Center, where I will work on various projects pertaining to government law, supervise student projects, and participate in some of the programs of the Racing and Wagering Law Institute. I will also be teaching two courses in Federal Indian Law, and perhaps some other courses related to government law.
My email address is rbatson1@nycap.rr.com and I will be here in Albany for the foreseeable future.”
We all wish Bob the best of luck, and we thank him for his many years of dedicated service with the Cemetery Board and with NYSAC.
Government & Legal Affairs Report
As this article is being written, the 2003 legislative session is near its recess. The Government and Legal Affairs Committee
and our legislative counsel, Featherstonhaugh, Conway, Clyne & Cordo, are working towards the passage of the New
York State Association of Cemeteries legislative agenda.
Special Bulletin- just before press time, we learned that the “Reclamation Bill” that we have been working on for many years passed the Senate on May 20, 2003 and the Assembly approved it late in the session on June 18, 2003. All it lacks is the Governor’s signature, and there is no reason to believe that he won’t sign it within thirty days. Make sure to be at the Fall Conference in Cooperstown September 13-16 to get all of the specifics on this bill that will have far reaching effects on every cemetery in New York State.
The following bills have been introduced by NYSAC:
A.7345-Tokasz/S.3417-Marchi. This bill would permit cemetery corporations to reclaim graves under certain circumstances, upon application to and approval by the Attorney General. As noted above, this bill has passed the Senate and Assembly and awaits Governor Pataki’s signature. We want to give a special thanks to David Fleming for his many hours of hard work.
A.7346-Tokasz/S.3418-Marchi. This bill would permit the Modified Return concept to be used on Permanent Maintenance Funds. This bill has been referred to Corporations on March 25, 2003 in the Assembly and was passed on June 2, 2003 in the Senate.
The following bills have been introduced at the request of the Attorney General:
A.8569–Brodsky/S.4809-Leibell. This bill would amend the not-for-profit corporation law, in relation to voting rights of cemetery corporation lot owners.
S.4836-Leibell. This bill would amend the not-for-profit corporation law, in relation to protections against financial fraud and abuse, and it repeals certain provisions of such law relating thereto.
A.8568-Brodsky/S.5041-Leibell. Regulates possible conflict of interest situations between officers and directors and the not-for-profit corporations they represent.
The following regulations are being monitored:
Sale of Vaults. The Cemetery Board has sent new regulations to GORR (Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reform) for their approval.
The Anti-Combination Law Suit has been reassigned from Chief Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr., of the Northern District, to Senior U.S. District Judge Howard G. Munson. Our case is one of ten cases reassigned on March 21, 2002. We are awaiting his ruling.
Frank F. Giglio
Chairman
MCA Hosts Media Workshop
Over 50 members of the Metropolitan Cemetery Association attended a free educational seminar on January 23 at Plattduetsche
Park Restaurant in Franklin Square, NY entitled “Meet the Press - Preparing for the Media Spotlight”.
Using fictitious cemetery stories, marketing consultant Amy Crohn Santagata illustrated the differences among objective, subjective and very subjective reporting, provided guidelines on handling press interviews, warned of the myth of “off the record” and the dangers of “no comment”, and recommended establishing an ongoing pro-active relationship with the local media to limit the impact of damaging stories.
Seminar attendees were then given the opportunity to role-play as reporters and cemetery spokespersons responding to press inquiries during a mock press conference. The seminar concluded with a practice session writing sample drafts of cemetery mission statements for use in publicity materials and during press interviews.
Matthews' Survey Confirms Cremation Trends
According to a recent survey conducted for Matthews International Corporation, the memorialization industry is successfully meeting the product and service needs of the cremation families it serves.
The survey, commissioned by Matthews and conducted by Campos Market Research, a Pittsburgh-based consumer research firm, revealed the following:
· Prearrangement is a key factor in cremation. More than half of the respondents indicated that their loved ones had prearranged.
· Cremation families want memorialization. Approximately 80% of those surveyed indicated that the deceased was memorialized with an urn, in-ground memorial, niche or columbarium.
· People want personalization. More than half of those surveyed included some type of personalization on their memorials such as words of endearment, emblems and Cameos.
· Education of the consumer is largely done by the funeral director. Three out of four people surveyed said that the funeral director discussed the actual cremation process with them.
· Practices that were considered the exception 10 years ago, such as displaying photos at services, are the norm today. Nearly 90% of the respondents had some form of a photo remembrance of the deceased at the service.
Using a list of contacts supplied by Matthews’ customers – people involved with the cremation of a loved one in the last year – Campos’ researchers conducted telephone interviews with surviving family members on the East and West coasts as well as in the Southeast.
The information was presented in detail by Dave Jones, Matthews’ vice president of sales and marketing, during the International Cemetery & Funeral Association’s Annual Convention and Exposition in Las Vegas, March 11, 2003.
Matthews Introduces the Woodlawn Columbarium
Matthews combines the beauty of cast bronze and natural stone to create the new Woodland columbarium. “Many styles of stone can be attached to the sides of the columbarium for a natural appearance that matches buildings on the property or simply fits well with the landscape,” explained Ed Dvorak, Matthews’ manager of cremation products.
The columbarium is designed as a turn-key product. Units are composed of Matthews’ bronze Cremorials that are joined by a wood-simulated cast bronze frame. Multiple units can be assembled depending on the number of openings desired.
For families that desire floral tributes, properties can offer Matthews’ Caggiati vases for placement on the frame beside each niche.
ICFA Introduces New Member Benefits
The International Cemetery and Funeral Association has developed two new benefit programs designed to save members money on necessary business expenses.
First, the ICFA has teamed up with Driver Alliant Insurance Services Inc., based in San Diego, California, to offer a group insurance program that allows members to purchase commercial property and casualty insurance at prices they could not afford on their own. The program includes insurance for general liability, commercial property, automobile liability and physical damage, umbrella liability, professional liability, workers compensation, employee benefits and more.
“For many cemeteries and funeral homes, especially some of the smaller properties, commercial property and casualty insurance can represent a significant expense,” said ICFA External Chief Operating Officer Bob Fells. “This program allows our members to take advantage of the buying power the ICFA provides as a group.”
In addition, the ICFA and The Transaction Group of Chicago, Illinois, now offer members a credit card processing program with a special low discount rate of just 1.57 percent. This new benefit will make it less expensive for cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers and related businesses to accommodate customers who wish to pay via credit card.
For additional information on these and other ICFA member benefits, visit www.icfa.org/benefits.htm or call the ICFA at 1-800-645-7700.
Founded in 1887, the ICFA is the only international trade association representing all segments of the cemetery, funeral and memorialization industry. Its membership is comprised of more than 6,000 cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers, crematories and related businesses worldwide.