On July 4, 1776, the 2nd Continental Congress of the 13 American colonies unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence announcing the colonies separation from Great Britain.  The Declaration summarized the colonies reasons for wanting the separation.

I love history, and especially American history.  At one time I studied the writings of Thomas Paine — a patriot who promoted the idea of the colonies separating from English rule.  Paine did not immigrate to the American colonies until 1774, barely in enough time to participate in the movement that resulted in America’s independence from his home country.

Today’s 4th of July Funeral Director Daily article is a reprisal of the article of the 4th of July 2021 with some simple updates

He did, however, pen a 47-page essay in February 1776, four months prior to the Declaration of Independence, entitled “Common Sense.”  That short document, which truly is about “common sense” laid forth some of the priorities and reasons for our nation’s declaration.

In the preface to the writing he contends that “The cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind.”  Without taking an attitude that “America knows best”, I still believe that the founding principles of America can and should be a cause for all mankind even today.

Here are some of the other “Common Sense” for independence that Paine highlighted in his 1776 pamphlet:

• “Europe, and not England, is the parent country of America.  This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of Europe.

• “It is the true interest of America to steer clear of European contentions, which she never can do, while by her dependence on Britain, she is made the make-weight in the scale on British politics.”

• “Even the distance at which the Almighty hath placed England and America, is a strong and natural proof, that the authority of the one, over the other, was never the design of Heaven.”

• For, as Milton wisely expresses, “never can true reconcilement grow where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep.”

• “. . there is something very absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.  In no instance hath nature made the satellite larger than its primary planet. . . “

• “For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other.”

• “It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies, yet our numbers are sufficient to repel the force of all the world.”

• “. . . until an independence is declared, the Continent will feel itself like a man who continues putting off some unpleasant business from day to day, yet knows it must be done, hates to set about it, wishes it over, and is continually haunted with the thoughts of its necessity.”

 

As I read these quotes by Paine, I’m amazed at how common sensical, and not government speak that they are.  Paine was not one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, but his words gave great credence as to why the colonies should be independent.

More about Thomas Paine

Angie and I enjoying Bristol -2017

Finally, today I will bring you a little information about the longest running 4th of July celebration in American history.  The official and historic celebration and patriotic exercises have been an annual doing in Bristol, Rhode Island since 1785.  My wife, Angie, and I learned of this celebration in 2017 when our son’s high school band included marching in the Bristol parade as part of the annual Summer band trip.

Knowing very little about the event, we flew to Providence for a long weekend and enjoyed one of the finest long weekends we have ever enjoyed.  A great small town that celebrated it right!!!  We are planning to return for another Bristol 4th of July!!!

The Bristol, Rhode Island 4th of July web-site

Have a Happy 4th of July. . . . . May God Bless America!!!

Main Street
Bristol, Rhode Island
“America’s Most Patriotic City”

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

Practical, Results-Driven Cremation Specialist Training Registration Deadline July 31, 2025  

WHEELING, IL— Registration is now open for the Cremation Specialist training program offered exclusively by the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). This unique certification course takes a cremation-first approach to study what arrangers do every day, touching on each task, breaking down the steps to complete it, and summarizing the knowledge and skills leading to success. 

The CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist (CCS) training empowers arrangers to connect with the families they’re serving, leading to meaningful conversations. This well-rounded program presents an overview of FTC compliance, methods for engaging phone shoppers, and discussion of embalming preferences, and then digs into topics such as grief expressions, communication skills, and ethical dilemmas to help forge that connection with families. When they know they’re serving families well, employees feel more motivated, contract revenue grows, and they know they’ve made a real difference for those families. 

The remarkably flexible and affordable program, conducted entirely online, is comprised of eight courses: seven on-demand and one that is live and instructor-led. Participants work at their own speed, receiving their certification in as little as three months. They can choose to graduate on July 15 or October 15.  

Each class in the program is easy to navigate and offers engaging and thought-provoking content, with fill-in-the-box reflections and active guidance from CANA staff. Participants can pause and resume the training to accommodate their busy schedules. 

Participants gain practical skills they can apply immediately to grow business and advance their careers. A favorite course among past participants is on talking to phone shoppers and finding connection: 

“We had folks that were handling mainly phone calls that were able to convert phone shoppers to customers because they were able to make that connection right away with the caller over the phone,” explains Martha Thayer of Mortuary Training, who contributed to the program. “That’s part of what training is training is: Giving people those words to use. Everyone’s going to come up with their own way to make a presentation or their own way to say something, but if we can have that starting point help for someone we can change narrative to bring people in.” 

To date, this new credential has 112 graduates, representing practitioners from all stages of their careers, who have gained confidence to go further with the families they serve.  

“Because the CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist program took such a deep look at all aspects of serving our cremation families, it allowed me to grow a deeper appreciation for the evolution of the profession as a whole,” reflected Allyse Worland, Vice President and Funeral Director of Lauck & Veldhof Funeral & Cremation Services and a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist. “It was evident that doing things the way ‘we have always done it’ is not going to work in the future. Our cremation families are just as precious as our traditional families. Each and every moment we spend with them is an opportunity to memorialize and celebrate a life beautifully lived.” 

Registration is accepted on a rolling basis for the 2025 program from April 1 through July 31. Space is limited so funeral professionals should act soon to join. Registration is $615, discounted to $465 for CANA Members. Learn more about becoming a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist at cremationassociation.org/CCS 

About CANA 

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization. 

When I woke up this morning, I was aware it was a national holiday across the country for many people, which to some means a chance to avoid a clock alarm or to disable it. Then, I could stroll into the kitchen for a morning protein shake, others of you might select coffee, and check the headlines of several news outlets, including the paper to see what happened overnight.

Our country is not currently in an outright engagement of war with any other country, although we have service personnel dispatched around the world in service of peace seeking and peace keeping endeavors. I have the ability to engage with social media and speak my mind on any topic. I usually keep my opinions on hot-pulse-item subjects off social media, but I am still free to write anything I want without fear of oppression from my government.

Any day of the week I have the freedom to walk into any church I want and pray to a higher power of my choosing with any words of my choice without fear of punishment for being wrong or worse, unlawful. If, heaven forbid, I should be pulled over for what one person says is speeding, and I beg to differ, I have the right to contest the charge in a fair trial if I so choose. If several of my friends and family want to gather on a street corner and hold up signs that protest anything (say the destruction of an historic building that has been standing for 126 years), I have that right and I will not be arrested for protesting (civilly).

The First Amendment to the U.S. constitution, the first of the Bill of Rights is not only the expression of thought freely—it is the right to believe and think the way I want. No one is telling me who or what I can/should/ought to believe. It’s all up to me to decide, without penalty, without rejection, and most importantly, without fear.

In any one of these sentences, it is not my intent to offend any reader, yet if I do, there is no penalty because I have the freedom to express myself, in print or in writing, as my personal opinion.

The cost for all of these freedoms came 247 years ago. We were people who previously were part of the British empire. We were loyal to a monarchy and our forefathers worshiped, for the most part, in a singular religion that was the official religion of the country. Taxation was not part of what we could set, but we did have to follow the rules. Then, many of our ancestors came from other countries run by different rule sets and leaders but, by and large, free will was not part of the theme of one’s life back then. Freedom in general was a nice word in a sentence, but it was not reality for so many for so long.

And then a group of rebels came along and decided to create something brand new, somewhere else, and to leave behind the world they’d known all of their lives to that point. They escaped tyranny, and in general sought to give their families “better” than they’d had thus far in their lives.

The cost was steep. Human lives, hard times, fierce weather, tremendous challenges, and things reduced to words and a few pictures in a history book don’t really portray reality for what the founding fathers, and patriotic, spirited spouses and children experienced. Especially when the sun is out, we hop into our vehicles, safe from the elements, many of us in air-conditioned comfort, and experience a day of rest from our daily jobs.

It’s rare that anyone give thought to the struggles of George Washington’s troops at

in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War. The soldiers for the most part didn’t even have blankets, strong coats or even decent shoes to wear, yet they were defending their position against the British, who were camped out in Philadelphia. With the cold weather came deadly strains of flu and typhoid, and there were no modern conveniences of medicines and hospitals. Everything around us today, creature comforts and modern conveniences makes it so easy to forget what brave souls did for us so long, long ago. It’s human nature not to want to conjure up images of sacrifice and pain, or to think of those who gave their lives for generations of people who had not even yet been born.

The American Way. That is a phrase that is used often sometimes correctly, other times not so much. The word to insert in “American” is “freedom” and perhaps that makes it come to life a bit better. Freedom of, freedom to, freedom with.

It is amazing to see where we are in modern day governmental operations among parties of both extremes of thinking. The battles are not fought across the aisles with weapons but the exchange of words as weapons flows so freely that it is sometimes scary to hear the day’s events. Civil behavior has become open to interpretation as day after day we hear phrases offered about colleagues that we would never have thought up, much less said out loud, to our competitors in life and work. Some days I wonder how today’s Continental Congress could have ever mustered an agreement over simple decisions were today’s leaders the ones to make their choices.

That’s probably where the phrase “Those who do not learn from history are destined (or doomed) to repeat it.” I don’t have cause to commit or convict those of one side or another in writing. Instead, I offer one suggestion that can be either considered or disregarded. Today in the Brazos Valley, we have many young people straight from high school who have begun their military service and training to protect our nation in times of war and peace. They’re nowhere near able to grab a hot dog and soft drink and sit back and wait for the water sports today or fireworks displays tonight that the rest of us are planning to enjoy this holiday.

May we say a prayer for each of them, of thanks for their intention of service, of hope for their interest in a military career, of love for the sacrifice of precious young life days spent to learn from older, wiser instructors, and for peace that they may never have to dive into a fox hole for anything other than practice.

If you can text them, call them, Facebook post them, or otherwise communicate with them, let them hear from you. Tell them “thank you for your service” and know it will make a difference to them. When you see an active military duty service person in town, stop and thank them, visit the various memorials, monuments, and grave sites of those who served and be proud of your friends and loved ones.

Most of all, I thank God we live in the United States, and in the Brazos Valley, where everywhere you go, you see red, white and blue all around you. Neighborhoods have flags up and down their esplanades; the

has the Field of Flags at the Veteran’s Cemeteries. You’ll find small U.S. flags on grave sites where generous individuals have made provisions in advance, and when the patriotic music begins tonight, know that we are indeed blessed to say “God Bless America,” we can pledge allegiance to a flag that waves strong and proud, even in sweltering heat, and we as a people stand for the concept of freedom.

One special request: if you are anywhere near where loud fireworks will be set off (even the illegal ones that seem to go off in every neighborhood around, despite numerous pleadings of neighbors for fear of fire exposure), please remember that so many of us have animals, particularly dogs and cats with super-sensitive hearing skills, far beyond human hearing capacities. The fireworks amplify at least five or six times as loudly to them as you are hearing. Please keep your pets inside during all the fireworks and if you can put on the TV or music at a level that can help counter the fireworks, that will bring them comfort. If your pets are inside fenced-in yards, please remember that they will be likely to jump fences because they are highly unsettled. Stay safe this holiday and keep all your loved ones safe as well.

May God continue to bless America and as long as possible and may old Glory wave strong and proud. Thanks to all of our service personnel, active and retired. We know freedom is not free and we thank you for your gifts and sacrifices to keep us from harm. Happy 4

th

of July to all of you!

Cody D. Jones ‘02

Owner & Community Member

CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist Training Program Registration Deadline July 31, 2024

WHEELING, IL— Registration is now open for the Cremation Specialist training program offered exclusively by the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). This unique program is designed to help funeral professionals discover opportunities to create memorialization and ceremony and master the necessary skills and knowledge to take their service to the next level.

The CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist (CCS) training covers a range of topics that impact today’s business and grieving families. In addition to FTC compliance, engaging phone shoppers, and discussion of embalming preferences, other topics such as grief expressions, communication skills, and ethical dilemmas are all included in the curriculum. Participants can earn up to 11 hours of continuing education (CE) credits across a variety of required categories.

The remarkably flexible program, conducted entirely online, is comprised of eight courses: seven on-demand and one that is live and instructor-led. Participants can work at their own speed, receiving their certification in as little as three months and can choose to graduate on July 15 or October 15.

Each class in the program is easy to navigate and offers engaging and thought-provoking content, with fill-in-the-box reflections and active guidance from CANA staff. Participants can pause and resume the training to accommodate their busy schedules.

CANA encourages funeral professionals who are looking to advance their careers to enroll in the program and enhance their skills.

“You can become the most amazing rock star arranger ever, but it just takes a little bit of training and a little bit of knowledge of how to be still and how not to slap down the first contract and say, ‘Here you go,’” explains Glenda Stansbury of InSight Books, who contributed to the program. “That’s probably the true benefit of all of this work: to have a full-fledged curriculum that is cremation-based to help that cremation professional.”

To date, this new credential has 87 graduates, representing practitioners from all stages of their careers, who have gained confidence to go further with the families they serve. “This program was a highly valuable and meaningful way to level-up my personalized service to families. I highly recommend CCS certification to other funeral professionals,” shared Tee Rogers, a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist. “It was insightful, inspiring, and informative. The content and leaders were highly respectful of diverse identities and perspectives, a normalization of inclusion that was encouraging to experience as I continue efforts to increase awareness of challenges faced in the funeral industry by our LGBTQIA+, minority religious, and secular clients and employees.”

Registration is accepted on a rolling basis for the 2024 program from April 1 through July 31. Space is limited so funeral professionals should act soon to join. Registration is $615, discounted to $465 for CANA Members. Learn more about becoming a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist at cremationassociation.org/CCS

About CANA

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.

On the 4th of July we celebrate independence, freedom and liberation.

This holiday is often accompanied by ribs and beer, fireworks and family gatherings.

But, before you fire up your grill, let’s take this opportunity to think about some ways we can liberate the funeral profession from any limitations or shackles it has held for too long.

Defining liberation

Before we dive into how to liberate the funeral profession, let’s get on the same page of what liberation truly means. According to the dictionary, liberation can be defined as “the act of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; release.” Another definition offered is “freedom from limits on thought or behavior”. 

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s explore some ways we can stop limiting ourselves and each other through limited thinking.

First of all, let’s talk about tradition.

If you really want to liberate yourself and this entire profession, we must first liberate ourselves from the traditions which no longer serve us. It’s not up to us, the writers of this piece, to decide which traditions no longer serve you personally. However, I do tend to think that anything that keeps us rigid, inflexible, unadaptable and stuck, needs to go. If we stay rigid, how can we evolve? 

Evolution requires adaptation. And without evolution, we become stale and stagnant. So ask yourself: what traditions are keeping me from evolving with the changes the world is seeing? How can I release myself from them?

Read more: 11 Tweets About Traditional Funerals That Show Things Are Definitely Changing…

Second, let’s do away with top-down company structures

As we enter into a world that’s innovating itself from the bottom up, we must assume it’s also our job to do the same. Innovation certainly doesn’t always begin at the top of your company. Innovation only truly happens in a collaborative environment. 

If your funeral home’s employees don’t have a say in the future of your funeral business, it’s a problem. Because let’s face it, you’re only as good as your employees. You can’t innovate without them. So make them a part of your innovative plans and let their true innate gifts shine. 

Read more: Superhero Leadership: How You Can Make the World a Better Place At Your Funeral Home

Third, let’s invite in the matriarchal approach to death

As we enter into a new way of the funeral profession, we can’t help but notice the amount of women entering into this profession. And as women infiltrate the funeral profession, we must ask ourselves one thing. 

The thing is: how can women enter the funeral profession without trying to be men? Many times, the way of the woman is much different than the way of the man. And both roles are important, and needed. However, we must remember that women are not men. There is a different pace, structure and way of a woman than a man. 

And instead of making the same mistakes that many other industries have made, I invite us to embrace the matriarchal way of death. In other industries, such as politics, women enter the industry trying to be like men. And it doesn’t work! We truly need a feminine way in the funeral profession, too. It’s important and meaningful. Both are important. But right now, to truly liberate ourselves, we must celebrate and invite in the matriarchal approach to death.

Read more: What If Women Ran The Funeral Profession? 10 Predictions Made

Happy 4th of July to the funeral pros out there

May we all liberate ourselves from all the ways we limit ourselves and our capabilities, as well as others. 

May we all stay open in our hearts and our minds and welcome change.

May we all remain compassionate towards ourselves and one another as we transition into new ways of doing things.

May we all be happy, and free.

How do you think it would look to liberate the funeral profession? Tell us in the comments below!