Silence Training for FD’s | FFFW 251

Hey guys, we’re back with issue 251! As always, I truly can’t believe that we’ve kept this going for this long- we are quickly approaching FIVE YEARS of the FFFW. Five years is a long time for anything, but specifically for a weekly funeral satire column. So cheers to you- you’re the only reason we keep doing this! Thank you for reading week after week and enjoying this wacky little thing that happens here on Fridays!

Introducing The Memo by MemoryShare

Funeral Home Staff Unveil New “Silence Training” After Director’s Cell Phone Went Off During Eulogy

Remembrance Ridge Funeral Chapel has officially launched a new mandatory silence training program for staff after an embarrassing incident last Tuesday.

Midway through a heartfelt eulogy, the director’s phone began loudly blaring a Taylor Swift ringtone. “I told them it was ‘for research,’” said the director, “but apparently, no one believes me.”

The training now includes:

• Pocket Pat-Downs before every service.
• 30-minute Silent Staring Contests to build discipline.
• A new policy requiring all ringtones to be changed to Gregorian chant just in case.

Staff report morale is mixed. “On one hand, I don’t want to be the reason a widow hears ‘Shake It Off’ during a graveside prayer,” said intern Kyle. “On the other hand, the staring contests are brutal.”

According to insiders, the chapel is considering noise-canceling casket lids as an additional precaution.

Trivia Time

Choose the correct answer and you’ll see a puppy. Get it wrong and you’ll see someone hurting themselves.

How many hot dogs could fit inside a standard 20-gauge steel casket?

A) About 8,000
B) Around 12,000
C) Nearly 20,000

You Otter Be Proud

Here’s some good news going on in the profession.

1. This Milford nonprofit helps families with high funeral costs
2. People Magazine Covers Funeral Profession Story
3. Fifth-generation funeral director Jeff Monreal helps families grieve, celebrate loved ones

NFDA Expands Gold-Standard Arranger Training With Interactive Virtual Series

New interactive study group format builds on the success of NFDA’s Arranger Training to help funeral professionals better serve today’s families. 

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is expanding its popular Arranger Training program with a new virtual offering designed to meet the evolving needs of funeral professionals. The Arrangement Solutions Academy is a four-week, live instructor-led course that brings real-world solutions, peer learning and expert guidance to your screen. 

Participants will join a 90-minute Zoom session each week with a small cohort of colleagues and NFDA’s expert trainer Lanae Strovers, CFSP. This interactive series will help funeral directors make their business stand out while building relationships with families, conveying value through leadership and delivering memorial experiences that foster healing. 

The inaugural cohorts of the Arrangement Solutions Academy begin in July:

• Wednesday Morning Cohort: July 9, 16, 23, and 30, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. CT
• Thursday Evening Cohort: July 10, 17, 24, and 31, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. CT 

“Arranging a funeral or memorial service isn’t just about logistics; it’s about building a connection with a grieving family,” said Strovers. “This new virtual format for NFDA’s Arranger Training program gives us the chance to dig into the real challenges funeral directors face when working with families and share practical solutions that actually work. Whether you’re new to the profession or have been doing this for years, there’s something powerful about stepping back, hearing how others approach things, and picking up ideas you can use right away.” 

Whether attending virtually or in person, NFDA’s Arranger Training helps both new and seasoned professionals better connect with today’s families by equipping them with tools to:

• Understand family needs: Discover what truly matters to families based on NFDA’s exclusive consumer research.
• Speak their language: Learn how to communicate in ways that resonate and build trust.
• Ask the right questions: Guide meaningful conversations that lead to memorable services. 

NFDA’s Arranger Training offerings include:

• Arrangement Solutions Academy – Four 90-minute live Zoom sessions over four weeks
• Arrangement Skills Masterclass – A day-long, in-person experience with collaborative discussions
• Student Arranger Training Experience – A half-day interactive session tailored for mortuary science students 

No matter the format, every session includes access to NFDA’s highly regarded Arranger Training Workbook, filled with legal guidance, grief resources, communication tools, service design ideas and more. 

“NFDA’s Arranger Training is a must-do for any funeral professional,” said Gene Andrus, CFSP, CCO, of Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors in Clawson, Michigan. “The interactive training along with the workbook, that you get to keep, will assist you with the tools and ideas to continually build relationships with families and convey the value of what we do each and every day to celebrate life.” 

As the world’s leading funeral service association, NFDA has long been recognized for setting the standard in continuing education. From groundbreaking research to practical skills development, NFDA provides funeral professionals with the tools, insights and training they need to adapt and grow with confidence.

The launch of the Arrangement Solutions Academy is another example of how NFDA is innovating to meet the evolving needs of its members, anytime, anywhere. 

To register for the Arrangement Solutions Academy or any Arranger Training experience, visit NFDA.org/ArrangerTraining or call 800-228-6332 (262-789-1880). 

About NFDA

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org.

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. 

Elevate Your Funeral Services: NFDA Teams up with InSight Institute to Host Celebrant Training Workshops in 2025

Brookfield, Wis. – Every life deserves to be honored in a way that reflects the individuality of the person being remembered. As more families seek personalized ways to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones, funeral professionals are embracing Certified Celebrants. To help funeral directors, funeral home staff, and other deathcare and end-of-life professionals create deeply meaningful services, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is proud to partner with InSight Institute to host two Certified Celebrant Training workshops in 2025. 

A certified celebrant collaborates with families and funeral directors to craft personalized funeral or memorial services that capture the essence of a person’s life. This training is especially valuable for those who wish to offer non-religious or alternative services that still provide comfort, connection and healing. NFDA will offer two Certified Celebrant Training workshops in 2025:

• June 25-27 at NFDA headquarters in Brookfield, Wisconsin
• October 24-26 in Chicago, Illinois, in conjunction with the NFDA International Convention & Expo 

What You’ll Gain from Certified Celebrant Training 

Guided by InSight Institute’s Glenda Stansbury MA, CFSP, this engaging and hands-on training will equip attendees with essential skills to:

• Lead meaningful and compassionate family meetings
• Design personalized ceremonies that celebrate life
• Incorporate music, readings and storytelling to create impactful tributes
• Enhance presentation skills for heartfelt delivery
• Serve as a Master of Ceremonies with confidence and grace
• Introduce the celebrant concept to their communities 

As traditional funeral services continue to evolve, certified celebrants play a vital role in helping families find comfort and healing through uniquely tailored ceremonies. This training is ideal for funeral service professionals ready to bring more personalization and heart to the services they provide. Registration for the June certification workshop is now open; registration for the October workshop opens June 2. Visit NFDA.org/Celebrant to learn more and reserve your spot. 

Scholarships Make Training Accessible 

The Funeral Service Foundation is committed to supporting professionals who wish to enhance their service to families. Up to 10 scholarships are available for the June session, each valued at up to $2,000. Scholarships cover the full registration fee, two nights of hotel accommodation and up to $500 in travel reimbursement. Scholarships are available to those who are verifiably affiliated with at least one funeral home and are interested in becoming a Certified Celebrant.

The scholarship application is open through April 15 at FuneralServiceFoundation.org/Scholarships. NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world.

NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org. 

NFDA Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar Returns with Hands-On Training and Live Demonstrations

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar is returning in 2025 with an exciting new format designed to provide embalmers with cutting-edge techniques and hands-on experience. Scheduled for May 7-9 at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, this premier seminar offers a unique opportunity to engage in live demonstrations on a donor body and interactive training using the exclusive Headzo models. Scholarships from the Funeral Service Foundation are available to help funeral service professionals attend this invaluable event. This immersive learning experience caters to embalmers of all skill levels, from novices to seasoned professionals. Led by industry experts, the seminar will feature dynamic sessions, including: 

• May 7 – Live Embalming and Lecture and Demonstration: Michael Burns, CFSP, dean of Faculty and Students, and Nicholas Ricci, an instructor at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, will lead attendees through live demonstrations of critical embalming techniques on a donor body, including arterial injection, cosmetics and restorative methods.
• May 8 and 9 – Live Demonstration and Application: Using Headzo models Burns and Ricci will guide participants through cranial reconstruction, restoration, cosmetic application and hair placement, offering valuable hands-on experience.
• May 8 – Embalming Risk Management: Chris Farmer, NFDA general counsel, will explore the legal risks embalmers encounter and provide strategies for minimizing liability exposure.
• May 9 – Ask the Experts Panel: A unique opportunity to engage directly with Burns, Ricci and Farmer, allowing attendees to gain deeper insights and address specific questions.

NFDA’s Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar always receives high marks from participants. A 2025 attendee shared, “All of the embalming sessions were excellent. I walked away with so many great ideas and tips. [It] sparked a thirst to try out new ideas.” Another noted, “I liked everything about the seminar. Very informational, hands-on and educational; the best part – I made a few new funeral director friends.” 

Scholarships Available 

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the Funeral Service Foundation is providing five scholarships to attend the 2025 NFDA Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar. Valued at up to $1,450, each scholarship covers registration fees, two nights of lodging and a $500 travel stipend. Applicants must be licensed embalmers (NFDA membership not required). To learn more and apply by March 28, visit NFDA.org/EmbalmingSeminar. Applicants will be notified of their status by early-April. 

Register Early and Save! 

Registration for the 2025 NFDA Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar is now open and the early-bird pricing is available through April 24. Participants may choose to attend the live embalming demonstration on May 7, the hands-on Headzo training on May 8-9, or both! Participants are encouraged to register early; seating is limited to just 70 participants for the Headzo demonstration. To secure a spot, visit NFDA.org/EmbalmingSeminar or call 800-228-6332. Several hotels are located near the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science; attendees may visit NFDA.org/EmbalmingSeminar for recommendations and to book a room. NFDA is grateful to the Heritage Club, The Dodge Company and Frigid Fluid for their support of this seminar. 

The Profession’s Best Embalming and Restorative Art Resources 

NFDA offers a wide range of education and resources to help funeral service professionals practice embalming with a high degree of excellence. On March 12, NFDA will host Navigating the First Solo Embalming: Bridging the Information Gap for Apprentices as part of its Level Up Learning Webinar series. This presentation by Damon de la Cruz guides apprentices through key challenges like fluid selection, dilution and injection site choices. Leveraging the experience of seasoned embalmers, attendees will learn strategies for tackling challenges head-on and insights into the decision-making processes experienced embalmers use. Level Up Learning Webinars are free for NFDA members and $79 for nonmembers. Funeral professionals can register online at NFDA.org/Events or by calling 800-228-6332. The 2025 NFDA International Convention & Expo, taking place October 26-29 in Chicago, Illinois, will feature a preconvention embalming seminar and multiple education sessions covering technical skills. Look for full details when registration for the NFDA Convention opens in the spring.   NFDA offers several online learning courses focused on technical skills. Courses cover a variety of topics and enable funeral professionals to boost their skills wherever and whenever they have Internet access. A full list of courses can be found on the NFDA website, NFDA.org/OLC. NFDA’s collection of legal forms, available exclusively to members at NFDA.org/LegalForms,  includes several forms related to preparation, including embalming authorization forms, embalming affidavits, embalming report forms and more. NFDA developed two consumer brochures, Embalming: Answers to Your Questions and The Value of Viewing the Body of Your Loved One, to help families understand the embalming process, the value of viewings and visitations as part of end-of-life rituals, and answer common questions. The brochures can be ordered through the NFDA Resource Store, NFDA.org/Store, or by calling 800-228-6332. Funeral directors may also want to encourage families they serve to visit NFDA’s consumer-facing website, RememberingALife.com, which serves as a guide to honoring a life well-lived, from planning a tribute to mourning a loved one. The site offers guidance on how to start the planning process, the kinds of decisions families will make, and the many options available to make a tribute personal and meaningful. The site highlights service options, including embalming and the value of viewing; details about cremation and burial; and prefunding options. About NFDA NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org. 

Our friends at the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) recently announced that registration is now open for the 2024 educational classes for their “Certified Cremation Specialist” designation.

According to CANA, “What sets a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist apart is the training they receive to ensure everyone is treated with the same level of care, service, and compassion. Through exposure to a curriculum based on years of research and experience, CANA-Certified Cremation Specialists learn best practices in ethical conduct, verbal and non-verbal delivery, personalizing services and body preparation styles to grow their abilities”. 

All courses are online with the ability to  pause and resume to fit your schedule with basic program requirements that everyone must complete, including participating in a live, instructor-led course via Zoom.

To learn more about becoming a Certified Cremation Specialist and/or to register click here.

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

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.