One purpose the family owned funeral home

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The Independent Funeral Group eralgroup.com 503 National Drive Maryville, TN 37804.405.7085 Phone: 865.977.0027 Cell: 865.405.7085 Email: info@theindependentfuneralgroup.

Like most people, New Year s Day rejuvenates people to make resolutions, pray for a wonderful year, reflect on the previous year, and celebrate in a gratuitous and grateful spirit for everyone that

New Year s France The French typically celebrate New Year s with a feast and a champagne toast, marking the first moments of New Year s Day with kisses under the mistletoe, which most other cultures

1 The Independent Funeral Group eralgroup.com 503 National Drive Maryville, TN Phone: Cell: One purpose the family owned funeral home January of 2017 Dear Member Firms and Endorsed Partners, An amazing time is upon us the year Like most people, New Year s Day rejuvenates people to make resolutions, pray for a wonderful year, reflect on the previous year, and celebrate in a gratuitous and grateful spirit for everyone that shared in your life. What I truly enjoy is researching how other cultures commemorate New Year s Day. Being both French and Polish, of course I had to share our traditions. New Year s France The French typically celebrate New Year s with a feast and a champagne toast, marking the first moments of New Year s Day with kisses under the mistletoe, which most other cultures associate with Christmas celebrations. The French also consider the day s weather as a forecast for the upcoming year s harvest, taking into account aspects like wind direction to predict the fruitfulness of crops and fishing. New Year s Poland New Year's Day and New Year s Eve, known in Poland as Sylwester (St Silvester's Day), marks the start of the carnival period, which features celebratory events like balls and parties. A fun tradition that has been popular for centuries is the kulig (sleigh rides). Many people in Poland celebrate New Year s Day with dances, concerts, and meals featuring traditional Polish dishes including bigos (hunter s stew). So regardless where you live, where your ancestry derives from, please celebrate what will be another fantastic year! The Independent Funeral Group looks to continue to increase member benefits throughout Never hesitate to contact us with questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you. Announcements Bass-Mollett acquires Elegante Brass Co. GREENVILLE, Ill. Bass-Mollett Publishers, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Elegante Brass Co., a provider of cremation urns to the funeral industry.

2 We have been growing our business organically for the past several years while reviewing a number of acquisition opportunities. The Elegante acquisition was highly attractive because it fit nicely into our growth strategy and immediately generates added-value for the director, said John Flowers, chairman and CEO of Bass-Mollett. The Elegante brand is well-respected and well-known throughout the funeral industry, built over the years by Saul Goldstein and Robert DeLauro. When Saul informed, us he was seeking an investor/partner/acquirer for his company, we were immediately interested. Robert and I worked hard building up Elegante s growth and reputation to where it is today, said Saul Goldstein, founder of Elegante. And now I am happy to hand the reigns over to the team at Bass-Mollett, whose goal is to elevate Elegante to a level of professionalism that I never could have accomplished on my own. DeLauro will continue to run the operations out of Elegante's Brooklyn facility while Goldstein will remain on as a product designer and import consultant, said Tadd Flowers, vice president of operations. The only noticeable changes being improved speed to market with both existing product and new product launches; we want all of our clients to feel the positive impact of our infusion of capital, he said. Dan Sheehan, president of Bass-Mollett, said, the company plans to continue to run the two businesses independently from a market-facing standpoint. Bass-Mollett will continue to sell directly to funeral homes through its network of independent sales professionals. Elegante will continue to sell directly to its network of distributors. After a supplier hiccup several years ago, and some more recent cash flow issues at Elegante, our priorities are to quickly re-build the high confidence level that Elegante s distributors previously enjoyed. This will be accomplished by: building up inventory levels for steady-state supply; creating new and innovative product launches; and reinstituting an Elegante s product awareness campaigns, through advertising in industry trade publications including a greater presence in local trade shows. In the end, this transaction is a win for Bass- Mollett, a win for Elegante and more importantly, a win for our funeral directors and the families they serve, Sheehan said. JOBS JOBS JOBS The Independent Funeral Group currently has over 20 funeral homes looking for licensed funeral directors and embalmers. Please forward any resumes you have and I will get those out to the funeral homes. Please note that these funeral homes are needing dually licensed personnel not single license funeral directors. Thank you. Please submit all resumes to: info@theindependentfuneralgroup.com Subject Line: Resume Attached Thank you ~ Brad Kuchnicki

The Independent Funeral Group Annual Spring Trip to Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, California Arrival: Saturday, March 4th, 2017 Departure: Friday, March 10th, 2017

4 The Independent Funeral Group Annual Spring Trip to Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, California Arrival: Saturday, March 4th, 2017 Departure: Friday, March 10th, 2017 Total Price: $ Reservations and payment must be submitted no later than January 30, 2017 NOTE: Price of trip does not include flight, car rental, or Spa Credit.

6 To save on a funeral, you better shop around By NATASHA LINDSTROM - Associated Press - Wednesday, December 28, PITTSBURGH (AP) - About 50 polished caskets line the showroom at Duster Funeral Home in Tarentum. Their price tags range from $1,100 to more than $15,000. Solid bronze is really the top, then below that copper, stainless steel and, of course, expensive woods: cherry, mahogany, supervisor J. Rodney Duster said. Those on a tight budget can opt for a simple, lightweight box for close to $300, but caskets at some funeral homes in Allegheny County can cost up to $36,000 - a range that illustrates how widely funeral costs can vary, particularly for those too grief-stricken to shop around. Some choose a funeral home simply because it s where other family members have gone. That sense of loss tends to cause them to overspend, said Frank Ashbaugh, president of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Pennsylvania. You really need to look deeper to see what you re getting out of that $995 versus what you re getting for the $3,395 package, said Kathleen Ryan, executive director of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association. Duster, 73, of Harrison said he tries to reassure customers that everything is going to be done properly regardless of the casket you select. A simple burial with a one-hour viewing can start as low as $750 but climb as high as $5,000; and cremation with no viewing ranges from $595 to more than $2,200, the Tribune-Review found through a survey of 36 price lists from funeral homes and crematories in Allegheny, Butler and Westmoreland counties. The Trib survey showed that the variance for seemingly standard services - hearses ($50 to $300), refrigeration ($50 to $400-plus a day), transferring remains (no charge to $2,000) and embalming ($400 to $965) - is vast even within municipalities. Some offer extras such as a webcast of the funeral service from their chapel for $225, or burial clothing for $100 to $250. Within the same town, there s usually a low-end funeral home and a high-end one, and if there s four or five in town, they ll be all over the board, Ashbaugh said. In Cranberry, for instance, a burial with no viewing is $900 at one funeral home but $4,295 at another. Some Greensburg funeral homes add charges for weekend or holiday services and transporting bodies more than 10 or 15 miles. Others charge no such fees.

7 Embalming - which is not mandated by law - can ring up $450 or less at several places, including funeral homes in Arnold, Carnegie and Sharpsburg, but will cost more than $800 elsewhere, including funeral homes in Greensburg, Oakmont and Pittsburgh s North Side. Some funeral homes reported charging an extra $50 to $600 in fees for hairdressing and cosmetology work and extra charges for cremation permits and unclaimed cremains. Ashbaugh said some funeral homes have tried to charge a fee to use a casket purchased elsewhere. Most U.S. funerals range between $7,000 and $10,000 in total cost, data show from the National Funeral Directors Association and Funeral Consumers Alliance. Cemetery plots, openings, closing and grave markers - which also vary widely - tend to cost an additional $3,000. Charging higher prices doesn t necessarily mean funeral home staffers are pocketing larger salaries. Sometimes higher prices correlate to funeral homes grappling with business challenges and higher overhead and facilities costs, said Ryan, of the state Funeral Directors Association. Pennsylvania has about 1,600 funeral homes - making the industry more concentrated here than in many states. There are about 165 homes in Allegheny County alone. Allegheny County has one of the oldest populations in the U.S. People in the county die at a rate of deaths per 1,000 people in 2014, compared to a national average of about 8.3, county and federal health and census data show. The funeral industry has become more competitive as consumer preferences change. For instance, cremation - which tends to be about one-third the cost of burial - is becoming more common. The trend has spurred some funeral homes to merge with or start crematories, said LeAnn Sherman, funeral director at Stephen M. Brady Funeral Home in Pittsburgh s North Side, which uses a crematory in Ross. Demand also is on the rise for so-called green burials, in which no embalming is done and biodegradable burial materials are used. In the Trib s survey, packages for green burials in the region started at $995 and went up to $5,000. Nationwide, privately owned, locally based funeral homes tend to charge almost 40 percent less than large, multi-state operations - but the local homes have the highest variance in prices, according to research by Everest Funeral Reports. Some consumers start planning their own funerals long before they anticipate the need for one. Experts urge those who choose to set aside money for funeral expenses to be sure they do so through an irrevocable trust, which can be transferred to other states and stays with the person s estate upon death. By federal law, every funeral home must make a general price list available. Ashbaugh of the Funeral Consumers Alliance recommends pricing four to five funeral homes before signing a contract. You should shop early, well before you re in a situation where you need the service, he said.

News Funeral debt nears 150m ($184,395,000) Funeral debt in the UK has risen to 147m ($180,707,100), according to a new report, as people borrow from friends and family or the bank to fund the last

10 News Funeral debt nears 150m ($184,395,000) Funeral debt in the UK has risen to 147m ($180,707,100), according to a new report, as people borrow from friends and family or the bank to fund the last wishes of loved ones. Funeral debt in the UK has risen to 147m ($180,707,100), according to a new report, as people borrow from friends and family or the bank to fund the last wishes of loved ones. The latest National Funeral Cost Index from pensions and investment company Royal London reveals that the average cost of a funeral in the UK is now 3,675 ($4,517.68), with 93,359 adults taking on funeral debt. The average debt taken on to cover costs is 1,601 ($1,968.11), which collectively equates to 147m ($180,707,100). One in seven people (15%) said they struggled with funeral costs. Among those, one in four said they borrowed money from family and friends or went into debt by taking out a loan, with a similar proportion using their overdraft facility to pay funeral costs. Data from the Institute of Cemetery & Crematorium Management shows the cost of a burial ranges from 2,917 ($3,585.87) in Belfast, to 9,679 ($11,898.39) in Kensal Green in London. Greenock in Scotland is the cheapest place to be cremated ( 2,873) ($3,531.78). The Royal London research also found 5% of consumers are choosing to have a direct burial or direct cremation and says it says the findings show there is a clear demand for this. Spokeswoman Mona Patel said it was vital the Government tackle funeral poverty by addressing the flaws of the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment, including the time taken.

The funeral industry also needs to address consumer demand for a simpler and cheaper funeral option, by providing more access to direct cremation and direct burials, she added.

11 The funeral industry also needs to address consumer demand for a simpler and cheaper funeral option, by providing more access to direct cremation and direct burials, she added. Royal London is also calling for policymakers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to follow Scotland s lead and do away with doctors fees; to adopt the pathway set by the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016, by providing permission for the sensitive re-use of abandoned old graves. Terry Tennens, Chief Executive of SAIF, told the media that it was pleasing that the Royal London report had gone some way to dismiss the unfair blame often placed on the heads of funeral directors for the growing cost of funerals, by recognizing that, in many cases, the real issue is third party costs. As an organization, we actively encourage all our members to display their prices online to make comparison easier, while our code of practice also demands complete openness of all funeral costs, he said. Nick Willcocks, coordinator at yourfuneralchoice.com, which compiles data based on mystery shopping for a simple funeral, said: We encourage individuals to speak to two or three firms directly, get a feel for them and then make a choice. An increasing number of people are choosing to separate the cremation from the celebration of life and through direct cremation this invariably provides a more affordable but no less dignified alternative to a traditional, attended funeral. Citation:

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A Matter of Golf and Death More and more courses are accommodating families with memorial options for avid players Ground niches for cremated remains around the golf green at the Memorial Golf Park

24 A Matter of Golf and Death More and more courses are accommodating families with memorial options for avid players Ground niches for cremated remains around the golf green at the Memorial Golf Park at Sunset Hills Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Bellevue, Wash. Photo: John Paul Newport/The Wall Street Journal By John Paul Newport June 26, :16 p.m. ET In 1937, the cremated remains of Charles Beach, founder of Olympia Fields Country Club south of Chicago, were spread from a biplane above the club s then-four golf courses. Beach happened to be a bit of a kook. After identifying the excellent terrain for golf on which the club was built, he lost his focus a bit and essentially became a ward of the club, living for years on a small stipend in an upstairs room. He was the crazy uncle in the attic, said club historian Robert Topel, who is also a University of Chicago economics professor. Be that as it may, Beach seems to have started a tradition at Olympia Fields. During my first visit to the club in advance of the 2003 U.S. Open, our early-morning dewsweeper group discovered ashy remains strewn on the 3rd green. Yes, a lot of our members are out there, Topel confirmed. Brian Morrison, the director of golf at Olympia Fields, told me during a visit last month, in advance of the U.S. Amateur in August, that he has instructed his family to spread his remains in the upper left corner of the 14th green. It s my favorite place on earth, Morrison said.

25 Olympia Fields is far from the only golf course honored by the remains of avid golfers. In 1998, the ashes of Alan Shepard, the astronaut who hit two golf balls on the moon, were spread along with those of his wife from a Navy helicopter over Stillwater Cove in front of their home in Pebble Beach, Calif. Some of those ashes certainly drifted onto Shepard s beloved Pebble Beach golf course, according to Adam Clayman, an eyewitness. The spreading of ashes, or wildcat scattering as it s known in the cremation industry, is of questionable legality when done on private property without permission. But that stops hardly anyone. Phil Young, author of the definitive history of Bethpage Black on Long Island, N.Y., said that hundreds of golfers remains have been spread over the years on the Black and its four sibling courses at Bethpage State Park. It s not permitted, but the park does nothing to impede the practice, said Young. (Reached for comment, a spokesman for the park said, The official policy is that we don t allow it and I can only comment on that policy. ) Cremation is on the rise in the U.S., approaching 50% nationwide and much higher in many states, according to the Cremation Association of North America. However much non-golfers may snigger, it s as natural for the families of dedicated players to seek a favorite hole or golf course for ash spreading as it is for the families of hikers to seek out a mountaintop or the families of sailors a bay. Best-selling author James Patterson, an avid golfer himself, includes an ash-spreading scene in his recent novel, Miracle at Augusta, co-written with Peter de Jonge. I thought that scene was nicely emotional, Patterson said in a phone interview. It s all of us. I ve lost a couple of golf buddies. For the more traditionally minded, however, there are options. About five years ago, a cemetery executive in Bellevue, Wash., named Arne Swanson played golf behind a family that stopped mid-round to spread the ashes of a loved one. Recognizing a possible new market niche, he created a dedicated golf section at Sunset Hills Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Bellevue. The centerpiece is a golf green with bunker, surrounded by small plots where golfers remains can be inurned. The golf section includes a water hazard, a leaderboard with plaques to memorialize the deceased, a ball washer and a putter with balls for the use of mourners. Most golfers wish they could spend more time on the course How does an eternity sound? reads the Sunset Hills brochure. Green fees start at $800. Spreading ashes is a wonderful idea, but what do you do later when you want to console yourself? Where s the permanence? said Steven Wetmore, a current executive at Sunset Hills. Golf-themed memorial services are also an option. Baby boomers are changing the dynamics of funerals. The trend is away from church hymns and more toward a celebration of life, said Michael Schoedinger, president of the multi-location Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Services in Columbus, Ohio. One common practice, Schoedinger said, is to place a bowl of golf balls, suitably logo-ed to honor the deceased, near the registration book and encourage guests to take one. Golf caskets are also available, including one painted to look like a sleeve of golf balls and another, called Fairway to Heaven, emblazoned with a bucolic golf course scene. Schoedinger s most memorable memorial was for a nonagenarian. Nine artificial putting strips, one for each decade of his life, were placed throughout the funeral home. Guests were given a putter and ball and learned about the deceased s life, through artifacts and memorabilia on display, as they completed their nine-hole round.

26 Even Donald Trump is getting into the game. Recently his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., received the permits necessary to build a cemetery near the 14th hole of its New Course. The plots will primarily be for members I talked to some of the members. You guys are here all day long. You love the place. Wouldn t you want to be buried here? Trump told me on the phone this week. At first, they said it was a terrible idea, but later they came over and said, That s a great idea. Does Trump himself want to be buried there? Honestly I don t even know. I hate thinking about it. I m in this dilemma, I have so many great places, he said, referring to the 20 golf clubs he owns worldwide. What about spreading his ashes on all the courses? Maybe, but again, I hate to think about it. It s depressing, Trump said. Citation: Newport, John Paul. (2015). A Matter of Golf and Death. The Wall Street Journal., 1-1. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, The Year (1910) If there is a New Year's Eve poem worth putting to memory, it is Ella Wheeler Wilcox's "The Year." This short and rhythmical poem sums up everything we experience with the passing of each year and it rolls off the tongue when recited. What can be said in New Year rhymes, That s not been said a thousand times? The new year s come, the old years go, We know we dream, we dream we know. We rise up laughing with the light, We lie down weeping with the night. We hug the world until it stings, We curse it then and sigh for wings. We live, we love, we woo, we wed, We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead. We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear, And that s the burden of the year. If you get the opportunity, read Wilcox's New Year: A Dialogue. Written in 1909, it is a fantastic dialogue between 'Mortal' and 'The New Year' in which the latter knocks on the door with offers of good cheer, hope, success, health, and love. The reluctant and downcast mortal is finally lured in. It is a brilliant commentary on how the new year often revives us even though it is just another day on the calendar.

Wildwood Green Golf Club

Wildwood Green Golf Club Page 1 In This Issue: A Carolinas Golf Group Facility Page 2 Wildwood Green Member Advisory Board Linda Hanks lhanks@nc.rr.com Paul Pratto paul@prattowealthmanagement.com Mike La Versa Diane_mike@att.net