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October 2016
Welcome to the Seminar and AGM update
More questions than answers!
With apologies to Johnny Nash, this was what was promised as the outcome for the IoCF Seminar Day and no-one went away disappointed! Indeed, there were no disappointments at all with the day. Change was very much the key word of the event and that included the Institute choosing a new venue at which to host it. The Beeches Hotel and Conference Centre, situated in the heart of the picturesque suburb of Bournville, Birmingham, provided not only delightful surroundings, plentiful refreshments in comfortable areas and very helpful staff, but also an excellent room in which a very informative and productive day passed all too quickly.
The changing face of funerals and funeral celebrancy...
... was the theme for the day; introduced by IoCF Chairman, Christine Ogden, Dip CFC., who, in welcoming everyone and introducing the programme, posed the question 'Are we ready for the funeral celebrant to become redundant?'
She explained that the focus of the seminar was to discuss several changes which are already occurring in the way in which funerals are being arranged and that the three main sessions of the day would highlight just how much of an impact digital technology, the evolution of the funeral system and the arrival of direct cremation could, and would, have on the work of IoCF members.
Digital legacy
James Norris is a lecturer in digital and social media at UCL. It has been his mission to help people to prepare for death (much of his work is with hospices) in both the digital and real world; to empower people to make better end of life decisions and to utilise technology in the process, where relevant to do so.
James posed the next leading question of the day: 'What happens to our digital possessions when we die?'
Even those members who do not live their lives through Facebook, Twitter, the Cloud etc. recognised that social media sites such as these are now beginning to hold the only personal archives of photos, 'letters', music and film collections which many people possess. Most of those same people have not yet thought about what will happen to those digital possessions when they die - how will they be accessed and by whom? Will they be deleted or passed onto others?
James founded the Digital Legacy Association with an online presence at www.deadsocial.org. This website explains in easy steps, amongst other things, how to ensure that your digital legacy is preserved or dies with you, depending on your wish, and how to appoint an on-line executor with companies like Facebook.
The seminar discussion highlighted the many problems which could occur where there is a lack of a 'digital will', along with recognising the distress caused by very personal announcements being made via Facebook before immediate family members have been informed. As celebrants, we need to understand that either of these two situations could impact on our family discussions when we meet to arrange a service.
On a more positive note, James pointed out that personal social media pages are often maintained after death to raise money for charities, through on-line memorial activities, and he also demonstrated the website facility where a digital last message, or messages, can be uploaded and stored, only to be published at the time of your death. Some IoCF members have already experienced such a video message being shared in the funeral service and this may well become a more common request from families we work with.
Deadsocial.org is recommended to all members for both personal and professional enlightenment and a link to the site will be available on the IoCF website.
Prof Tony Walter
Well known to all members as a tutor on the CCL training course, Tony Walter is the world's only professor of death studies. His presentation title in itself was a leading question: 'The British Funeral Industry: fit for purpose?'
Tony outlined that the funeral industry has evolved to produce hardware suppliers (the funeral director selling tangible products) and software suppliers (which includes celebrants providing words). Historically, of course, the system is that the hardware supplier sub-contracts the software supplier.
Much discussion in the seminar on this subject identified the obvious need for this to change, but that, in turn, there was no obvious solution that could easily be put in place throughout the whole of the industry. Even so-called innovations and 'alternative' style funeral ceremonies do not threaten the status quo, they merely provide the main contractor with more choice to offer his clients!
Tony expounded several ways in which the system could possibly change from funeral homes employing in-house celebrants, to celebrants or crematoria becoming the main contractors (if they wanted to become event organisers), to 'now for something completely different' ... direct cremation!
The idea of cutting out the funeral director and thus reducing costs and dispensing with the ritual has arrived and is getting much media coverage.
The session ended with the question of what the implications might be for celebrants.
Update and professional development
As ever, delegates managed to eat a hearty meal and enjoy lively discussion through the lunch break.
The afternoon session began with Christine explaining that, after much thought, research and discussion, the Council has made the decision to reduce further the financial and time costs which the current seeking of feedback from clients entails through updating and streamlining the process.
Christine emphasised that the Council are very mindful that seeking independent feedback from every funeral ceremony is a unique selling point which the IoCF holds within the celebrancy profession. In addition, the comments from families provide strong references with which the Institute can support and back a member should the situation arise.
The new system will not compromise either of the above. During their first year of membership, members will still be required to ask their families for permission for the IoCF to send out the feedback form. After that time, members will be provided with a new 'notes for the family' in the form of a postcard which, in addition to explaining the process which the celebrant will enter into with the family etc., will also offer them the opportunity to feedback to the Institute and provide instructions for doing that.
Unless members indicate to the Institute that they wish feedback to continue to be sought for all ceremonies, this system will be implemented in the new year.
Anne Barber, IoCF President
Continuing with the topic of assessment and sustaining of quality and standards in the ceremonies undertaken by IoCF members, Anne Barber shared some observations which she had received through independent feedback from a crematorium manager who has wide experience in the quality of ceremonies delivered by several members.
The comments which caused Anne and the IoCF council concern were those which indicated that established members may be beginning to 'slip into bad habits' and, by cutting corners, are not being seen to deliver a unique bespoke ceremony script which reflects the wishes of the family one hundred per cent.
In order that our reputation for professionalism and quality is not lost or diminished, Anne offered the following 'hints and tips' which all members should consider carefully in regard to how they work:
- Be careful not to 'take over' from the family in helping to speed up or clarify decision making. Phrases such as, 'I usually find it works best when...'; 'Don't worry about that, leave it to me...'; 'I know the perfect reading / piece of music...' are only appropriate on occasions when the family really have handed over or asked for guidance.
- Likewise, if suggestions for music or poetry are asked for, do not rely on the same 'shortlist' but discuss different choices with the family to find what is most appropriate for them.
- When checking scripts ensure that any use of 'I', 'we', 'us', 'our' or 'I think...', 'I know...' 'I am sure...', really should include you, the celebrant, in the statement when speaking on behalf of the family.
- Move away from, or adapt, the statements and quotes given in your training. There is no need to 'reinvent the wheel' every time but each script should be new and fresh. The CCL 'Advanced Tribute Writing' course offers invaluable help and ideas.
- Make sure that families only write or take part in the ceremony, if they really wish to. It is important to empower them to do so wherever possible, HOWEVER, do not allow the family produced tribute to be seen as the easy option for the celebrant.
Repetition and unoriginality will be noticed by others, including funeral directors, families and mourners. Obviously, use what works for you, and the assessment checks carried out by the IoCF are intended to highlight any such bad habits and inform members' continued development. However, it is vital that every one of us strives constantly to ensure that the gold standard in funeral ceremony writing and delivery which the IoCF is renowned for is maintained.
Direct Cremation - 'passing bandwagon or industrial revolution?'
The 'hot' topic of the day! Direct cremation is general defined as 'the deceased's coffin going directly from the place of death to the cremator (or grave)'.
Christine led the seminar by outlining what the direct cremation process can involve - different companies offer different 'packages' - and how this innovation in funeral arranging has caught the attention of the media and thus raised public awareness, not only of this option for a funeral ceremony but also of the possibility of not accepting the 'all inclusive' funeral plan sold by most funeral companies and sourcing only the ceremony components which they want for themselves i.e. the DIY funeral.
The 'pros and cons' of direct cremation were discussed from the perspective of the client, the funeral companies, the crematoria and the celebrant.
Questions discussed in the seminar were:
- Where will this innovation take the industry? Will it be the end of funerals as we know them? Will the funeral rites be separated from the marking the end of/ celebrating the life of the deceased? Will there still be ceremonies, even if by a different name, in venues away from a chapel, burial ground or crematoria? Will ceremonies focussed on the interment or strewing of the ashes become more important? Will the celebrant still be required?
- What will we, celebrants and the IoCF, do? Will we devise new types of ceremonies and wording more appropriate to a short direct cremation service where a celebrant is included, and for ceremonies where there will not be a coffin present?
- How will we work with this change? Will the IoCF provide more training and new resources? Who will engage the celebrant for work? (At least one IoCF member is already employed by a crematorium and is invoicing the client directly.) Will celebrants need to work with the Direct Cremation companies? Will the IoCF and members need to market the new ceremonies they will be able to offer to the wider public rather than funeral arrangers?
The conclusion of the seminar session was that all these questions were very valid as direct cremation, whilst not changing the world of funerals drastically or immediately, may well be the catalyst to a change in the way funerals are considered and arranged. Christine pointed out that the IoCF exists to promote greater choice and individuality in funerals and, thanks to direct cremation, this is what is now going to happen - and the IoCF and its members will be at the heart of, what those present concluded, will be an industrial revolution.
IoCF AGM 2016
The afternoon concluded with the Annual General Meeting of the Institute of Civil Funerals - a copy of the minutes of this meeting, the Chairman's report and the full financial accounts can be found below.
Christine Ogden officially announced that she was standing down from the IoCF Council. In recognition of her outstanding service to the Institute as Chairman, she was presented with the Marilyn Watts award and made a Fellow of the institute.
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