Board Approves New Policy for Sustaining Membership

At its scheduled meeting on August 25, 2002, the FCALC Board of Directors approved a new policy for Sustaining Membership. Each year in September, FCALC will conduct an Annual Fund Campaign, and any member who contributes will be a Sustaining Member for that calendar year (i.e., until the next year's Annual Fund Campaign.) As our membership has grown, we have now reached a point where we cannot expect income from new members to defray all the costs of operation. In particular, it is now MUCH more expensive to duplicate and mail our newsletter. This is why we have changed to THREE rather than four issues each year. While FCALC is still in good shape financially, we have had periods over the past two years when our expenditures exceeded our income, and that is obviously not a sustainable situation. We hope that you will contribute to our Annual Fund Campaign this year.

Industry Reports Key Consumer Findings on Cremation...

In 1990, "Options by Batesville," the cremation division of the Batesville Casket Company, decided to survey how consumer choices and attitudes toward cremation may be changing. The results, reported in The American Funeral Director (July 2001), make interesting reading.

In the first place, the number of cremations is continuing to rise quite dramatically, and the industry recognizes that this can mean "less income per case," and thus lower profits. The response has been to push for more "full service" cremation arrangements, i.e., arrangements which include embalming, casket purchase, viewing, and perhaps even a memorial service at the funeral home, and an urn for the cremated remains. In other words, the family spends about the same amount of money with the funeral home, and the savings, if any, derive from saving the cost related to earth burial. The funeral home may also offer options for the preservation of cremated remains, such as a columbarium.

But here is the really interesting part. For purposes of the study, subjects were divided into an "arrangers" group (those who had actually arranged a cremation) and an "inclined" group (those who said they were inclined to choose cremation for themselves and/or a loved one.) The researchers discovered that those who said they were "inclined" to choose cremation consistently indicated that they wanted more in terms of both services and merchandise than what consumers in the "arranger" group actually selected.

As an example, both groups were split almost 50/50 on the importance of "viewing," which would of course typically require embalming, a casket purchase, and use of funeral home facilities. Half agreed or strongly agreed that "viewing" helps to accept the death; but the other half also agreed or strongly agreed that it is easier if you do not view the body. Yet, despite this belief in the benefits of "viewing," while 32 percent of the "incliners" said they would choose a public "viewing," only 19 percent of "arrangers" actually chose a service requiring a casket or other container. This kind of result held across a wide range of services and merchandise.

Another striking example: only 6 percent of the "incliners" said they would choose "no other service" than what we call direct cremation; yet more than 13 percent of the "arrangers"--double the "incliners"--actually chose the direct cremation. The suggested response to THIS is to provide an "opportunity" for the family choosing direct cremation to select a more expensive container!

One final example: both groups were asked if they would take the cremated remains home, and if the answer was yes, were then asked, where they would keep them. By far the most popular choice among "incliners" was: on display in a public area of the home, or in a private area where the urn could be easily seen. And, of course, this choice would require the purchase of an urn. But a full 46 percent of the "arrangers" who actually keep cremated remains at home said that they were in a closet, under a bed, or in some other storage area (obviously not requiring an urn for display). Only 4 percent of the "incliners" said that they would do this!

The Batesville researches were clearly a bit baffled by the results of their survey. They did, however, offer a tentative explanation: While a large percentage of both groups said that a funeral home could be a reliable source of information about cremation, more than 70 percent ALSO said that they would seek information from other sources, such as a "cremation society" (that is, a funeral consumer organization!), a church, an illness-support group, or a hospice. 60 percent said that they would go to the Internet for information about cremation!

To us in the funeral consumer movement, the point seems SO obvious! "Knowledge is power!" Informed and assertive consumers are less likely to be manipulated to make purchases that are not necessary to their satisfaction with funeral arrangements. It appears that when the "incliners" begin to investigate their options, by the time they are "arrangers" they have learned how to choose ONLY what they truly want and need in funeral arrangements.

Clearly, this is where WE come in. Our friends and neighbors ARE listening!