December 2018

Page A33 DECEMBER 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A News Association Selected Independent Funeral Homes Celebrated 100th Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City Incoming president Kim Farris-Luke Outgoing Board President, Charles “Chip” Billow with recipients of the 75 year membership mile- stone recipients:Meghan-Goldfinch Hayden and George H. Goldfinch Jr. of Goldfinch Funeral Services; David Cox of The Meeks Mortuary and Crematory; Preston McKee of Morris-Baker Funeral Home Karyn Ruth White DEERFIELD,IL— About 300 members and guests of Selected Independent Fu- neral Homes gathered at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in Salt Lake City for the association’s 100th Annual Meeting on October 10-13, 2018. With a focus on the association’s next century, the experience featured numer- ous educational opportunities plus the chance to reconnect with friends and de- velop new relationships. In addition, three firms were induct- ed into Selected’s Century Club, having earned 100 years of continuous member- ship: Burton Funeral Homes and Cre- matory, Inc, Erie, PA; Porter Loring Mortuary, San Antonio, TX; and Roper & Sons, Inc., Lincoln, NE. Firms achiev- ing 50 and 75 years of continuous mem- bership also were recognized. The Selected 100 th Annual Meeting started with the Selected Welcome Cel- ebration held at The Summit. Members arrived by aerial tram to this magnificent venue 11,000 feet atop Hidden Peak and the function served to recognize the do- nors and sponsors who have helped pro- pel the Selected Educational Trust into a new era. On Thursday, keynote speaker, Karyn Ruth White presented When You Are Called to Care-A Humorous Guide to Surviving Yourself as a Giver. White is the owner of Laugh and Learn Productions, LLC, an enterprise helping people show up as their best selves. Kim Evenson of Legacy.com moder- ated the Town Hall Panel – State of the Obituary: Past Present and Future. Ashley Montroy of FrontRunner pre- sented How to Break Through to 2020: Top Social Media Marketing Strategies Now and Into the Future. This session empowered members with the tools to create a well- thought-out social media strategy for today that will help prepare them for 2020 and beyond. Karyn Ruth White led Core Confi- dence: Fine-Tuning the Already Fabulous You, a lively conversation on key topic ar- eas including professional presentation, and how to fine-tune existing strengths. The Conversation Café featured six Selected Preferred Partners who offered unique educa- tional insight and opportunities for in-depth conversations: Federated Funeral Directors of America, Federated Insurance, Funeral Directors Life, Homesteaders Life Compa- ny, Johnson Consulting Group and Mat- thews Aurora Funeral Solutions. On Friday the early bird discussion, a long- time Selected tradition, offered a unique op- portunity to connect with fellow members in open discussion on relevant topics. Fifty Cards, Fifty Questions: Ways to Connect with Your Community featured Danelle O’Neill of Funeral Service Foun- dation and J. Mark Busch of Busch Funer- al and Crematory Services who shared their experience creating community event op- portunities using the tools offered through FAMIC’s Talk of a Lifetime campaign. Shawn Thompkins of Protective Con- sulting Solutions presented Heightened Awareness: Addressing Potential Violence, how funeral professionals can become more aware of potentially violent situations and how to de-escalate these situations. How to Make the Obituary Work Harder was led by Kim Evenson and John Heald from Legacy.com . Continued on Page A34