Media, PA—This year, ASD – Answering Service for Directors, the leading call support center for funeral professionals, is celebrating the company’s 50^th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, ASD will be holding a client cocktail party during the 2022 NFDA Convention. The party will take place on Monday, October 10th from 6:30 until 8:30p at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

It’s only September and November may seem like a long time away, yet for busy funeral professionals Veterans Day will arrive before you know it, so start planning now and be prepared when November 11 arrives. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Inflation is up, the stock market is down and your 401(k) is feeling every bit of that stretch. So how do you keep calm and hold steady when everything around you is spinning out of control? 

Made in the USA. American-made. Made in China. What does it mean to you? What does it mean to your business? What does it mean to your customers? And how is it impacting buying decisions?

S. Chase Lewis is a 39-year-old funeral director at Lewis Funeral Home and Crematory in Milton, Florida.

Kevin Watts is a funeral director and embalmer at Allen- Beyer Funeral Home in Key Largo, Florida. He shared his experiences with running a successful funeral home that has been around for more than 50 years.

The process of cremation has existed for thousands of years and became officially recognized in the United States in 1876. That year, the first U.S. crematorium was built in Washington, Pennsylvania (and not without some controversy, mind you). Although it was official, cremation struggled to gain hold within the general population for 90 years. By the 1970s, cremation rates were just around 5 percent. But in the decades that followed, that rate began to rise at a steady rate. So much so that it has now become the most popular way to memorialize the deceased in the United States.

Have you been keeping up with the 12 Months of Marketing campaign that OGR has been emailing to you every month? If not, then you are missing out on ways to get your funeral home’s name out into the public, invite people into your funeral home for events and gain media attention. Best of all, none of these ideas will bust your budget. 

• Front page article in the newspaper
• Story on the evening news
• Calls coming into your funeral home months and years after an event

OGR's monthly feature previewing education, events and other opportunities coming up over the next three months.

When you have a restaurant you love, you recommend it to your friends and suggest that they give it a try. When you watch a new show on Netflix that you enjoy, you mention it to others and suggest that they give it a try. When you belong to an association that has benefitted your business and yourself, why not also let others know and suggest that they give it a try?

Hi! I’m Raffy Jose from the Philippines. I was a board member from 2018-2021. I witnessed first hand how important the work of the professional development committee was to our members. As we return to face to face meetings this year we look forward to learning about new and innovative tools to help improve our business after the pandemic. This is the important role of the members of the OGR-PDC. 

ASD’s NEXT STEP Text™ allows funeral homes to immediately provide important resources to families via text message.

I am so honored to have been elected to serve as your president this coming year. My family has been a part of OGR for over 50 years. As a young child I remember going on family vacations based on the location of the annual convention. Dad would spend the day in meetings and the rest of the family would explore the area and make great vacation memories out of it. There were many destinations my parents took friends to then stayed for an extra week to vacation.

OGR's monthly feature previewing education, events and other opportunities coming up over the next three months.

OGR's monthly feature previewing education, events and other opportunities coming up over the next three months.

Marianne Turcotte and Mark Muir are co-owners, managers and funeral directors at Beau “Lac” Funeral Home and Crematorium, Ltd. in Spirtwood, Shellbrook and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan with branch offices in Big River and Leask, Saskatchewan.

Are you facing a tough challenge or change at work? You might get frustrated if you expect steady progress or quick resolution. None of us is going to glide smoothly from start to finish. So, what do you do when you hit a rough patch? Your answer can mean the difference between success and defeat. Change your perspective to realize you’re collecting footage for your montage. 

You may see it in ads or on social media posts. I saw it in the newspaper for a local mattress company with a holiday sale announcement. It is the three words that anger me the most: "Happy Memorial Day." 

A record nine students were awarded scholarships through OGR’s charitable foundation this year. All demonstrated solid academic performance, community involvement and a dedication to the independent funeral service model OGR stands for.