MFDA Journal - Mississippi Funeral Directors Association

MFDA Journal
M i s s i s s i p p i
2013 – 2014
Hi Everyone,
Waller Funeral Home
Oxford, MS
I’m Beth Rosson, newly installed president of MFDA.
Along with my family, I work at Waller Funeral Home in
Oxford. Our funeral home was established in 1977 by my
father, Don Waller, and my late mother, Patsy Waller.
Today, my husband, Bob, and I are joined at the funeral
home by our children, Brett Rosson and Sally Kate
Walker.
President-Elect
Ladd Pulliam
Jones and Son Funeral Home
Richton, MS
First Vice President
Greg Pegues
Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Homes
Gulfport, MS
Secretary-Treasurer
Sandra Chancellor
Chancellor Funeral Home
Byram, MS
Past President
Bill Chancellor
Chancellor Funeral Home
Florence, MS
Northern District Governors
Sammy Reed
Lee Memorial Funeral Home
Verona, MS
Kenneth Williams
Cleveland Funeral Home
Cleveland, MS
Central District Governors
John Wise
Boone Funeral Home
Greenville, MS
Ellis Wright, II
Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home
Louisville, MS
Southern District Governors
Joe Hutchins
Saulters-Moore Funeral Homes, Inc.
Prentiss, MS
Association
The Caring Professionals
By Beth Rosson
President
Beth Rosson
Second Vice President
Kippy Lang
Directors
A Message from the MFDA President
MFDA Board of Directors
W.E. Pegues Funeral Directors
Tupelo, MS
Funeral
Summer 2013
Issue 2
In early June we attended the annual Mississippi Funeral
Directors Association Convention at the Embassy Suites
Hotel in Ridgeland, MS. Funeral directors and funeral service suppliers from all over
the state enjoyed three days of education and fellowship. The Mississippi Sales Club
filled the exhibit hall and overflowed into the hallway with the latest in funeral
merchandise and the newest and most innovative ideas in funeral service.
Among the many activities and programs available Tara E. Mauk Arthur, PHR with
Superior Funeral and Life Insurance Company gave an interesting and timely
program on the many ways social media is affecting the funeral industry. During our
membership luncheon we were inspired and entertained by political and social
cartoonist Marshall Ramsey. The ladies enjoyed a lovely luncheon at Anjou
Restaurant and a really fun afternoon painting at Easely Amused. All of the lectures,
receptions, meals, and the hospitality suite were sponsored by our amazing Sales
Club who came through in a big way to ensure the success of the convention. Plans
are already underway for the 2014 convention to be held on the Gulf Coast. so
watch for upcoming details.
This is an exciting time to be a member of MFDA. Our association continues to grow in
membership with a wide range of ages and new leaders emerging. Things are
changing at a rapid pace in our industry and what a blessing it is to be a member of
MFDA and take advantage of the services offered by our association. Just being
able to talk with other funeral directors at convention, winter seminar and district
meetings is educational on its own. As a member for over 25 years, I find myself in
awe of the enthusiasm and energy within the association.
This month it was my honor to represent Mississippi at the National Funeral Directors
Association Leadership Seminar held in Park City, Utah. It is wonderful to learning from
our peers across the nation and hope to bring back even more new and interesting
ways to improve the services we provide.
Riemann Funeral Home
Gulfport, MS
The MFDA board recently voted to renew our contract for two more years with
Affinity Resource Group. ARG has been our management company for the past
year; Jean Weiss, Bertinna Dubra and Mary Lea Nations are doing an outstanding job
for the association as well as the MFDA Trust.
NFDA Policy Board Representative
A. Wendell Stringer
I am honored to serve as your president and encourage you to let me know of any
concerns you may have about MFDA.
Jeff Riemann
Stringer Family Funeral Services
Crystal Springs, MS
Editor
Jean A. Weiss
MFDA Account Executive
Blessings,
Your New 2013 – 2014 MFDA Board
Installation of Officers and Board members was held at the MFDA Convention on June 4, 2013. The MFDA encourages
you to reach
out to your new board members to share ideas and concerns about MFDA and the funeral industry.
Contact information can be found on the MFDA website: www.mississippifuneraldirectors.com or by contacting the
office at: info@mississippifuneraldirectors.com
or 601-978-1920
Sitting from left to right
Ladd Pulliam (MFDA President-elect)
Beth Rosson (MFDA President)
Bill Chancellor (MFDA Past President)
Standing from left to right
Jeff Riemann (Southern District Governor)
Joe Hutchins (Southern District Governor)
A.Wendell Stringer (NFDA Policy Board Rep)
Sandra Chancellor (Secretary-Treasurer)
Kippy Lang (Second Vice President)
Greg Pegues (First Vice President)
Sammy Reed (Northern District Governor)
Kenny Williams (Northern District Governor)
John Wise (Central District Governor)
Ellis Wright, II (Central District Governor)
MFDA Convention
– Photos
from
the Exhibit
Hall Seminar
More Photos
from
MFDA’s
Mid-Winter
Some of the very happy Exhibit Hall Raffle Prize Winners
To see all the MFDA Convention photos, go
to: www.mississippifuneraldirectors.com
Left: Brook Williams, Manager of Family Services for the Mississippi
Organ Recovery Agency.
Above: Greg Merchant with the Mississippi Mortuary Response Team
and President of the MS Coroner’s Association
MFDA Elects First Woman President in
its107 Year History
PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORS
GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS
SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS
Ambulance & Coach Sales
Aurora Casket Company
Doric Burial Vault, Inc.
Superior Funeral and Life Insurance Company
BRONZE LEVEL SPONSORS
Allied Funeral Associates Insurance Company
Bass-Mollett
Batesville Casket Co.
Gulf Wilbert Vault Co., Inc.
Matthews Casket Division
Mississippi Funeral Supply Sales Club
Vantage Products Corp.
Congratulations to the recipients of
the Gale M. Galloway Memorial
2013 Student of the Year Winners!
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Pamela Blaylock
East Mississippi Community College
Wesley Clark
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Troy W. Smith
Holmes Community College
Janet W. Spitchley
The Mississippi Funeral Directors Association (MFDA) is proud
to announce the election and installation of Beth Waller
Rosson as the new 2013-2014 MFDA President and the first
woman president of the Association in its 107 year history.
The Mississippi Funeral Directors Association was formed in
1906 to cultivate and promote the art and science of
funeral direction and services, to evaluate and sustain the
professional character and education of the funeral
directors and embalmers, to encourage among them
mutual improvement, social interaction and good will, and
to the necessity and desirability of enacting and enforcing
proper trust and uniform laws pertaining to funeral direction
and embalming in the State of Mississippi.
Beth is an Oxford native and attended the University of
Mississippi where she met and married her husband Robert
T. (Bob) Rosson, Jr., CFSP, CPS. She and Bob moved out of
state, but returned in 1983 when her parents, Don and the
late Patsy Waller, established Waller Funeral Home in
Oxford, and invited her and Bob to return home to help run
the family business. She worked in many aspects of the
funeral home and became a licensed funeral director in
1998.
In a very unique, historical situation, Bob is currently serving
as the first president from Mississippi of the National Funeral
Directors Association (NFDA). This is the first time that an
NFDA President has served at the same time as their spouse
is serving as a statewide president. Bob and Beth have
represented Mississippi on a statewide and national scale
through their many years of volunteer professional service
to MFDA and NFDA.
Beth has served on the MFDA board for seven years holding
a number of board and executive positions. She looks to her
own mother, Patsy Waller, as her inspiration. Patsy was the
first female secretary/treasurer of MFDA but had to give the
position up in 1985 due to health problems. She was proud
that she was in line to become the first female president of
MFDA and very disappointed when she had to step down.
When Beth was elected secretary treasurer of MFDA, her
mother was so proud and excited (there had not been
another woman since her) that Beth would carry out what
she had tried to do. She died in 2009 while Beth was serving
on the executive board.
Beth’s goals for MFDA are to continue pursuing legislation
requiring continuing education for funeral directors;
increase membership and member benefits; offer more
funeral and preparation room specific educational
presentations; recruit membership from the younger up and
coming pool of funeral directors and place them on
committees and in roles of leadership; market the MFDA
Trust; and build a better working relationship and
communication with the State Board of Funeral Service.
The Rosson’s have been members of Oxford-University United
Methodist Church since 1983, and Beth has served in
numerous positions including the Administrative Board, Staff
Parrish Relations Committee, and Finance Committee. She is
also a Charter member of Oxford Junior Auxiliary.
Beth and Bob are proud parents of two children who work
with them at Waller Funeral Home: Brett Waller Rosson, who
is a funeral director/embalmer and Sally Kate Walker who is
a funeral director. They also have four grandchildren,
Barron Waller Rosson, Southerlin Campbell Rosson, Thomas
Harrison Walker, and Rosson Eli Walker.
MFDA MEMBER
ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS
Tommy Conn, Jr. Gulf
Guaranty Life Insurance
Company announces
the birth of his daughter,
Harley Grace Conn on
6-3-2013.
She weighed 6 pounds and 14 oz. and
was 19.5 inches. She is ready to start
calling on funeral homes with her
daddy.
Congratulations to Lisa Frye-Bush,
President of Frye Funeral Home in
Leland, MS who was elected to the
Board of Aldermen in the City of Leland
on Tuesday, June 4th!
If you have news you would like to share with the
membership, please send to:
info@mississippifuneraldirectors.com
CFSP Designation Recognition
Whitney Dickens Lang, CFSP (left),
of
Bradford-O'Keefe
Funeral
Homes, Gulfport, MS and Ladd
Pulliam, CFSP (middle) of Jones &
Son Funeral Home, Richton, MS
were recognized by NFDA Board
Member, Bob Arrington (right) at
the MFDA Convention for earning
the designation of Certified
Funeral
Service
Practitioner
(CFSP), by the Academy of
Professional
Funeral
Service
Practice.
To initially receive this award, the practitioner must
complete a 180 hour program of continuing education
activities and events. In addition, the practitioner is required
to accumulate 20 hours per year to recertify. Credits are
awarded by the Academy for work leading to personal
and/or professional growth in four areas:
• Academic Activities
• Professional Activities
• Career Review (for retroactive credit)
• Community and Civic Activities
More MFDA Convention Photos. . .
50 Years of Dedicated Service!
MFDA recognized two individuals for 50 years of dedicated
service in the funeral home industry. MFDA’s outgoing
President Bill Chancellor presented a 50 year Service plaque
to Wendell Stringer (left photo) of Stringer Family Funeral
Services in Crystal Springs, and to Joe Hutchins (right photo),
of Saulters-Moore Funeral Homes, Inc., Prentiss, MS
Funeral Director of
the Year Award
In recognition of his
dedication,
leadership,
and service, Bill Chancellor
of Chancellor Funeral
Home in Florence, was
presented the Funeral
Director of the Year Award
by past president, David
Ainsworth.
Service of
Remembrance
Special Recognition
Sandra Chancellor (left) of
Chancellor Funeral Home in
Byram was recognized by
incoming President Beth Rosson
(right) for her special service to
MFDA.
Sandra
volunteered
countless hours to keep the
MFDA Office operating smoothly
during
transition
to
new
management.
Ladies Luncheon
Speaker: Barbie Bassett
Dinner at The Islander
President’s Reception
Painting at
Easely Amused