Mr. Fells: We were founded in 1887 basically as a cemetery association. The group was formally incorporated in 1929 around the time the Great Depression began. Our members faced some hard times in that period. By the 1990s, looking at our member directory, we realized that many of our members were also owners and operators of funeral homes and crematories. Our name at that time was the American Cemetery Association. We amended the bylaws to include not only cemeteries, but also funeral homes, monument dealers and crematories. In 1996 we had 2,500 members from 25 countries. Today we have 7,200 members, and we represent slightly more funeral homes than cemeteries. Our members are located in 30 countries. Our main goal is to provide educational conferences and programs for our members, the public and those who regulate us. We also host a trade show each year in conjunction with our annual convention. I'm also involved with representing the industry in the federal forum with agencies. We're not a large industry, so nobody's afraid of the funeral lobby. However, we want those in the federal government, including Congress, to regard us as an educational resource to better understand the industry, answer questions and to help resolve problems their constituents may experience. If they have any concerns, we're easy to find. It serves nobody for our members to be perceived as strange or mysterious businesses. In terms of the membership, our members are by and large competitors, but we pool our resources within the association to work for the greater good. Cemeterians typically don't go to school to learn how to do their job; they learn by working. We offer advanced courses for cemeteries, funeral homes and crematories so they can learn how to do their jobs better, and they can exchange ideas.
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