I had the pleasure to attend the 105th annual convention of The Cremation Association of North America “CANA” August 9-12th in Washington, D.C.
Over 180 cremation professionals gathered in our Nation’s capital to experience informative sessions, earn continuing education credits and ample time to network with suppliers offering the most up to date products and services related to cremation and the death care industry.
During the educational portion of the convention, attendees participated in a wide range of topics from Staffing issues, the importance of mentoring, compassion towards families impacted by an untimely death or Suicide, and creative methods for memorialization of cremated remains that will generate additional income for cemeteries.
I attended my first CANA convention in 1994 which was held in Ashville, North Carolina (no pun intended) and have been a regular attendee for many years.
At that time cremation represented only 20% of all deaths in the United States.
In 2022, the confirmed percentage of deaths cremated in Connecticut was 63% and is expected to reach 70% for Connecticut by the end of 2023.
Currently the are many methods for the disposition of Human remains such as:
Traditional burial, entombment, cremation, anatomical body donation, cryonics, alkaline hydrolysis, green burial, and terramation, however cremation continues to be the most popular method chosen in current times.
We as cemeterians have an obligation to embrace these new methods of death choices and to offer memorialization to our families while creating new income generators for our cemeteries.
Participating at a professional organization meeting is the easiest avenue to pursue that will help you grow professionally and assure that your cemetery thrive during a forever challenging and changing world.
If you have any questions or would like information about The Cremation Association of North America, you can reach Dale at: 203-624-5505 or djfiore@evergreencem.org.
Dale J. Fiore, GM
Evergreen Cemetery and Crematory
New Haven, CT
