PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Chris Holt Hello and welcome to 2022. Here we are in a brand new year, and yet it seems we are still dealing with the last few years of issues. A new year also means it is time for the Annual Trust Report filings to the Board of Funeral Service. Try to jump on that early instead of waiting. Speaking of the Board of Funeral Service, inspections are in full swing; be prepared. Also, auditing of CE’s is in full swing. Make sure you and your staff are up to date with those. I am still waiting for the Board of Funeral Service to meet; they haven’t had a meeting for almost a year now. Jim sent a letter to them expressing MFDA’s I applaud everything you do and the time and effort you all put out there for your families. concern that they have not met in person. Also, in the letter, Jim expressed that MFDA members are concerned about finding qualified staff, and we would like the Board to propose legislation on Student Apprenticeships. There will be some openings coming up on the Board if anyone is interested. The NFDA continues to send updates on the FEMA program, and they have a lot of good information to pass along to our families to make sure they take advantage of all that is offered. We recently had an MFDA Board meeting here in Helena. The Association is doing very well, and despite national averages, we are growing. The MFDA is on a strong financial footing, and we must thank our Executive Director, Jim, and Association Assistant Terri, for all their hard work and our Board members for their time and effort. Much thanks! Upcoming events to look forward to are the Spring District Meeting in April, which will be a webinar; look for details on that. Set your dates for the in-person MFDA Convention June 2-5 in Helena. I am looking forward to seeing our members and vendors in person for a great convention. Stay tuned for details. And, it looks like the first couple weeks of November will be in-person district meetings in each district, so keep that on your calendars. I am sure you are all busy out there serving your communities and families. I applaud everything you do and the time and effort you all put out there for your families. We at the MFDA are here to help in any way if needed. Just reach out to Terri, Jim, or me. Please mark your calendars for the June MFDA Convention. It will be a great opportunity to connect with colleagues and attend some great CE opportunities, plus fellowship. I am also looking forward to seeing the vendors; it has been a while. I hope everyone stays safe, and may God bless you and yours. Until the Spring District webinar, I bid you farewell. Thank you! ■ 6 Montana Funeral Directors Association
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