et MEMORIAL SOCIETY SLATED FOR BURIAL BY B.C. UNDERTAKERS? By JEAN MOHART There’s a song in the musi- cal “Oliver!” that begins, “Who will buy my sweet red roses, two blooms for a pen- ny,” and another singer cries “Pies! Wonderful Pies!” while the knife grinder calls melo- diously “Knives, any knives to grind?” But by the time the little orphan lad, Oilver, picks up the tune he has changed from selling a com- mon product to something un- common; an ideal. His song goes, “Who will buy this won- derful morning, such a sky you never did see!” and so on. There’s an analogy be- tween what happened to the message in “Oliver!” and what’s happening right now in the message the Memorial Society of B.C. broadcasts. Where do I find a parallel? What does the Memorial So- ciety now purport to sell oth- er than simplicity and inex- pensiveness in all final ar- rangements — its prime ob- ject in existing, and obviously the choice of thousands of people in the lower mainland and Vancouver Island? To be blunt, the Society is appealing to each and every one who cares to listen for its right to exist, for the simple but un- deniably strong desire of its members to be allowed the freedom to state how all ser- vices (including disposal of remains) should be carried out. Since its inception in 1956 the Society has functioned as a means for persons who, after giving the matter quiet thought, have left on file spe- cific orders for the simplest of ceremonies (sometimes the order is for no services). The natural consequence of this _js that any unnecessary cost js cut out. A copy of these or- ders (called the Designation Form) is on file with the member, the member’s fam- ily, executor or close friend, the Society has a copy and so has the Society’s under- taker. At time of death the member’s requests are lifted from the file and, without any undue fuss or grief, his sim- ple requests are carried out. That, of course, hits hardest ‘at the established, conven- tional, funeral - chapel indus- try which has been long bur- - dened by its own costly in- ing, make-up, chapel, “slum- ber” rooms, family rooms, room for a great variety of coffins, Cadillac hearses, fu- nereal wardrobes for ushers and other miscellaneous “con- ventional” detail. When the Society com- menced operation it sought to have all “frills” eliminated and only the basic items car- ried out. It eventually found an undertaker who would guarantee that for $100 he would provide basic services, these services being: pick up of remains and delivery to his undertaking premises, signed death certificate, a minimum cost plain coffin (this is a grey covered, wood- en type coffin) and transport- ation of remains to cemetery or crematorium. The same services at the same price still stand. Quite naturally, the Society has had obstacles to hurdle. No threat to a thriving indus- try can ever expect there won't be a battle. Ours was many- sided. We competed with rumours, we opposed an organized group of business men, we asked people to dare to go against the social well established trend, acceptable to the majority though secret- ly opposed by many who hat- ed to speak out because it was felt one just didn’t argue about any of the then current funeral customs. We had no money, and our constitution said we couldn’t raise any apart from the one fee charg- ed to join the Society ($5 for an individual, $10 for a fam- ily). Advertising was impera- tive if we were to survive, because we not only had to re-educate the public to sanity and simplicity we had to cor- rect the incorrect rumours rampant such as “They stack bodies in garages” or the mid- Victorian ghost revived “They sell bodies,” and “They only allow cremation,” and many more, Our good fortune lay in the fact that hundreds of peo- ple were waiting for just such @ service as the Society could provide: a means whereby they could plan, quietly and modestly with family appro- val, for what they deemed elementary services. From the start First Memorial Ser- vices has been our undertaker and our reputation has been built upon good service and word of mouth endorsation— the best advertising yet de- vised. Le ae {ae a JEAN MOHART That brings us to the ques- tion: Who could object to what the Society was doing? We’ve a good idea, a flourish- ing membership with much good will for the job we were doing. Briefly, we see a real threat to our right to.continue to operate in the proposed legis- lation drafted by the B.C. Fu- neral Association. This bill, entitled “An Act Respecting Embalmers and Funeral Di- rectors” asked that the Cab- inet of British Columbia legis- lature appoint a Board of five members, with the Deputy Minister of Health as Chair- man, of whom three must be licensed funeral directors or embalmers (of their Associa- tion). It says that no person shall hold himself to be a funeral director and no per- son shall embalm a dead hu- man body unless he is licens- ed by this Board or hold a permit issued by this Board. This Board may issue a li- cence, although it does not have to issue such licence. Under Section 14 the Board is permitted to suspend, re- voke or cancel the licence, certificate or permit for cause (a permit is issued to persons operating a funeral home out- side metropolitan areas). Under Section 19 this Board may make regulations also, subject to the approval of the Cabinet. Regulations mention- ed cover powers to prescribe equipment and standards for schools or colleges, registra- tion and examination of stu- dents, recognizing qualifica- tions from other provinces or states, special courses of train- ing, the issue of certificates of qualification, the prescription of fees for applicants, the min- imum standards for premises of funeral directors or em- balmers, regulations prescrib- ing the causes and procedures of revocation, suspension or cancellation of certificates, licences and permits, and reg- ulating or prohibiting adver- tising, and other matters; and under Section 21 the Bill pro- hibits anyone holding himself out as an embalmer or funeral director under the maximum penalty of $500 or imprison- ment for three months. The displaying of their licence is mandatory. Memorial Society members ask: Why can’t the undertak- . ers regulate themselves? Our Society members-have always had the opportunity to visit the premises of our undertak- er, discuss with him and his staff any and all questions, see, inspect the equipment and freely question any facet of the operation of either the Society or the undertaker’s services. The old taboo, that death and the services pertin- ent to physical and spiritual final arrangements, vanishes in the clear air of a sensible approach, without urgency or anguish to twist the situation into one best forgotten. I say this advisedly, having been written to or phoned by many, many individuals after they have used our services. Should you still wonder, after reading their requested regulations, why our concern, why should we ask not to be inspected, examined, tutored in using the weapons of em- balming, taking special cours- -es of training and/or forbid- den to advertise that these services may be had for a cer- tain modest sum, we can only point to our twelve years of opposition from an industry that collectively decided who should or should not work with us, that they would not let us buy our coffins locally, that they would advise a cre- matorium operator not to let the name of our undertaker and his crematorium appear together in an obituary; an industry that told the Society (when we were seeking an undertaker from among their ranks) that they operated al- ways in the highest Christian ethics, yet broke a contract with us and in various forms treated our undertaker with most unethical rudeness. Surely, in this year of our Lord 1967, ‘people of sound mind and good principles may be allowed the freedom to decree what should be done about their final disposition, particularly when it is sim- plicity they desire. Surely, when people have reached a firm state of mind on this sub- ject and wish to record it, and then voluntarily join an or- ganization which guarantees to. carry out their wishes, surely the government is not going to give the green light to an association of perhaps 100 business men and rub a membership of around 16,000 the wrong way? In this case time, and the next sitting of the B.C. legis- lature, will tell. If you are interested in a simple, dignified yet inexpensive funeral THE MEMORIAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (A non-profit, non-sectarian Society registered under the Societies Act) Has much to offer you Write for free leaflet outlining the co-operative benefits already enjoyed by over 14,000 members to: Box 917, Postal Station “A” Vancouver 1, B.C.