Upcoming Annual Meeting. At our annual meeting, on Sunday, May 2, 2010, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm, Carolyn Hames will speak on "The Importance of Remembrance." Ms. Hames is Associate Professor of Nursing and Associate Director of Honors at the University of Rhode Island, where she teaches courses on grief and loss. She will discuss the importance of honoring a person's memory, the various options for doing so, and the process of choosing the best way for each individual situation. For more information on Ms. Hames's extensive background and experience in the field of thanatology, see our Spring newsletter, available here.

In the brief business portion of the meeting, the membership will be asked to approve the slate of board of directors for the coming year.

IMPORTANT. Note that the annual meeting this year will be at a different location from our past annual meetings. It will be at Atria Harborhill Place, 159 Division St., East Greenwich, RI 02818.

Our Spring 2010 Newsletter. Our latest newsletter contains informative articles about frequently asked questions that we receive through our phone line, the importance of periodically reviewing pre-paid funeral plans, the charges to anticipate from cemeteries, and the important work being done by our volunteer board. Read about where our board members have been speakers and what events of other organizations they have participated in. Then learn how your organization can obtain a speaker from FCARI. For a copy of the newsletter, click here.

Available Price Survey. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Rhode Island's first-ever price survey of the state's funeral homes is now available. The survey was conducted by means of a personal visit to every funeral home in the state of Rhode Island. We were able to review General Price Lists of all but one or two funeral homes, and we have received excellent feedback on how helpful the information has been for individuals and families making funeral plans. Also, many funeral directors have responded positively to our recommendations regarding the information in their price lists and how it is presented.

For a copy of this comprehensive survey, click here. As you use this survey, please report to us any discrepancies you find or any updates that are needed.

2010 Price Survey underway. Since some funeral directors change their prices often, and because some responses we reviewed in 2008 had not been updated for some time, we are doing a 2010 update of our work.

This update needs volunteers! Working on the survey is easy and interesting, provides an opportunity to know our organization and its members better, and is a great way to learn about your own options for end-of-life services. You can provide as little or as much help as you want at a time convenient to your schedule. We offer a brief orientation. We need people to work on any of these tasks:

• Collecting General Price Lists from Rhode Island funeral homes. Federal law requires every funeral home to provide a General Price List, and some have been willing to provide it by mail in response to a letter we already sent. But others need a telephone and in-person follow-up by a volunteer.
• Entering the price data into a form covering all Rhode Island funeral homes.
• Reviewing each General Price List for compliance with the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule.
• Sending letters to funeral homes whose price lists show instances of non-compliance.

To volunteer, call (401) 884-1131 or send e-mail.

Also, consider making a donation to help defray the cost of updating the survey.

An Inspiring Story. Can you approach the issues of death, funerals, and burial in a family when such topics have been taboo subjects and when opinions and beliefs vary widely? One of our members tells the inspiring story of how her extended family changed these "demonized" subjects to ones about which they could make specific plans together. Click here for her story, "Death, Burial, and Family Differences."

Membership Update. With some new memberships and with the re-defining, in 2008, of all memberships as individual, our membership currently stands at approximately 300. Note that mailings will still be addressed jointly to couples where both are members.

Agent Designation Form. For a form on which you can designate another person to handle your affairs after death, click here. This form is VERY IMPORTANT in Rhode Island if that person is not your blood relative, spouse, or domestic partner. Also, since domestic partnership is not a legally recognized status in Rhode Island, domestic partners should still consider using this form as extra evidence of their intent. See the article "Funeral Agent Designation Form Takes on New Importance" in our Spring 2010 newsletter.

Our Name Change. Remember the Memorial Society of Rhode Island? That was our name until January 1, 2009, when we officially became the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Rhode Island. The name change reflects a trend among local affiliates of the national Funeral Consumers Alliance to adopt that name for their local organizations.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Rhode Island is an association of consumers from all walks of life who want to be informed about their funeral choices so that they may seek simple, dignified alternatives to the elaborate and expensive funeral services often promoted by some in the funeral industry. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization, so when you donate to the Alliance, your donation is fully tax-deductible as a charitable contribution.

Group planning for funeral arrangements started early in the last century in the Farm Grange movement of the Northwestern United States. These early "burial co-ops" evolved and spread into urban areas, where a sense of social activism emerged when these groups began to compare their experiences.

The national organization that was formed (then called The Continental Association of Funeral and Memorial Societies) joined with other consumer groups to support passage of the FTC Funeral Rule. This landmark in consumer protection requires that funeral homes provide detailed price lists to all, making greater choices available in funeral arrangements. The FTC Funeral Rule mandates federal enforcement to ensure that the rules are followed.

Today, more than 400,000 consumers are members of the Funeral Consumers Alliance, through its local and national offices. Democratically elected boards of the local and national organizations welcome all who want to volunteer their time and effort in this crucial mission.

As a member, you will receive the following benefits:

• A free Before I Go - You Should Know end-of-life planning kit, with a 20-page planning guide and state-specific Durable Power of Attorney and Health-Care Initiative directives
• The satisfaction of supporting the Funeral Consumers Alliance, the largest organization in America fighting for consumers on death-care issues
• Reciprocal benefits if death occurs while you are traveling
• Transfer rights to any FCA group if you move

Join the 400,000 members who are already educated about funeral options. Our non-profit organizations fight to protect your right to choose a dignified, meaningful, and affordable funeral. As a member, you will be part of an alliance of dedicated members keeping watch on state legislatures and congress for any legislation which can affect your rights.

We need your support—join now!