IFDA installs New Board of Directors
The 2006-2007 Illinois Funeral Directors Association Board of Directors was installed during the Professional Session on June 27th at the 126th Annual IFDA Convention. The Convention was held in St. Louis jointly with the Missouri Funeral Directors Association.

2006-2007 President Charles S. Childs, Jr., CFSP, CPC, whose theme is “Honoring the Past and Embracing the Future,” has assisted IFDA and its members for several years by serving on committees as well as the Board of Directors. In his address to the membership, Mr. Childs said, “I am so proud to be a part of IFDA history. I am also proud to be its first African American President, and pledge to serve the members of the association with honesty and integrity.

Mr. Childs continued, “By ‘Honoring the Past,’ we can pay homage to all the funeral directors who have contributed to our profession and made us the funeral directors we are today. By ‘Embracing the Future,’ we can prepare ourselves for an ever-changing consumer.” Mr. Childs went on to describe the ongoing changes in funeral service such as a rise in cremation rates, and discount stores, the impact of baby boomers on the profession, and the new focus on celebrating a life. He explained, “The value of what we do has changed and has had a profound effect on each of the families we serve. IFDA is here to help all of us in many ways.”

Mr. Childs added that one of his goals this year is to make sure that the members of the Association are professional and conduct themselves ethically and responsibly. “During my term in office, I want to help restore the positive image of funeral professionals. It is my opinion that we are just ordinary people doing extraordinary things for people during a most difficult time in their lives. We are privileged and should always be professional when entrusted with the most precious thing anyone has — the remains of their loved one.”