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Introduction

Why the football?

What does that have to do with funeral service?

It comes from a story about legendary football coach Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers.

Each year he would gather his players for training camp. In front of him sat some of the best athletes in the world. They had played football since they were children. They were some of the highest paid athletes of their day and some of them are now in the Football Hall of Fame.

And the coach would stand up in front of them, hold up a football, and say, "Gentlemen, this is a football."

He certainly did not have to tell these men what this object was. He was not trying to demean or belittle them. He was simply making the point, that they were going to go back to the basics.

And that is my intent. Go back to the basics.

This book contains nothing about laws, regulations, government compliance issues, pre-arrangement, merchandising, business management, etc. While these are valid concerns of the modern funeral director, they go beyond the scope of what is intended here.

This book talks only about the funeral.

This book is written especially for funeral directors, clergy, and pre-arrangement counselors.

It is meant to be a learning tool and as a reminder of why we do what we do.

©2001 Curtis D. Rostad

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