100 Years of Service

The Federation, originally named the Federation of Cremation Authorities in Great Britain, was formed at a meeting held at the British Empire Exhibition, Wembley, on 1st August 1924. The National Executive Committee created a Centenary Working Group to consider if the event should be marked and if so develop proposals.

The Centenary Working Group concluded that the centenary was an impressive milestone for the organisation and one which should be celebrated. How the centenary could be celebrated was the subject of discussion and included one-off events, the production of special publications, and creating a specific award or an educational bursary.

It was agreed that whilst all or any of these proposals might have some resonance at the time of their introduction, they age very quickly and proposals such as bursaries or awards rapidly lose their meaning and become costly to administer.

Rather it was felt that the Federation already has several possible vehicles which could be used to celebrate the centenary of the Federation. In particular:

• A Centenary Joint Conference (CBCE).
• Centenary issues of Resurgam (articles from earlier editions).
• As our members have crematorium/burial grounds, a scheme encouraging the planting of centenary trees at crematoria could be promoted.
• Presidential Chain – reintroduce the names of Presidents on the links.
• The introduction of an educational event/course could be a way to mark the centenary, as a proactive measure to benefit the members.

The Centenary Working Group are anxious to hear the views of members, how would you like to see this important event celebrated?

Please send your thoughts, views and suggestions to [email protected]