May 2021

Page A18 MAY 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Bay Memorials 321 S. 15 th St. • Escanaba, MI 49829 • (906) 786-2609 • Fax (906) 786-2692 Zerbel’s www.baymemorialsbabycaskets.com infant Cremation containers Available in 10”, 20”, 30” Flannel Lined Unisex Juvenile Pattern White Corrugated Cardboard Beginning at $20.00 Appropriate For Viewing By Mark Bowser What is that little extra ingredient that can take us from the jaws of defeat and thrust us onto the mountain peak of success? In his book, Beware the Naked ManWho Offers You His Shirt , Harvey McKay tells a wonderful story. In 1988, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team led by Coach Lou Holtz was undefeated. Their next game was against the also undefeated Miami Hurricanes. The game was to be played on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Indiana. These two teams were considered the two best football teams in college football. It was believed that the national championship would come down to these two teams at the end of the season. The night before the big game, Notre Dame held a pep rally on campus. That pep rally had twenty thousand peo- ple in attendance. They yelled cheers, sang the school fight song, and really pumped everyone up. At the very end, Coach Holtz stood to speak. His remarks were short and they ended with this: “I just want you to do me a very simple favor. You go find Jimmy Johnson (the Miami coach) and tell him we are going to beat the dog out of Miami.” As you can imagine, the students went crazy. They leapt to their feet, they clapped their hands, and they cheered with everything they had…all except the team. The team stood there quietly looking at the ground and shuffling their feet. This had been going on during the entire pep rally. This behavior didn’t go unnoticed by Coach Holtz. The Foundations of Success for Funeral Directors Why did Coach Holtz say such a provocative statement that was sure to get Miami all pumped up…and put a lot of pres- sure on the Fighting Irish at the same time? Because he knew what his team needed at that moment. The team needed mo- tivation and a belief in themself! In the previous four head-to-head games between Notre Dame and Miami, the Hurricanes had gotten the upper hand…dramatically. In fact, they had dominated the Irish. In those four games they had a combined score of 133 to 20. This truth had not been forgotten by the Notre Dame foot- ball players. No wonder they were a little down in the dumps. After the pep rally, the team was to meet across campus for what was known as a chalk talk. Back then, coaches didn’t have the fancy equipment and smart boards that they have today. They had a blackboard and a piece of chalk. As soon as Coach Holtz and his team met for their chalk talk, coach picked up a piece of chalk and he wrote on the board “We are going to beat the dog out of Miami.” He then looked at his team and asked, “Why did I say that?” He heard crickets. Nobody responded. So, coach repeated his question. “Why did I say that?” One hand went up. Holtz gestured with one hand and the player said, “Because we’ve got a better kicking game.” Holtz then went on to write “better kicking game” on the board. Coach then asked, “Is that it?” Finally, another player shyly raised his hand. That player said, “Our offensive line gets off quicker than theirs.” Holt wrote that on the board too and then asked, “Anything else?” Another player said with more confidence now, “Pass de- fense…” This went on for little while with Coach Holtz writing each of the phrases that the players said on the board. With each phrase, the confidence begins to grow in the room. Pretty soon, the team began to believe in themselves. Coach Holtz paused and looked at his team. He then raised his voice and asked, “Who’s going to get an inter- ception for Notre Dame tomorrow? Who’s going to get a sack for Notre Dame tomorrow? Who’s going to strip the ball and recover it for Notre Dame?” After each question, a number of hands went up. What was the result of all this motivation? Notre Dame won the game 31 to 30. Motivation is that little extra that can take you from the valley of defeat to the mountain peak of suc- cess. And, later that season, Notre Dame won the national championship. To view a video on this topic from one of Mark Bowser’s live seminars then go to https://youtu.be/NXRBFB8cLvM Excerpted and adapted from Mark Bowser’s Seminar, The Foundation of Success for Funeral Directors . To schedule Mark Bowser as a speaker for your next event or conference then email mark@BrightCorporation.com or visit www.MarkBowser.com Mark Bowser is the Vice President at the Bright Corporation. Bright Corporation is one of the leading suppliers of stationary products for the funeral industry. Mark Bowser is a Professional Speaker and Author of several books. He is the host of the popu- lar podcast “Let Me Tell You a Story with Mark Bowser.” Subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, and your favorite platform. Mark Bowser can be reached at mark@BrightCorporation.com or www.BrightCorporation.com. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at The Extra Ingredient of Success Does the Most Hallowed Room in your Funeral Home reflect your High Standard of Service? By Jim Kurtz and Alice Adams Almost 50 years ago, funeral directing and embalming students were taught that embalming rooms were to be kept as professionally and pristine as a hospital operating room. This sterile image was further reinforced by many of the embalming suppliers and educators of the day. Many prep rooms at that time reflected the same look as that of a medical operating suite with their beige, white or mint green-tiled floors and walls. The porcelain embalm- ing table might have matched the room’s décor color, too. Twenty or thirty years ago, Fort Worth’s Harveson & Cole’s preparation room featured a crucifix hanging on the wall. The legendary Guy Thompson told me at the time that the crucifix was there to serve as a reminder of the respect and sense of duty we had to the family any time we stepped over the threshold. Someone’s loved one had been entrusted into our care, and we, as funeral service professionals, needed to understand that the confidence the family had in us required every embalmer be rever- ent at all times in this sacred place. Back in those days, Guy would not have allowed radios blaring or TVs in the prep room for the entertainment of the night em- balmer to watch whatever-rated movie might be select- ed while he or she embalms. Thompson, a leader in funeral service revered by many of his peers, reminded me that the code of ethics for these rooms was sacred and each case, confidential and private. At the end of the day, the prep room was thoroughly cleaned, and by thoroughly, I mean the walls, floors, doors and cabinets were scrubbed free of any splatter or dried substances. An example of a well-operated and surgically clean prep room around the turn of the 21st century could be found at Earthman Funerals Central Prep in Houston. This care center handled the embalming for 10 loca- tions under the direction of John Klesel. Unquestion- ably, the most regimented and dedicated operation around. The floor was mopped several times during each shift, everything was in its place. Continued on Page A19 www.GBURNSLLC.com Funeral Vehicle Accessories Landau Bars, Vehicle Nameplates, Bier Pins, & More Order online and use code NOMIS10 to save 10%* * Offer expires 3/31/2021 . 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