Contrary to popular belief, the BHA regularly takes on new funeral celebrants.
If there is evidence to the contrary, this is because local celebrants resist someone new on their patch (but that is a post for another day).
As I’m now nearly at 200 ceremonies under my belt and I inevitably end up training, no matter what job I do, I thought I would become a trainer for the BHA.
I had to apply and go through a selection process (which was more nerve-wracking than I think that it needed to be, but a useful exercise) and I have now completed the first training sessions for the latest group.
They’re a good bunch, keen as mustard, well read, very thoughtful and keen to listen to others. Looking back, I’m not convinced that my own intake group was as strong, but hey ho. I think that the selection process has improved and so before we waste the trainees and our own time and money, more weeding is done.
The training has been great fun and, as I’ve always found in the past, one learns as much as one teaches in these situations. Candidates come up with readings, music and experiences that are new to me, as well as turns of phrase or outlooks that are refreshing.
And, of course, they send me their sample funerals to mark, so I can nick all of these lovely phrases and poems, adding to my own collections (never let it be said that I’m entirely altruistic!).
In a way, the training is a frustrating exercise – how much can we actually teach these good people? Can anyone really learn to be a funeral celebrant?
We can help with logistics and technical stuff (“this is how Wesley works”, “most FDs like to do…”) and we can share our experience. But ultimately, it is our individuality that makes us good at what we do and that cannot be trained.
And what of the non-technical side of things (“you may not want to take your holidays in February”)?
As with all things, it’s a function of getting the balance right. We are trying to develop a professional network with high standards (a rubbish humanist celebrant makes us all look bad), but how do we maintain those standards without producing “standard” funerals? And the day we start doing that, is the day I leave the network.
A good funeral is the one that the family wants; all we can do is try our hardest to give our trainees the tools, resources, guidance and mentoring to do that. And, of course, the support they need when they’re up and running.
It’s been fun and I look forward to doing more of it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
We live in an era of best practice. The good consequence is that worst practice is eradicated; the bad consequence is that it can produce (or churn out) homegeneousness, both of ceremonies and of people. It's a shame, because the independent-minded, inspired maverick has become an endangered species. It's a good thing because it weeds out the negligent and the downright no good.
As you say, individuality is the essence of it. I guess that rigorous selection of trainees can weed out those who don't have what it takes. Those who do are going to become very singular in the way they do things and, of course, membership of a celebrant org is going to have its upside and downside. "Oh, you're one of them" can go either way -- either reassure ("I see, you know what you're doing") or deter (if they've come across a bad one).
So it's a dreadfully imperfect world, for all that we try to improve it. But the important thing is that we try. Give em the tools and let them get on with the job - you can do no more!
Funeral consumers, though, are given confidence by the existence of orgs that train and do cpd.
And potential celebrants need good trainers! So I hope you felt it was worth while and will go on to enjoy many more happy courses. Good for you!
Absolutely good for you XP. My trainers were certainly an individual lot, some of whom I responded to and learned much from, some, er, less so - but then one would expect that. I wish there had been more time, during training, to explore some of the things that have come up for discussion on these blogs, i.e. how we feel about mortality, death, bodies, rituals and ceremonies, etc. But I guess that is an area for CPD. (Not much sign of that sort of CPD yet.)
Like you, I feel there's a limit as to how much one can learn to be a celebrant, or at least, to be a good celebrant. One can learn how to manage funerals, crems and FDs.
All the best for future training work.
I'll look forward to your post about those who defend "their patch...."
@Gloria Mundi
Yes, me too!
Post a Comment