Winds of Change
By RI President Ray Klinginsmith

What an amazing world! Advances in technology are happening so quickly that they cause constant changes in our businesses and professions. Yet about one-third of the world’s population is still living at a subsistence level with little change in their lives. It is a stark contrast and a cause for concern.

Rotary has both a distinguished heritage and a bright future. My primary task as president is to enhance the vitality and viability of Rotary clubs and to enable them to succeed in the midst of societal changes. This is an important task because it is the clubs that address and alleviate the root problems of society and thereby make the world a better place.

Wind of change was a new and significant phrase when I was a Rotary Scholar in South Africa in the early 1960s. It is serendipitous that the phrase that was first publicized in my host city of Cape Town is now applicable to Rotary as we contemplate the changes in society that dictate some corresponding changes in our organization. The phrase is now better known as winds of change.

We are currently enjoying a culture of innovation at Rotary International. We have the ability to look at all of our programs and practices to see if they can be improved, even as we steadfastly maintain our core values. I hope many Rotarians will take advantage of this opportunity to identify and implement improvements in their clubs and districts as well.

Rotary lives and breathes in our 33,000 clubs, and it is the clubs that improve lives by Building Communities – Bridging Continents. If we succeed in helping clubs to become Bigger, Better, and Bolder in the next year, then it will be clear that the best days of Rotary are still ahead. We are fortunate to be Rotarians! Together, we can make the world a better place!

About Ray Klinginsmith

Ray Klinginsmith, a retired attorney from Kirksville, Missouri, USA, served as general counsel and professor of business administration for Truman State University (formerly Northeast Missouri State University) for more than 20 years. From 2001 to 2004, he served as a county commissioner for Adair County.

Ray has served as a director of the Macon-Atlanta State Bank in Macon, Missouri, since 1971, and he was one of the initial trustees for the Missouri Family Trust, which the Missouri legislature created in 1989. He was the president of Chariton Valley Association for Handicapped Citizens since its inception in 1982 until 2009, and is now president emeritus. He received the 1988 Parent/Caretaker Award from the Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities. He is a former member of the executive board for the Great Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the holder of its Silver Beaver Award for adult volunteers. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Kirksville and a former lay speaker for the church.

A member of the Rotary Club of Kirksville and a Rotarian since 1961, Ray has served Rotary as district governor, chair of the 1998 Council on Legislation in New Delhi, and chair of the 2008 Los Angeles Convention Committee. He was a member of the RI Board of Directors from 1985 to 1987 and chaired its executive committee in 1986-87. Ray joined The Rotary Foundation Trustees in 2002, serving as vice chair in 2005-06, and was a member of the Future Vision Committee from 2005 to 2008. Ray is a Major Donor and a recipient of the Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award.

Ray’s wife, Judie, is a former elementary school teacher in Macon and Kirksville and a former consultant for the Child Development Assistant program at the Kirksville Area Vocational Center. Ray and Judie have two children and three grandchildren.