After taking the stage to the
tune of "California, Here I Come," RI President-elect Ray
Klinginsmith announced the 2010-11 RI theme, Building
Communities -- Bridging
Continents,
during the opening plenary session of the 2010
International Assembly .
Klinginsmith said he arrived
at the theme after reviewing RI themes of years past. He
noticed that only a few spoke to non-Rotarians.
"As a result, I decided to
search for a briefly stated theme that would fulfill two
objectives: the first to explain Rotary to non-Rotarians,
and the second to validate our work for Rotarians," he said.
"The words I have selected to describe Rotary's current
mission and to highlight our achievements are what we do
best: Building Communities -- Bridging Continents. "
The president-elect described how his 50
years of Rotary experience have contributed to his focus on
communities at home and abroad. For example, as a Rotary
Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar, he studied for a year in
South Africa, becoming the first student from his small town
of Unionville, Missouri, USA, to study abroad.
