The following article is a transcription of OGR President Kim Hunter's inauguration speech at PROGRESS in May 2025 and was published in the Summer 2025 issue of the Independent Magazine. OGR members can log-in to read more magazine articles in our magazine archive. 

What an incredible honour it is to stand before you today as the new president of the International Order of the Golden Rule. 

I want to start by thanking my predecessor, Jamie Wieting, and my fellow board members whose encouragement and support cannot be overstated. 

I thank everyone in this room. The strength of OGR is not in any one individual but in all of our contributions, functioning as a community of independent funeral professionals. I want to take this opportunity to share my journey of how I came to participate in OGR, and of some of the insights gained along the way. 

There are times in one's life that are teachable moments. One of the most glaring for me was my mental space 26 years ago when I was in my 40's and about to become a father for the first time. 

I came from a relatively small immediate family with little exposure to children. I had envisioned that bonding with my son, Jake, would be a drawn-out process and that he would be walking and talking when I began to relate to him. 

I was so wrong. 

I was overcome with the immediate connection a parent has with their child. Example one for me of a profound teachable moment. 

Example two: 

My funeral home in Toronto has a storied history and the reputation of a more individualized product that a family-run business can offer. 

The funeral home has a deep commitment to supporting our profession and its associations from the city to the provincial level and all the way here at OGR, where my predecessor also served as president. 

My role in our firm over twenty years was to strengthen our preneed portfolio, community outreach along with advertising and marketing. In my younger years, I saw the time spent with professional organizations was a colossal waste of time, energy and financial resources to the point that I neither attended events nor socialized with funeral directors. 

Fast forward. 

I take ownership of the firm that I'm almost 60 and OGR's esteemed member, George Darte, invites me to my first study group which I attended with some reluctance - but I kept an open mind. It wasn't long after, George reached out again to ask if I would consider joining the OGR board. As I reflected on his invitation and the positive experience of that first study group, I thought that maybe it was time to give back to my profession. 

I can say now honestly and with appreciation that these last years of being involved with OGR have been some of the most rewarding and happiest times I've experienced. 

I not only gleaned ideas to implement at my funeral home but have developed friendships that will last a lifetime. So, I'm reaching out to the younger generation now: 

Take a lesson from someone who now recognizes that OGR is time well-spent and get involved now. 

In 2028, OGR will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. Let's ensure that we are a stronger, larger, and more connected organization. 

Thank you for your trust, your support, and your dedication.