"... For the Times They are A-Changin" (President's Column) (Column‪)‬

"Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen ..." * Fortunately, you don't need to be a prophet to know that in IUPAC even and odd years have important differences. In the even years-like this one-membership changes take place that were approved the previous year. As IUPAC is a dynamic organization, with a changing and growing membership, efforts are periodically made to improve its functioning. The changes carried out for this purpose are generally not abrupt, but smooth. For instance, in 1999 the establishment of the project system was a huge modification, but the Finance Committee's proposal to add unspent project funds to the Strategic Opportunity Fund helped ease the transition. The smaller changes can make a major difference too: The Streamline Committee's suggestion to make a detailed agenda for meetings has greatly improved their efficiency. And I could cite more examples, such as the round table experiment at the 2007 GA in Torino, now fully adopted, or the Union's further involvement in the International Chemistry Olympiad.