THE FOUR-WAY TEST
Early Rotary members emphasized the importance of acting responsibly and ethically and using our professions as an opportunity to serve. Honoring our commitments, however bold, is an ideal characteristic of a Rotarian. In 1932, The Four-Way Test was developed by Herbert Taylor, a Rotary Club of Chicago member and 1954-55 RI president, to guide his attempt to save a faltering aluminum company. Rotary later adopted it and it underscores Rotary's value of integrity. The Four-Way Test has long served as an ethical guide for members to live by in their personal and professional relationships.
OBJECT OF ROTARY
In Rotary's first decade, members set out guiding principles that evolved into what is now known as the Object of Rotary. They added the advancement of peace in 1921 and made the language more gender-neutral in 1989 and 1995.
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and in particular, to encourage and foster:
FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.
SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business and community life.
FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
While your club may not emphasize all of these principles, understanding them puts your club experience into perspective and adds meaning to being a part of this organization.