Editor's note: I failed to update the President's message in the original issue of this newsletter. The corrected text appears below.
Dear Rotary Friends,
Herbert J. Taylor, in 1932, wrote Rotary’s 4-way test: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Is it beneficial to all concerned? Taylor, facing potential bankruptcy for his ailing aluminum company, created the questions to “guide honest and fair decisions.” Recognizing the helpfulness of the test for all its members, in 1943 Rotary International officially adopted the 4-way test. (Credit to Google for this information).
If you don’t have the 4-way test memorized, you know it well, as we recite it at the end of every meeting. It is, as we Rotarians say, a guide to what we are to think, say, and do. And while the test is nearly a hundred years old, it speaks to us still; it’s a good guide to ethical living. As a club, we’re not just about community projects, global service, peacemaking, and personal friendship, as important as these commitments are. Rotary is also about ethical living—not just living well, but living with truthfulness, fairness, goodwill, and a desire for all people to flourish.
I’m glad the 4-way test is written in the form of questions, as it encourages sincere self-examination, not a rigid moralism. I’ll be sharing some thoughts on each of the questions in upcoming letters, as I believe they deserve closer attention.
In the meantime, what do you think? How has the 4-way test been a guide for you in the way you choose to live?
