Sarah Jones, (RC of Albuquerque Del Norte) District Chair of the Four-Way Test Essay Contest, is pleased to announce that, "It’s that time of year again to get the contest information out into your community middle-schools.
"After reviewing past essay contest policies, implementing more student-friendly guidelines will not only enrich the student’s experience, but also improve the quality of the essays. The time limit to complete the essay excludes some students that grasp the concept, but may not communicate their ideas effectively under this restriction. Therefore, there is no time limit. I am hopeful teachers and students will deep-dive into the Four-Way Test and, therefore, encourage research.
"Included in this year’s essay information packets are district goals to encourage a more vibrant, rooted Four-Way Test Essay Contest experience for our middle-school communities. Please pass this information on to your Club's Four-Way Test committee chair and feel free to contact me if you are interested in helping during the long-term goal planning process."
[The winning essays from all participating District Clubs must be received by the District Four-Way Test Committee Chair by March 16, 2018. Email essays to Sarah Jones at newmexime@aol.com]
4-Way Test Essay Contest: History
From the earliest days of the organization, Rotarians were concerned with promoting high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world's most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics is The Four-Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as Rotary International president) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. This 24-word code of ethics for employees to follow in their business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The Four-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways.
Goal
The short-term goal is to have every Club sponsor a Four-Way Test Essay Contest in the eighth grade of every Public and Private School in their geographical area. If every eighth grader in our District prepared a Four-Way Test essay, soon every High School student in our District would know about Rotary. Think of the positive impact on Interact Clubs, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Youth Exchange, Rotaract and on the public image, and the future of Rotary. The long-term goal* is to develop a deeper relationship with your community’s middle school by introducing the concept of the Four-Way Test in seventh grade. By establishing the Four-Way Test in the classroom as a useful tool for teaching ethics one school year before the Four-Way Test Essay Contest ensures that the student not only can write a thoughtful essay but also experiences the value of integrating ethics into their everyday life.
