Do you recognize the gentleman in the above photo?
Does it help if I tell you he was Rotary International President in 1954-1955 – Rotary’s golden anniversary year?
How about if I told you he was once the President of Club Aluminum Products in Chicago?
Still stumped?
Meet Herbert J. Taylor. I would wager very few Rotarians recognize Mr. Taylor’s name. But, nearly every Rotarian is familiar with his work.
Got it now? Of course, Herbert J. Taylor is the author of Rotary’s Four-Way Test.
For Rotarians, the Four-Way Test is the cornerstone of all action. In what we speak, think and do, Rotarians have a responsibility to continually ask…
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
The Test‘s four brief questions are not based on culture or religion. Instead, they are a simple checklist for ethical behavior. They transcend generations and national borders.
This Thursday morning, we will hear from the two Emmaus High School students who participated in District 7430’s Four-Way Test Speech Contest. The topic of each speech is left up to the student, but it must include a practical application of all of the four points of the Four-Way Test. It’s always interesting to hear the unique ways that students apply the Four-Way Test in their speech. And, this year will be no exception. I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday morning.
Yours in Rotary,
Burt
PS – If you would like to read more about the history of the Four-Way Test in Herbert J. Taylor’s own words, click here.