From the earliest days of Rotary, Rotarians have been 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 Rotary Four-Way Test, which Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor created in 1932 when he took charge of a company facing bankruptcy. This twenty-four-word test for employees to use in making decisions in their business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with suppliers and customers. The company survived and prospered and its success 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. It asks the following four questions:

 

 

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

 

 

The purpose of the Four-Way Test Speech Contest is to foster ethics in everyday life, as well as in business. The contest is designed to introduce high school students to the Rotary principles of ethics and service, and to involve local Rotary Clubs with the youth of their communities. It also is aimed at encouraging young people to learn to express themselves well in public. In nearly every profession, the ability to express one’s thoughts and ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively is an important skill.

 

The specific goals of the contest are as follows:

 

The topic for the speech contest is “The Impact the Application of the Four-Way Test Had, or Might Have Had, on an Important Historical Event”. The intent is to assess the outcome, or possible alternative outcome, in light of consideration of the specific aspects of the Rotary Four-Way Test. As an example, consideration might be given to an appreciation of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, Lincoln's assassination, the Manhattan Project (the effort to develop the atomic bomb), the Declaration of Independence, or the 19th Amendment - Women's Right to Vote. Participants are free to select a topic of their own choice as long as it deals with a significant historical event to which the tenets of the 4-Way Test are applicable.

 

 

Three finalists have been selected for interested students at Amphi HS.  Those three finalists will present their speeches at the March 2^nd club meeting.  The students will be judged by club members selected at random.  Students are competing for 1^st prize - $250, 2^nd prize - $150, and 3^rd prize - $50.  The winning student will compete at the District level for a $1,000 first prize.

Another great program this week. CLEM LESLIE introduced us to JULIUS PARKER.  You all may remember that JULIUS bought lottery tickets from the 2015 Car Show, and gave the tickets, including the winning ticket, to his employees. What you may not have known (I didn’t…) is that JULIUS retired as Major General from a 30+ year military career! This being Black History Month, JULIUS shared with us some of the great accomplishments achieved by African Americans over the course of US history. This is important, as JULIUS noted, since African Americans are living descendants of their success over time. JULIUS also feels that, by highlighting these many contributions to our society, it will help break down barriers that continue to exist for people of color in the US today. I couldn’t agree more. I also enjoyed learning a bit of history while at the same time learning about some of the barriers JULIUS overcame during his own life and career.

 

As usual, we opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, however this time it was led by Red Skelton (via a YouTube video). He noted that, during his lifetime, two words were added to the Pledge – “under God”. He closed the Pledge by saying, and I paraphrase, “wouldn’t it be a shame if the Pledge was no longer part of our school system because we added the word God”.  Who knew Red Skelton could see into the future?

 

We celebrated two new members today, LENN DITMANSON and ROB LAMASTER. You may recall LENN, as he provided a program recently discussing the impact of opiates and addiction in our community. Congratulations to both LENN and ROB!

 

We also celebrated CLEM LESLIE’s birthday this week, so he made two trips to the podium. Happy Birthday CLEM!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

So, you’ve been in Rotary for 46 years. You don’t have the money, the time, the stamina you used to have. The club has made use of all your contacts for quite a while, and you’ve held every office and most of the committee chairmanships. You have no one left you know to suggest as a new member. Everyone you used to sell TCCS tickets to is now in Rotary or buys them online, forgetting to credit you. There are even newer, still-employed members who provide their contemporary expertise from their field of work – the field you retired from (and stopped keeping current with) years ago.

 

Sounds like, as far as club engagement and participation, you have “earned” a bye based upon being a valued member for eons, right? And besides, there really isn’t anything the club needs that you can provide any more, is there?

 

No, you don’t get a free pass just yet. Or put in a more positive way, you still have a lot to give to the world of Rotary. And a key way to be involved is by providing something the club just can’t get from the newer Rotarians – mentoring.

 

Long-time club members know the history, the backstories, and the origins of so many programs, policies and procedures within the club. That knowledge is valuable to pass along to newer club members. It’s not for curiosity sake; it’s to understand the rationale behind decisions. It’s to not forget what didn’t work, so we don’t waste resources on trying it again. It’s to understand the culture of the club and the individual backgrounds of its hundreds of members – the kind of knowledge you cannot amass in a matter of months or even just a few years. It’s to keep alive worthy traditions and customs that make the club warm and satisfying rather than merely mechanical.

 

This is not to say that long-timers can’t be engaged via one or more of the six other methods recently reviewed. And it certainly not to say they shouldn’t be engaged in those ways. But lest you think you have nothing to offer, or that we don’t need what you know, rest assured. If you aren’t asked to share what you have learned, offer it unsolicited.

 

Being a club Mentor – as in the position assigned to a new member – is just one way to engage via mentoring. How about sharing your best sales techniques for car show sponsorships? You can tell a fellow member how you dealt with a rocky exchange student mishap. Write a FAQ to help future membership chairs or global grant applicants. Inspire Rotaractors or Interactors to community service. Reveal the secrets of what gear to pack for a Grand Canyon hike. Tell a club story to make us all laugh, cry with joy, relish our history, or feel good.

 

There’s no Rotary pasture to put anyone out to. If you’ve been engaged for years, you can be engaged as long as you are a member.

So, the final results are in! $450.00 in donations and 366 LBS were collected at the Rodeo Roundup canned food drive! SUCCESS! Ralph’s Moving and Storage is going to match the weight, and purchase 400 LBS of canned food for the Tucson Community Food Bank. Thank you for all of your help!! These events are so much fun!