The 4-Way Test Project was started by the Bainbridge Rotary Club three years ago with its mission to expose all the fourth-graders in Decatur County to the high honorable and ethical principals evidenced in the 4-Way Test.

There are approximately 450 fourth-graders in the elementary schools in Decatur County.

A member of the 4-Way test Committee went to the elementary schools to give fourth-graders a presentation on the 4-Way Test principals and each student was given a 4-Way Test Card.

Students were asked to write no more than one page on how one or all of the principals could be utilized in their own lives. The students that would like to participate were given two weeks to complete their essays.

Every student who participated was given a Rotary T-shirt with the 4-Way Test printed on the back. All first-, second- and third-place winners were given a Rotary medal and certificate. First-place winners received an iPod Shuffle, second-place winners received a $50 Savings Bond and third-place winners received a certificate.

First, second and third prizes were awarded in each school. Each fourth-grade classroom is presented with a 4-Way Test plaque to display on the wall.

What is Rotary

The world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on Feb. 23, 1905, by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members’ offices.

Rotary’s popularity spread, and within a decade, clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the Rotary International name a year later. The Bainbridge Rotary Club was chartered in 1936.

As Rotary grew, its mission expanded beyond serving club members’ professional and social interests. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organization’s dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its motto: Service above self.

Today, 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

The 4-Way Test

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 4-Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy.

This 24-word test 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 4-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways.

It is: 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?