Lincoln South Rotary Club recites the 4-Way Test at the close of every club meeting. "The 4-Way Test of the things we think, say and do ..."
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
History of the 4-Way Test is at www.rotary.org - click here to get directly to the Rotary Website 4-Way Test page.
Briefly: Herbert J. Taylor came up with the four simple precepts in 1932, when Club Aluminum Company, where he was president, was facing almost certain bankruptcy. In the depths of the Depression, no one was buying much aluminum. But Taylor thought that if he could convince his employees to do the right thing in every situation, they might at least win sales from their competitors. “So one morning,” he would often recount, “I leaned over my desk, rested my head in my hands. In a few moments, I reached for a white paper card and wrote down what had come to me – in 24 words.”
Five years later, Club Aluminum was back in the black. Taylor always credited The Four-Way Test with its resurgence. Rotary International adopted the test in 1943, and Taylor became RI president in 1954. At one point, our organization assumed the copyright on his test. Now in the public domain, it has been adopted by scores of companies in the 75 years since he thought up its four principles, which remain relevant today.“