The Four-Way Test

A week from yesterday I had the priviledge of giving the Invocation and the Benediction at the annual Installation of New Officers at the Natick Rotary. I bring this up because it is an organization that does a great deal of good work in the community, both locally and internationally.

I also wanted to post one of the principle pillars of Rotary. One member of our club--while recieving the Paul Harris Fellowship award (arguably Rotary's highest honor) for service to the community--referred to it as a "secular Ten Commandments". Usually, we just call it the Four-Way Test...

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:

"Of the things we think, say or do:
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?"

Good questions to ask yourself, I think.

One of the recipients of the Paul Harris this year is a member of the Eliot Church. Congratulations to Harriett Buckingham! This was her second, making her the first member in the 80-year history of Natick Rotary to recieve the award twice.