|
Rotary is a service association of business and professional leaders united worldwide who conduct humanitarian projects, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and work toward world understanding and peace
The original Rotary Club was organized in Chicago by Paul P. Harris, a lawyer. Rotary is the oldest service club and the first meeting was held on February 23, 1905. The name "Rotary" was chosen because the club then met in rotation at each member's place of business. From the beginning, the Rotary idea of friendship, fellowship, and service to others has spread to six continents with more than 26,000 clubs and over one million members. Still, only one person in every five thousand is a member of a Rotary Club. One of the most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics in the world is the Rotary 4-Way Test. It was created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. Taylor looked for a way to save the struggling company mired in depression-caused financial difficulties. He drew up a 24-word code of ethics for all employees to follow in their business and professional lives. The 4-Way Test 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. Herb Taylor became president
of Rotary international in 1954-55. The 4-Way Test was
|
