ROTARY DISTRICT 5580 4-WAY TEST ESSAY CONTEST 2023
A Bemidji area high school student will be awarded a $250 cash prize from our club in the Annual Rotary District 5580 Essay Contest. In addition to the club award, there will be six $150 regional winners selected and one grand prize winner of $1,250.
Rotary District 5580 offers this Essay Contest as an incentive to young people to develop their skills of self-expression and as evidence of a sincere interest in the ideals of our youth. All students in their final two years of high school are eligible to participate. Essays should be 500 to 1,000 words in length and using a topic of their choice that incorporates the use of the Rotary 4-Way Test.
Information is available at the Bemidji High School Career Center.
DEADLINE for submissions: Thursday, November 30, 2023
The essay can deal with any topic of the student’s choosing, but it must apply the principles of The Rotary 4-Way Test:
· Is it the TRUTH?
· Is it FAIR to all concerned?
· Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
· Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
The 500-1,000 word essay must be submitted to bemidjirotaryclub@gmail.com in Word or PDF form by Thursday, November 30, 2023.
Open to Bemidji High School, Trek North and Voyageurs students in final two years of high school.
The Rotary 4-Way Test was first conceived in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression by a Chicago businessman, faced with the challenge of saving a major company from bankruptcy. Looking for a way to save the company, he sought a short yardstick of ethics that could be used. Company personnel were asked to learn the test and to observe it as a guide to every aspect of business. As a result, a climate of trust and goodwill gradually developed among dealers, customers and employees, and the 4-Way Test was credited with returning the company to a thriving status.
The 4-Way Test has inspired safe driving programs, crime and drug reduction activities, and has been the subject of countless secondary school essays. The message has appeared on roadside billboards, bronze plaques and has been translated into more than 100 languages.