The Rotary Club of Nashua West in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Nashua recently sponsored our annual Four Way Test Speech contest. This competition offers high school students an opportunity to compete by delivering original speeches, five to seven minutes in length, on a variety of topics. These topics should be of current interest and use concepts which encompass elements from the Rotary Four Way Test in the body of their speech.
The Four Way Test was written in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression by Herbert J. Taylor, a Chicago Rotarian who later became President of Rotary International (1954-55). It was used by Taylor as a basis in determining ethical decisions at a company which was on the verge of bankruptcy. This 24-word test enabled his employees to change the direction of the company and has been credited with having saved the company. The Four Way Test was adopted by Rotary International in 1943 and has been translated into more than a hundred different languages.
Contestants who competed in this year’s event were:
