Essay Contest Winners – The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg North

The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg North\District 7390

The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg North has announced the winner of their Essay Contest, Juliet Pawelski, who was a ninth grader at Cumberland Valley High School.  Her teacher was Mr. Brian Martin.  Mr. Martin is now retired.  The head of the English Department is Dr. Fran Carothers.  Dr. Carothers was instrumental in getting the essay contest up and running at the high school.  We are going into our third year of having a contest.  We have lobbied heavily that our District establish a district wide contest.  We were told this past week that are going to do this next year.

Juliet Pawelski, Grade 9, Cumberland Valley High School – 1st Place
John F. M. Kocsis, Grade 9, Cumberland Valley High School – 2nd Place

The Four-Way Test

The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg North\District 7390
Juliet Pawelski, First Place
Grade 9, Cumberland Valley High School
Teacher:  Brian Martin

I must make moral decisions every day, whether as a student of Cumberland Valley High School or in relation to my family and friends in general. All of these decisions, as small as some are, can affect my life in many kinds of ways.  I must answer questions daily for others and especially for myself. Even the little choices about what I eat for breakfast this morning or if I start to do my homework at four or five o’clock tonight may affect my life in the future. In addition to using the Rotary’s Four Was test in my daily life, I can specifically use it in my job on the high school newspaper.

As a staff writer, I include the Rotary Four Way test when writing my articles, sometimes without even thinking. The first question is always a part of my writing and editing: Is it the truth? Since I am reporting and not narrating, the truth is of such extreme importance that I cannot stress it enough. I must ask myself if I write the complete truth or if I leave out any part of the story. While I write a news story, I ask myself more questions than who, what, when, where, why, and how. I have to think about the audience and the topic, and whether I am telling the whole story or not. The facts are what literally write the story in news writing. Vague, incorrect sentences and a few useless paragraphs do not equal a good article or an article at all. I do not write the news for fun. As part of the paper, I want people to know what is going on around them and, if the paragraphs are full of false information or no real facts, then I am not getting the real knowledge out to the readers. I am just giving them another three or four minutes of worthless reading material.

When I am presenting one of those debatable articles that can raise controversy if not written carefully, another of the Rotary Four Way test questions pops into my head: Is it fair to all concerned? I must present both sides of the story equally in my writing or the party not represented will be robbed of offering their side as well as the opposing section. I can not write a story on red versus yellow and cheer for yellow in the article. If I write with an opinion, I will not give the reader the chance to develop their own view on the subject. Unless you are writing an editorial, you are not supposed to show any feeling on the matter at hand while building your news report. It is one of the common writing ethics not to take sides, and to publicly judge someone on their views is awfully unfair. Sometimes it is incredibly difficult to restrain yourself from giving input on the topic, but your personal opinion is one decision you leave out of your newspaper writing.
The next of the Four Way test questions is a harder one to incorporate into writing. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Truthfully, I do not often think about this question while working on a lead. It is tricky to relate this particular question to the newspaper. In the future, however, I intend to think harder about whether this will strengthen friendships and goodwill. In a school paper, one often writes about problems or topics closely related to the school and its students, teachers and administrators. In an establishment as large as Cumberland Valley High School, many students do not know half of the other teenagers in the school. When I write an article including someone’s opinions or words, it gives them a chance to speak to their classmates about what they think and make themselves known to kids who have never heard of them. Students’ quotes are required in our school newspaper stories, and that means that many different people get their fifteen minutes of fame whilst sharing their outlook on each issue.

The last question of the Rotary Four Way test is, in my opinion, the other three rolled into one simple question. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? What I see when I look at this question are all of the important components of the other questions asked. For my article to benefit the people who read it, it must be something that will tell the story truthfully, present all sides of the story, and hopefully better inform all members of the Cumberland Valley High School community. To write a beneficial story, I must have a topic that will help the reader to better understand or learn about a topic that they can relate to. If I were to pick a story idea about squirrels instead of a story about a girl in Cumberland Valley that helps out in Third World countries, I would not be picking the most beneficial topic. News writing can also be beneficial to my writing abilities. I must try my best to write articles to the full extent of my abilities, and with the hope that the story will further improve my style and skill for the next time I write in the newspaper.

News writing is exceptionally important to me. I feel proud when a product of my hard work is laid out in print to be distributed throughout the school to the students and staff. The Rotary Four Way test lends me a hand when I have decisions to make about my article. If my story passes the Four Way test, I know it will be a first-rate account that I would be proud to print. All of the questions can relate to the ethics of good journalism, and I intend to continue using them in my daily writing. The Rotary Club must be proud to have such a respectable maxim upon their wall, and I hope all of the members of the Club have found their own special use for the Rotary Four Way test as a guide in their daily lives.

The Rotary Four-Way Test

The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg North\District 7390
John F. M. Kocsis, Second Place
Grade 9, Cumberland Valley High School
Teacher:  Brian Martin

The Rotary Four-Way Test is one of the most important business ideals of the 20th century.  Since being established 75 years ago by Herbert Taylor during the Great Depression, the Four-Way Test has not only become an institution for Rotarians everywhere, but also for many successful businesses throughout the world.  Even though the Four-Way Test was created for use in the professional world, I personally feel that this evaluation can certainly be applied to my daily life.
When I first heard about the Four-Way Test, I immediately thought about my participation in one specific activity, and the process I went through deciding whether or not to join.  I am currently a member of the United Way Youth Allocation Panel which allows me to be very active in the community.  In this program, students from high schools across Central Pennsylvania raise money and subsequently decide which organizations will receive the funds and different grants.  I was very proud to be selected for this organization.  I was the first freshman and only member from Cumberland Valley on the panel this fall when it resumed for the year.  When approached and asked to join, I mentally went through a process similar to the Four-Way Test.

What exactly is the Four-Way Test?  It is quite straightforward, which is probably the most ingenious aspect of it.  The Four-Way Test is based off of four simple questions, all of which have meaning in the world today.  The first question asks, “is it the truth?”   I believe that in order for a business to be truly professional, it must not have any fraudulence.  In the business world, nothing is more important than whether or not information is fact.  Truth is also significant in the daily life of an individual.  Before answering a question or making an important choice in life, an individual must consider the truth.  Lying is unethical, regardless of the situation.  Subsequently, upon considering my participation of the United Way Youth Panel, I had to consider whether or not I believed in what they stood for – was it a truthful organization?   I researched it and found out that it was indeed what it claimed to be.
The second question asked by the Rotary’s test requires justice and equality.  It asks, “is it fair to all concerned?”   Like the previous question, this one is imperative to a professional community.  Businesses are generally considered to be cutthroat, something that may or may not be a stereotype.  Taylor’s second question helps prevent scandals, such as those prevalent in the depression era.  Fairness also has meaning to the average person.  When making a decision or forming an opinion, it is important to consider whether or not it is fair to all involved, especially in this age of awareness and tolerance.  What kind of place would this world become if no one thought of the good of mankind before acting?  If every man, woman and child was selfish, our planet could not survive.  We have to promote good will and fairness for all humanity, which was created to be equal.  Everyone deserves to have the opportunity for equality.  In the same vain, I had to consider whether or not I believed the United Way was an organization that was fair.  Different groups come to the organization, stating why they should receive grant money.  The organization then decides how the money is allocated .  My research indicated that the process included information and discussion, which seemed extremely fair to me.

I also had to consider the group that would be making the decisions.  In respect to the individuals forming the panel and those groups that were soliciting funds, I considered the concept of good will.  My thought process mirrored that in the third question:  “will it build good will and better friendships?”   On the surface, it may seem like a question that has little or nothing to do with ethics, but rather the betterment of oneself.  Some may take it as a way to increase relations that will result in more unfair and despicable ways of commerce.  Despite the way it appears, this is truly a moral issue.  If one thinks about it clearly, it makes sense.  If something does not build good will and better relations, how could it possibly improve the state of the world?  We have to use community service to promote altruism in our communities, in the country and all over our planet.  If we help others, friendships will result and the world will become increasingly more peaceful.   In considering the United Way, I realized that it was a way to meet other young people from other schools, also concerned with the community.  Additionally, it promotes relations with members of other service associations that ask for money.  Ultimately, good amity is formed between the program and different establishments where funds and awareness are both raised.

That brings me to the final question posed by the test:  This question may be the most significant of them all.  “Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”  The idea obviates the idea of collaboration and tries to put an end to lopsided proposals.  Of course, when I mention collaboration, I mean it in the sense of working together as a way to blackball other sides, not as cooperation between two parties.  In this sense of the term, collaboration is a terrible thing, and I believe the third question does its best to prevent that from ever happening.  This, too, has implications in the daily lives of laypeople.  For example, cheating may or may not be beneficial to the perpetrator, but can seriously harm the reputation and trustworthiness of the collaborator.  We need to consider the future and how our words and actions will affect the progress of the human race.  Did I consider this United Way program to be beneficial to those concerned?  The answer is a resounding yes.  The money goes to great causes.  Not only do the places who get the allocation benefit, but the panel members gain experience as active members of their community, helping them evolve as positive leaders for the future.

The United Way Youth Allocation Panel definitely passes the Rotary’s Four-Way Test as they continue to work diligently servicing the community.  In applying the values of the test, I am again glad that I was approached and that I said yes.  I am proud to be part of this wonderful service organization and I have already begun recruiting new members.

Rotary International is another service organization that prides itself in its volunteerism and community service.  When Taylor invented the Four-Way Test in 1932, he had no intention of using it in this way.  On the contrary, he used it as a way to revive his struggling business.  He could not have known how momentous it would become in the field of ethics.  Taylor lived during America’s hardest times, the Great Depression, when scandals dominated the country.  Taylor, however, was not corrupt, like so many others during this troubled time.  He used his professional-minded approach to develop a standard of compliance for business decisions.  His approach began as a 100 word statement that was reduced to a seven question test, and then further condensed until it became the current Four-Way Test.

My experience in considering the United Way Youth Allocation Panel was not the first time I used the principles of the Four-Way Test, nor will it be the last.  I plan to use the Four-Way Test to make many important decisions in the future.  Obviously, as a member of the panel, I will be making many allocation decisions over the next four years.  I will remember these ideals and  I will evaluate each service application and decide whether or not it fits Taylor’s criteria.  If it does not, I will make sure that the funds go to a different service that is maybe more fair and is beneficial to everyone.  Additionally, I plan to apply these principles to my other club involvements as well.

I am very pleased that I was given the opportunity to do research on the Rotary Clubs and the Four-Way Test.  It allowed me a chance to reflect on my own personal values, and provided me with a tool to use for making important decisions.  It provided me with an excellent asset that I can utilize to help the community.  From this point in my life onward, I am sure I will remember Taylor’s famous test.  I greatly admire Herbert Taylor and am grateful for his philosophy.   His method can be used by people everywhere to prevent the world to become as scandalous as it was during Taylor’s lifetime. I look forward to utilizing the Four-Way Test for a positive impact on my future decisions.

4 Way Test

South Hill Rotary Club/District 7600
Alyx Powers, First Place
Grade 7, Park View Middle School
Teacher:  Mr. Winter

Four things in life that make you a better person are: telling the truth, fairness, goodwill, and friendship. When you do these things, you feel like a hero.

Telling the truth lets people know that they can trust you. When you are honest, people can tell that you are a good friend. I think that when a person is able to talk to me and know that I will tell them the truth, they feel good. If I have someone that can tell me the truth, it makes me very happy. People that don’t tell the truth usually don’t have as many friends. If one of your friends asks you a question or for your opinion and you lie, you might lose them as a friend. Just remember, nobody likes a person that lies to them.

To me, fairness is to treat everyone equally. Being fair lets people know that you are a good person. Also, you can make a lot of friends by being fair. People that aren’t fair and treat people badly usually don’t have as many people to support them. When I was little, my two older brothers never treated me fairly. They figured since I was younger they could treat me however they wanted. But, when my two cousins that were older than them started visiting us more, they understood what it was like to be younger. They realized that being treated unfairly wasn’t fun. So, they apologized and treated me differently. Ever since, we have been best friends and have gotten along very well.

Goodwill is willing to do something nice for someone or something. My church does a program called “Stop Hunger Now!” Once a month, a few people gather and package meals for the hungry. Then we send them to other countries. After doing this program, I feel like I am saving someone’s life and that I am really making a difference. I think everyone should show goodwill. Even though sometimes helping out may not be very much fun, you are still helping a person and making them happy.

Friendship is being someone’s friend or maybe even being a good friend. Friendship can help a person a lot. They can come to you for advice. It is hard to find a friend that I can count on no matter what. I have one friend like that: Kayla. She is always here for me and I can trust her with anything. In order to be someone’s friend, you have to be kind. When you aren’t a good friend to someone or mean to them, it might come back to you and you will see how upset a person can get by not being their friend.
In conclusion, truthfulness, fairness, goodwill, and friendship are all great ways to show that you can be a great person. People will be able to tell that you are kind and that they probably want a friend like you.

The 4-way Test

South Hill Rotary Club/District 7600
Jackie Johnson, Second Place
Grade 7, Park View Middle School
Teacher:  Mr. Winter

Today, I will be writing the 4-way test. This test is about truth, fairness, goodwill, and friendship. These words mean many things to me. Be it a bad situation, or a good situation, I feel that all these qualities should be shown. Without these qualities, the world would be a bad place.

Quality number one is truth. Everyone should tell the truth, because honesty is important in order to earn trust. Honesty should be possessed everywhere at every time. One of my favorite stories, “the boy that cried wolf,” greatly relays this quality. Had the boy taken his work seriously and not lied, then the villagers would have believed him. Then he would not have lost his sheep. To me this story excellently shows how important honesty really is. If you can’t be honest, then you have to be willing to accept the consequences. To me, honesty is forming a bond of trust with someone, and proving to them that you can be dependable.

The second quality I’m writing about is fairness. This quality should again be shown everywhere at all times. Fairness includes honesty, respect, and sharing. Fairness is important because karma affects the world. If you treat someone fairly, then one day, when you need help, they might be there. Like one time, my neighbor had surgery, and one day while she was recovering, her husband had obligations somewhere, so I stayed with her. Since then whenever I need something, she is there. And for that I am very grateful. The main thing about fairness is treating someone the way you want to be treated.

The next quality I’m writing about is goodwill. Many people everywhere have goodwill, but at the same time, there’s still many that don’t. One of the ladies that used to go to my church is now in the nursing home, and every holiday, I send her a card. The person that takes her the card always says how happy she is that someone remembers her. This is just one example of the many things that people do for goodwill. I think all people should have goodwill because helping people in the world helps the world. This means that by helping someone, you’re showing them to help others. Goodwill is doing good things for others.
The last and best quality is friendship. All people everywhere have friends. Friendship can mean many things. It could be talking to someone that looks lonely, or many hours having exciting adventures and gossip together. Friendship is important because it gives people happiness and support. Whether you need a shoulder to cry on or a person to laugh with, your friend is always there for you. Some friends only last through school, but true friends last forever. Friendship is important because it gives you a bond of trust, honesty, and many days of laughs together.

These four qualities greatly enrich the world. From this test I have, it is important to show these wonderful qualities in life.

The 4-Way Test and You

South Hill Rotary Club/District 7600
Steven Swank, Third Place
Grade 7, Park View Middle School
Teacher:  Ms. Van Dyke

So have you ever heard the quote,” Actions speak louder than words?” What does it mean to you? First is truth. It is also known as being truthful. It means to tell the truth under any condition. It means to be honest to one another. Showing that you are responsible and can be trusted. You can show honesty by telling people the absolute truth. If you broke something, be honest and tell the person; that goes for if something happened at school, home, or anywhere else. You may get into trouble, but it won’t be as bad if you told them a lie. If you tell a lie, it will most likely make you or them mad. One time I lied to my mom about lighting then dropping a candle onto the floor and it burning the carpet. I didn’t want to tell my mom about it because I thought she may be furious about it because the carpet was almost new. But she found out and I now know that telling the truth is better than lying.
Second is friendship. Friendship means to be a good friend. Friendships’ being is being kind to others and respecting their privacy. It means to treat a friend or family member with the kind of respect you would want to be treated with. Friendship can also mean showing sportsmanship when playing a sport. Under the condition while playing, if someone is hurt, you should help them. If you are winning or losing, don’t get mad; keep trying your hardest. If you are sad, feeling down, or depressed, a good friend would help you get back on your feet. If your friend is sad, emotional, or whatever the cause may be you should help them. It doesn’t matter who is depressed, you should try your best to help anyone to feel better. A good sign of friendship would be my mom. She always puts my sister and me first. She does that because she loves us and likes to see us happy.
Third, I would like to tell you about goodwill. You may be thinking about the goodwill store where you donate things and get tax refunds. Goodwill deals with generosity. It means to be kind and nice to people. You could donate things for good causes. You could donate things around the world, or just in your local area. You could donate to charities all around the world. You can share offerings when you go to church,
help families that are homeless or live in bad conditions, or even children whom live in orphanages.
Fourth and last, I would like to tell you about fairness. Fairness can have many different definitions or meanings. One can play fairly with others. And share things such as toys or food. This is what the 4-way test means to me.

The 4-Way Test, George Washington, and Me

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Tavis Cote, First Place
Grade 3, Primary Division
Mrs. Johnson/Mrs. Manchester, Branch School

In considering topics that inspire me to live the 4-Way Test and to
be fair, I thought of George Washington.  He seemed to live his life
according to the principles in the 4-Way Test.  Even during a difficult
time as the Revolutionary War, George Washington was fair to the
troops he commanded, considered the impact on all the people living
in the colonies when he made his decisions, and was truthful in his
treaty negotiations with his enemies.
The people living at that time looked up to George Washington be-
cause of his stance against Great Britain and the unfair taxation on
the colonies.  They also respected him for his reputation of fairness
and honesty.  These same characteristics are the ones that I admire
about George Washington today.  He may not have known about the
4-Way Test, but he was indeed a great example of it.
I hope that in my daily life I may be able to live up to the same quali-
ties that made people respect George Washington.  The 4-Way Test
helps provide me the questions to ask myself when I am uncertain of
the correct action to take.  When I interact with my friends, I need to
ask myself, “Is it the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it build
good will and better friendships?  Will it be beneficial to all con-
cerned?“   I use kind words and speak the encouraging truth to my
friends.  When I do that I find that the effect on those around me is
positive.  When I forget to ask myself these types of questions or
when I see others not thinking before they act, I notice that people get
into arguments or get their feelings hurt.
I hope that by living my life according to the principles laid out in the
4-Way test, my friends and family will come to respect me much as
the people respected George Washington.  Who knows, someday
maybe I could be the President of the United States as well.  Remem-
bering the 4-Way Test could help me get there.

The Four Way Test

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Toby Jones, Second Place
Grade 3, Primary Division
Mrs. Darway, Harloe School

It is important to make the World a better place by being the best
person that you can be.  Everyone can do this if they follow the Four
Way Test to be sure they are making good decisions.
First, people should always be truthful.  If you aren’t truthful some-
times, people won’t even believe you when you do finally tell the truth.
Being truthful is a very big deal.
Second, being fair to others is important.  Being fair and caring
about others is what makes you a good person.  When you are fair to
others, then they are fair to you and the fairness spreads to other
people.  It goes together with the third idea of bringing good will to
others.  Being fair shows that you care about others and caring about
others makes them feel good and brings out good will.  Good will gets
rid of bullies because when bullies let out their feelings and feel good
will, they won’t be bullies anymore.  I like being fair to others and I
have fun doing it.  I like the feeling it brings to my heart.
We also need to be sure that the things that we do are beneficial to
others.  That means it will help others and then it will also help me.  I
like helping others with school work, homework, and at home.  Help-
ing others is my favorite thing to do next to playing with my friends
and my dad.  Helping others makes everyone feel good.
If everyone would think about the Four-Way Test when they make
decisions, the World would be so much better and everyone would
feel good.

The Four Way Test and Me

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Brandon Poorman, Third Place
Grade 3, Primary Division
Mrs. Darway, Harloe School

If everyone in the world were truthful, fair, shared good will, and did
what was beneficial to others, I think this world would be perfect. If
each person in the world could follow at least two of these ideas it
would be a thousand times better. We should all remind each other to
follow the Four Way Test to make our world a better place.
It is always good to tell the truth. If you don’t, not only will you get in
more trouble than you would have, but the next time no one will believe
you. We should always be fair because if people feel like things are
fair, they will feel that they are getting what they want and everyone will
have fun. If people feel that nothing is fair and they don’t have a
chance, they won’t try to be better or be good to others. You should
also have good will toward other people and treat them kindly. If you
aren’t kind in the way you treat people, you won’t have any friends.
Friends are important to have fun in our life, so it is important to have
good will toward others so they will have good will toward you. When
we make decisions about what we are going to do, we need to be sure
that it is beneficial to others. If we do, other people will feel good and
they will do good things back.
So please, follow the four way test when you make decisions every-
day. If you do, you will be one happy and special person and the world
around you will be a better place.

4-Way Explosion

Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cities
Savana Welch, First Place
Grade 6, Intermediate Division
Mrs. VanArtsdalen, Grover Heights School

“It was the wrong decision and I think that anybody who knows any-
thing about the game knows that.  Umm….there’s no doubt in my
mind I would have made those saves and the fact of the matter is it’s
not 2004 anymore.  It’s not 2004 and it’s 2007 and I think you have to
live in the present and you can’t live by big names.  You can’t live in
the past.  It doesn’t matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold
medal game in the Olympics 3 years ago.  Now is what matters and
that’s what I think.”  These were U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo’s words
of anger after being benched in the 2007 Women’s World Cup semi-
final soccer game against Brazil.   The U.S. lost this semi-final game
4-0 and Hope was angry.  Benching Hope was a controversial move
by the coach as she had been the starting goalkeeper for the last few
years and had been playing great in the World Cup.  I sat watching at
home confused about how somebody could say something like that
about her teammate and coach.  I know this was bad news for Hope
and her teammates.
When I was told about the 4-Way Test, I kept thinking about this
incident.  Then I realized it was a total 4-way explosion!  I say this
because it was not the truth (well maybe part of it was), it would defi-
nitely not build better friendship and good will, it was not fair, and it
was not beneficial to all concerned.
Hope Solo’s comments about her teammate, Briana Scurry, and
coach were probably not true as how can she be sure she would
have stopped the goals.  But even if her statement were true and she
would have done better than her teammate, it was the wrong thing to
say at the wrong time.  It was a huge putdown and very unprofes-
sional for an athlete in her important position to say.  Being truthful is
very important because if you don’t tell the truth, it will come back to
hurt you in some way.  One way Hope could have handled the situa-
tion better would have been to tell her coach her feelings privately
rather than announce them to the media.  Her coach probably would
have understood her feelings and her teammate, Briana, and the rest
of the team would not have been hurt.
It is very important to know how to build good will and friendships.
These are extremely important skills as well for members of a team.
When team members are good friends and they care  for each other,
the team is stronger.  The Women’s National Team was strong in this
way until Hope spoke out in public.  She broke an  unwritten code that
you don’t do this to your teammates and coach.  Her comments hurt
the other goalkeeper, her teammates, the coach, the fans and even
Hope in the end.
Hope Solo’s public comments were definitely unfair to her whole
team.  It would take some serious healing to get through that and it
would be difficult for the team to play their best the next day.  Her
words brought the whole team down and caused divisions among her
teammates and coaches.  It was also unfair to her team, as they
could not focus on soccer because they were distracted by the con-
troversy.  Fairness is very valuable and Hope learned that lesson the
hard way.
Talking negatively like Hope did about people is definitely not bene-
ficial to everybody concerned.  It makes people feel bad and stirs up
all sorts of trouble.  Hope was only thinking about herself and her own
feelings so she was unable to see how she was hurting and not bene-
fiting others.
In the end Hope Solo publicly and privately apologized to Briana
Scurry, her teammates, coach and the public for her poor behavior.
She also received some punishments from her coach.  From her be-
havior since the incident, it seems she learned it is better to be truth-
ful with kindness, to cherish and protect friendships, to be careful
about speaking unfair comments, and to think more about benefiting
others and less about herself.  If Hope had applied the 4-way test to
her thoughts before she spoke out angrily, she would have saved her-
self and others a lot of problems and heart ache.