You MUST live in Rotary District 7390 to Participate in Our Contests!

These Four-Way Test Speech & Essay Contests are ONLY for students that live within Rotary District 7390! Rotary D7390 encompasses Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York Counties in South Central PA. If you DO NOT live within one of these counties in South Central PA, you CANNOT participate in our Contests! Click here to find a Rotary Club in your Area! 

The Rotary Four-Way Test

One of the world’s most widely printed and quoted statements of ethics is The 4 Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The 4 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 and do. 


 

SPEECH TO THE LEFT, ESSAY TO THE RIGHT!

Interested in the SPEECH Contest? Look to the LEFT! 

 

 

Interested in the ESSAY Contest? Look to the RIGHT! 

Four-Way Test SPEECH Contest

The 2023-2024 Rotary Four Way Test Speech Contest is underway! The 2024 Mid-Level Contests will be held in March of 2024. Students who advance from club level competitions throughout Rotary District 7390 will be assigned to one of the Mid-Level Contests. Students will be contacted with the location and time (all mid-level competitions will be held in-person). The finale for the Speech contest will be held at the Rotary District Conference in April 2024. 

 
There is NO specific prompt for the 2023-2024 Four-Way Test Speech Contest. However, all speeches need to be based around the Rotary Four-Way Test. 

 

How the Rotary District 7390 Four-Way Test Speech Contest Works

Contestants must currently be in attendance (in either grade 10, 11 or 12) at a public or private high school, charter school or home schooled within Rotary District 7390 (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry or York County). No student may be a contestant in more than one club contest in any one year. More than one club may recruit contestants from a high school shared with another club. Nothing in our rules prohibits clubs from developing their own procedures, requirements, and/or guidelines for their contest. Contestant Entry Forms must be submitted before participation. Prizes at the finals will be $1250 for the winner, $750 for 2nd place, $500 for 3rd place, and then $250 each for 4th & 5th place. 

Register Today! 
 
Registration Deadline: March 15, 2024
 
ONLY Complete this Registration Form if you are the winner of the Club Level Speech Contest!
2023-2024 Mid-Level Contests
Harrisburg Area Community College
1 HACC Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110
Cooper Building, Room #209
 
There are two dates available for the mid-levels. Students will be able to select which mid-level contest they attend. 
  • March 30, 2024 - 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
  • April 13, 2024 - 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
Questions? 
Please contact District Co-Chairs
 
Mike Handshew
mrhandshew@gmail.com 
717-585-9724
 
Cal Kent
kentc@marshall.edu
304-634-8299
Four-Way Test ESSAY Contest

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Rotarians pride themselves on service both in their local communities and around the world. However, a recent Wall Street Journal Poll indicated that only 27% of those participating in the poll identified public service as being “very important” to them which is down from 62% in a similar poll several years ago. As Rotarians, these numbers are alarming.  Is a commitment to community service really in decline?
 
We would like to hear your thoughts on the importance of community service.  Please address in an essay the importance of community service to your life.  Include in your essay how Rotary’s Four Way Test impacts your  thinking on the importance of community service. 
 

ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUCTIONS

Eligibility:  Ninth Grade Students.
 
Due Date: Participating Clubs must submit essays to the District Office for consideration in the District Contest no later than March 15, 2024. Rotary Clubs will set a date that Essays are due from the Students. 
 
Format:  The essay should be submitted in .pdf format and suitable for printing on 8.5 x 11.0 paper.  The text should be double spaced in 12-point font (Arial or Times New Roman are preferred).  Do not insert identifying information such as a name or school on any sheet except the cover sheet.  Do not insert graphics. 
 
Number of Copies:  Essays (with cover sheet) should be e-mailed to the Rotary District 7390 Office - office@rotary7390.org.  Club chairs without e-mail capability should mail their winning essay to the district office.
 
Essay Length:  The essay must not exceed 1500 words in length.
 
Cover Sheet:  A cover sheet must be attached to each essay. See the attached format for the Cover Sheet. Click here for a fillable PDF cover sheet
 
Original Work:  The essay must be the original work of the student submitting the essay for competition.  Team writing, parental participation, and the use of works written by other sources, even if foot-noted, is not authorized.  Participating students will sign a pledge on the Cover Sheet stating that the essay is their original work.
 

QUESTIONS? 

Four-Way Test Essay Contest Chair:
Steve Grubb
Tel(Cell): (717) 576-8145
E-mail: stevengrubb@comcast.net
2022-2023 Winning Essays
First Place Meagan Rottet (Elizabethtown)
Second Place Isabella Badolato (Myerstown-ELCO)
Third Place Alfred J. Nazeeri (Palmyra)