"Getting things done and having fun" describes the Rotary Club of Central Lawrence. Lawrence Central Rotary was formed and chartered in the spring of 2003. Lawrence, Kansas currently has two other rotary clubs, the Lawrence Noon Rotary club and the Jayhawk Breakfast Rotary club. Both clubs have very large memberships and meet on the western edge of Lawrence. Ed and Jerry Samp are brothers who brought their vision of a new rotary group located in historic downtown Lawrence to fruition. Our membership is small, approximately 29, but growing. Our club is located in district #5710 and our club is #61504.
Rotary was born in 1905, the idea of an attorney Paul Harris, who along with four of his business friends founded the first Rotary Club. Harris' idea was that business leader's should meet periodically to enjoy camaraderie and to enlarge their circle of business and professional acquaintances. The name "Rotary" derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among member's offices. As Rotary grew, its mission expanded beyond serving the professional and social interests of Club members. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organization's dedication to this ideal is best expressed in it's principal motto: "Service Above Self."
The Four-Way Test
From the earliest days of the organization, Rotarians were concerned with
promoting high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of
the world's most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics
is The Four-Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J.
Taylor (who later served as RI president) when he was asked to take charge
of a company that was facing bankruptcy.
This 24-word test for employees to follow in their business and professional
lives 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. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The Four-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 or do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"