The 4Way Test association

Website Posting Center for 4Way Test Email, Mail, and Social Media

Information posted here is for the most part from messages received on our Emails for Postings online form. 

We also continue to include written correspondence and can accept some social media audio and video.  All input is posted in original English.

POLITICAL HUMORS:

Bob Stuart past president Chicago Rotary Club,
PDG and thrice chair of RI's World Fellowship

"Government's 1/4th Test:  I believe it was Winston Churchill who noted that 'democracy is the worst possible form of government -- except for all the others.' Alexander Hamilton said, 'People get the kind of government they deserve.' And we are told...'you can easily tell when a politician is lying. His lips are moving.'  Now if TRUTH can't be expected, can we expect FAIRNESS?  or that what is done will be 'BENEFICIAL TO ALL CONCERNED?'   Perhaps government too easily functions following a 1/4th Test -- 'Build Friendships' (with GOODWILL reduced to a slippery handshake)? That's where WE come in with THE REAL THING -- THE 4WAY TEST -- and our VOTES!

UPDATE ON SOCCER BALL STORY 2013-2016:

As told by Bob Carris,
past president Livonia AM Rotary Club, MI: 

"Kids all over the world love soccer, but in third world countries they have no money to purchase soccer balls and usually use wadded up paper or plastic bags in the place of a soccer ball.

About 5 plus years ago I saw a soccer ball used on a church mission trip that had "Jesus Loves You" in 60 different languages. It came deflated with pump and needle so kids in foreign countries could blow it up and use it on the spot.

While sitting at Lavonia AM Rotary Club's District 6400 Convention 5 years ago, someone mentioned buying some expensive soccer balls ($40+) to take on Rotary trips overseas. I had a "light bulb goes on" moment and thought "why not do a Rotary soccer ball with The 4-Way Test on it in a number of languages similar to the ball I had seen?"

I shared this idea with our District Governor elect, Jennifer Jones, and she loved it. She encouraged our Livonia AM club to pursue it. The USA company distributing the "Jesus Loves You" ball had stopped selling them, but the lady who coordinated their purchase gave me the name of the Chinese company she had used to make the balls. I contacted them and asked about their making a similar 4-Way Test ball. They said they could do it and gave me some price figures.

Then came the challenge of getting the 10 translations of The 4Way Test. I thought those would be easily available from Rotary International but not so. I had to go to multiple sources including The 4Way Test Association to get translations. (Russian and Indian were especially difficult.) Then I had to have them all formated alike in the layout which The 4-Way Test Association provided before I could send them to China. Though I looked for manufacturers in the USA to use, the only soccer balls of this type were all made in China.

While I was getting the ball designed and samples ready and shipped, our small club (8 members at the time) could not raise the money to pay for an initial shipment (a minimum quantity of 2000 soccer balls). For the next 3 1/2 years we searched for a partner to help us with the financing to no avail. In 2012 we finally discovered a fund raiser which could give us the dollars to do it ourselves and the RI/4-Way Test soccer ball became a reality!

Past RI President Tanaka is a huge fan of the 4Way Test and eagerly accepted the first sample soccer ball.   His native tongue Japanese is one of the translations. He immediately paid me for another 10 to take back with him to Japan.

We now offer them to clubs worldwide at an affordable price of around $12 (see Resource Pages, Projects.  They make a great "leave behind" gift when traveling.  It's a fun way to promote Rotary International, The 4-Way Test, goodwill between nations and world peace -- all starting with the kids!

Just this past year (2016) we expanded the soccer ball from 10 original languages to include 16.  Every RI President since President Tanaka has happily been awarded a soccer ball from my club."