You’ve probably seen the recent headlines.
A former United States congressman — already convicted of fraud, already sentenced to federal prison, already released early — apparently couldn’t resist one more scheme. He publicly announced on social media that he would attend a major national event, watched the betting odds on a prediction market platform soar as his followers took him at his word, and then secretly wagered against his own appearance. When he skipped the event and watched it on an airport television instead, the odds collapsed and he reportedly pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in profit.
Federal investigators are now involved.
We are not here to pile on. Political commentary is not what Rotary does, and it never will be. But when a story like this surfaces, it does prompt a question — one that Rotarians across the world have been quietly asking since 1932.
Would this pass the Four-Way Test?
Twenty-Four Words Written to Save a Company
In 1932, a Chicago businessman and Rotary member named Herbert J. Taylor was handed an almost impossible assignment: rescue his aluminum company on the brink of collapse during the depths of the Great Depression. He could have cut corners. He could have misled creditors. Nobody would have blamed him — it was that kind of moment.
Instead, he wrote four questions on a notecard and asked every employee to apply them to everything they thought, said, or did:
Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
The company survived. Taylor eventually shared his Four-Way Test with Rotary International, which adopted it as a cornerstone of the organization. It has since been translated into more than 100 languages and is recited at Rotary meetings in over 200 countries — including right here at Medford Sunrise Rotary, every Wednesday morning.
It takes about twelve seconds to say. It takes a lifetime to fully live.
What the Four-Way Test Is Not
It belongs to no political party, no ideology, no faith tradition. It carries no agenda beyond this: before you act, pause long enough to consider the effect of your words and decisions on everyone around you — not just yourself.
The anonymous congressman’s scheme doesn’t survive the first question. He told his followers one thing while privately betting on the opposite. That’s all you need to know.
But let’s not make this about one person’s spectacular lapse in judgment. The more interesting question is the one that follows: what would our businesses, our community, and our daily relationships look like if more people paused to ask these four questions before they acted?
What It Looks Like in Real Life
At Medford Sunrise Rotary, the Four-Way Test is not a decorative poster. Our members are business owners, healthcare professionals, educators, and community leaders from Medford, Medford Lakes, Marlton, Lumberton, Tabernacle, Vincentown, Shamong, and across Burlington County. They carry these four questions into contract negotiations, difficult personnel decisions, pricing conversations, and the daily choices that quietly define a reputation over time.
Does holding yourself to this standard make things harder occasionally? Perhaps. Does it make for stronger businesses, more trusted names, and deeper roots in the community over the long run? Ask anyone in our club who has been doing it for twenty years.
There is a reason Rotary has endured for 120 years across almost 200 countries. It turns out that treating your word as your bond is a pretty sound long-term strategy — in business, in friendship, and in life.
Come See for Yourself
If you live or work in the greater Medford area and you’re drawn to a community built on this kind of foundation — people who hold themselves to a real standard, who enjoy each other’s company, and who do genuine good in the world together — we would love to have you join us for a Wednesday morning breakfast.
No obligation. No membership pressure. Just good people, a good conversation, and twenty-four words that are still changing lives nearly a century after they were written.
Reach out to our club president, Sherry, at 201.264.4740. She’ll make sure you feel at home from the moment you walk through the door.
Medford Sunrise Rotary Club serves members from Medford, Medford Lakes, Marlton, Lumberton, Tabernacle, Vincentown, Shamong, and surrounding communities in Burlington County, NJ.