The Four-Way Test
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?
The Rotary Club movement began in 1905 in Chicago, IL when Paul P. Harris, a young attorney, brought a group of business and professional men together to recapture the friendliness and fellowship many had known in the small towns where they grew up. Harris named the group Rotary because its members rotated the meeting location. In November 1908 a second Rotary Club was organized in San Francisco closely followed by Clubs in Oakland and Los Angeles. The New York City Rotary Club was formed in 1909 and in 1911 Rotary became international with the formation of Clubs in Ireland and England. With this growth Rotary began organizing itself into Districts, first called Divisions (1912). South Carolina’s first clubs, Greenville (1916), Spartanburg (1916), and Anderson (1917) were in District 4, which included the southeastern part of the United States. Then in 1918 the Clubs in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina were grouped to form Division 7. Perrin (Spartanburg) served as District Governor of District 7 in 1920-21. North Carolina and South Carolina were reorganized into District 38 in 1922 and by 1926 there were sufficient clubs to form District 58, an area that included all of South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Zac Wright (Newberry) was the first District Governor of District 58. In 1937 District 58 was changed to District 190 and in 1945, when North Carolina split into four Districts, South Carolina became a single District (190). After WWII (1949) the District number was changed to 282 and then five years later (1954) the state was split into two Districts. The eastern portion became District 283 and the western portion remained 282. In 1957 our District number was changed to 775 and finally in 1991 it became District 7750, as it is known today. There are 54 Clubs in our District and approximately 2700 Rotarians. Our District consists of the 19 western counties plus a portion of Lexington County. District 7770 includes the 26 eastern counties plus a portion of Lexington County and has 77 Clubs and 4500 Rotarians. Internationally, Rotary today is made up of more than 32,000 clubs totaling 1.2 million plus Rotarians in more than 162 countries.
