Announcements:
Polly Bernson was announced as the monthly Paul Harris award by Ron Wake.

Alan Mac said the Wine Tour on Saturday April 18 was shaping up and would be centered about a lunch thus making for a shorter day.

Ed Stokes thanked all the Rotarians [> than half our members] that attended the dinner honoring him as Man of the Year. Many thanked him for the “open bar”. This would explain John Sherry’s quizzical look in the photo while surveying the beverage supply.

SHALL SINHA was the speaker. Shall’s wife, Pramila, accompanied him. Both are members of the Edmonton-Glenora, Canada Rotary club, District 5370. They are the co-winners of Donald MacRae Peace Award 2009, which is awarded by Rotary Zone 24 for the advancement of International Understanding, Goodwill and Peace. Shall has spent the last 20 years dressing as and impersonating Gandhi.

His topic was the origin of the 4-Way test. It was written by Chicago Rotarian Herbert J Taylor. The test was primarily written for his bankrupt Club Aluminium Company in 1932. Herb actually gave up his lucrative job at Jewel Tea in order to join 250 other employees onboard the so-called “sinking ship”.

When a company advertisement was placed before Herb, declaring Club’s aluminium product as “the greatest cooking ware in the world”, Herb simply stated “We can’t prove that”. So one morning he leaned over on his desk, rested his head in his hands. In a few moments, he reached for a white paper card and wrote down that which had come to him – in twenty-four words.” The advertisement was rewritten simply stating the facts.

Herb’s 4 heads of department belonged to different religions and all found no incompatibility with their respective faiths. Thus, the test was “for any man to take as arises”. Embraced as Club Aluminium’s mantra Club’s future grew brighter and brighter and in five years had pulled itself out of the red. Perhaps, the test had real, practical benefits.

The 4-way test was adopted by RI in 1943.

Geoff adjourned the meeting.