Four Way Speech and RYLA by Sharon McKniff

FOUR WAY SPEECH CONTEST AND

RYLA PARTICIPANTS REPORT

               The 4-Way Test is part of the foundation of Rotary.  Students from San Manuel Jr. and Sr. High School came to our luncheon meeting on April 25, 2013 to share their interpretation of living under the 4-Way Test and participated in our 4-Way Speech Contest.  Together with their teacher Desire Romo, four contestants gave short speeches to explain how the 4-Way Test was important in their lives.

               Fabian Russo, the oldest of five children, shared how the 4-Way Test principles applied to him as the mentor and example to his younger siblings.  He said the “if you’re fair, you are telling a person that you care about them.”  He felt that a lack of self-interest helps him maintain better friendships, and that these friendships would last for a long time.  Fabian hopes to attend University of Oregon as a football or basketball player.

               Marcella Franco plays first base in softball at her school.  She remembered noticing younger students sitting in the stands while she was competing in a softball game.  She wanted to be a good role model to the younger students, and felt that if they ever saw her cheat, they would not see her as being fair and trustworthy.  She said that one could never lose if one told the truth.  She also believes that telling the truth, even to your own personal detriment, will gain you the respect of others.  Marcella hopes to attend Stanford University and wants to be an orthodontist.

               Max Fisher was our next contestant, and stated that the 4-Way Test shapes a person’s character.  He feels that telling the truth also means acting responsibly.  He tries to be fair in all situations, and tries to see both sides of any conflict.  He competes in wrestling, and always congratulates and shakes the hand of his opponent after every match.  This act of goodwill builds respect in the eyes of his opponents, and he feels good about that.  He feels that his friends can count on him in any situation.  Max hopes to attend the University of Arizona and play football.  He hopes to work in law enforcement someday.

               Tia Nielsen has observed that people sometimes lie to stay out of trouble.  She feels that the consequences are usually much less if you tell the truth.  You may still get in trouble, but she said that the trouble would be more severe if you were caught lying.    She said, “some say that people remember what you do or say, but I feel that people will remember what you made they feel when they were around you.”  Being considerate of others will build much better friendships for your whole life.  Tia hopes to be a veterinarian after graduating from college.

               All the contestants gave good speeches, and there was much discussion at this Rotarian’s table about who would be the winner.  The Rotary judges awarded first place to Fabian Russo and awarded him $50.00 first prize.  Second place was Max Fisher, third place was Tia Nielson, and fourth place was Marcella Franco. 

               After the 4-Way Speech Contest, Rotarians hears from two RYLA participants.  RYLA stands for “Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.”  The participants attended a 3-day conference to hone their leadership skills.  All Rotary clubs across the nation are invited to participate in this conference.  Our club generally helps kids in need, but this RYLA conference helps kids that show leadership qualities, with the potential to become tomorrow’s leaders.  Two Ironwood Ridge Students, Jack Affeldt and Leo Hamerlynck shared their experiences from the conference.

               Jack felt that the main thing he learned was how to bring people out of their shells and bring forth their good ideas.  He learned how to be a positive influence to others.  He shared that good leadership often involved putting like-minded people together to solve tough problems.

               Leo didn’t know what to expect from the leadership conference, but kept his mind open.  Leo said, “I learned that it is best to be a benevolent leader rather than a malevolent one.”  He felt that the key to good leadership was to be an involved leader, but not to the point of micro-management.

               After fielding some good questions from the audience, Jack and Leo summed up their experiences as being very positive.  Jack felt that his life goals did not change, but he now feels more confident that he can attain those goals.  Leo said that he would like to participate in RYLA in the future, perhaps as one of the counselors, because he wants to help kids become more confident.  Both young men were very well-spoken and confident at the podium.

               This was a luncheon that filled one with encouragement about the quality of our young people and the positive affect our Rotarian principles and projects can help them to experience.  We wish all of these participants the best of luck in their futures!