About The Rotary International Emblem

Rotary's early emblem was a simple wagon wheel (in motion with dust). It was designed in 1905 by Montague M. Bear, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago who was an engraver. He designed the emblem to represent both civilization and movement. Most of the early Rotary clubs adopted the wheel in one form or another.

In 1922, the organization decided to create and preserve an emblem for the exclusive use of all Rotarians, and the following year, the present emblem, a gearwheel with 24 cogs and six spokes, was adopted. A keyway was added to signify the usefulness of the gearwheel.

An official description of the emblem was adopted at the 1929 International Convention. Royal blue and gold were chosen as the official Rotary colors and the flag of Rotary was designated as a white field with the emblem emblazoned in its center. The emblem, worn as a lapel pin, now identifies Rotarians around the world.

About The Four-Way Test

From the earliest days of the organization, Rotarians were concerned with promoting high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world's most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics is The Four-Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as RI president) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy.

This 24-word test for employees to follow in their business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The Four-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways. It asks the following four questions:

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?

Rotary Milestones

1905		First Rotary club organized in Chicago, Illinois, USA
1908		Second club formed in San Francisco, California, USA
1910		First Rotary convention held in Chicago, Illinois, USA
1912		The Rotary Club of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, becomes the first club outside the United States to be officially chartered. (The club was formed in 1910.)
1917		Endowment fund, forerunner of The Rotary Foundation, established
1932		4-Way Test formulated by Chicago Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor
1945		Forty-nine Rotarians help draft United Nations Charter in San Francisco
1947		Rotary founder Paul Harris dies; first 18 Rotary Foundation scholarships granted
1962		First Interact club formed in Melbourne, Florida, USA
1965		Rotary Foundation launches Matching Grants and Group Study Exchange programs
1985		Rotary announces PolioPlus program to immunize all the children of the world against polio
1989		Council on Legislation opens Rotary membership to women worldwide; Rotary clubs chartered in Budapest, Hungary, and Warsaw, Poland, for first time in almost 50 years
1990		Rotary Club of Moscow chartered first club in Soviet Union
1990 1991		Preserve Planet Earth program inspires some 2,000 Rotary-sponsored environmental projects
1994		Western Hemisphere declared polio-free
1999		Rotary Centers for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution established
2000		Western Pacific declared polio-free
2001		30,000th Rotary club chartered
2002		Europe declared polio-free; first class of 70 Rotary Peace Scholars begin study
2003		Rotarians raise more than US$118 million to support the final stages of polio eradication
2004		RI's largest convention with 45,381 attendees, held in Osaka, Japan
2005		Rotary Celebrates centennial in Chicago, Illinois, USA