Norm Noble
What’s ahead for our youth? What are the prospects for the future? Will our country be in capable hands? These are things about which we all wonder on occasion. The media gives us the bad news and as the older generation, we cringe just a little. What are we leaving as an inheritance?
Good news. On April 7 four outstanding students from Hamilton, Chandler, Basha, and Perry High Schools will address how the famous Rotary Four-Way Test (Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?) might be applied to their lives or the lives of others.
The Four-Way Test is one of the world’s most widely printed and quoted statements of ethics; created in 1932; adopted by Rotary in 1943; now recited by members at every Rotary meeting.
Each speech will be the student’s choice. However, each speech must show clearly the practical application of all four points of the Rotary Four-Way Test. Ideally these should apply to what is going on in today’s world or to a student’s life of today.
Each speech will be no less than five minutes or more than seven minutes in length. The speech given by each contestant must be original in content and relate applying each of the components of the Four-Way Test as much as possible to the lives of their contemporary age group.
On April 28 Jayson Phillips, Principal of Arizona College Prep-Oakland (ACP-O) campus, will tell how his school uses radios that were provided by the Sun Lakes Rotary; in particular, how these radios were used in the first-ever reunification drill that Chandler Unified School District has performed – and ever since.
Two years ago, Sun Lakes Rotary, supported by a Rotary District 5510 grant, presented eight handheld Vertex Standard VX-231 5-Watts, 16-Channel radios to ACP-O. The radios provide improved communications while enhancing school security. They are designed and tested to meet U.S. military standards, ensuring they will perform in rigorous work environments, providing coverage up to 350,000 sq. ft. or up to 30 floors. Since then, Sun Lakes Rotary has given twelve more radios to ACP-O.
In the event of a significant, school-wide safety threat, ACP-O has a detailed emergency response plan in the event of fire, gas leak, or active shooter. As appropriate, emergency evacuation may be required. The normal time for this evacuation is 12-15 minutes. During a recent demonstration, using the new radios, the entire process for teacher/leaders clearing locations and accounting for students was completed in five minutes!
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes meets for breakfast every Tuesday morning at 6:30 a.m. in the Oakwood Country Club Ballroom. The meetings start at 7:00 a.m. and end promptly at 8:00 a.m. Cost of breakfast is $12. To make reservations for any meeting contact Rotarian Don Prestin at 480-802-0439.