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At a recent meeting of the Centerville Rotary Club, members were treated to inspiring speeches by Alter High School students in the annual Four-Way Speech Contest. The contestant must apply the Rotary Four-Way Test to the concepts of leadership, service to others and life experience. The Four-Way Test states: Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

 

Rachel began her speech by saying there are two kinds of people, those who serve and those who watch. She said her own experiences in and out of school have shaped her belief that all high school students should be required to do service. She said they will feel accomplishment when they serve and that service is needed around the world. This meets the 4-Way test's first tenet, that asks, Is it the truth.

 She said she had the opportunity to go to an orphanage in Guatemala, where she worked helping to build new chicken coops and helped with a dental cleaning program.

 She was surprised to learn that the children had only been to a dentist once or twice in their life time. She said she held up flash cards telling kids how to brush their teeth. Things we take for granted they had not learned about, she said.

She also belongs to Key Club, a service club at her school. As to the 4-Way Test's question, Is it fair to all concerned? she said it is important to try to equalize things where possible and improve people's lives where you can help. Is it beneficial? She said she has developed friendships she would not have had and is a pen pal to Rosa in Guatemala.

 

Peyton stared his speech by asking everyone to close their eyes and imagine they are in eighth grade and going into their freshman year with new friends and that you get a call from your mom telling you your father just had a double amputation, a heart attack, and a stroke at the same time. "That was the beginning of eighth grade," and the worst four years of his life, he said. "My father was 42 when it happened." He has since had six heart attacks, three strokes and three amputations, along with diabetes and congestive heart failure. "He is my best friend," he said. "These have been the best four years of my life."

Though what happened to his father and him was not what they wanted to happen, it changed him, he said. At first he had bad grades and a bad attitude. Then his freshman year was okay and his sophomore year was alright, but by his junior year, "I was closest with my father. I am always there for him." 

"People give up too easily," he said. "I hope you will never give up when you have a problem."

"Is it fair to all concerned?" he asked as the 4-Way test asks. It doesn't matter what religion you are, he said. Did he want to give up? Did I want him to give up? No, he said. Will it be of benefit to all concerned? "Sometimes No," he said. It didn't make anything better in his life. But then, "I might have given up on high school, but I didn't. No one gave up. I'm an older man now and I learned you never give up. You should never give up, and nor did I." 

 

Alter Junior, Peyton Kocevar won first place and Junior, Rachel Hurtubise took second place. Peyton will represent the Centerville Rotary Club the Rotary District 6670 Four-Way Test Speech competition on Sunday March 22, 2015 at Wright State University.