BBB/Rotary Scholarship win/win program

One high school junior or senior from the region will be a very happy person when the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Colorado and Greater Wyoming hosts its annual Torch Awards for Business Ethics on April 23 at the Fort Collins Marriott.

That’s when the BBB/Rotary Scholarship, for use at the school of the recipient’s choice, will be awarded.

This student is not picked randomly. Rather, he or she is among a coterie of high school students who take the time – and make the effort – to write an essay that answers the question: How Does The Rotary 4-Way Test Impact My Life?

The nine-year collaboration between Rotary and BBB works on many levels. First, Rotary’s 4-Way Test asks the questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Whereas the BBB is built on these principles: Build trust, advertise honestly, tell the truth, be transparent, honor promises, be responsive, safeguard privacy and embody integrity.

A partnership seemed logical, so in 2000 the Fort Collins Rotary Club approached the BBB board of directors to request funding for a joint scholarship. The BBB board approved it gladly and pledged to provide a $5,000 annual scholarship. To date $35,000 has been awarded to regional students.

As a Rotarian myself, I fully understand the significance of ethics in business. I have chaired the BBB/Rotary committee for four years and now work with 63 Rotary Clubs within the BBB’s 38-county region to promote this successful program.

The outreach of this award encompasses many miles and numerous individuals who all believe in the importance of ethics and the demonstration of good character traits in our young students. In fact, many Rotary clubs in the region have designed 4-Way Test programs in their elementary, junior and senior high schools.

Since the beginning of the BBB/Rotary scholarship program, winners have been selected from the mountains to the plains and the suburbs. Each student brings a new and fresh perspective of business ethics to life in his or her paper.

Scholarship winners are now completing their degrees and beginning to make a difference in their fields of work and their contributions to society.

The students of 2009 and beyond will be our future leaders. It is heartening to read these essays and learn about their values, ethics, character and commitment to giving back at their early ages. This is hope. While our nation is currently seeing first-hand the effects of a lack of business ethics along with corruption, fraud and greed, I see determination, wisdom and truthfulness in these young men and women.

Why are ethics so important? Simply put, it is the utmost standard of integrity, excellence, trust and respect that can be upheld and exhibited. Executing good character and demonstrating sound ethics provides the foundation to make good choices in life.

If more of us lived life and conducted business with The Rotary 4-Way Test as a foundation, I believe it would build goodwill and friendships and benefit all concerned. Success is possible by living these simple statements of values.

Lorna R. Reeves is senior vice president, manager of Cache National Bank & Trust’s Fort Collins location and chair of the Fort Collins Rotary Club’s scholarship committee.

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