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02/24/2005: "Pelindaba Lavender Receives San Juan Islands Rotary Club First Award for Business Excellence"

By Mary Kalbert

Friday Harbor, Wash…..February 23, 2005……..The San Juan Islands Rotary Cub today announced its selection of Pelindaba Lavender to receive its "Four Way Test Award", designed to recognize the finest businesses in the community that follow ethical ways of doing business. It is the first such award it has ever given.

The "Four Way Test" originated during the Depression with a Rotarian drafting a code of ethical business conduct that has since become a marker of true business excellence. To qualify for the Award, a business had to pass all four tests in everything it thought, said or did: "Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned?" Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"

Over the years, this marker of outstanding business practice has been adopted throughout the world. In the US, it became so ingrained in the American consciousness that a Four Way Test pin was one of the select few items NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin planted on the moon's surface. Today the code appears in public parks, courtrooms, on highway billboards, in schoolrooms, in labor contracts and on the walls of businesses.

Chris Spaulding, president of the club, said that "Pelindaba Lavender has amply delivered on its goals of preserving farmland as open space, providing a beautiful environment for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike, and creating employment opportunities for fellow islanders. Its success in undertaking this vision throughout its farming, production, marketing and retail activities while exercising the highest environmental and aesthetic standards has met the Four Way Test in full."

Stephen Robins, co-owner of Pelindaba Lavender said, "We are honored to receive this award. It not only recognizes the importance of our vision statement as a guide to everything we do in all aspects of our venture, but also affirms the value and deep satisfaction of serving a community while realizing one's own goals."

Rotary International is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and as part of the celebration San Juan Islands members decided to make their first Four Way Test award. The main objective of Rotary International is service to community. Rotary volunteers build goodwill and peace, provide humanitarian service, and encourage high ethical standards in all vocations. There are approximately 1.2 million members working in some 30,000 Rotary clubs in 162 countries. Through its foundation, it is the world's largest privately funded source of international scholarships.