Rotary District 9600
‘Ethical Challenges’ - Program Ideas and Resources
Program Idea #5 - POT POURI
It is generally accepted that just having rules, regulations and guidelines for ethical behaviour does
not guarantee it will occur, e.g. Rotary’s 4-Way Test. It is argued that talks or lectures cannot raise
people from lower to higher stages of ethical thinking. Stimulating people to ethical judgment and
reasoning is the more effective approach to applied ethics. Therefore the participative process of
discussion of case studies or scenarios can be a powerful aid in the identification of ethical values
and principles. These program ideas are devised so that they can be led by a committed club,
possibly the Vocational Service Co-ordinator, and most can be completed within a standard club
program ‘guest speaker’ segment of 25-30 minutes.
Outline
Setting the scene
Setting the task
Activity
General introduction to ethics and Rotary
Emphasise this is not a lecture on ethics or philosophy
Practical look at the decisions we as Rotarians are required to
make each day
Rotary has guidelines e.g. 4-Way Test, Objects of Rotary,
Declaration for Rotarians in Business and Professions, but when
making ‘on-the-spot’ ethical decisions we don’t have time to
reread these guidelines
Indicate you will be giving members realistic scenarios to discuss
in small groups to consider some of the ‘ethical issues’.
Quickly divide members present into four (4) groups and indicate
give each group a different scenario to discuss. (See below)
Advise they have 10 minutes to discuss the following scenarios
and questions in their small groups.
Timing
guide
5 mins
8 mins
1. A Rotarian who is not disabled, continually parks in
the disabled parking bay to pick up his disabled child
from school. A parent who is disabled is complaining
she can’t park in the same parking bay to pick up her
child who is not disabled.
2. Rotary runs an orphanage and is having had a hard
time making ends meet. A car dealership offers the
club a new van worth $25,000 for free if you will
falsely report to the government that the dealership
donated a van worth $50,000. The orphanage really
needs the van and it will give the club an opportunity
to make the children happy. Do you take the van?
Prepared by the Rotary District 9600 Ethics and Conflict Management Committee to assist Clubs and Rotarians in pursuing
one of the Objects of Rotary - ‘to encourage and foster high ethical standards in business and professions’.
Rotary District 9600
‘Ethical Challenges’ - Program Ideas and Resources
3. It is 3 a.m. and you are late getting home. As you
approach the intersection you notice that no one is
around. Do you drive through the red light?
4. You have bought a new computer from a particularly
inefficient internet store, and when it arrives, you
notice that the invoice says ’paid’, although in fact
you have not paid for it. Now do you:
a) Hope they don’t notice, and keep mum…
or
b) Ring up straight away to advise a cheque is being
sent in the post?
What are the ethical issues for you?
What do you do as a Rotarian?
Debriefing the task
Conclusion
Get each group to quickly give a synopsis of their scenario and
their agreed approach. Seek quick comments from the other
groups, if they have anything additional to add or a different
perspective.
Move quickly from group to group in reporting back to stay
within time and keep the interest.
If time allows, in a general discussion ask:
 How regularly do they encounter challenging ethical
issues in their business or profession?
 What guidelines do they currently use in responding to
challenging ethical issues?
 Do they feel any greater moral obligation to follow an
ethical response because they are a Rotarian?
 Bring together key issues which emerged from responses to
the scenario. (Don’t re-analyse the scenario – concentrate on
what were the apparent challenges to the average Rotarian
in addressing ethical issues).
 Emphasise relevance to us as Rotarians with our ethical
ideals as stated in the 4-Way Test, Objects of Rotary and
Declaration for Rotarians in Business and Professions.
 If presented in Vocational Service Month (October) make the
connection.
12 mins
5 mins
30 mins
Prepared by the Rotary District 9600 Ethics and Conflict Management Committee to assist Clubs and Rotarians in pursuing
one of the Objects of Rotary - ‘to encourage and foster high ethical standards in business and professions’.