Last week I had a volunteer opportunity, one that was well suited to my work with the printed word.

I helped to judge the local Rotary International essay contest for sixth graders from Marshall Middle School. I’ve judged it several times in the past five years, and each time I’ve been impressed with the writing skills of students.

An eight member committee composed of Rotarians and high school seniors judged a total of 24 finalist essays this year. They were all good. Everybody would have gotten at least a B-plus if I’d have had to give letter grades. There would have been many A’s.

The essays are based on Rotary’s Four-Way Test, a way of judging ethics in various situations. It asks the questions is it the truth, is it fair to all concerned, will it build goodwill and better friendship and will it be beneficial to all concerned.

The students were assigned to apply the four-way test to something in their lives or to a situation they experienced.

My personal favorite among all the essays was based on how the writer helped a little boy fix his sand castle after her sister knocked it down on her way to the water.

It stood out as a real act of kindness. She could have just decided that the little boy needed to act like a grown up and rebuild it himself. Instead she went out of her way to help.

It was also an interesting example of family dynamics. Her sister didn’t get in trouble for knocking over the castle, but she learned from the praise the writer received from her parents that it’s good to be considerate of others.

The other essays featured a wide range of topics. Some students talked about school activities like volleyball and dance. Others talked about having little brothers and sisters.

Several essays focused on cultural diversity. They explored whether our society is fair and beneficial to people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Judging the essays leads me to have faith in our students and their teachers. All 24 finalists had a good command of the English language. Very few of them lost any points for spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

The content of each entry indicated to me that the sixth graders also have very good interpersonal skills. Their application of the Four Way Test points to good critical thinking ability.

When we think in generalities it’s easy to conclude that communication skills aren’t as strong anymore. Technology gets heavy emphasis in eduction. Keyboarding is now taught in the lower elementary grades.

I never used a typewriter until I took a summer typing class in high school. I’m glad that my earlier learning experiences focused on real books and real activities. Still I liked having some exposure to computers starting in fifth grade. The Oregon Trail was one of my favorite games

It’s good to have events like Rotary’s essay contest to make us look beyond general perceptions. Clearly many of our young people are capable. They know how to express themselves.

Rotary members give over an hour of their time in the middle of a school day to serve as judges. It benefits the students, but it’s also an advantage for Rotarians.

It allows of for interaction with children and teenagers. When they see us serving as volunteers, it offers an incentive to consider someday joining a Rotary club.

I’m looking forward to next Wednesday when contest winners will be presented with awards. They’ve earned the recognition. Writing is a valuable skill that needs emphasis in many different classes. It’s a skill that should be developed and reinforced.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent.