Letter: See it the Rotary way

Editor, Daily News:

With the privilege of fielding a sports team goes the responsibility — the responsibility to the athlete to know and to adhere to the rules of the game, to have the athlete in proper physical condition and to have the athlete be academically eligible to participate.

In order to ascertain one's responsibility for what one thinks, says or does it is imperative that the Collier County School Board act by "The Four-Way Test" as adopted by Rotarians worldwide:

"First, is it the Truth?

Second, is it Fair to all concerned?

Third, will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?

Fourth, will it be Beneficial to all concerned?"

By mishandling the facts given by law-enforcement officers to school staff and administrators, the board members let the entire school community down, especially the parents. They did not act in the honest, professional manner expected of them.

The Collier County School Board and the Florida High School Athletic Association set the rules and they are ultimately responsible to see to it that these rules are followed — and they are accountable for the disciplining when the rules are broken.

The administrators have demonstrated extremely poor judgment. This is an unacceptable model for their staff and students. It will be beneficial to all concerned for those administrators in the Immokalee High School athletic and academic programs who were involved with the over-aged players to leave the educational profession before the start of the new school year.

It is not fair to all concerned for the Collier County taxpayer to have to pay the fines imposed by the FHSAA.

Hank Dawson , Naples , Rotarian