Elks Distribute Dictionaries to Hi-Line Schools
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Linda Hoover sits with Isley Welsh and Ben Warren after presenting the two Turner third graders with dictionaries from the Havre Elks' Lodge #1201
Representing the Havre Elks' Lodge #1201, Linda Hoover visited Turner Public Schools on February 2. Unlike Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog with his bad news about six more weeks of winter, Hoover bore gifts, delivering dictionaries to the third graders. Hoover serves as the Lodge's Inner Guard and Co-Scholarship Committee Chair.
As part of their Third Grade Dictionary Project, the Elks purchase and deliver dictionaries to all of the third graders along the Hi-Line. According to Brandy Kurtz, Lodge Secretary and the chair of all projects, North Star received eleven copies of the reference book, Turner received two, Cottonwood received four, Davey School received two, Harlem received 64, Havre received 145, St. Jude's received 18, Rocky Boy received 41, and Chinook received 17.
The Dictionary Project was founded in 1995 by Mary French of Charleston, South Carolina. The program's primary focus is to promote literacy among children in third-grade as they transition from learning how to read to identifying and using information.
The Elks joined this movement in 2004. Nationwide, over the last six years, the 600 Lodges that actively participate in the program have donated more than 1.2 million dictionaries to third-grade students and their teachers.
The Havre Lodge adopted the project in the 80s and carried it through the 90s before it was dropped. Their mission was to provide each local area third grader with his/her very own dictionary.
Six years ago, under the influential leadership of Kurtz, the project was revived. "We brought it back because when I was a kid, that was my book. It was the book I got to use every day and take home, so I figured, why not let every third grader experience that?" Kurtz stated.
The dictionaries the Elks purchase also have a map, sign language learning information, and additional features.
Kurtz explained that the monies raised for this project come from selling baked goods in Havre at the organization's local craft show.
Upon receiving his dictionary, Turner Third Grader Ben Warren said: "It made me really happy because I can take it home, and my mom doesn't have to buy a new dictionary since my sister spilled her milk on ours."
Likewise, Isley Welsh expressed pleasure, "I was very happy to receive my own dictionary because if I accidentally rip a page, it won't cause trouble for my teacher."
