During the month of October the Windsor Elks lodge #1665 handed out 108 dictionaries to third grade students in five different schools in Vermont, and one in New Hampshire. The schools were Windsor elementary school Windsor Vt., Albert Bridge School in Brownsville Vt., Hartland elementary school Hartland Vt., Reading elementary school Reading Vt. and Cornish elementary school Cornish NH.. Dictionaries were given to the third grade students and their teachers.

Third grade students at Albert Bridge school in Brownsville Vt. with their teacher . The names of students are Emily Clough, Ryan Sauco, Jordan Davis Raymond, Jacob Adams, Gerry Garrow, Latisha Gibson, Chase Gravelle, Lillian Quimette, Angelo Plausteiner, Helen Ennis, Joey Gaudette and Julia Keating. The name of teacher is  Martin Butler.

Third grade students at Hartland elementary school in Hartland Vt. and their teachers and two elks standing in back. The names of students are Reid Allegretti, Conner Beland, Tylor Bethel, Jared Boynton, Stella Capurso, Tate Doolan, Kayleigh Dyke, Summer Eastman, Lucia Gomez, Kylie Hinkson, Nicola Husmann, Ryan King, Ben Lang, Maeve Leslie Gawalt, Gavin Martin, Sebastian Lorenze, Zane Peach, Rylea Rediker Waterman, Paige Vielleux and Issac Westcot Tobin. The teachers are Emily Morrison and Michelle Springer The Elks are Carol Sylvia and Norman Marshall.

Barre Elks Lodge worked with The Dictionary Project, a non profit organization that provides dictionaries and thesauruses to third and fourth grade students. Barre Elks Lodge was able to participate and purchase the books with assistance from an Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant.

Members of Barre Elks Lodge visited six area elementary schools and donated over fifty dictionaries to third grade students and two hundred thesauruses to fourth grade students.  The reference books are the a gift for each student to keep and use throughout their school careers.

In addition to the dictionaries and thesauruses, students were also given Drug awareness coloring books, bookmarks and comic books as part of the Elks National Drug Awareness program.  The Elks National Drug Awareness Program is the largest volunteer drug awareness program in the United States.  Elks are committed to eliminating the use and abuse of illegal drugs by all members of society and believe that in order to ensure a bright future for our country, it is essential that our children be raised in a drug-free environment.

Central Vermont Catholic School fourth grade students.

Barre Town Elementary School fourth grade students.

Orange Center School third grade students.

Orange Center School fourth grade students.

For the past nine years, Springfield Elks Lodge #1560 has been giving all third graders in Springfield’s elementary schools the Elks Dictionary.   Michael Tennis, Youth Chairman for the Elks presented (91) dictionaries to Union Street School recently.   Over the nine year period they have given out 826 dictionaries.