Donna Pettipas and David Tucker with Third Graders from Montevideo Elementary School
This year’s Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley Elks Dictionary Project team led by Elk Spouse Mrs. Donna Pettipas, is in the process of delivering dictionaries to every third grader in the Capistrano and Saddleback Valley School District.
In mid-October a small army of Elks members and friends assembled at the Elks Lodge to stamp the Elks logo on more than 4,700 dictionary books. New Elk David Tucker jumped at the opportunity to help as a member of the distribution team. Team Leader Donna Pettipas said delivering the books to the children is great fun for both the students and the Elks. She said she most enjoys quizzing the kids at each stop to peak their interest in the books.
The new Elks distribution team takes over from the previous team led by Past Lodge President Pat Martino and State Publicity Chairman Andy Costello. That team has handed out more than 35,000 dictionaries since the distributions began nine years ago.
Retiring Team Leader Pat Martino said, “It has been one of the most satisfying experiences of all my years as an Elk, but it’s time to turn the project over to some of our newer members.” Martino went on to say, “The book includes much more than just dictionary words. Many of the third grade teachers create lesson plans based on these books so they are much more than a dictionary with 37,000 words.
They are encyclopedias that contain a wealth of information from state capitols and countries of the world to multiplication and periodic tables, and the stars and planets.” The book also has a section about all the Presidents of the United States including facts about their children and spouses and the outstanding accomplishments of their years in office. When asked about his experience, retiring team member Andy Costello said, “It has been a blast.
I can hardly believe that the first group of third graders we visited nine years ago are now juniors in high school, and will soon have an opportunity as seniors to apply for Elks Scholarships. That’s a seed Pat and I started planting nine years ago.”
Current Lodge President Derek Randles said of the progress “I am very proud of this project and of these very dedicated teams who assure that each 3rd grader not only gets his or her own personal book but an opportunity to learn so many interesting facts about the world.
Many of these children will use these books their entire school life, and every teacher at each stop has also requested a copy for home study. Coincidentally, the project has also brought us some new Elk members who became interested in joining the Elks after their third grade sons and daughters brought home a dictionary.”
Mission Viejo/Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge #2444 is celebrating 44 years of service to Saddleback Valley Communities. It is one of 10 lodges in the Orange Coast District of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) whose headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois. The BPOE is a charitable organization with a 146 history of giving. “Elks Care Elks Share”
KEEP COMMUNICATING”
Andy Costello
2014-15 CHEA Public Relations Chairman
Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley Lodge #2444
