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Free Dictionaries for Damascus-Cluster Third Graders |
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Clearspring Elementary School Principal Gayle Mollet smiles approvingly while Damascus Rotary Club project member Jim Starcher holds one of the hundreds of dictionaries presented to third-grade students in grammar schools throughout the Damascus-cluster area. |
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Members of the Damascus Rotary Club, in cooperation with local PTAs, are again distributing more than 675 dictionaries to third grade students in local public schools. Schools receiving the free dictionaries are the Barnesville, Cedar Grove, Clarksburg, Clearspring, Damascus, Fox Chapel, Little Bennett, Rockwell, and Woodfield Elementary Schools. The project combined the efforts and funds of the Rotary Club of Damascus with those of the PTSAs of the elementary schools. |
| This is the third distribution of the dictionaries. According to Bob Bokma of the Damascus Rotary Club, this project was first undertaken to celebrate the Centennial of Rotary International in 2005, but it was so successful it was decided to repeat it again in January 2006, and now, again in fall 2006. Bokma also said in addition to their very own dictionary each student received a letter explaining the reasons why the local Rotary Club decided to undertake the project once again. |
| The “Student Dictionary” is a soft-bound volume that contains extensive reference information, including the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the biographies of the Presidents, a world atlas, weights and measures, and other useful information. Each dictionary is the student’s to keep and Damascus Rotarians hope the students will continue to use them in their studies for many years to come. |
| Rotary is an international service organization of local business men and women who work for the betterment of their communities. The four avenues of service in Rotary include Vocational service, International Service, Club Service and Community Service. In addition to the dictionary project, the Damascus Club participates in Celebrate Damascus, gives three scholarships to graduating students at Damascus High School, donates to numerous local community organizations including Camp Friendship, and has hosted a foreign student in Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program. |
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To learn about Rotary in the Damascus area or to help on this and similar activities, contact Bob Bokma at 301-916-1120, or email him at BobBokma@yahoo.com |
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